International Womens Day is 03/08/18. Lets get it!!

HEAR US ROAR.

March 8th is International Women's Day! International Women's Day (IWD) celebrates the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. Run annually on March 8, the day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity. IWD provides an important moment to showcase commitment to women's equality, launch new initiatives and action, celebrate women's achievements, raise awareness, highlight gender parity gains and more.

The day is celebrated and supported globally by industry, governments, educational institutions, community groups, professional associations, women's networks, charities and non-profit bodies, the media and more.

Collectively every person and all groups can make a difference within their sphere of influence by taking concrete action to help drive gender parity. From small powerful grassroots gatherings to largescale conference and event audiences - International Women's Day is celebrated everywhere. It's a big day for inspiration and change.

I made a list (of course I did!) of ways to CELEBRATE!!! So put on your NASTY WOMAN tee, all your feminist pins, your Dissent collar, and pink hat and LET'S GET IT!!

1.Push for the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment.  equalrightsamendment.org

The Equal Rights Amendment would provide a fundamental legal remedy against sex discrimination for both women and men. It would guarantee that the rights affirmed by the U.S. Constitution are held equally by all citizens without regard to their sex.

The ERA would clarify the legal status of sex discrimination for the courts, where decisions still deal inconsistently with such claims. For the first time, sex would be considered a suspect classification, as race currently is. Governmental actions that treat males or females differently as a class would be subject to strict judicial scrutiny and would thus have to meet the highest level of justification – a necessary relation to a compelling state interest – to be upheld as constitutional.

Wondering why the 14th Ammendment doesn't offer this protection? Read it here: www.equalrightsamendment.org/faq.htm#q8

To actual or potential offenders who would try to write, enforce, or adjudicate laws inequitably, the ERA would send a strong preemptive message: the Constitution has zero tolerance for sex discrimination under the law.

States that have NOT ratified the ERA: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Utah, & Virginia. 

2. Watch the documentary EQUAL MEANS EQUAL; equalmeansequal.com

This documentary offers an unflinching look at how women are treated in the United States today. Examining both real-life stories and precedent-setting legal cases, director Kamala Lopez uncovers how outdated and discriminatory attitudes inform and influence seemingly disparate issues, from workplace harassment to domestic violence, rape and sexual assault, to the foster care system, and the healthcare conglomerate to the judicial system. Lopez reveals the inadequacy of present laws that claim to protect women, ultimately presenting a compelling and persuasive argument for the urgency of ratifying the Equal Rights Amendment.

Lopez writes: Over the course of the past seven years, I have taken a look at the top dozen issues affecting women and done an analysis of whether the laws that are presently in place are working or not to provide women with equal legal protections to men.

The subject and the real-world implications compelled us to be extremely comprehensive in our investigations and not skip steps or cut any corners. From the gender wage gap to sexual assault, from pregnancy discrimination to child sex trafficking, I found laws that are incomplete, insufficient and in some cases actually deleterious to the women they are supposed to be helping.

What are noticeably and shockingly absent are the basic explicit human and civil rights protections that men are afforded by the Constitution. In case after case, the Supreme Court demurs on protecting women because they have no explicit Constitutional right to which to point. And despite our reliance on the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia candidly shared his opinion that, “The Constitution does not protect women from sexual discrimination. No one ever thought that’s what it meant. No one ever voted for that.”

Clearly, there is a very effective propaganda campaign in the popular culture designed to convince us that women and men enjoy the same human and civil rights. Studies show that 72% of Americans are completely invested in the false belief that the genders are explicitly equal under the U.S. Constitution. My conclusion, after six years and more than 100 interviews and thousands of hours of research is that this blind spot opens the door to a lot of unconscious and conscious bias as well as disguising deliberate exploitation.

Ratifying the ERA would put American women’s civil and human rights on a solid immovable foundation, impervious to the winds of political change. EQUAL MEANS EQUAL makes the strong argument that full legal equality for women is a solution that has the potential to truly transform the United States and the world.

WATCH THE TRAILER Available to rent/buy from iTunes and Amazon. 

3. Sign up for emails from Action groups! 

This is a very SIMPLE way to know/get info on how to advocate for your favorite causes. I love getting emails from all my Orgs with quick "here's what you need to know!" newsletter, notifications on events, and current Action-Items. It's a good (sometimes daily) reminder that I can make a difference, even if it's signing an online petition or calling my representative. 

Here's a quick list of some of my favorite Action Groups: (Clickable links)

AAUW (American Association on University Women): 2-minute Activist: 

Equal Right's Advocates

National Women's Political Caucus 

National Network to End Domestic Violence

Girls Health & Justice Institute

National Organization for Women (NOW)

Women's National Law Center

4. Wear your PURPLE!!

International Women's Day states: "Purple is historically associated with efforts to achieve gender equality. In this context it was first used alongside green and white as the colors of the Women’s Social and Political Union, the organization that led Britain’s women’s suffrage movement in the early 20th century. For suffragettes fighting for the right to vote, purple represented “the royal blood that flows in the veins of every suffragette,” according to the book Women's Suffrage Memorabilia: An Illustrated Historical Study by Kenneth Florey.

In the 1960's and 1970's, use of the color was revived by feminists to represent the Women’s Liberation movement as a tribute to the suffragettes. Fast forward to 2018, and the color is a fitting follow up to a year in which knitted pink hats dominated demonstrations around the world protesting against discrimination. More recently, gender-based workplace harassment took center stage as men and women spoke out about long-simmering workplace injustices. The #MeToo social media hashtag was used extensively worldwide to draw attention to these issues online. Undoubtedly, the fallout from lawsuits filed to bring workplace harassers to justice and further revelations about discriminatory practices will continue to unfold for years to come.

