politically speaking

Alyssa Milano is the epitome of white feminism, and from her highly privileged platform as a celebrity and as the ACLU’s reproductive justice advocate (omg, why) she decided to respond to Georgia’s draconian abortion ban by purposing a sex strike.

Menstrual stigma can have a wide range of effects on young girls and women and can even influence how we care for our bodies and the products we choose to use. As a young girl I remember learning about the two ways to capture my blood flow: pads or tampons. 

Let me start this letter with this: I am so, so sorry to those affected by the abortion bans that have been written into law. As a Canadian, I have the privilege to access an abortion, which I have…twice.

Have you ever been harassed in the street? Received a crass message on a dating app? Had a coworker make a comment about your appearance that just didn’t sit right? You’re not alone. With the #MeToo movement, it’s easy to log onto Twitter or Facebook and see just how many women are victims of sexual harassment.

Menstruation. It's a word that still makes a lot of people squirm in their seats. Even though it is a physical phenomenon that happens to billions of people around the globe, it is still shrouded in secrecy, riddled with shame, and highly stigmatized.

Monday seems so long ago, but it was only yesterday. My day was wholly unremarkable, but it was a good day. And for me, good days are hard to come by.

LGBT, LGBT+, LGBTQIA…there have been a lot of variations of the LGBT+ acronym over the years - which seems to be a source of irritation for non-allies. But although the initials are *ever-changing and somewhat controversial among community members, it’s important to remember the purpose of the acronym

There’s been a lot of buzz around the topic of consent recently. More and more people are talking about the importance of affirmative consent, but many are still having a difficult time understanding this concept. In fact, in the wake of the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements, some men are claiming that they are now afraid to associate with women in public or the workplace, for fear that they might of being accused of sexual harassment or assault.

Today is a rough day, my friends. The days following a substantial tragic event are always difficult. Emotions are high, people are justifiably angry, and decisions are made. If you follow me on social media at all, you would know that I have moved on from my usual sexual & mental health schtick to a more politicized tone. 

Today is February 15, 2018, and to date, we have endured 18 school shootings in America. That equals a school shooting roughly every 60 hours. And we continue to do nothing about it. Our politicians offer generic platitudes to families of victims and survivors to assuage their own guilt, shrug, and go back to their lives.