Blame the System Not the Victim

It is all too common in our society for the victims of rape and sexual assault to be the one’s blamed for the atrocious acts they have endured. It is more often than not men who rape or sexually assault women (although there are some cases the roles reverse). Instead of society teaching men at a young age about rape awareness, young women are taught and pressured to steer clear of situations that could lead down a dangerous path.

In many instances women are considered to blame for being victims of rape and sexual assault. Instead of warning women to not get too drunk or to leave their drink unattended, society should be telling men not to drug women or take advantage of them when they are in a vulnerable state. Women are also taught to not wear anything revealing because it could attract the “wrong attention”. Instead of teaching men that what a women wears does not mean she is “asking for it”.

When society creates excuses for the offenders of these crimes, it is enabling them. It is telling these offenders and others like them that these actions are okay. Our society should focus on the steps that need to be taken in order to keep our women safe, and to shift the blame to those who are guilty of such crimes. There is no instance a women should be to blame for any type of sexual assault. We cannot control things we cannot prevent and it is disgusting to think that anyone would thing that a women is to blame for their own sexual assault.

By educating young men about respecting the boundaries of women instead of sending young women to a self-defense class is something our communities should be more involved in. By just informing young men about the warning signs of sexual assault and how to prevent/stop a situation from progressing could go a long way. By informing our youth about this issue and merely discussing how wrong it is could also help. Deflecting the blame from the victims is also something that needs to be discussed by many. By blaming the victims for their assault is sending all the wrong messages. In order to get the results desired to protect the women in our society people need to be educated on who is really to blame for these horrible acts of violence.

Describe HER

Tomboy,a girl who behaves in a way that is perceived to be stereotypically boyish or masculine. Then there is the girly-girl, a very feminine girl. Very feminine in her movements. Very feminine looking. Women are usually perceived as either of the two images, a tomboy or girly-girl. Women have always been judged for the way they look, behave and dress. But that is not accurate enough to describe a woman. What if a woman wanted to enjoy the Sunday football game, wear a jersey, scream at the television scream but really did not describe her own self as neither “tomboy” nor “girly-girl”. What if she also enjoyed wearing make-up, getting manicures and pedicures and hated dirt? How will you then describe her? How about she just is herself?

Call her for what she is; call her by her name or a different description that may describe her personality. There are so many names that are directed to describe women and they are so stereotypical, those names wrongly describe a woman’s character. Women would appreciate the respect given to them if they were called by their actual names. And although some woman may identify as girly-girls or tomboys, not all do. Those names, as said in the definitions are just stereotypical.

Next time you see a very feminine lady or a loosely dressed girl, there is no need for the tomboy or girly-girl comments. Perhaps you can describe her as easy-going, chill, strong-minded or unique. Just don’t say tomboy or girly-girl. Describe HER!

10 Reasons Not to Love 50 Shades of Grey

I’m sure we’ve all heard of the erotic book “50 shades of Grey” by E.L. James. This book has not only sold 16 million copies in the U.S. alone, but it sold quicker than J.K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter” series. While there are millions who happily read and adored this risque series, I think I should enlighten those about what’s NOT to love about this book. This book depicts a relationship between a young naive girl who desires the love of a very attractive and successful man. As this story goes deeper into the two character’s relationship, it promotes an unhealthy and controlling bond that is presented.

These are 10 reasons why you shouldn’t love “50 Shades of Grey”:

1. It features an emotionally abusive man preying on an insecure young women and calls it a relationship
2. The lack of care that Christian Grey shows Anastasia is glorified to portray him as some sort of sexual god
3. He controls what Anastasia eats, wear’s, drinks, and how she should perform sexually in a way only he desires
4. If she is unable to fulfill his commands then they will no longer have a relationship
5. This story communicates that it’s alright for a man to dictate his own terms in a relationship and the women has to go along with it
6. He pursues her in a way that makes her think that his possessiveness is a demonstration of love, which it isn’t
7. It conveys the idea that a women’s pain and degradation is sexy and that all women enjoy being controlled
8. That by refusing to act loving, affectionate, or warm to her is justifiable because that’s just “the way he is”
9. He restricts her from seeing family and friends in order for her to be purely dependent on him for everything
10. He convinces her to sign a contract to basically give her body to him so he can abuse it in any twisted/manipulating way, a contract she can’t get out of

Not only does this book support an unhealthy and abusive relationship, it is sending these messages to all its readers. By glorifying such evil and inhumane behavior it tells readers that these are the relationships women want. That a healthy relationship is all about control. There are many more reasons to why this book is damaging to the ideas of a successful relationship in reality, but I think those 10 should suffice for now. 

