Reflecting on Women’s History Month

As we close out Women’s History Month, I have reflected on the women before me, next to me and in front of me.

There is nothing more empowering and painful than being a woman in this world. The women that personally have impacted my life are strikingly inspirational. When I entered my twenties, I would constantly look for women who would share advice about thriving and getting through your twenties. I found myself reading articles, watching Youtube channels, listening to TED talks and attending conferences. The women I met along the way shared their knowledge with me. They had advice about finances, mental health, culture, politics, fashion, education or feminism. Moreover, they all had one thing in common. They conveyed humility and understanding. Generously offering up empowerment and happiness. 

And that to me is what a female community should be built on – it should reflect oneself. But you also should want more for the women next to you. 

I remember watching the Nina Simone documentary and being absolutely inspired with her selflessness. Simone was a woman that gave her talent and grace to the world, but it was all given with sacrifice. That word – sacrifice – has such a heaviness in a woman’s day to day life. Simone was a singer and an activist, who spoke out on the Civil Rights movement, and spoke about what crimes were done against Black folks in America. And Simone is someone that I am truly inspired by. Because she left us with her art and her vision. And at a price that she paid for. For all women in America, and the world. 

Women nowadays have the privilege and power to use their platforms – big or small – to make a change in this world.

There is still so much to do, but we cannot forget the progress we have made as women. 

Growing up in the Midwest, as a Latina woman, I often found myself craving to see a powerful woman (besides my own mother) on a platform. Oftentimes I questioned whether or not I would see a brown woman in office, speaking at conferences, or even just on a children’s book cover. Ultimately it was small steps forward that I witnessed. Moments that accumulating throughout my childhood til now. 

Someone who I slowly began admiring because of her work ethic and charisma was Jennifer Lopez. Lopez has this saying of “Making something from nothing.” She expresses how she was working for the man, getting where she is at with grit, clarity, vision and of course hard work. Lopez is an entrepreneur, actress, singer, dancer and mother. She has built herself up by working twice as hard as the person next to her, in front of her and of the opposite gender. Women like Lopez being on the screen, in award shows, or in the White House continue to inspire me. 

I am fortunate enough to be surrounded by women who have created a life of their own by the beat of their own drum.

And they have been able to be on platforms.  (big and small) lending a hand by sharing their love, knowledge and power with me. Some are singers, artists, business women, mothers, teachers, friends and sometimes strangers. Their common thread is that they all shared ways to lift other women up – the same way the women before them did. 

I would encourage you to share this article with the women that you admire. And express your gratitude towards them. Because you should thank them, support them, and most importantly listen to them. We women have one another to uplift and encourage. So let us continue to bring love, humility and empowerment into this world for all of the unique and amazing women to come. 

 

10 Things To Help You Find Your True Happiness That Doesn’t Include Chasing A Man

Am I the only 20 something who feels like there is something wrong with her because she doesn’t want to “chase a man”? I mean come on ladies it’s 2021 we can literally do ANYTHING we set our minds to, we do not need to find our happiness within a significant other. Trust me. I know this is going to sound so extremely corny but it’s oh, so true. That feeling of real and true happiness is something we won’t find in anyone else. That is the happiness we can only find within ourselves. Life Coach Spotter suggests hiring a happiness coach. They can reframe your perspectives and help you better appreciate the good things in your life. This makes you feel a sense of purpose and fulfillment which is a great step in the right direction. Here are 10 other things you can do to try and find that feeling of true happiness without having to try and find that happiness within someone else.

1. Start your own business

Tired of the same old 9 to 5? Leave! There is nothing wrong with starting over, and doing what you love! Starting your own business can be challenging at first and it would be of great advantage to have a life coach like Mia Hewett to guide you both in business and in life.

2. Take that dream vacation

Sometimes you just want to get away from everything you know and just take a breather, and sometimes you just need inspiration

3. Work on raising your credit score

I know they say money can’t buy you happiness but money can buy you, your dream home and your dream car and that’s pretty close to happiness!

4. Go back to school

Even if you don’t know what you want to go for, just take a couple of classes and get your feet wet! I mean you have to start somewhere!

5. Adopt a dog

I promise you a dog will be your absolute best friend, they will always be there for you. They will always love you.