The significance of the color to the women’s movement was crystallized in The Color Purple (Harcourt 1982) a ground breaking book by American author Alice Walker, which famously mapped out discriminatory practices against African-American women in the southern United States in the 1930s. Walker became the first woman of color Pulitzer Prize laureate when the book won the award in 1983. 

Now widely associated with contemporary feminism, the color purple symbolizes achievements gained and achievements yet to come."

BONUS: LISTEN TO Prince's song “Purple Rain” and Jimi Hendrix's “Purple Haze”!!

5. #PressforProgress campaign on IWD and Beyond

One of the most powerful ways you can influence how quickly gender parity is achieved is through championing your own #PressforProgress campaign within your own community, network, organization or group. Each year an annual IWD campaign theme is kicked off on March 8, with its focus and activity supported by groups all year long. The IWD campaign theme unifies direction and galvanises activity to provide a meaningful framework for connected action throughout the year.

Find SELFIE cards on the IWD website!

No matter how you celebrate, make sure that you take at least a few moments to recognize not only the women in your life, but also recognize yourself, and the social changes that we still need to bring equity in our communities, states, Nation, and  WORLDWIDE.

International Women's Day: https://www.internationalwomensday.com/ 

#WCW: Sophia Bush- Feminist Icon

Sophia Bush is a Feminist Icon. But I have a little bit of truth to tell you first before I get into it, which I'm not proud of. The last year has been VERY difficult for me. For someone who is very loud and proud about feminism and social change, the November 2016 Presidential Election results knocked the wind out of me. I was more than disheartened...I was heart broken. You see, I'd been very actively working in my community with Non-Profit Organizations and State Agencies to advocate for women's rights and fight for justice and change. It seemed as if we were on a forward propellant, climbing up and up...I could see our bright new future, it was on the horizon, but I could see it. 

I could see a world where women and girls were given equal opportunities and equal access to education and funding and pay equity. I could see a world where women and girls held 50% of the jobs in STEM fields, where they were 50% CEO's, leaders, lawmakers, judges, politicians. A world I could be proud of to show my nieces that whatever they dreamt of being, (a vet, a scientist, an artist, a ballerina, a mom, whatever they wanted!) they could grasp, as long as they did their part. A world where they felt safe at school, where they were treated with respect, where I didn't have to fear for them walking home. A world where bullies and sexual assault and violence against women had decreased to such an extent, that it was like talking about the Dark Ages in history class. I dreamed of that world. I knew we could become that world. And then suddenly...it was gone. The horizon now held only blackness.

I'm not proud that it took me a while to shake it off.  I'm not proud that at many times during the next several months, I thought, "Why even try." I'm not proud that I considered, truly considered, giving up the fight. 

But I am proud that I had the guts, the tenacity, the willpower, to get back up and keep fighting. And I did that, because of this amazing person, Ms. Sophia Bush, and her incredible strength. I watched interview after interview of her talking about feminism and social change. I followed her IG and Twitter accounts religiously, because it was the daily ((if not, hourly)) pep talk I needed to keep going, to keep fighting, to keep picking myself up defeat-after-political-defeat. [If you don't follow her on social media, stop reading this right now and DO IT!! They're both linked above] 

She has positively impacted me so greatly, that I wanted to share it with all of you, in case you also need the Sophia-Bush-Empowerment-Magic-Pep-Talks! Here are some of my favorites since election day: (Newest to Oldest)

1. "L.A., I love you. For your fight, your heart, your diversity, your tolerance. The food vendors, community organizers, legal teams, day laborers, storytellers, artists, chefs, farm workers, creatives, and more. The fabric of our community is colorful and fantastic. It was an honor to march with you, my neighbors, today. It was a thrill to speak before you. And I am endlessly inspired by the ways that you show up, stand up, and speak up. You are truly a City of Angels." -IG


2. "Speak your truth. Even when your voice shakes." -IG

3. "That’s the tremendous value of friends, right? People who can come into your sacred spaces, be it your home, your heart, your psyche, and help you see what’s in there in new ways. I’m so grateful ladies." -IG

4. "ALL HANDS ON DECK PEOPLE. Call and leave comments before the end of the day on the Trump administration's proposed rollback of contraceptive coverage for the ACA. This script will get you started! Birth control is HEALTHCARE. It’s a basic right for women who want to go to school, have careers, have families, and be able to PLAN those families. Do not let this archaic patriarchal moron strip you of your rights to control your own life. BURN UP THE PHONE LINES! 🔥🔥🔥 " -IG

5. "Here's to the fierce females. The choir getting louder every day. Anyone who has ever felt silenced, who now knows they can roar. Here's to each of you." -IG

6. "Thought & Prayers. Policy & Change. We demand action. Your pattern of offering lifeless condolences with no follow-through will not be tolerated any longer. You work for us. You are not keeping us safe. We can vote you out. Soon. Stop insulting us by hiding your profiteering behind religious words. It's ugly and painfully obvious. Sincerely, A Gun Owner Who WANTS Sensible Gun Laws + Every Other American Who Is Sick of the Slaughter." -IG

7. "sleep is not coming. anger is the gnawing, nauseating pang that keeps you up past 3am.
screaming is what your insides do when you give them just enough space to breathe.
fury moved in a long time ago and set its roots. joy still exists. make no mistake. they are not mutually exclusive. it is hard won, and worth fighting for. but if you mistake my joy, other women's joy, to mean there is an absence of pain? we will burn you to the ground when we open our mouths to share our rage. you are not entitled to more pieces of us than we are ready to share. be very careful what you wish for, when it comes to information.
you just might get it. and once you've seen, you can never unsee. sometimes we withhold to protect your eyes." -IG

8. "It's shocking to see how many men are shocked. That women they know, perhaps even EVERY woman they know, has been sexually harassed. Sexually assaulted. This problem reaches farther than Harvey. Or Donald. (Both of whom, by the way, I hope get their due.) We live in a country where 1 in 4 women is assaulted or raped by the time she leaves college. And those numbers come from what gets reported. Estimates put the true stats at 1 in 2. Half of all women. By the age of 22. And if you scoff at that reality, you are part of the problem. If you are feeling a little uneasy, wondering if your behavior is part of the problem? It is. I promise you. If you're a woman who has been manipulated or bullied into feeling like her assault was her fault? It was not. There is no excuse for the behavior of abusers. And so many abusers are adept at psychological and emotionally abuse, thus masterful manipulators. 

