labels – a lesbian’s least favourite accessory
Labels, labels, labels. What’s the deal with labels? I call myself a lesbian, but I’m not a ‘gold star’ lesbian (a gay woman who’s never slept with a man). Most people I know identify as gay, straight and sometimes bisexual, but I don’t meet many people who reject the idea of labels. Is it because [...]
Books for budding feminists, Eve Ensler, the vagina monologues
The Vagina Monologues by Eve Ensler is a book I honestly believe every man, woman and young adult should read – excuse the cliché. It is unlike anything I have ever read before and was so gripping that I read it in one very emotional sitting. The book was first written in 1966 after Ensler [...]
books for budding feminists: natasha walter, living dolls: the return of sexism
The main thing I learnt by reading this book is that the sexism that existed pre-1950s is definitely sneaking back into society. While today it is mostly swept under the rug and hidden away, there remain aspects that are right out in the open just begging us, as women, to make a move to change [...]
(sex)uality: first time sex and the pressure for perfection
A couple of weeks ago, I was at a friend’s place and decided to mosey on over to his shelves of DVDs and find something to entertain me while he cleaned. After a ridiculous amount of time spent trying to decide what to watch, I settled on season one of an old favourite, The OC. [...]
feminist news round-up 06.11.11
This new column will summarise events that have happened in the last week relevant to women, feminism, and sexuality and link you to related articles. It will also offer a brief analysis on some stories. Please feel free to give us feedback! You can read last week’s round-up here. This week has a mixture of [...]
(sex)uality: they grow up so fast
Some time ago, I was privy to more private information about a girl whose name I don’t know than many of my close friends, simply because I was sitting near her on a train. I was certain that the conversation she was having with her friends would yield many a (sex)uality column due to the [...]
(sex)uality: performance anxiety
You know the feeling. They look your way; maybe they wink or smile. Maybe they’re on the other end of the bar, or across the table from you at dinner, or cuddling you on a couch. You bite your lip, knowing that you’re thinking the same thing. Your muscles relax slightly, in anticipation of the [...]
(sex)uality: what no man wants to hear
Without wanting to get Lily Allen on you all and divulge details of not only my own sex life, but also that of the men I’ve, ahem, ‘known’, I feel it’s time to right some wrongs often proliferated by both the media and feminists (which, to be fair, are both groups I technically belong to). [...]
(sex)uality: why some women have sex
Slut-shaming is nothing new. When a woman sleeps with more people than whatever arbitrary number is deemed appropriate, her morals and sexual standards are quickly called into question. But then there’s also the school of thought that assumes there must be some longstanding emotional damage that propels women to have casual sex. Although this mentality [...]
(sex)uality: slut of the year
People are usually surprised to hear that I was bullied in high school. This is probably because I’m reasonably outgoing, well-adjusted, non-ugly, have friends, and just generally lack qualities that outwardly provoke harassment or comment (though my critics may tell you otherwise). Anyway, I’m not really sure how closely I approximate the average person who’s [...]
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