6. Plan a vacation JUST FOR YOU!

Get away from everything and everyone. Find yourself and explore an exotic place!

7. Take yourself out on a shopping trip!

Do it just because, treat yourself and buy the bag because life is too short so buy the shoes!

8. Volunteer and help mentor young kids.

Be THAT person that YOU needed when you were younger because I can promise you that some other little kid needs that person too. 

9. Get away from social media

Delete the apps off your phone! (you don’t actually have to delete your accounts) Get away from the toxicity that is everybody on the internet’s opinion and just be you.

10. LET IT ALL GO!

Go to the dollar store, and buy a glass plate and some sharpies, write everything that weighs you down everything you regret, and everything that you are mad at or feel bad about. drive to a road that is not always being driven on blast your music and SMASH IT! When you smash that plate let all of those regrets and all of that negativity go!

 

 

The Mask vs. Toxic Masculinity

I live in New York, which is arguably the epicenter of the world, and consequently, the coronavirus, too. We all know we’re in the middle of a pandemic and one of the most controversial things (which I just don’t understand) has been the expectation to wear masks. The way I see it, it’s something mildly inconvenient that you should do as a way to keep your germs to yourself. Simple, right? Apparently not. It’s been an adjustment and was especially difficult in the heat of the summer. I, personally, started breaking out like a prepubescent teenager which is not cute for an almost-30 something woman, but it’s okay because I currently feel the same way towards the pimples on my face cheeks as I feel towards the dimples on my ass cheeks: the only people seeing this is either my mother, my extremely close friends, or a very lucky man and if you are one of these people we are close enough that you must accept the full me: cellulite, zits, and all. Congratulations, and welcome to my germ circle.

This being said, I DO NOT understand why the mask thing has become “optional” or “political.” Only in Trump’s America can we possibly turn advice from medical and scientific experts into a symbol of stupidity and fear.

Luckily, with the bureaucracy of our country, the disaster that was Springtime New York City was controlled by Dad, aka Cuomo, and now we’re one of the least infected cities in the country. HOWEVER, this does not mean that there still aren’t assholes a-lurkin’. They’re out there, and it’s just my moral obligation as a citizen and a woman to point out, during my lengthy observation, that the MAJORITY of those who fearlessly and selfishly walk down the street without a mask, or rip off a mask the moment they can with pure disdain, are male.

You may find this shocking (just kidding, you probably don’t), but it’s true. It’s been NO surprise to me at all, but I’m just trying to put all the pieces together, and figure out why, exactly, men have so much disdain, for covering their jawlines that they think are so perfect. These are my thoughts.

Allow me to give you a clear idea of the difference between women and men when it comes to mask-wearing. I ride the subway once a day, only TO work, because I can’t ride it home FROM work because I have a vagina and must pay for an Uber or Lyft home due to the time and potential danger that comes with being a woman. Anyway, I work four days a week and have been back to work for about six weeks.

During this commute, I have seen at least one man a day without a mask on while riding the subway, despite there currently being a $50 fine for neglecting to wear a mask while using public transportation in NYC.

About half of these days, I have had to get up and either move to the other side of the train car or switch train cars at least one time because said man was in close proximity to me. Twice was I unable to exit the train car without a man without a mask standing directly in front of the door opening, clearly able to see me standing on the other side waiting to exit. Not only was he breaking the mask rule, he was also breaking the “step aside and let people exit the train before entering” rule. He was 0/2 and I couldn’t be more irritated. There is always at least one other man on any given subway car wearing a mask inappropriately (under the nose or some other laughable variation). As compared to women, in the past month and a half I have seen one woman on the subway without a mask, and approximately five without the mask properly worn. That’s a ratio of about 24 to 1.

One reason that men find it so difficult to adhere to this guideline is that as men, they have never been asked to cover up.

Women are used to being asked, or demanded, rather, to cover up, for this begins around second grade. It’s when we find out about what we’re permitted to wear to school and what we’re not. Your tank tops have to be at least two inches wide. Your skirt or shorts have to touch your fingertips. No low-cut shirts. No belly buttons. What are the boys’ rules? No hats? Please.