And if you're one of those men that I know? One of those men whose palms are sweating reading this? Wondering if your names are about to be exposed because of what you've done? How you've abused. How you've twisted. How you've lied. Good. Sweat. Be afraid. Welcome to our world. And watch your backs. We have looked over our shoulders in fear, every day and night, for long enough. Your turn. To you abusers and the ones who stood by and stayed silent? Consider this your notice. From me and from women everywhere. We are roaring, alright. #MeToo #WomenWhoRoar" -IG

9. "Did you know, on this #InternationalDayOfTheGirl, that 130 million girls worldwide are not in school? That's 130 MILLION potential doctors, coders, researchers, designers, future leaders. Stripped of their potential. That has to change. And it can. From @onecampaign:  We know (Girls) + (Education) = Unstoppable. Let’s make sure world leaders know that ALL #GirlsCount" -IG

10. "Some of you have come at me on social media recently, telling me that I deserve to die. That I'm a disgrace to America. That I should get shot and stop complaining. All because I am heartbroken and really, really f-ing angry about America's gun problem. I've had people tell me to give up my body guards. Guess what? I don't have any. Tell me that if I'd ever shot a gun in real life I'd feel differently. Guess what? I've been a sharp shooter since the age of 12, own my fair share of guns, & love nothing more than an afternoon at the range. Especially with the SWAT team and/or the servicemen & women I've visited on USO tours. I've had people tell me that I live in a "celebrity/coastal/libtarded bubble" & have no clue what real people go through. That my outrage is just band wagon jumping. Guess what? My cousin's 9 year old was murdered in a mass shooting. In Arizona. No coastal bubble in sight to save her. So STOP. If you're more outraged that I'd say "f- you" to a President & GOP masquerading as leaders, than you are that they're pushing laws to make silencers readily available (because they're getting NRA $$) the same week of a mass shooting? Well then you & I have different priorities. And that's fine. But on my end? I'm angry that the NRA wants to sell more crap that we don't need so they can make money. I'm angry that they're claiming it's about ear protection. Newsflash it's not. That's what cans are for. I'm angry that money is valued more than human life in this country. I'd happily go through more rigorous background checks, wait longer to get a gun, or give my guns BACK, if it meant we could work toward stopping this madness. Saying it doesn't work that way just ISN'T real. Data doesn't lie. Every country that's enacted some form of gun control has ended massacres. And for the "dangerous criminals who don't abide by laws?" That's what our police & military are for. And they don't think any of us need auto/semi-auto weapons or silencers either. So the next time you tell one of your fellow Americans to die/get raped/leave the country because she doesn't like that leaders value kickbacks over children's lives? Look in a mirror. Long & hard." -IG

11. "Donald Embarrassment-to-us-all Trump called an American citizen exercising his right to free speech, who is peacefully protesting violence + racism, a "son of a bitch." Trump called a group of NAZIS chanting racial slurs who murdered an American citizen "very fine people." Let that sink in. I'm damn proud to count myself as a son of a bitch by those standards." -IG

12. "Dear Senators who are willing to kill 35 million Americans to offer tax cuts to the super rich and get kickbacks from corporations who stand to profit off of your constituents dying? Shame on you. Where do you all think you came from? Pregnant women. Who will NO LONGER BE COVERED IF GRAHAM CASSIDY PASSES. Us. THAT'S WHERE. Though given your current disregard for the lives of human beings you're sworn to serve, perhaps you all crawled from the bellies of beasts.

And to the Senators taking the GOP bribe of YOUR states keeping the Affordable Care Act while others are stripped of its coverage? (Yeah Murkowski, I'm looking at you. Hard.) Shame shame shame on you. The richest nation on EARTH should be better than this. Too bad all we seem to have is money. Nothing "caring" about this." -IG

13. "If your house is burning, so is mine. If your liberty is threatened, so is mine. Your fight is my fight. Our fight. We stand with you and we will fight to #DefendDACA.
Sincerely, Me + Americans who know what, and who, makes this country great." -IG

14. "I'm tremendously grateful to have friends who are disrupting the world for good, prioritizing quality culture, and shining lights on the incredible women in their workforce. Not to mention proving that doing good is also good for business."- IG

15. "Silence is violence. Silence is encouragement. So hit the streets. Make some noise. Be safe. Hug your neighbors and let them know you've got their backs. Love people by showing up for them. That's what we are here for." -IG

16. "You are not alone. Humans, we are in this together. All of us. Injustice thrust upon any group is injustice thrust upon us all. Defend the brothers and sisters in your communities. Step up for the marginalized. They will step up for you when this monstrous "leader" inevitably threatens your existence and attempts to take away your rights. It's coming. In the same way that he lied when he held a pride flag and stumbled through the LGBTQ acronym to say he would defend our fellow man, he will lie to your face and eviscerate you behind barely closed doors to prove that he won and he can do whatever he wants. We are here to tell him that we will not abide by his cruelty and betrayal. We have to stand united in the face of this." -IG

