Around 4 p.m. last Saturday afternoon, I sat in Elephant and Castle on Pennsylvania Avenue as President Trump delivered a televised speech to the intelligence community in front of the C.I.A. memorial wall. Around me a rowdy crowd booed and jeered at this man, and outside a steady procession filled the streets in opposition of […]
Read More Speak Loudly and Carry a Big SignWondering what the ShoutOut! bloggers covered this week in the Newsroom? Presidential Business: Trump’s Presidential Inaugural Committee has released statements saying that the upcoming weekend’s events will emphasize simplicity over luxury, as if it was a conscious choice on the part of Trump’s team to have no one throw him inaugural balls, to have the […]
Read More Newsroom Round UpHey hey hey readers! I am so excited to be back in action and writing for ShoutOut! again this semester and I am honored to say that I, along with SassyYazzy and HeroineAddict, will be taking over as the co-editors for a semester of fem-tastic blogging, following in the footsteps of the amazing eternallyfeminist! I […]
Read More New Year, New Bloggers: Welcome Back, Everyone!In honor of a new semester just around the corner, I wanted to take the time to sit down with a senior JMU Women and Gender Studies (WGS) student, Melanie, to get her point of view on the WGS minor and her experience studying the variety of perspectives that exist within gender studies. Here’s how […]
Read More An Interview with a Graduating WGS StudentIn light of this November’s (traumatizing) elections a new campaign, if you will, has surfaced. First starting in Britain as a result of the Brexit, it has now been adopted by many Americans; from college and university campuses (like yours truly–JMU) to the general public. #Safetypin is an effort to show support, and allyship to […]
Read More Safety for who?: A Critique of the #safetypin CampaignIt’s a phrase that is repeatedly asked millions of times a day. The epitome of every morning routine; the reason we sometimes change our outfit three times before walking out the door; the reason some spend hours at the gym; the reason my friend asked me if she looked okay before her company came over; […]
Read More Reclaiming “fat”: Because being fat isn’t a bad thing!It has been almost two full days since the gross results of the Presidential election were announced and I have been struggling for the words to adequately express how I feel. Yesterday, one of my fellow bloggers wrote a beautiful letter to Secretary Hillary Clinton, so now I think it is time I address the […]
Read More An Open Letter to the American PublicImage credit I heard a story of a young, Black, transgender women who was brutally murdered, just last month in fact, in Maryland. Crystal Edmonds was only 32 years old. Black transgender/gender non-conforming persons are at higher risk of violence (from anti-LGBTQ+ persons) than any other group. In general, there has been a long history of […]
Read More Heterosexual Support for the LGBTQ+ CommunityFeatured Photo Credit here I’m for all women feeling empowered in everything they do. I’m also all for women feeling absolutely empowered in what they wear. Why shouldn’t I? I’m a woman too. So when it comes to this fashion phenomenon, “butt cheek shorts”, i.e. butt-less shorts, I’m forced to question how this article of […]
Read More Empowering or Sexualization?If you think sex education is an unnecessary and unimportant topic of conversation, I recommend you spend an hour in your average, smelly, pubescent-ridden middle school or watch John Oliver’s special on the issue. I recently reached out to the very cool, very reality-driven sex ed specialist Laura Leischner who works with various high schools […]
Read More Sex Ed: How to be an Askable Adult, and Why It’s Vital You Do So
ShoutOut! James Madison University 