And what happens if a girl does wear a spaghetti strap shirt to school? Or perhaps she’s just too hot so she takes her sweater off to reveal super sexual (drum roll, please) SHOULDERS? Well, she’s told to change or go home. But she’s hot… She’s uncomfortable covering up. Why do we really care if her shoulders are exposed? It certainly isn’t because the educational institution in which she attends wants to make sure that she demands self-respect. It’s to keep the attention of the male students off of the female bodies and on their learning.

We are putting their education above female comfort. We are putting their education above female education.

School boards would rather have a female miss class because of her refusal to cover her body than to have a male student be distracted while present in class. Therefore can’t you say, while we all have a right to an education, that the male education is still valued more than the female education? I’m also unclear as to why we teach young girls that being proud of their bodies is disrespectful or distracting. Also, what happens when a male student says he’s too hot to wear a mask to protect his female students during a global pandemic? Well, my guess is that it would be considered an understandable excuse.

I also beg to know what was done to keep me less distracted in high school. There were no rules against young men who wore t-shirts that showed off their defined biceps or button-downs that showed the definition of their triceps. Who was looking out for me when all the boys started developing body hair and strong calf muscles!? And who the hell was monitoring the fit of the young men’s jeans so that I wasn’t too distracted while I conjugated my French lesson? Is it because we value the male education more or is it because sex is a man’s right? It’s a male’s will to be distracted by sexual needs and desire, but for women, any such admittance to a sexual distraction would be shameful. I don’t know who needs to hear this, but girls are horny, too. With that being said, I would love to meet the middle-aged, cisgendered, straight, white, male, Republican school board leaders that were claiming they can’t force children to wear masks in school when you’ve managed to force girls to cover up for decades.

I shouldn’t need to say this, but the mask mandate is just further proof as to why it is up to women to bear children. If it was up to men, we would all be extinct by now, and there would probably be another species of half-human/half iPhone ruling planet Earth and putting models of people skeletons in museums for exhibition by now. Luckily, we’re still around because women are “strong enough to bear the children then get back to business,” as my good friend, Beyonce (just kidding, we’ve never met, don’t sue me) says in her song, Run the World (Girls). It’s much more difficult for men to go through any sort of mild discomfort for the greater good. Women learn early on that it’s part of their existence to suffer for the benefit of others.

We don’t question it. We don’t try to defy it. We deal with it.

We go to work, we exercise, we go about our daily lives, and we do it while our insides are in turmoil. I swear to God, every period I have get’s worse than the previous one. Every month my uterus screams out to me, “PUT A BABY IN ME,” and it tortures me for not fertilizing that damn egg. The woman that I have come to be is in no way ready for a child, but my physical being thinks it’s long overdue. She’s in her baby-making prime and she is straight-up pissed that I have neglected her calling. Point being, anything you can do I can do bleeding, and with a mask on, because I’m not a little bitch. Go to sleep.

Having children is also notoriously risky business. My guess is that if a man had to risk his life the way women do in order to carry children, it wouldn’t be done nearly as often.  If a man had to put his body through the hell that is nine months of pregnancy, following possibly two years of lactating and nursing, and a lifetime of stretch marks, weak bladders, and whatever other complications may arise, they would opt to not. However, this realization in men would also yield free, legal, safe abortions across the country REAL quick, but I’m afraid we have to save that for another conversation.

This leads me to point out that wearing a mask today is considered polite, and women are conditioned to be nice, above all else.

We’re taught to be polite because it’s unladylike not to be, after all. So why on Earth would I defy the rules and not cover my nose and mouth if it could possibly save a life!? Not doing this is considered disrespectful, and I, as a woman, dare not disrespect. We have a natural desire to care for other people and to want to do the right thing. Men are more likely to think about themselves.  It may not even be consciously vicious, but just their natural way of thinking.  They lead with what feels good to them that matters most, unfortunately, that leads to not only higher COVID case counts, but higher rape counts, as well. Men are far more likely to lead with “I want” and women are far more likely to lead with “I can help.”