All I'm asking for is a little respect

“Hey you”,“you’re beautiful”, * whistles * are some of the things I hear when I would walk down a street where I am from. Hearing this almost every day walking from school you get used to it and start to ignore it. This happens to some women all the time and they ignore it because that’s all they can do. As I got older I realized this shouldn’t be something I should get used to or something I should ignore. When I talked to other people about it, they told me that I should be flattered that someone is calling me beautiful and is giving me attention. This attention is something I don’t want or appreciate. It’s attention from strangers and beeping or whistling at me is not going to make me want to talk to you. As women we should all be respected if men want respect from us then we should be treated with respect also. This is a type of harassment and it should be taken seriously. Having men open their eyes to this problem makes it easier to get the word out because they need to realize that it is an issue that needs to be taken care of. No one should have to feel uncomfortable when walking down the street because guys can’t control themselves. Until this problem is taken care of women have to walk down the street with their head held high and they might choose to ignore the calling which shouldn’t be an option because this is not equality if the tables were turned and women started to yell out to men they way they yell out to women they would feel uncomfortable too.

The Flip Side

Compared to men, women are described as very emotional, right? Well, think again. Although women may admit to being very emotional and never hide their emotions, does not mean they are more emotional than men. The reason why you may have felt that women are most emotional is because of the behavior and emotions that women freely spill; perhaps you have witnessed many emotions from women at your nearby grocery store, within your family, a significant other, a co-worker, or even a stranger. Women are more open to share their thoughts and emotions compared to men. But let’s flip this; men are more emotional than women!

Typically men are tough individuals, they walk around wearing a hard shell and may not be as fast to reveal their emotions compared to a woman. Does that make them less emotional?

It actually makes them more emotional. Men are pressured to have a certain image. Men learn from a young age to have to “take it like a man.” Ideally, this leads to society’s image on gender roles and expectations. But in all honesty, we are all human which means we all have emotions. Men just learn to compose and bottle their emotions up compared to women.

A study has shown that men are as emotional, if not more emotional than women. As described on Elite Daily, there was a comparison between 15 men and 15 women. The women admitted to being emotional, whereas the men did not. After receiving the data, results had shown that the men responded as more emotional than women, and were able to hide their feelings better. Ultimately, this goes to show that men will not state they are emotional, because that’s something you’ll firstly hear from a woman instead.

Everyone is different but is all under the same gender rules of society, making everyone similar to a certain extent. That is the unfortunate norm of society. People aren’t allowed to actually be themselves because of gender stereotypes.

http://elitedaily.com/dating/guys-more-emotional-girls/1077730/

Is it really worth it?

Skinny waist, thigh gaps, toned body are all things most girls want in this day and age. Society has made this perfect image of what a girl should look like based on the latest celebrity craze. The girls that have hundreds and thousands of followers on instagram or twitter have the most power to change what society thinks. But most of them are promoting these waist trainers and the followers think that if they have it and their body is perfect then the followers should try it too. Waist training is one of the most dangerous body altering thing that you can do to yourself.  Waist traing is the act of using a corset that is smaller then you are so it can be tight and form your body into the shape of the waist trainer. When used excessively waist training can shift organs because of the squeezing. Thigh gaps are the newest beauty ideal. A Thigh gap is the space between the inner thigh of a woman when standing up. This has a serious health risk because some people are over excersing to loose the fat on thier legs so they can make it possible. There is a difference between changing your body to become healthier and changing your body because you think other people would find it attractive. You have to love yourself before someone can love you.

No More 'Target'ing

As Black Friday sales marked the start of the Christmas shopping chaos, many parents have been out and about finding those special gifts for their kids. Not only is shopping at this time of year a little stressful, but being able to locate exactly what you’re looking for in a store builds onto the hassle.