17. "I've watched so many people kick off #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth with astonishing and beautiful vulnerability. That takes so much courage. And it got me thinking about how each of them has shared that while they may look like they have it all figured out to people peering in from the outside, they don't. No one does. Remember that whatever you perceive -- or are just "certain" about -- when you look at another person is quite simply a projection of yourself. You literally have no idea what anyone is going through, or experiencing. So meet people with love rather than judgement. Meet them in ways that allow them to expand, rather than causing them to contract. Nothing else matters." -IG

18. "That's the kind of thing that makes my soul cry out in a way it only does when it comes face to face with deeply universal truths. The kind that encourage human tenderness. Yes. There is only your way. You will learn the hard way. You will make mistakes. You will have great love. You will experience tragic loss. People will give you advice and it will, sometimes, be taken but it will not save you from the good or the bad. You will live in your own way and you don't need to apologize for ANY of it. There is only your way. There is only your heart beating in your chest. Serve it first. Do so with kindness and consideration for the world around you, obviously. But dammit. Own your own way. Grip it in your first and hold it tight. Be true." -IG

19. "The Resistance is WORKING. Making noise works. Giving a s- works. Demanding that people be held accountable and treat others with some gd decency and respect WORKS. Keep it up y'all. Keep changing the game. And don't let them forget that we are watching. We both expect AND deserve better." -IG

20. "They say that it takes 100 positive thoughts to undo a negative. Our little human brains have evolved over time to keep us alive based on our fear responses, but in modern times these evolutionary traits have gotten out of whack. Harboring a deep and paralyzing fear that you are not enough, and thus hating yourself, isn't going to keep you alive the way that knowing you should fear a lion or a rattlesnake will.

Almost everyone I know struggles with the negative self-talk spiral. It's a silent killer of fun, creativity, self worth, romance ... the list goes on. So let's, for the next few minutes, start to beat it back to where it came from k? Great. Really sit, and be thoughtful. It might be scary. It might feel weirdly hard. Avoid the desire get snarky or to say, "I'll do this later." See what happens. Maybe it'll make you feel surprisingly free! You can keep them to yourself or share them if you like. But I'd love for each of you to change your day, even momentarily, by coming up with three things you like about yourself ... go for it." -IG

21. "#PrettyMighty is ... every woman out there using her inspiring brain and worthy voice to stand in defense of her community. They define strength. Commitment. Grace. Gumption. The willingness to head toward the fear. They are beautiful and bold. They have my utmost gratitude." -IG

22. "You deserve better. Examine the ways in which you deserve more, and also look at the ways that others deserve more from you. Make sure you're being shown up for, and make sure you're showing up to the best of your abilities. Life is a two way street. Own your successes and failures so that you can keep growing. You deserve to." -IG

23. "I still believe in us. I do. I think if anything this should motivate us. This should wake us up. We've clearly been complacent. We haven't sought out one another and had the tough conversations and really LISTENED to each other. People are hurting. You don't decide to risk throwing the whole country out the window to "change the system" if you aren't hurting. People who feel like they've lost everything today are hurting. Their rights as women, the LGBTQ, POC, environmental champions, union members, and the list goes on. People are terrified. So please... Instead of giving in to the fear and reacting with savage hearts, let's come together now. Have conversations with people who believe in different things than you do. And instead of needing to be right, try to hear them. Then ask for the same respect in return. Build bridges, not walls. Let's sew the broken pieces of ourselves back together again, and remake the fabric of America. We can." -IG


***I didn't intend for this to be so long, but then I couldn't stop choosing things and I couldn't kick any of these off my list!! So anyways, here's to you, Sophia Bush, for being a beacon of light in these dark, dark times. For reminding us to keep fighting, to stand up, to make noise, to care for each other and fight for each other. You are a goddess and a Feminist Icon. An incredibly smart, vibrant, kind, talented, beautiful, powerful human being with a soul of compassionate fire. Thank you for your words, your empowerment, your courage to scream from the hilltop and not care what the haters have to say. You are an inspiration, and you truly got me through this though time, and helped motivate me to continue to fight the good fight for social change. From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU. 

Sincerely,
Ashley, aka: Brown Eyed Girl

Why Donald Trump's "Locker Room Talk" is Harmful, Unacceptable, & Disconcerting.

Why Donald Trump's "Locker Room Talk" is Harmful, Unacceptable, & Disconcerting.

Unless you've been hibernating the past couple days, you've heard the leaked audio recording of Donald Trump and Billy Bush's conversation that's been blasted over all social, radio, and television media outlets. With good reason. I've seen many different opinions on the matter, but what's worrisome to me are those people that brush off his comments or say that sure, he's a scumbag, but it doesn't have any affect on his Presidential "abilities". 

This raises about a dozen million red flags in my head. How could people not be worried about this? How do people not see the DAMAGE this does  to women and society. How could we possibly be making things BETTER in our society, if sexual assault, violence against women, and rape culture aren't stopped dead in their tracks? This is a man running for President of the United States of America, and we're going to let him say these things without consequence? When are we going to take violence against women seriously?

"Locker Room talk" has been acceptable in our society for too long. Here's why it needs to stop:

1. "Locker Room Talk" Promotes Rape Culture.

Rape Culture is the idea, coined in 1970 by Feminists, as the normalization of sexualized violence by society. Author Emily Buchwald defines it in her book, Transforming a Rape Culture, as "a complex set of beliefs that encourage male sexual aggression and supports violence against women...In a rape culture, women perceive a continuum of threatened violence that ranges from sexual remarks to sexual touching to rape itself. A rape culture condones physical and emotional terrorism against women as the norm...and both men and women assume that sexual violence is a fact of life, inevitable".