Do men not feel as though the rules apply to them? I, as a penis-less individual, cannot answer from experience, but can only respond to the actions and conversations surrounding me, day-to-day. I can say first hand the majority of men I know that do not abide by the mask mandate are on the side that this pandemic is blown out of proportion, over-dramatized” if you will. These men tend to be your “macho men” – the guys that think they’re invincible. They don’t understand how to not get what they want. You see anything that throws off this type of privileged male is simply crazy, dramatic, and unrealistic. If it doesn’t support him, it simply isn’t real. If you’re on the other side and ya know, believe in science, you’re dismissed as crazy, too. My guess is they feel like they are above the rules, they are above most anything, after all. They are man, they are strong. Putting a mask on is a huge threat to their masculinity.  It’s almost as horrifying as drinking a cocktail out of a piece of stemmed glassware. These are the men that we’re battling here.

For those who may be concerned, there has been no link between wearing a mask and becoming less endowed in the girth region. One more time for the people in the back: TAKING VISIBLE PRECAUTIONS THREATENS THEIR MASCULINITY.

I’m not saying I haven’t seen women without masks; I have, but in shockingly fewer numbers. Once again, we’re looking at a 24 to 1 ratio. For every woman without a mask in a designated space where they are mandatory, there are TWENTY FOUR men violating the same rule, willing to risk a fine in order to not be visibly fearful OR respectable. It’s also not uncommon for me to see a man and woman walking together, the woman with a mask, and the man without one. I’ve even seen families, mothers, and children with masks… And man without. This is hugely disturbing to me, and it should be a wake-up call to society and a lesson learned in how we raise our sons. If the mother and children are wearing masks to protect themselves, does the father not love and respect his family enough to wear one as well? After all, if he gets sick, their mask-wearing was useless. And if his family is showing respect for the people in their community by wearing a mask, why does he feel as though he doesn’t have to? My guess is a combination of all the aforementioned. I also do feel, and in no way am I standing up for them, but I do believe that some of this is thinking and rationalizing is done in unconscious thought. That is society’s fault.

We teach men to not show weakness or fear. We say things to little boys like, “Don’t be a sissy” and “You’re acting like a girl.”

Realizing this and taking responsibility can help us undo generations and generations of harmful gender role policing for our children and grandchildren.  

Let’s zoom in a bit and focus on “white men.” Tell me one thing a middle-aged, cisgendered, straight, white male has ever NOT had the option of doing. You probably can’t. You can’t think of one. That’s why this concept is so difficult for him to grasp. Why don’t we talk about something as simple as using the restroom while dining at a restaurant. Never has the middle-aged, cisgendered, straight, white man ever been inconvenienced to do anything in order to use a public restroom. Let us remind you that black men were once forced to use a separate bathroom from white men, or not allowed in the bathroom at all. A transgender man would be bullied, beaten, even killed in the men’s restroom. The gay man has faced risks of getting beaten as well while facing allegations that he doesn’t even have to use the restroom. He just came in the bathroom to check other men out.

And women? I mean since we’re talking about restrooms, we might as well talk about why restrooms even became a thing.

The term didn’t actually come around until the late 19th Century, when women started to work in factories because they were now legally allowed to work. You see, up until this point only men were employed, so there was only a need for a space for them to relieve themselves. This was most often outside, in a less than desirable space. Then women came to work to shake things up despite studies that “proved” women are the weaker sex. Since employers could not legally refuse a woman their right to work anymore, they now had to pivot and find them a place to “rest.” After all, it was simply impossible for a woman to work the same hours as a man and continue to do the job at a respectable adequacy. Imagine that. Also, these women would eventually have to use a toilet, and the idea of one space outside for both genders to just release bodily wastes together just seemed largely inappropriate.

What eventually birthed from this dilemma was a space called the “restroom.”

With the help of more advanced plumbing systems, there would now be a designated space at work where women could “rest.” It would resemble the home, aka the place where the woman was most comfortable (el-oh-el) and would separate the genders while doing normal bodily functions that women are shamed for admitting they participate in to this day. Pooping. It wasn’t uncommon in public places for the women’s restrooms to be located in the basement, along with the black men’s’ restrooms. Could you even imagine telling the aforementioned middle-aged, cisgendered straight white male that he has to go to the basement to urinate? He’d say, “Why? There’s a restroom right here…”

The person enforcing these rules would say something, but at the end of the day whether they say for black, for whites, for straights, what they REALLY mean is for the NORM which is cis, straight, white, AND male, which would subsequently mean for the COMFORT of the cis, straight, white, and male. Today, that person would snicker and walk right past the enforcer of rules. However, right now in society, at least when it comes to public restrooms we’re just saying, “Hey, wear a mask!” like we do at my place of work, where I have gotten eye rolls, snickers, scoffs, and legit screamed at in return because the cis, straight, white man can’t conceive doing anything other than taking care of whatever he needs in that moment.