Target has been working to create a more appropriate and efficient labeling system for aisles in their stores. The signage adjustments they have prioritized have been the toy and bedding aisles for children. Target’s corporate office stated “Right now, our teams are working across the store to identify areas where we can phase out gender-based signage to help strike a better balance.” By taking this step Target feels as though suggesting children products by gender is unnecessary.

When this plan of action was expressed by Target’s corporate office, many parent’s felt as though making such a change was pointless. While others were left with the thought that this was going to remove specific toys that adhered to specific gender roles (dolls for girls, trucks for boys). But in actuality, all the toys and bedding will remain the same. It is just the aisle signs that will updated and the coloring of shelving paper in these sections that are expected to change. By removing colors such as blue, yellow, pink, and green, Target expects to remove any reference to gender when displaying these products.

By making these adjustments, Target is taking a large step for gender neutrality in today’s society. These changes send the message that pressuring our youth to abide to gender specific colors or even toys are unnecessary. This step will help uncategorized boys and girls and group them to the generalization of ‘kids’ or ‘children’. Hopefully this decision Target stands behind will help persuade other stores to do the same. Surely if that is possible, the future may hold a more gender neutral society at large.

My Child is. . .Genderless

I have recently published a blog titled, Gender versus Identity and came across a comment that caught my attention. I decided to respond to that comment through this blog on the topic of raising children genderless.

I first heard of raising a child genderless when it was brought to my attention by a reader from my previous post and immediately began to introduce myself to the topic through articles that investigated this topic. After a few online sources, I learned a lot on the eye catching topic of raising a genderless child. Firstly, let me inform you of Storm. Storm is a very cute, innocent genderless child from Toronto. Parents Kathy Witterick, and David Stocker, have decided to raise their child genderless in a form of freedom; allowing Storm to be capable of deciding his/her own gender in time. No one is aware of Storms biological gender except the midwives, parents, and two of Storms siblings. The families of the couple was sent an email after Storm was born which stated, "We decided not to share Storm's sex for now -- a tribute to freedom and choice in place of limitation, a standup to what the world could become in Storm's lifetime."

In response to the comment which asked for my thoughts on raising children genderless, (as well as my response to the decision Kathy Witterick and David Stocker has made to raise adorable baby Storm), it is completely up to parents to do so. I agree with the reasons that Kathy and David has chosen for raising Storm genderless; though there are pros and cons.

A positive is that the child is given responsibility at a young age and freedom. I believe that children should grow up learning what responsibility is, and growing up genderless is a way to do so. I also believe that a child can be raised with their biological gender being known. A chi;d can soon realize whether they are comfortable living as that gender or not; also a form of responsibility and freedom. As mentioned in the article, “Baby Storm Raised Genderless Is Bad Experiment, Say Experts” on abcNEWS, raising a child genderless will cause confusion and can be a psychological experiment, which may lead to a disaster for the child. There are many aspects to consider when raising a child, should parents start consider raising their children genderless?

If you are against this topic, you can also think of the situation as anything else that comes with life. There will always be a positive and negative outlook when making decisions. Everyone has their own beliefs on how to raise children. In conclusion, I do not think the parents of Storm are wrong for raising a genderless baby. But, should other parents take this idea more into consideration after giving birth? Is raising a genderless child a great way to handle responsibility for themselves? Is it a great way to stand for freedom? That is your choice as a parent to make. 

The Perfect "Body"

Everyday we are exposed to a variety of advertisements like the one above.  Whether we look up at a billboard or down at our phone, we are constantly exposed to ads just like this.  The exposure to ads like these is so frequent that much of the time we don't even notice it.  Some people might look at this ad and think of nothing, but the product that is being advertised.  Others are only drawn to see the women behind the product.  There are many people who see these women and see the fact that the expectation for women to look like that is just unrealistic.  These women are not real. They are edited to appeal to others, but just gives people a different sense of reality. The company putting out this advertisement is put out to subliminally tell people that if they buy this product, they too can look like the women in the ad. This is just not real life, and no product is going to change that. Below is what women really look like.  That is real and should be the image that companies are portraying real women with real bodies.