By allowing there to be no consequences for Donald Trump's actions, and furthermore, allowing him to still run for President of the United States, we are doing just that. We are condoning his behavior, we are furthering the ideology that it is acceptable for men to show sexual aggression, harassment, and violence against women.


2. Trump's "Locker Room Talk" isn't just disgusting, it's illegal.

Not only is this unacceptable, it's illegal. What Donald Trump is describing is sexual assault. Talking about grabbing women by their genitalia IS sexual assault. What's disturbing is that he brushes his actions off as "locker room talk", leading us to ask if he even understands the definition of sexual assault, because if he did, he wouldn't be so openly admitting to it.

3. "When you're a star, you can do anything".

His response that "when you're a star, you can do anything" demonstrates his manipulation of power and dominance. If he says this before becoming President, what will he do with the added power of being the President of the United States? And what does he think he can get away with doing to women, being the President? His words should frighten and alarm everyone.

4. The Excuse of "Locker Room Banter" is Harmful to Men Too.

The men I know, don't talk this way about women. It shows a utter disrespect to women, as a whole. Trump's comments are disgraceful to all the men who respect women because it normalizes this specific "locker room talk" as being something that is so common and acceptable, that it doesn't merit any consequences. Michelle Obama replied to this comment by saying that "to dismiss it as locker room talk is an insult to decent men everywhere". It also leads to "Toxic Masculinity", the concept of what it means "to be a man" in our culture has for so long, depicted womanizers and sexually violent men as the epitome of masculinity, enough to where many boys fear going to college "still a virgin". Donald Trump is THE epitome of Toxic Masculinity. [Read it here]

[watch it here]

5. It Demonstrates the Over-Sexualization, Objectification, and Disrespect of Women.

In Donald Trump's comments, he blatantly objectifies women, making it seem as if their bodies are the only thing of value. His words are so hyper-sexualized, demeaning women down to their genitalia. And his words were said in such a violent way, that many women felt threatened by them. In an article released by the New York Times, Trump's words were so obscene, they brought back memories of sexual assault and abuse for many women, who expressed their feelings of disgust and fear over social media. It boils down to the disrespect of women. These words are harmful to not just women, but society.The normalization of such "banter" makes it seem as if it's okay, in America, to hyper-sexualize, objectify, and disrespect women.

[Read it here]

His words are a big deal. We need a leader who is championing for the rights of half it's citizens, not brushing off sexual assault as if it's normal or "okay". He CANNOT be our President. He actions MUST BE MET WITH CONSEQUENCES. 

Step down, Donald. We don't want or need you as the figurehead of our Great Nation. It's about time you lived with the consequences of your actions and faced some disciplinary action for the damage you've done to others, for once in your life. 

GUEST CONTRIBUTOR: Why We Have to Stop Labeling Each Other

I'm SUPER excited to share my first EVER Guest Contributor with all of you! Teaching Girl is a 2nd year PhD student studying at the University of Nevada, Reno. She loves ice cream and her kitten, Ollie. When not writing for work, she loves reading the poetry of Adrienne Rich and imaging having tea parties with Jane Austen. 

It is an absolute pleasure to get to share her article with you. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did!

So, without further ado...

Basic, Hipster, or Basic Hipster? Why We Have to Stop Labeling Each Other

I teach freshman-level college English classes for a living. As each new semester starts and ends, I feel the cultural distance between myself and my students widen faster and faster. I hear my student talking about TV shows I’ve never heard of and I have to be educated about slang like “fleek” and what “Netflix and chill” really means. Nothing about young adult is intuitive to me at this point, which brings me to two labels that I’ve heard thrown about among my students recently: basic and hipsters.

Being labeled ‘basic’ or a ‘basic bitch,’ I’ve learned, is not much of a compliment. According to one Hello Giggles blogger, enjoying mildly popular things like Starbucks and Instagram make a woman ‘basic’—somebody who is trying to be ‘cool’ but has been called out by opposing girls (mostly) for such attempts. As a student in one of my classes has pointed out, Taylor Swift is, above all others today, the epitome of ‘basic.’ Not only does loving Taylor Swift and her album 22 meet the ‘basic’ criteria in one BuzzFeed quiz (I got 14 out of 119, by the way), but the saturation of social media with photos of Taylor carrying Starbucks coffee and wearing trendy hats seem to point us in her direction. But there was something about these explanations of Taylor’s basic-ness that never made sense to me.

Those hats she wears, the ‘nerdy’ glasses she loves wearing, even her oversized sweaters all made me (an admitted outsider) believe Taylor was a supposed hipster. This label, as my students helped me realize, is even more ambiguous than that of the basic bitch, and here’s why: like being ‘basic,’ someone who is a ‘hipster’ doesn’t ever self-identity as being hipster. These individuals try to reject contemporary young adult culture (pop music, fashion trends, and all things middle class) by fleeing to what had been on the margins—beards, flannel, and, yes, those pesky ‘nerd’ glasses. These distinctions didn’t make sense to me. If Taylor was ‘basic,’ as Time Magazine claimed she is, could she also be a hipster? Some would say no, since her lyrics clearly make fun of hipsters, but as the Guardian pointed out, she embodies hipster culture in many ways: her unabashed acceptance of crooked teeth, her identification as ‘quirky” and “a nerd,” and as a musical “outsider” who doesn’t belong to one genre all seem to indicate some allegiance with hipster.

All of these labels, these interpretations and reinterpretations of one, highly visible woman got me thinking this semester. What’s the real difference between being basic and being a hipster? And, as it turns out, there really isn’t a lot of difference.