Let’s talk about culture for a moment. It is considered respectable in Muslim culture for women to wear a hijab in order to cover their hair. The Quran, the Muslim Bible, says that women should dress modestly. It’s very common for Muslim women to follow this respectable tradition today, even though some western cultures ignorantly associate it with terrorism.

How horrible must it be to be torn between honoring your culture and religion and being harassed as an assumed terrorist, or to go against your culture and religion in order to possibly blend in?

My guess is that it’s pretty fucking horrible. Today’s men aren’t going through any of this inner turmoil when asked to wear a mask, yet it outwardly appears to be so difficult for them. Have you ever seen a Muslim woman with her hijab draped around her neck, not covering her hair? I’m just gonna have to say no, you haven’t. I know you haven’t. Have you ever seen a Muslim woman carrying her headscarf in her hand, walking around with it? Do you think she’d be allowed in a mosque? Do you think her community would say… “Oh, but she still has it in her hand…” No. No one would say that. Because it’s not the same thing. Do you think she would say, “Oh, I forgot!” as many people do while moving around public spaces throughout our country? She wouldn’t forget.

She wouldn’t forget because this is an issue of respect, and women, no matter the religion or culture are indoctrinated from birth when it comes to respect.

It’s drilled into our skulls since the moment we’re born, or before if your mother finds out the gender of her baby. If a little girl is disrespectful she’s corrected immediately. If a little boy is disrespectful, he’s still learning and the matter at hand is laughed off. Boys will be boys after all, correct? 354,000 deaths later, and men still have a hard time grasping things… Growing up… Dealing with uncomfortable realities forced upon them. I’m also going to have to say if these women can keep their head-dressing covering their hair while living their life, you can keep your mask above your nose while riding the subway, sir.

We excuse boys for breaking the rules longer than we excuse girls for doing the same things. We’ve heard it time and time again: boys mature at a much slower rate than girls. While physically that is scientifically true, mentally it’s more so based on the fact that we excuse boy’s behavior for a much longer time than we excuse the same behavior in girls. These boys grow up to be men that are simply accustomed to getting excused for their poor behavior and decisions, even if they hurt people in the process. These societal excuses can even lead to severe cases of “himpathy.”

Made popular by Kate Manne in her book, “Down Girl,” himpathy is a term used to define the sympathy felt for the man even when he has done something wrong.

Take a rape case for example. How many times have you heard “his life is over now” by someone referring to a man accused of rape, except for some reason the person saying this isn’t happy about it. It’s very common for women to be put down, shamed even, for accusing men of sexual assault because those allegations will (and should) bring down the man’s life. It’ll affect him personally, professionally, his relationships, and future endeavors, because it should.

It’s quite horrific, that how the man will suffer after being accused of rape is often more the focus than the woman that has been raped.

Does the person expressing himpathy not care that the woman will be affected personally, professionally, emotionally, and psychologically by the events that took place? It will follow her for the remainder of her life as well, except she didn’t CHOOSE to do it. The offender did. It was his actions, so he should suffer. That is justice, but we sometimes forget that because we have a person in the highest office in the United States that has been recorded saying, “Grab them by the pussy,” and it has been dismissed as nothing but locker room talk because BOYS WILL BE BOYS.

I can’t let the topic of wealth and healthcare go untouched. I, along with millions of other Americans, lost my healthcare coverage due to COVID-19. Millions of other Americans didn’t even have coverage before the pandemic. When people go out and disobey the mask mandate they put others who are uninsured and unable to afford proper healthcare at a HUGE risk.

I’m so happy that you feel as though you’ll be fine if you get sick, but that’s just not reality for more people than you may think.