Hateful Rhetoric's Effect On Planned Parenthood

It was this pasted Friday, November 27^th that a man identified as Robert Lewis Dear infiltrated a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado Springs, Colorado. During this attack Dear was armed and evidently wounded 9 people and killed 3. It has also been said by investigators that Dear mentioned something about “no more baby parts” and later expressed anti-abortion views.

Planned Parenthood is an organization that provides a place for women to seek help whether it is for contraception, cancer screening and prevention, abortion services, or other health services women could need. Planned Parenthood has become an asylum for women in need and have provided helpful services for them since 1921.

Recently, many rumors have been spread about this non-profit organization. Some Conservatives have accused this organization for illegally selling baby parts, which has been publicly denied numerous times by Planned Parenthood. Although there has not been any confirmed link to this rumor and the shooting done by Robert Lewis Dear, it appears there might be a connection.

With the negative imagine Planned Parenthood has been given by rumors or even voiced opinions, it has now evolved this safe asylum for women into a high risk environment. Some could argue that this hateful rhetoric in the media has created a platform for acts of violence. After this incident it seems like a more believable argument.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion on the services that Planned Parenthood has to offer but for those who are demonizing this organization have helped escalate matters to a drastic high. The ruthless image that has been tagged onto Planned Parenthood has now become pivotal to recent attacks. Not only are extremist’s feeling comfortable to take action on this organization after the negative talk in the media, but it now been a place taken from women. 

It is shameful that such a beneficial non-profit organization is now leaving women scared and hesitant. Hopefully this incident that has occurred in Colorado will open the eyes to those who negatively depict Planned Parenthood in the media, and perhaps prevent radical attacks like this from happening again.

Not the Average

Men shouldn’t have hair. . . Women should have hair. . . Says who? Thankfully people are more daring today with taking risks on going against stereotypical gender looks. Confidence is the key word, women who go bald and men who have length are confident individuals.

And although there are a lot of people who dare to be different, there are still the stereotypes that buzz around society. We blindly live to the expectations of society without knowing it. We abide the stereotypes given in the world, without meaning too. A bald woman is not seen every day, what does that mean to you? Is it because women prefer to have hair on their heads, or is it because that is just the way things normally are.

This is the same for men. Men are described as well groomed. The average business man will not have hair on his head; rather, the ideal business man has a shaved head. But, why not have a nice pulled back ponytail and a tuxedo? 

I see no problem with the average man having hair down his back and the average woman being bald. As long as we keep clean and feel comfortable within our skin, then what is the problem?

Oh yea, we are brain washed and immune to the gender roles among society.

Starting today, I advocate for different; by breaking the stereotypical looks. Ladies and gentlemen, please be yourself and don’t only live by what you think is right or in the norm within society; instead, do what makes you happy and free. Men, if hair was ever a thought, it is time to consider growing out a ponytail. Ladies, if hair is too much for you then change the look by going bald. 

Dress Codes Message To Young Women

Dress codes are established in a variety of settings and schools are one of the most popular. Typically, these regulations are put in place to help keep a respectful and appropriate environment for students. These regulations usually are focused on clothing that could be considered revealing and/or a distraction for other students. Keeping a safe and comfortable school environment is what administrator’s desire for their students, but dress codes have been used to target young women more so often than men.

These codes generally focus on things such as: short skirts, revealing shorts, tube tops, halters, backless tops, spaghetti straps that are less than one inch, and exposed undergarments or midriffs. Almost all of these regulations are focused on the apparel of women and deemed inappropriate for a school setting.

It’s regularly when these codes are broken, young women are told to change or they are removed from class to find extra clothing from the school’s nurse’s office. These steps are usually taken so that these young women’s apparel isn’t distracting to other students.

How distracting can a spaghetti strap top be in a class where everyone is doing their work?

How can we tell young women to ‘cover up’ parts of their bodies that aren’t actually considered inappropriate in other public settings?

How is it that the only students who are being distracted are those being pulled from their class rooms in order to change?

By teaching these young women that their bodies are a distraction and should be covered is cultivating harmful lessons. These dress codes are telling young women that their bodies are dangerous and sexualized, even when they aren’t trying to be. It also is sending a message that since their clothing can be distracting, that their male counterparts aren’t capable of restricting themselves from objectifying women’s bodies. Not only does that send the message to young women but it is also allowing young men to think that doing these things are acceptable.

