Throughout history, female sexuality has rarely been taken seriously. It’s almost always compared to male sexuality—or worse, claimed to be in existence only to satisfy men’s sexual desire. We’ve come a long way from Freudian years. However, the creation of…
Last week the internet was on fire with the question “what makes a woman?” Over the last two days, the case of Rachel Dolezal, has shifted the focus to what makes a white woman, or what makes a black woman…
Editor's Note: Recently on Sex In The Public Square I posted a critique of the criminalization of poor parents who fall behind on their child support. Today I've invited a dear friend, someone I've known since the 6th grade, to…
Yesterday Sophie Gilbert published an essay at TheAtlantic.com celebrating the 18th anniversary of the first episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. She describes the ways in which Buffy represented a conventional teen hero (pretty, blond, athletic), and then all the many…
The year was 1967, and too many women were dying. The New York legislature had just failed to pass an incremental reform to the state’s strict anti-abortion law, leaving the status quo in place. At that time, deaths resulting from…
Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to Hear Testimony on Domestic Violence in U.S. Monday Oct. 27 Human Rights Groups Demand U.S. Govt. Implement Changes to Domestic Violence Policy in Accordance with IACHR 2011 Decision CONTACT: Crystal Cooper, ACLU National, 212-549-2666,…
We are categorically opposed to human trafficking. We strenuously oppose any measure that makes people more vulnerable to human trafficking. We also stand in opposition to measures that crush constitutionally protected civil liberties under the guise of combatting human trafficking…
I’m pretty sure that when Max Weber wrote about the march toward increasing rationalization and disenchantment in modern societies that he didn’t anticipate the kinds of irrational and mysterious situations that advanced bureaucracies would produce. While he certainly understood that…
The "ideal" woman's body is lithe, slim, strong without being bulky. It is covered in skin that is smooth, moist, unwrinkled, taut without being tight. That is the woman we are shown when we look for "beautiful women." And those…
Last week I introduced a new project I'm working on, and shared a small excerpt. Today I have a question. I've been thinking about this question a lot as I think about my relationship with my mother, and as I…