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Practicing Self-Defense From A Radical Feminist Perspective

buttons on an arcade game labeled "defense," "punch" and "Kick"

My desire to share my skills does not come from a victim-blaming narrative that would fault someone for not successfully fighting back. Nor am I arguing that learning and practicing self-defense is some kind of imperative. If someone can run or otherwise leave a situation without having to fight, that’s great, and men still need to take responsibility for their actions. But I am interested in the radical liberation that comes from protecting ourselves, and from protecting each other. Read more

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‘Rural America’ Is Not What Politicians Make It Out To Be

an abandoned barn in the middle of a field, at sunset

The vast majority of my canvassers were queer people or people of color, working hard to change their hometowns by being an active presence in them. And they recognized, cogently, that their own liberation was bound up in the issues of their neighbors, which led to them to reach out their hand and knock on those doors. Read more

​​For Whom the Bells Toll: The Life And Politics Of Bell Bottoms

When you wear bell bottoms you can’t help but take up space, and people can’t help but notice you. Fashion has always been used to send messages, or to exhibit social status or wealth. In many cultures, black at a funeral shows you’re mourning, just as a bride in white at her wedding represents purity. Victorian women wore Read more

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Every Day, Men Are Encouraged To Dominate ‘Vulnerable, Powerless People’

The irony is that these attempts at narrowing the conversation always end up doing the opposite: If the situation is to blame, why are there so many different situations producing similar results? Why is it a given that men will attack women when in isolation? Why do we simply accept the terror of masculinity as a fact of life? Read more