School’s should have more lenient dress codes and provide a safe haven for all students and their chosen forms of expression. Yes, that means the way they dress! 

Gender versus Identity

Gender refers to the cultural impression that society implies based off of one’s biological sex in which a person is born with; male or female. Although that is about accurate, gender identity is more efficient in identifying a person. Gender identity is ones sense of his or herself as male, female or transgender. People use their identities to express who they are opposed to what they were born as. This can be recognized as gender Dysphoria. Dysphoria is a condition describing the conflict between a person’s physical gender and gender they identify as. Dysphoria is NOT a mental illness, it is developed in many ways, some being when one questions their biological sex multiple times, a strong preference to cross dress, and attraction towards the opposite sex. (To learn more about Dysphoria go to http://healthresearchfunding.org/gender-identity-disorder-statistics/)

It is easy for one to be born with a vagina, but feel as equivalent with someone who has a penis, or vice versa. Ideally, identity is what matters most, not gender. A person can identify themselves as a female, male, neither or both. Today, it is very common to see people who identifies and self-expresses themselves differently.

Just because one was born with a specific sex does not mean it must be forced upon their character. Again, the biological sex may not be the self-image that a person reflects as or feels like; that sex is not what they hope for everyone to depict/perceive them as. Respect it.

Others find it difficult to accept those who identify themselves differently from what their biological sex is. Those individuals strive to be as happy and as comfortable as you are when you awake every day within your skin. All they want is to be what they feel is appropriate to their self-being, and live life without any remarks and judgments.

For those who may feel a certain way towards people who do not live by their biological sex or gender, think of it this way. They are just like you when you walk around, they are normal. A person should not be viewed as odd compared to the rest of us in society. Let’s all live freely and fairly. Try getting to know a person before judging their appearance. Some may agree to speak on their gender identity disorder, acknowledging others on their lives, and being open to speak on their personal decisions.

People who live based on the identity that they have created for themselves are living normal; it is when they are perceived by their forced upon biological sex that they feel uncomfortable and abnormal in their own bodies. Society needs to be less judgmental and more accepting of all people. Ever heard the saying, don’t judge a book by its cover? Well, it is time to do so.  

Everyone Is Free Except The Nipple

Up until 1936, it was illegal for both men and women to expose their chests in public. New York being the first state to legalize male nipple exposure. Us women are still waiting for the day to come for us to join our male brethren in these shirtless walks around the beach or other places.

Today a women could be arrested and charged with public indecency, disturbing the peace, or lewd behavior for being topless where it’s considered legal for men. Even though it is legal for women to take off their shirts in 36 states, they would still be flouting the law by being shirtless.

Yes, many could argue that a women’s breasts are “more developed” than men’s and having them exposed would just make everyone “uncomfortable”. But let’s keep something’s in mind shall we:

-          A man or women showing nipples use to be uncomfortable and illegal for everyone prior to 1936

-          Topless men are only sexual when they want to be, but topless women are inherently sexual regardless of their actions due to the sexualization of the female body as a mere object  

-          It is only deemed wrong for women to show breasts because society says so

-          In early stages of life it’s acceptable for males and females to be topless but with age females get that societal right taken away from them

-          Normalizing toplessness would be taking away some of the cultural power that dictates women’s breasts can only be sex symbols

It’s time we get past the societal restrictions that are pushed onto women to stay covered up. It’s time we as a people realize the actuality of this issue. Women are told to cover up a part of themselves that is only OK to expose if you’re a man.

It's time we eradicate the negative connotation of women exposing their breasts in public.

Nipples are like bellybuttons, we all have them.

Her 'Perfect' Body

             Women tend to act as if their bodies are not perfect enough. Today, women strive to begin waist training; and now is the time to face the truth. Women waist train to create a new silhouette of their bodies; obtaining the illusion of a small waist matched with a bigger bust and butt. As great as that may sound, however, waist training is dangerous and harmful. The truth is, what we see on the outside is very attractive, the eye-catching Pepsi bottle shape, although what we do not see is what is within those appealing newly formed bodies.  