Both labels are used by (mostly) women against mostly women (‘basic) and men and women (hipster). Both are, at the end of the day, simply labels—words we use to keep “my group” pure from other groups who threaten my idea of myself. As it goes, if I can make you feel ridiculous for trying to be cool by labeling you ‘basic,’ then my social status can be maintained. I don’t mean to try to rehash Tina Fey’s indictment of girl against girl bullying in Mean Girls (she did it well enough without me), but I want to draw attention to the lines girls seem to continue to draw in the proverbial sand. When we obsess about who we define as ‘hipster’ and who is ‘basic,’ we continually draw ourselves into a label---That Girl. We become That Girl who always hates on others. And, while it may work for a while in high school or college, it is never That Girl who gets ahead in life. Karma has a way of coming back to them by Those Girls that That Girl always hated on.

-Teaching Girl

Women Who're Changing the World

"Women Crush Wednesday" has really given me an opportunity to make a tradition out of highlighting women once a week, and I have to say, I'm very grateful for it. What started out as a "fun thing" has morphed into something more for me, and I've really become invested in learning, researching, and my most favorite, SHARING all of the great things wonderful ladies are doing to uplift, impact, and change my life. I am a self-proclaimed Feminist. And while I'm a Psych Major, I have added in gender studies within my coursework because I LOVE IT SO MUCH. I hope to one day so something as amazing and impacting as what these lovely ladies have done, but for now, I'll do my best to just keep learning and improving so that I can one day get there. They have, however, inspired me to make small changes and become more involved, and for that I am forever grateful. We can't all be Emma Watson's or Malala Yousafzai's or Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's, but we can be ourselves, and we have SO MUCH to offer! We can ALL make a difference by making small changes, by doing the little things that add up to big things. If we ALL do OUR PART, we can unify and make a REAL IMPACT. I believe that, whole heartedly. I believe that small changes can grow into big changes; after all, doesn't a small pebble dropped into the vast ocean still send ripples far beyond it's reach? Couldn't we do the same? These wonderful women are sure showing us that, indeed, WE CAN! 

Women Who're Changing the World 

Emma Watson, UN Women Goodwill Ambassador, He For She

"Men—I would like to take this opportunity to extend your formal invitation. Gender equality is your issue too. Because to date, I’ve seen my father’s role as a parent being valued less by society despite my needing his presence as a child as much as my mother’s. I’ve seen young men suffering from mental illness unable to ask for help for fear it would make them look less “macho”—in fact in the UK suicide is the biggest killer of men between 20-49 years of age; eclipsing road accidents, cancer and coronary heart disease. I’ve seen men made fragile and insecure by a distorted sense of what constitutes male success. Men don’t have the benefits of equality either. We don’t often talk about men being imprisoned by gender stereotypes but I can see that that they are and that when they are free, things will change for women as a natural consequence". [Source] 

Dear Emma. What a source of goodness and strength you exhibit for all of us. I'm just barely two years older than her, but I always felt like the same age, and naturally, I looked up to Hermoine Granger because she was the most amazing #bosswitch EVER! But As Harry Potter ended, I very soon began to look up to Emma Watson, the person, rather than just Emma Watson, the wonderful actress that played one of my favorite Heroines. Emma is changing the world. The "He for She" campaign is changing Feminism as we speak. But even more than that, she's inspiring us to be better. She's taught me how to speak out, speak UP, despite the "credentials" other may or may not think you have. You are important. You have something to say. And YOU have the right to say it, regardless of sex, education, occupation, or social class. You are YOU, your individual perspective matters, you have a voice for a reason, so use it, and use it for good. I used to be nervous about saying things that I believed or speaking up about issues, especially those that meant so much to me and those that I very much disagreed with others close to me. But she taught me to believe in myself. Still, till this day, I mutter her words from the UN speech,  if not me, who, if not now, when? 

[Watch the full beautiful speech above]

Sophia Bush, Invisible Children, Global Green Gulf Relief, DoSomething.org, Pencils of Promise, Global Poverty Project, I Am That Girl, etc.

“I gave myself some space and traveled for two and a half months...I opened the school I built for my 30th birthday in Guatemala, and then built another school in Guatemala...One of my best friends describes me as an activist who is inconvenienced — in a good way — by her career as an actress...I love my job, but I couldn’t keep doing this if it ever actually precluded me from working on the world. I would just get another job....I wish I’d known to trust my instincts more, but that’s just life, though. When a red flag comes up and you ignore it because you’re trying to be nice or keep things easy, I’ve learned not to do that. I’ve really realized I don’t need to be a people pleaser. I don’t need to give anyone else’s opinions more weight than my own. My opinions should matter the most because they’re mine. And if your opinions are formed from a place of genuine honesty and kindness for others, then your opinions are worth defending — and now I do.”  [Source] 

I have a deeply rooted love for Sophia. She is the kind of role model I'm glad girls have to look up to. I certainly look up to her, and We're roughly the same age. She inspires me to be better, to do more, to give more. I love how she uses her platform to promote good. I love that she speaks up for injustices. I love that she declares and defends her opinions, never shrinking back like I feel I so often do. She embodies courage, bravery, honestly, and kindness. She shares that with the world and I could not be more appreciative. She has really influenced me to become a better person. Just look at all those organizations she's involved in, all of which I didn't even include! And she works A LOT, which begs the question, WHY AM I ((WE)) NOT DOING MORE?!  Thanks for being your amazing self Sophia, and thanks for inspiring us to better ourselves! You are a true GEM!!

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, We Should All be Feminists

"Some people ask: "Why the word feminist? Why not just say you are a believer in human rights, or something like that?" Because that would be dishonest. Feminism is, of course, part of human rights in general - but to choose to use the vague expression human rights is to deny the specific and particular problem of gender. It would be a way of pretending that it was not women who have, for centuries, been excluded. It would be a way of denying that the problem of gender targets women. That the problem was not about being human, but specifically about being a female human. For centuries, the world divided human beings into two groups and then proceeded to exclude and oppress one group. It is only fair that the solution to the problem acknowledge that.

