violence

“People are still dying, still being killed, don’t tell us to sit down and not continue to go out into the streets.”

'We Want Safety, Dignity and Justice': Black Lives Matter Protests Build Nationwide

The fact that police killings are calculated by media organizations at all is a victory of the sustained protests of the Black Lives Matter movement. Yet, despite heightened visibility, the killings continue. According to the Guardian, 571 people have been killed by police so far in 2016—3.4 per million Native American and 3.28 Black.

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"You have an unabridged right to petition the government — at all levels — for redress of grievances." Image: flickr

Americans: You Have The Right. Make Your Voice Heard.

I can’t use this space today for quirky news blurbs. Instead, I want to remind us all of our fundamental right to have the America we want — and how we can get it.

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If our kids hear us excusing rape or sexual assault in any way, they will internalize that message. Image: Krewr Studio/Pexels.

6 Ways We (Accidentally) Teach Our Kids Rape Culture

As moms and dads, we probably don’t talk directly about rape to kids, at least not until they’re older. But we’re still sending messages about sex and consent all the time. Because of that, we need to make sure we’re not teaching them some very dangerous lessons, even if just by accident.

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In the mainstream US media, there will be no coverage of the April statement by the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to the UN Security Council on Israel. Image: Kate Ausburn/Flickr.

Why We Can't Hide From The Psychological And Emotional Trauma Of The Israeli Occupation On Palestinians

Lives lived encaged by the Occupation produce — says UN Secretary General Ban [Ki-moon] — “fear, humiliation, frustration and mistrust. It has been fed by the wounds of decades of bloody conflict, which will take a long time to heal. Palestinian youth in particular are tired of broken promises and they see no light at the end of the tunnel.”

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In gay people, masculinity perceives its soft and vulnerable (i.e., human) underside. Image: The All-Nite Images/Flickr.

Masculinity Is Killing Us

To worship all that is masculine often means to frame oneself in opposition to those in the LGBT community. The attitudes and values of that community do make room for the masculine, but predominantly veer toward the gentle, the soft, the empathetic, the sunny, the good-humored, the multicolored, and the spirited.

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“I know what I am now. I’m pansexual.”  Image: Pixabay.

My 10-Year-Old Daughter Came Out At Pride. I'm Proud, But Also Afraid.

Moments after this big reveal, as I sat with the knowledge that I was the mother of a queer daughter, we heard about the man in Los Angeles being stopped on his way to Pride with guns and bombs, and I suddenly realized that my daughter was now one of the millions of people at risk because of vile and unreasonable hatred about non-straight sexuality.

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“I know what I am now. I’m pansexual.”  Image: Pixabay.

My 10-Year-Old Daughter Came Out At Pride. I'm Proud, But Also Afraid.

Moments after this big reveal, as I sat with the knowledge that I was the mother of a queer daughter, we heard about the man in Los Angeles being stopped on his way to Pride with guns and bombs, and I suddenly realized that my daughter was now one of the millions of people at risk because of vile and unreasonable hatred about non-straight sexuality.

Read...

After The Attacks In Orlando, Here's How You Can Actually Help

After The Attacks In Orlando, Here Is How You Can Actually Help

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