Mounting Olympus

The original 12 Olympians were split equally between females and males. We're not quite there yet with our own Olympic teams, but we're getting closer. Now if we could get more women as sports commentators!

Also, did you know that high school female athletes are 20% more likely to graduate and go to college? Additionally, girls who plays sports are half as likely to become pregnant in high school. These same girls will also make better grades than their non-sport playing counterparts and be more likely to earn higher salaries later in life.

So future Olympians or not, keep encouraging the young ladies in your life to get out on a field, a court, or a slope.

I don't wear pants

Recently I got into a passionate conversation with a male friend. He was surprised when I mentioned being a feminist and told me I couldn't possibly be one. Feeling equally surprised by his disbelief and a little defensive, I asked why he didn't consider me a feminist.

My friend then referenced something I said about a month earlier, "I don't wear pants." (To give you more context to that quote, I almost always wear skirts and dresses as I don't find pants comfortable or flattering.) Testily, I informed him that feminists could dress however they wanted. In response I received a list of ways I don't look like a feminist - my long hair and how I style it, my love for stilettos, the make up I wear, and other ways I embrace my very femme form of self-expression.

I have to admit I was a little shocked. My friend is an educated, thoughtful man. And while I know there is a lot of education that needs to be done in the world, certainly someone like my friend should know by now that feminists aren't all women with short hair, no make up, and Doc Martens. Hadn't he seen the great t-shirts Ms. Magazine sells?

He also mentioned my very Americana dream of wanting a husband and kids and white picket fence and that I am "not exactly an activist". At this point I was truly stunned. Didn't he know how important my identity as a feminist is to me and how much it hurt to hear someone completely discredit it? I also was immediately filled with doubt that maybe I wasn't a "good" feminist, not because I wear dresses and heels, but because I wasn't doing enough to help everyone in my life see me as one. And was I really not an activist? Isn't there just as much merit in the education I try to do as there is in bra burning and marching? (And I participated in a march in April thankyouverymuch. Sorry there were no pictures on Facebook to give me more credibility. #sarcasm) On top of that, why did my dream of wanting a family take precedence in this conversation over my intense drive and dedication to finding success in my career? I've certainly sacrificed more for and spent more time working on the latter dream than on the one he mentioned.

So as you might imagine I had to take a breath and a pause before reminding him that feminism isn't about having a certain lifestyle, but about believing that women are allowed to actively choose their lifestyle. It is true, I will always be a very feminine woman hoping to live somewhat "traditional" dreams, but this should in no way underscore my identity as a feminist any more so than a pair of testicles keeps a man from being a feminist.

I have to admit that after my initial gut reaction, I lost all personal hurt and frustration regarding my friend, and instead felt A LOT of hurt and frustration about the messed up world we live in. Our society's messages are so strong that my smart, compassionate, thoughtful friend denied my primary identity and refused to backdown when I explained the connection I felt to it. And although he might not have understood the implications of what he stood for, I recognized them all to well. "Feminist" is a bad word and a threat to all things male. I am someone he cares about, someone feminine, and someone who does not through just my appearance threaten the traditional masculine paradigm and privilege. Therefore, I could not be a feminist.

We have so much work to do. And this conversation made me remember the work always begins close to home with those we care for the most. So let's change the world. Ready?

The World is a Cocoon of Love v. Life is Over

Not only is this hilarious (and further proof that women are just as funny as men if not more so), but it is also really interesting social commentary. I can't imagine there being any content for a song like this about men from the ages of 29 and 31. Hope you enjoy as much as I did. Just a warning, if the F and C words bother you, you shouldn't watch this.

For the first time in history a US flight was staffed by an all female African American flight crew

How has it taken this long? Such a cool profile story, and during Black History Month, too!

Daughters who Look like Sluts

There is no better response than this:

Celeb of the Week

When Katherine Heigel becomes the voice of reason, I start to get nervous. But it's nice to see how she has matured. However, the true thumbs up celebrity is Patrick Stewart.

"My mother had no escape route. There were no refuges she could run to; no helplines to call; no advocates to speak out for her. No one came to help, even though everyone knew what was happening behind our closed doors. The small houses in our road were close together, and every Monday morning I walked to school with a bowed head, praying that I wouldn't run into a neighbour who had heard the weekend's rows. The police, when they were called, were little help. I remember hearing them say things like "She must have provoked him", or "Well, Mrs Stewart, it takes two to make a fight". They had no idea. My mother did nothing to provoke the violence she endured –- even if she had, violence is an unacceptable way of dealing with conflict."

That quote was recent (the end of 2011), but the message below is from 2006 that he did for Amnesty International. A good reminder that sometimes it doesn't take two to make a fight.



What a brave man for sharing his story and using it to advocate for better laws, support, and care for domestic abuse survivors! I'm excited that a feminist looks like Captain Picard and Professor X, but most importantly like Patrick Stewart.

Black Herstory Month & Women Film Makers

I've been thinking a lot lately about the intersection of gender and race. With February being Black History Month (BHM), I especially found this article interesting, as it describes how BHM really mostly celebrates Black men.

Because of this, I wanted to draw a little attention to Ava DuVernay, the first Black woman to win Best Director for Dramatic Film at Sundance.



In line with this trend, 2012 marks the 80th year that the Academy Awards has failed to nominate any female film directors, which means there have only been 4 women nominated, all of them White. Out of these 4 White women, only one has ever won (Kathryn Bigelow). Can any of you even name the other 3 who were nominated?** Probably not, because unlike the male directors who get multiple nominations over many years, Hollywood (like many careers) makes continued success for a woman incredibly difficult.

So congratulations to Ava DuVernay, for not only achieving success, but for being an inspiration to all of us during this important month and the other 11 of the year. I hope she gets the support and opportunity to continue making great films and pave the path for the first woman of color to be nominated for the Best Director Oscar. In the meantime, petition your local movie theaters to bring her film Middle of Nowhere to their screens.

** Female directors nominated for Best Director in the Academy Awards: Kathryn Bigelow (2009 The Hurt Locker), Sofia Coppola (2003 Lost in Translation), Jane Campion (1993 The Piano), and Lina Wertmüller (1976 Seven Beauties)