We teach girls to shrink themselves, to make themselves smaller. We say to girls: You can have ambition, but not too much. You should aim to be successful but not too successful, otherwise you will threaten the man. If you are the breadwinner in your relationship with a man, pretend that you are not, especially in public, otherwise you will emasculate him."

I bought the paperback copy of Chimamanda's Ted Talk and stayed up reading the whole thing because I COULD NOT STOP. Since, I can't stop reading her works. She is so extremely talented, so honest, so brave, that it just lights a fire inside my soul. I used to worry that I'd intimidate men, that my career and educational goals would make it hard for me to find someone to eventually settle down with, that I should, in some ways, turn down the notches of my mind/heart/voice so as to not make any waves. I've always had a problem with wanting to be liked. I needed it for so long, it's actually pretty embarrassing. But she's taught me so much; she's taught me to be myself, to not hinder myself or tone it down, just to appease other people. She taught me that by being myself, I can create more profound and honest work, that I can actually do more, do better, once I've fully accepted to I am and no longer shy away from it. She taught me embrace my femininity, to embrace what being a woman means to me, to live my life for myself and not anyone else. She taught me that there's power in talk, even a single voice. 

[Listen to the full Ted Talk above]

Jennifer Lawrence, Lenny Letter- Why Do I Make Less Than My Male Co‑Stars?

"When the Sony hack happened and I found out how much less I was being paid than the lucky people with dicks, I didn’t get mad at Sony. I got mad at myself. I failed as a negotiator because I gave up early. I didn’t want to keep fighting over millions of dollars that, frankly, due to two franchises, I don’t need. (I told you it wasn’t relatable, don’t hate me). But if I’m honest with myself, I would be lying if I didn’t say there was an element of wanting to be liked that influenced my decision to close the deal without a real fight. I didn’t want to seem “difficult” or “spoiled.” At the time, that seemed like a fine idea, until I saw the payroll on the Internet and realized every man I was working with definitely didn’t worry about being “difficult” or “spoiled.” This could be a young-person thing. It could be a personality thing. I’m sure it’s both. But this is an element of my personality that I’ve been working against for years, and based on the statistics, I don’t think I’m the only woman with this issue. Are we socially conditioned to behave this way? We’ve only been able to vote for what, 90 years? I’m seriously asking — my phone is on the counter and I’m on the couch, so a calculator is obviously out of the question. Could there still be a lingering habit of trying to express our opinions in a certain way that doesn’t “offend” or “scare” men?

A few weeks ago at work, I spoke my mind and gave my opinion in a clear and no-bullshit way; no aggression, just blunt. The man I was working with (actually, he was working for me) said, “Whoa! We’re all on the same team here!” As if I was yelling at him. I was so shocked because nothing that I said was personal, offensive, or, to be honest, wrong. All I hear and see all day are men speaking their opinions, and I give mine in the same exact manner, and you would have thought I had said something offensive. I’m over trying to find the “adorable” way to state my opinion and still be likable! F--- that. I don’t think I’ve ever worked for a man in charge who spent time contemplating what angle he should use to have his voice heard. It’s just heard". [Source]

I LOVE Jennifer Lawrence, like most of the world. She's an Oscar winner, been a revolutionary in the war against body image, and single handedly took down the "nothing tastes as good as skinny feels" argument. But even more amazing than that, she wrote a letter published in Lena Dunham's  Lenny, blasting Hollywood's issues of sexism and the gender wage gap that so many women, in the US and abroad, are affected by. I couldn't believe the amount of backlash I heard on the internet, radio, school, etc. Seriously, I COULD NOT BELIEVE IT. Of course, it only furthers her point. And in a very Jennifer way, she acknowledges that in her situation, it's not about the money, it's the principle. I have, on so many times I couldn't even count, felt that same way, that I shouldn't complain and just be grateful for something, because I was a girl or afraid to voice my opinion on matters, just because I was afraid I'm come off too aggressive, too mouthy, too harsh. But I think she's absolutely right in suggesting that these concepts seem to be gender-specific for the most part. I think she's incredibly brave for speaking out, especially in an industry that is so male dominated. I had to have taken a lot of courage to publish this essay, knowing that people were going to most likely say "what does it matter to you, you're not hurting for money". Ugh. That argument bothers me to NO END. It's not about the money people, it's about principle. It's about feeling equal to men, in a way that we should and deserve to feel. It's about fairness and being appreciated, and acknowledging that THERE IS STILL A PROBLEM HERE. Even in 2016.     

Amy Poehler, Amy's Smart Girls

“Some big actors and musicians feel like they have to speak to their audience and [feminism] is confusing to their audience. But I don’t get it. That’s like someone being like, ‘I don’t really believe in cars, but I drive one every day and I love that it gets me places and makes life so much easier and faster and I don’t know what I would do without it.’ ” [Source]

I just love Amy. She has been an icon for me for so long; her openness about her beliefs, her willingness to stand up for them and her shining positive example has definitely influenced me throughout the years. She is a strong Feminist, who doesn't take sexist-crap from anyone, and doesn't shy away from speaking up about the issues, even if they are uncomfortable or unpopular. She is an all-around superstar; she writes, produces, and directs, but maybe my most favorite creation of hers is Amy's Smart Girls. Amy's Smart Girls is an organization which is "dedicated to helping young people cultivate their authentic selves [and] emphasize intelligence and imagination over “fitting in.” The website, amysmartgirls.com, offers a place of support for girls, activities and DIY, articles like "How to change a flat tire", "How to interview like a boss", etc, and my personal favorite, downloadable Women's History coloring pages, because, you know, everyone loves to color, amirite?! I also love the "ABC's of Smart Girls", which are articles like "K is for knowledge", "M is for Magic", "J is for Justice", "I is for Intelligence", "F is for Friendship", and so on. They are truly inspiring, honest, and positive. I think all women, not just girls, can benefit from what they have to offer! They also have an amazing "Take Action" segment that shows people getting involved in making changes around their community and also ideas for how you could get involved in your own community. Basically, Amy's Smart Girls is FREAKING AWESOME and its everything we could've ever dreamed of and more. 