There are so many people that just take healthcare for granted and this is linked to a long line of privilege. If you never had to worry about insurance it’s safe to say you are benefitting from any number of privileges. I’m not saying RICH, but if healthcare isn’t an issue, you have more than most and you should be grateful. We’re talking not only about wealth privilege but also education privilege because chances are, if you’re able to afford a solid insurance plan or it’s part of the package at your job, you were also able to afford and have access to an education in order to secure said job/income. If these things have never been an issue for you, your parents have also benefited from these privileges, and you are reaping the rewards whether you acknowledge it or not, so how about we all check our privilege by showing some respect for those who may not have been dealt such a good hand?

Currently, in the US, we are leading in the number of COVID deaths globally, because we have a President (a middle-aged, cisgendered, straight, white, wealthy male) that has insisted on putting the economy above the worth of human lives and has not been able to set an example when it comes to wearing a mask. A few months ago in the first Presidential Debate, he mocked current President-Elect Joe Biden for always having a mask on. He MOCKED him, for following CDC guidelines during a global pandemic. About 50 (nifty United States) hours later, Trump announced that he and the First Lady has tested positive for COVID-19. Karma’s only a bitch if you are. I would love for men to prove me wrong, but I know their toxic masculinity will stand in the way. For those men who have and continue to wear a mask, thanks for not being the reason I have to give up my end seat on the W train.

Header Image Source

About The Author

Kaitlyn-Renee Urban is an actor and writer with a passion for highlighting feminism in the arts. She hosts an IGTV show (coming January 2021) called “What We Know Now” centered around supporting local, women-run businesses while picking their brains for advice they’d give their younger selves. She lives in New York City, but it’s easier to find her on Instagram.

I’m A Feminist, But Damn, I Can’t Wait To Be A Wife And A Mom

Feminism, or more simply, the equality between men and women has been a topic forever. From fighting for the right to vote to fight for the right to your own body, badass women have been paving the way for the ladies after them for a long time.

 

Women have done some incredible things. From inventing ground-breaking medical technology to winning awards in male-dominated industries to crushing sports records, the limit to what women can do apparently does not exist.

 

I’ve long dreamt of being one of those incredible women. A doctor, a lawyer, a CEO, a lady breaking stereotypes wherever she saw them. But as I’ve gotten older, fallen in love and thought long and hard what I want out of this life, I know that being a wife and a mom is an incredible thing this woman wants to do.

 

I Believe In Equality, But I Don’t Believe In Today’s Feminism

From a very young age, I’ve been proud to be a woman.

I grew up in a family in which my mother was the bread-winner. My father, may he rest in peace, was not mentally sound, nor capable, of supporting a family. He spent the majority of my life sick, in and out of the hospital for months and years on end. My mother was the one who not only went to work every day, but came home and ensured there was food on the table, a roof over my head, and that every parent-teacher conference, softball game, and camp bus pick-up was taken care of.

My mother raised me in a household that proved a woman can be both the old stereotypical “mother” who takes care of her children, makes sure they are well-off, clothed, fed, and “cheered on,” while simultaneously taking on the role of the old stereotypical “father”—going to work every day and paying the bills.

In a society that tells women that men are in charge—they are the ones who should pay the bills, go to work, run the corporations, make the decisions—I have profoundly disagreed. I saw firsthand that women are strong, capable, intelligent human beings who deserve just as much say in the world, just as much pay, just as much power, as a man. In terms of feminism, I agree that women should be equal. There is no reason that a woman should be paid less, treated less than, or given less of a voice in society and in politics/the word.


But, today, feminism has morphed into something much, much different than gender equality. Instead of fighting for equality and the right to be treated the same as many men are, it’s become a bloodbath of slandering all men—generalizing them into animals, disgusting and drooling animals who do nothing but objectify women and leave us, powerless victims.

Feminism today has lost its tone from when we were fighting for equality. Sure, feminism is still rooted in those very values and morals—that women should be treated equally, given equal opportunities, and equal pay. But, more often, when feminism is talked about and discussed, we’re tearing down men and pinning them as monsters, instead of trying to brainstorm and come up with changes we can make to bring forth this equality we have so longed for and fought for.