             Women are beginning to ruin their bodies and natural beauty by trying to keep up with the perfect 2015 Pepsi bottle body image. Bodies are being harmed through the process of trying to become more than what it is. Women dream for the smallest waist, which is created by wearing a very tight body shaper around the stomach and back area. However, shouldn’t be health be dreamed along the line as well? Ideally, the process of waist training is self-damaging. Waist training ruins the organs within one’s own body by disproportioning them. This occurs after excessive waist training, women squeeze to wear these tight fitted corsets for long periods at a time.

           

            The bigger picture here is that what may appear beautiful, may not be. This blog pushes for beauty and health by beginning to inform those on the damages of waist training itself. Health is essential and as shown through the image above, waist training is not the healthiest way to proceed with enhancing beauty.

Cited Source: Peppers, Gia. "Kim Kardashian Waist Training 2014; 7 Things You Need to Know Before You Buy In to Latest Trend." Enstarz. N.p., 31 Oct. 2014. Web. 19 Oct. 2015. <http://www.enstarz.com/articles/49972/20141031/kim-kardashian-waist-training-2014-5-things-you-need-to-know-before-you-buy-in-to-latest-trend-video.htm>.

Caitlyn Jenner

      

  

     Everyone seems to have his or her own opinion when discussing the male athlete turned female celebrity. For those who are not familiar with Caitlyn Jenner, she used to go by the name of Bruce Jenner. In 1976 Bruce won the men’s decathlon at the Olympics becoming one of the greatest athletes in the world.  After his marriage to his wife Kris he returned back into the spotlight on the E! Program, Keeping Up With the Kardashians.  After years of marriage and children Bruce came out to his family and to the world that he was making the transition from Bruce to Caitlyn. Caitlyn now has her own reality show called I Am Cait where viewers watch as she makes this transition. 
      Caitlyn lived her entire life feeling trapped in the body of Bruce. She describes this as feeling that she had always been living a lie.  Being transgender is a struggle that many people face.  Although Caitlyn had the advantages of money and support during her transition she also faced a struggle that not many other transgender people face. She went through this transition with everyone watching her. The world watched as she changed into Caitlyn. Not everyone that heard the story was supportive. Everyone I personally talked to had their own opinions about the choices that Caitlyn was making. It may have made the transition easier for her if she did not have the opinions of people that she did not even know. She always knew deep inside that she was supposed to be women and being in the public eye made it hard for her to make the transition because there is always the fear of what are other people going to think. 
     Caitlyn is currently using her show and celebrity status to advocate for people going through the same struggle that she has faced. “If I die, which, I could be diagnosed next week with cancer -- and boom you’re gone,” Was the way Cait described it. In other words be who you want to be because tomorrow is never promised. Hopefully in the near future society will shift even more than it already has and become excepting of people who are considered different from the social norms. This can happen if influential people of all genders and sexualities like Caitlyn Jenner continue to advocate for equality for such people.

10 Reasons Why You Should Become a Feminist

1. Wage gap is a problem and us women should fight to become equal.

2. Sexualization of women is an ongoing issue in our society. We should not be told how we should look and we should never have to live up to any standard of what a woman should or should not present them physically.

3. Women should be the only ones who have an opinion on the way that they choose to present themselves.

4. Catcalling is a way that men attempt to pick up women.  Women should not be expected to find rude behavior flattering, but this has become a norm in society.

5. Women are still viewed as inferior to men in the workplace.  To this day a woman only makes 77 cents to a man’s dollar.

6. Women are often asked not to dress a certain way because their clothes might be a distraction to men.  It should not be a woman’s responsibility to be sure that what they want to wear is not something that might make a man unable to focus on what he is doing.

7. Men are not expected to change their names when they get married.  Women are expected the change the name that they have had their whole life because they chose to spend their life with a significant other.

8. Even as children little girls are taught that if a boy is mean to them they must have a crush on them.  As young girls we are taught that it is ok to be mocked by boys.

9. Sexually active women who are not in committed relationships are often labeled as “thots”, “sluts”, and other negative terms.

10.Throughout our lives we are taught to treat everyone equally but our society overlooks gender equality as being part of the equality that we preach.