Malala Yousafzai, Winner of Noble Peace Prize, The Malala Fund

"As far as I know, I am just a committed and even stubborn person who wants to see every child getting quality education, who wants to see women having equal rights and who wants peace in every corner of the world. Education went from being a right to being a crime. Girls were stopped from going to school. When my world suddenly changed, my priorities changed too. I had two options. One was to remain silent and wait to be killed. And the second was to speak up and then be killed. I chose the second one. I decided to speak up. The terrorists tried to stop us and attacked me and my friends who are here today, on our school bus in 2012, but neither their ideas nor their bullets could win. We survived. And since that day, our voices have grown louder and louder...I tell my story, not because it is unique, but because it is not. It is the story of many girls... I dedicate the Nobel Peace Prize money to the Malala Fund, to help give girls quality education, everywhere, anywhere in the world and to raise their voices. The first place this funding will go to is where my heart is, to build schools in Pakistan—especially in my home of Swat and Shangla. In my own village, there is still no secondary school for girls. And it is my wish and my commitment, and now my challenge to build one so that my friends and my sisters can go there to school and get quality education and to get this opportunity to fulfill their dreams. This is where I will begin, but it is not where I will stop. I will continue this fight until I see every child, every child in school." [Source]
https://www.malala.org/malalas-story

Malala is seriously the most amazing role model in the history of role models. She is the YOUNGEST winner of the Noble Peace Prize (2014), who then donated the $1.1 million dollar prize to finance and open a secondary school for girls in Pakistan. She is an education activist, who's fought for the rights of all children to have the ability to go to school, both boys AND girls, which is HUGE. In 2011, she was awarded Pakistan's first National Youth Peace Prize and was also nominated for the International Children's Peace Prize. These acknowledgements of her work, and her growing popularity as a child activist, received the attention of the Taliban leaders, who voted to kill her. On October 9, 2012, gunman attacked her school bus, shot her with a single bullet that entered her head, neck and shoulder and was left for dead. She survived, though she was hospitalized for months before she made a full recovery. "The Taliban's attempt to kill Malala received worldwide condemnation and led to protests across Pakistan. In the weeks after the attack, over 2 million people signed a right to education petition, and the National Assembly swiftly ratified Pakistan's first Right To Free and Compulsory Education Bill". She of course did not stop her work; in 2013, she and her father created The Malala Fund, which advocates for girls receiving education and bringing attention to the social, political, legal and economical factors that have denied girls in her country from getting a formal education. [Source] I can't think of a better example of standing up for yourself, for others, and fighting through persecution than Malala. She is a true shining light in our often dark world. I can't wait to see what she continues to do, and she's certainly inspired me to stand up and DO MORE. As Malala said, "let us pick up our books and pencils. They are our most power weapon". 

*** Malala has teamed up with TOMS to create an exclusive scarf in which 100% of the profits will be donated to The Malala Fund, which supports girls' empowerment through education. Buy it here: http://www.toms.com/malala-fund-toms-scarf/the-malala-fund-toms-scarf 

[Watch her full Noble Prize acceptance speech above] 

Beyonce Knowles-Carter, Gender Equality is a Myth!


"We need to stop buying into the myth about gender equality. It isn’t a reality yet. Today, women make up half of the U.S. workforce, but the average working woman earns only 77 percent of what the average working man makes. But unless women and men both say this is unacceptable, things will not change. Men have to demand that their wives, daughters, mothers, and sisters earn more—commensurate with their qualifications and not their gender. Equality will be achieved when men and women are granted equal pay and equal respect. Humanity requires both men and women, and we are equally important and need one another. So why are we viewed as less than equal? These old attitudes are drilled into us from the very beginning. We have to teach our boys the rules of equality and respect, so that as they grow up, gender equality becomes a natural way of life. And we have to teach our girls that they can reach as high as humanly possible. We have a lot of work to do, but we can get there if we work together. Women are more than 50 percent of the population and more than 50 percent of voters. We must demand that we all receive 100 percent of the opportunities".
[Source]

Beyonce wrote the above letter for Maria Shriver's ShriverReport.org  about gender equality and it is fantastic! Queen Bey is a music icon in her own right, but she is also an activist and philanthropist, which many people don't realize. Beyonce is a Co-Founder with Salma Hayek-Pinault in ChimeForChange.org, which is a global campaign to promote health, justice, and education for girls and women around the world. She put on an amazing concert in 2013 called The Sound of Change Live, which was broadcasted on TV, and in which she headlined, joined by Florence + the Machine, Jennifer Lopez, Ellie Goulding, Mary J Blige, and you know, her hubby Jay Z (amongst others). Ticket prices were donated to the organization, as well as the ability for viewers watching on TV to donate as well. It was pretty amazing, and the videos are on YouTube if you still haven't seen it. I respect people for using their platforms for good and to advocate for change, especially when those platforms are as large as Beyonce's world stage. From her girl-power style anthem's to her charitable work, Beyonce is an awesome figurehead of Feminism and Activism, and reminds us that there is still much work to be done within our Country, and we ALL need to do better!