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Nobody’s Death Is A Blessing

flickr/Eric Kilby By Ijeoma Oluo Two years ago today I was staring at my teenage son, my precious baby, wondering if his smile was real. Wondering if I could allow myself to take comfort in a moment of his laughter. Wondering what I could do to keep him in this world as long as possible. Wondering Read more

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First Muslim Woman To Win Nobel Peace Prize Isn’t Done Speaking Out

Credit: Penguin House By Bridey Heing The past few years have signaled many changes for Iran. Following the election of moderate cleric Hassan Rouhani as President, Iran quickly swerved away from the bombastic rhetoric that had been the norm under his predecessor, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The change presented a country ready to engage constructively with the rest of Read more

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What Happens When Writers Tell Stories That Aren’t Their Own

By Anis Gisele At a reading of science fiction for social justice, in honor of African American feminist author Octavia Butler, the lineup is composed of six white people and one Indian woman. A white man with two published books reads to us in the voice of his narrator, an incarcerated black boy. This black boy, who Read more

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How A Midwife ‘Witch Hunt’ Is Hurting Women’s Choices In Childbirth

“The number of cesarean sections hovered around 30 percent most days, well above the World Health Organization recommendation of 10 to 15 percent, but some days it was 75 percent. I saw women bullied into epidurals by their nurses, who would tell them, ‘You will never get through this without one.’ And special, extraordinary scorn was reserved for women who chose to have a home birth. ‘Crazy,’ ‘irresponsible’ and ‘child abuse’ were terms I heard in the staff break room.” Read more

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Seattle Politicians Trolled Over New NBA Arena

“To belittle our votes and policy considerations as ‘emotional and naïve’ is not only an insult to women, it impacts our community. The misogynistic backlash to our vote is an attempt to communicate a dangerous message: Elected women in Seattle do not deserve the respect necessary to make tough decisions without the fear of violence and racially and sexually charged retaliation….There are women across our city and nation who are abused, insulted, belittled and exploited at home or work. Their stories rarely make news. We stand in solidarity with them.” Read more