Religious Employers Denying Insurance For Women

Many women aren't concerned about the stresses that come from buying prescription contraceptives because their insurance typically covers it, but not all get that opportunity. Many religious employers provide an insurance that doesn’t cover a no-copay birth control that is required under the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

Specific houses of worship are exempt from the Affordable Care Act but there is still ongoing controversy with religious nonprofits and private business owners. Obtaining the pill is a process for women between finding a doctor, getting a prescription, and getting it filed through insurance. There shouldn’t be an individual standing in the way of a women getting a prescription a doctor has approved, especially if it can be free of charge due to the ACA.

Birth control is nearly universal and benefits the health of many women and their families. Without this being covered by insurance prices can range from $15-$50 per month and could inevitably pose a problem for some women financially. By excluding this preventative health care it inhibits some women from being able to take the precautionary measures they desire. Without this opportunity for women the risk for maternal and infant mortality increases.

This isn’t as easy as going down the aisle of your local convenient store to buy necessary contraceptives, but an extra step women are going to ensure there are no unwanted pregnancies. Without this extra contraceptive readily available without charge, many women are discouraged from using it or simply can’t afford the co-pay that is needed.

Employers that refuse to allow insurance to cover this contraceptive are clearly using their power to stand by their own personal beliefs. Business and the insurance of their employees shouldn’t be denied due to an individual’s personal affairs. Making a decision on covering contraceptives based on a person’s own religion isn’t fair or ethical.

A Letter to Costume Companies

Dear Costume Craftsmen,

Halloween is right around the corner and as a college student I can say this holiday is greatly anticipated within college culture. Halloween isn’t limited to just one day for us students, but typically a full weekend event.

With this being said, multiple costumes are needed for those who want to dress up as something different for each night of these weekend festivities.

This is the time of year to go all out and be that movie character you’ve always admired or even that comic book super hero!

Although, when the time for costume hunting begins these ideas are easier said than done.

When shopping at local Halloween stores there are only some aspects of the original character costumes that make the cut.

For example, when searching for a Police officer costume one typically expects to find something like this,

                                                

Here we have a perfect representation of an actual police officer costume for women.

But unfortunately when shopping it is almost impossible to find a costume of this degree for young women to purchase.

 Instead the only police costumes that are readily available are typically ones that look a little more like this,                                

Halloween use to be about impressing people with how well you capture a character’s persona, but it now seems to have evolved into impressing people with how well a women can show off her body.

Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy dressing up and feeling flirty and going out to have fun. But this has become a contest for young girls to see who can look sexier or who can grasp the most attention on social media.

These costumes set a bar for over sexualizing women by providing a surplus of racy costumes to buy and a lack of more generous costume options.

So please with your help we can bring the main costume focus back from who shows the most to who’s the best ghost.

Sincerely,

A women who doesn’t want to dress up in lingerie 

The Little Things Matter

            It is 2015 and there are many achievements to brag about, and then there are the failures that cannot be avoided; Inequality between men and women. Believe it or not, or should I say, admit it or not, women are inferior to men. Who is at fault of this? Or is anyone? Why does inequality still exist, and how can we begin to change it?

            There are ranged problems that began simple then transition to extremely serious; it is the little things that soon add up to a bigger issue right beyond our eyes. Women are constantly criticized and judged in multiple settings; whether at school, at work, walking down the street, or even on social media.

Name-calling, something that unfortunately occurs too often is what most woman face regularly. Again, the little things add up and when a woman faces such slander purely due to her sex, these small things start to weigh a person down. For example, a woman being called a “hoe” is depicted as nasty, dirty, and disgusting; she will be humiliated, embarrassed and could even fall into a state of deep depression. A man who is called a “hoe” perceives this comment as a joke and very lightly, brushes it off, and does little to no harm to his identity. The society, his group of friends and community will not change their perspective on this man; rather, it is considered humorous. A man may laugh it off and go hit on a girl right afterwards. He will not be criticized and may become popular from it.

