In defense of the sanctimonious women's studies set || First feminist blog on the internet

Help Me!

I need a Halloween costume by Thursday. It needs to be creative, and yet easy to put together. And as much as I envy a girl who can wear a short skirt, that ain’t me, so no naughty nurses and no unitards. Now, go!

Happy Yom Kippur!

I actually have no idea what is the appropriate thing to say on Yom Kippur, but hopefully “happy” will be sufficient. To all those celebrating, I hope you’re having a good one, with sins fully atoned for — and I hope you have a great big wonderful meal after sundown tonight. For those unfamiliar with the holiday, here’s a little Yom Kippur 101.

Happy Coming Out Day!

It’s National Coming Out Day.

“Every single time we talk about our lives as GLBT Americans, we are another step closer to equality,” said HRC President Joe Solmonese. “Each word helps build bridges that change hearts and minds — and eventually our laws.”

And today is for everyone:

“We will only achieve equality by growing the number of people who stand with us,” said Shields. “Every time a straight person speaks out against an anti-gay joke, or joins a gay-straight alliance, they are having a coming out experience. We want to honor that, and make sure it happens more often.”

We all have a responsiblity to take a stand against homophobia. Share your story, and read others.

Anti-Semitism, Columbus, and nip/tucks: A Mini Round-Up

Dennis Prager on why Jews should abandon secularism and join forces with the Christian right: because universities are bad and criticising Israel is on par with anti-Semitism. Prager’s point, more specifically, is that anti-Zionism is the equivalent of anti-Semitism, and that American universities breed anti-Zionist students. Now, I’ve been at a pretty liberal American university for more than four years now, and I’m still pretty firm in my belief that Israel has a right to exist. Does that give it free reign to do whatever it wants? No, it doesn’t, and criticism of the Israeli government is often warranted. So is criticism of Palestinian leadership. And American leadership, and Saudi leadership, and French leadership, and the leadership of a whole slew of other places. Israel doesn’t get a free pass; but criticism of a government’s decisions isn’t the equivalent of anti-Semitism. For Prager to then make the jump that American Jews should abandon secularism and embrace Jerry Falwell is pretty ridiculous. Of course, individual Jewish people should do what they want; if they’re comfortable hanging out with a guy who believes they’re all going to Hell unless they accept his God as their own, that’s their business. But the secularization of American society has a history of being promoted by long-outcasted Jews, and came at least in part as a response to WWII. Advocating an end to secularism is bad for everyone — but particularly for religious minorities.

Happy Columbus Day. It’s not actually about Columbus, but maybe that’s ok.

The emotional aftermath of cosmetic surgery.

Don’t Send Me No Flowers, I Ain’t Dead Yet

When I picked Ethan up from his dad’s this weekend, he yelled, “Yes! It’s Valentine’s Day tomorrow!”

Valentine’s Day, she ain’t what she used to be.

Ethan and his dad prepared a lovely set of valentines for E’s classmates and I taped peppermint patties to the envelopes. I couldn’t help but think of the Peppermint Patty of “Peanuts” fame, her unknowing lesbian icon status, and just how heteronormative this particular holiday is.

For the holiday I got Ethan a new book for his LeapPad and his own set of headphones since he loves mine so much. My valentine is getting a slew of vagina-shaped chocolates sold on campus for the Vagina Monologues charity and a set of coupons I modeled after the Onion’s suggestions. I got myself a quiet night at home with meatloaf and mashed potatoes.

V-day on twenty dollars or less. Cheapskate ahoy!

I’m not a big fan of these pedestrian holidays, or most holidays, and Valentine’s Day has always been shadowed by my nearby birthday. Luckily I have birthday plans this year, a night of bowling and dinner with E and E’s dad, another dinner out with my parents, and perhaps another dinner this upcoming weekend with friends and the pseudo-boyfriend. It’s about time. After my 21st birthday disappointment wherein I was living with and fighting with the parents badly enough that the two week long silence was only ended with a half-assed rendition of “Happy Birthday To You,” I figured the birthday excitement of my youth was over.

I’d rather think of Valentine’s Day itself as a massacre of another sort: hearts, relationships, and unrequited love slayed as easily as gangsters with guns hanging in a garage on February afternoon. Disappointment, really, and not because I feel left out of the holiday or anything, but that people so invest their relationships and self-worth into this holiday that most are disappointed. And thus, I am disappointed in them for being so ridiculous.

In the meantime, Amanda better illustrates my point and offers a bit of advice on how to avoid that V-Day malaise.