Men have no longer been just “men,” and instead, are “sexist,” or “misogynists,” or “pigs.” I don’t discredit the fact that yes, there are men in society who are these things. There are men in society who are pigs. But, all men? No, not all men. It’s time we stop generalizing an entire sex in order to bring forth some “power” for women. It’s hypocritical of us to try to reach equality by stepping on men and pushing them down. That’s not the fight we’re trying to fight. In order to reach equality, we need to embrace equal rights, not try and push feminism down everyone’s throats that women are better than men. 

Feminism should be about supporting, lifting, and embracing strong, independent, and powerful women—without having to slander men in the process. I am in full support of women being the breadwinners, women making the changes society needs, and women getting paid and compensated the appropriate and right wage to do so. What I don’t support is man-hating in order to get the job done. Some men are bad, yes. But all men? Not all men.

43 Funny Feminist Tweets That Infuriated All The BroFlakes On Twitter

Much of the world has come around to the notion that women and men deserve to be treated equally.
Continue reading 43 Funny Feminist Tweets That Infuriated All The BroFlakes On Twitter

A Stripper Is Making Some Illuminating Comics About Her Work

Jacq the Stripper is both and artist, and as her name implies, a stripper. Online and in real life, Jacq is a fierce advocate for the rights of sex workers and anyone who makes their living from dancing. All that and she paints and draws, too. According to Someecards, Jacq just released her own comic book called STRIPTASTIC! It’s a collection of illustrations that share her personal philosophy about stripping and little vignettes into her and her co-workers’ daily experience.

What the comics mostly illustrate is that every job is just a job. If you dance and take off your clothes every day for money, it quickly becomes pretty mundane. It also seems like Jacq thinks many people misunderstand what exactly strippers provide. They’re not just getting naked, they’re often asked to listen, deal with men’s psychological issues, and also have to deal with some annoying customer service issues. After reading Jacq’s comics, you’ll never consider not tipping again.

Jacq’s shared the secret underwear code she’s become familiar with:

What she really thinks about the stereotype of having “daddy issues.”

But Jacq doesn’t just joke about men, she has a bone to pick with other women who consider themselves feminist, but who don’t include the perspective of actual sex workers when they’re discussing sex work. It seems like in Jacq’s opinion, a lot of women who have never done sex work have too many opinions about it.

But she also makes it clear that everyone has a different perspective on why they get into stripping. Different strokes for different folks:

Though the girls always help each other out. There is such a thing as solidarity, especially around tampon strings:

There’s also some good life hacks, if anyone is taking some very specific liberties with you:

Jacq is turning her job into art, even though it basically already is:

And anyone who reads her book will know exactly how to act the next time they go to the club. Approach the dancers with respect and a fist full of dollar bills.

Women Are Sharing Their Mansplaining Horror Stories And We’re Fuming

Anyone who’s ever had the extreme misfortune of encountering a mansplainer know just how insulting it can be. It happens all too often and is honestly one of the most infuriating situations to be in.

At the very least, we can take solace in the fact that these mansplainers make complete idiots out of themselves and get roasted into oblivion on Twitter.

Nicole Froio, a women’s studies Ph.D. candidate, recently asked her Twitter followers about the most obvious thing a man has every mansplained to them.

Twitter

Froio also clarified the definition of ‘mansplaining’ for any naysayers who might decide to chime in.

Twitter

My personal favorite definition is one provided by Urban Dictionary: “A man whom by virtue of the authority and privilege vested in him by society feels entitled to preach or explain how the world works. Bonus, if he is speaking to women, whom he perceives to be naive and ignorant, about problems and concerns with which women have real life every day experience, and the man has NO f***ing clue what he is talking about. This is usually done in a patronizing insensitive manner.”

Unsurprisingly, the women of Twitter had plenty to share.

Twitter

Oh, boy.

This woman had her own heritage mansplained to her.

Twitter

Scientists aren’t even safe from mansplainers.

Twitter

Neither are the female academics of the world.

Twitter

Nor the education professionals.

Twitter

Mansplainers have gone so far as to patronize women about things like childbirth…

Twitter

My eyes have never rolled so hard.

And the functions of breast milk.

 

Exit mobile version