        Something needs to be changed. There is too much of a difference between genders. Women should be given more respect as a human being, wouldn’t you agree? Women have continuously fought to be treated equally; it is time that they receive the same respect as men. Name calling is just a start of how we can approach discrimination towards women. For men, think of it this way, imagine sitting at home on the couch and enjoying a beer but suddenly you are rushed with your 15 year old daughter whose face is flushed and has endless tears. Imagine your daughter then telling you she is getting picked on by boys from school. She is being called a “hoe” for her apparel and self-expression. As a father you may grow angry, emotional and defensive. But how can this father be so angry if he once degraded women himself?

        Young men and grown men need to be more understanding that women have feelings. Name calling is hurtful and if it is done then why can it not have the same meaning when directed to a man compared to a women? Gender equality falls into various categories, but name calling is one used in society almost every day around schools, on television, and in our neighborhoods, it is shameful and sickening and only being directed towards women. Therefore, as a society together it is obvious that there needs to be a change.

Let’s end 2015 on a better note. Beginning with the name calling and leading into the bigger issues such as wage differences between men and women. It is not only women who need to stand up for their own rights but it is the men of society who need to help contribute to this change and commit to it. As mentioned, it is the little things that that matter, which can make a really big change.

          Imagine the bigger change that will come from name calling directed towards women. It will cause there to be a reflection with actions. Women will gain respect and no longer have to feel demolished. The other factor to consider is society and the people within it. If men stopped the name-calling, will they be viewed as less than? Will they then be inferior than? What are the consequences if the ‘normal’ today were to change between gender roles/equality? Remember, this is our every-day lives we are considering, what will happen if our normal could evolve into a more unified society between gender roles?     

A Call for LGBT+ Community and Allied Support

Like many individuals involved in the transgender community, I was thrilled when Caitlyn Jenner announced that her gender identity differed from that of her biological sex. There lies a great opportunity for transgender voices to be heard, for their problems to be noticed and addressed, for the violence to taper off and acceptance to be spread. Caitlyn Jenner is a huge figure in the public eye this year, and as such she has the chance to truly make a difference – not only in the United States, but across the globe.

And she’s trying, she really is.

It’s challenging for transgender people to be taken seriously in some spaces; transphobia is a serious problem not only in the cisgendered sphere of society, but also in parts of the LG+ community. There are individuals who, rather than viewing transgender people as also being individuals, see them as “deceptive” for presenting themselves as a gender other than their birth sex. There are also people who simply see transgender people as “special snowflakes” that are looking for attention. With these false perceptions in mind, Caitlyn Jenner’s attempts to bring transgender problems to light seem more substantial. She’s trying to help the community, but also trying to be taken seriously and listened to, which is a struggle trans people face regularly.  Caitlyn has brought to light dangerous facts such as those emphasized in:

This Bustle article

This Washington Post article

The thing is: there is no one way to be transgender. As individuals, transgender people are trying to speak out, and as individuals, allies of the community need to not only hear them, but to listen. Every experience is different, and yet most transgender people face serious dangers daily. That’s something that won’t change until people take them seriously rather than as a joke. Trans people are struggling, and they’re dying, and representatives of the community can only do so much on their own to fix what’s happening. So even though Caitlyn is trying to get transgender men and women the recognition and right to equality that they deserve, she needs the support of her community to do so. She needs more voices, not to praise her or to tear her down, but to show her what less well-off people are struggling with in the trans community. To show her HOW she can help, and how she can be one of the true advocates that the community needs.

Caitlyn Jenner, as hard as she is trying, recognizes that her experience as a transwoman is not universal. She is extremely privileged financially, which aided in her speedy and thorough transition – involving surgeries that are for some transgender people impossible to afford – and she is further privileged by her race. Other famous advocates for the transgender community, such as woman of color Laverne Cox, get less recognition than their white counterparts. My reason for mentioning this extreme difference in the experiences of Caitlyn Jenner and the experiences of other trans people is that there has been some backlash towards Caitlyn because she “doesn’t represent the trans struggle”. But there really is no true way to represent every aspect of the struggle, because every transgender person is an individual, with individual experiences.

So yes, Caitlyn has advantages and privileges that many transgender men and women do not possess. Yes, she has the opportunity to do something great in terms of working towards equality for transgender people. But she still needs support and advice from her community before she can help bring about any change.