Posts Categorized: Uncategorized
Everyone Deserves Comprehensive Sexual Education
Sexual education doesn’t tend to stray anywhere past preaching of abstinence accompanied by mortifying stories about sexually transmitted diseases, but for people with disabilities, it’s not always considered a problem. A general idea perpetuated through the media attains that people with disabilities have no interest in sex, thereby making it unnecessary for them to see the pictures of people inflicted with chlamydia. Anyone from marginalized groups, including LGBTQ+ people of color, isn’t going to find themselves represented in their high school education classes, but the kids in the special needs program aren’t even given the opportunity to participate at all. School districts find it difficult to address these issues in sexual education classes. Since there are a variety of disabilities that need a specific method of teaching, teachers feel uncomfortable… Read more »
Abolish ICE Already
This is such a scary time for black and brown folk living in the United States. ICE is a threat to everything this country is supposed to stand for. A few days ago ICE arrested and detained rapper 21 Savage. His visa expired in 2006, but they decided it was the right time to detain and deport him just five days after rapping about Flint, children at the border, and the hardships he faced as a poor black man. Why now, 14 years after his visa expired- 5 years after being arrested for unrelated matters, does ICE feel compelled to detain and deport 21? Is it because he is giving back to his community and speaking out against the atrocities being committed to POC? The language ICE used was “He… Read more »
You Don’t Have To Put Up With Shitty Men in Literature if You Don’t Want to
When we read Junot Diaz’s book Drown in my gender studies course last year, the class was quick to rave about the nuance of his writing. They spoke in grand terms about how he was a literary genius and of the tenderness of the characters– and I didn’t know why I couldn’t get on board. On the one hand, I appreciate Diaz and his body of work. He is an intensely talented writer. There are pieces of his work that I admire greatly. But, as we read this book full of abusive men, I wasn’t able to look past the way it made me feel. Drown is a prime example of a book that is not inherently misogynistic but includes misogyny. The book is riddled with gender-based abuse. And while… Read more »
Abortion In-Access
The Roe V. Wade decision recently had its 46th anniversary January 22. Though reproductive rights have constantly been the point of contention between old, white men and other old, white men, I am grateful this decision still stands today. Old white men, especially those in Texas, have tried their hardest to shut down as many clinics as possible through TRAP laws requiring obscene equipment and “regulations”. In 2014, the only abortion clinic available to my community of the Rio Grande Valley was in San Antonio-a four hour drive away. Having a clinic so far and passed a check-point can be terrifying for some people from the Rio Grande Valley. In a community where over 68% of the population lives below the poverty line and ⅓ of people and ½ of… Read more »
The Intersection Exists
Last week, it was announced that Kevin Hart would host the 2019 Oscars ceremony. Not long after, he stepped down after old homophobic tweets resurfaced on the internet. The Academy told him they would let him go if he did not apologize for those tweets which he refused to do. Hart addressed the tweets in 2015, claiming the “jokes” had come from a place of fear. The jokes consisted of Hart essentially saying he would never want a gay son, and if he were to get one, he would try to make him straight. In a world where conversion therapy is harming several LGBTQ+ kids everyday, it’s hard to imagine anyone finding something like that funny now, let alone in 2011 when he made the jokes. Still, in regards to critics who… Read more »
Culture Commodified in San Antonio
I recently moved to San Antonio earlier this year from the Rio Grande Valley. I have seen the gentrification happen before my eyes over the years. One of the biggest gentrified areas in the city- “The Pearl” is an expensive little market place. The community surrounding The Pearl quickly saw a decrease of lower middle class Mexican families in the area due to gentrification. It’s got everything white people want- exclusive, expensive apartments surrounded by a bourgeoisie food court and tons of overpriced, whiterun shops. Allow me to better paint a picture of these shops for you. They commodify the fuck out of being in San Antonio- a historically Tex-Mex city. Native American and Mexican artworks/clothing items are also sold in another. The people running these stores, boasting that they… Read more »
Reproductive Justice-Themed Holiday Gifts for Your Favorite Folks
Now that Thanksgiving has passed and, for students, the semester is nearly over, gift-buying and gift-giving season is upon us. During the holidays, I like to give gifts that are useful, meaningful, and unique to the people I am giving them to. Here are some gift ideas for all of your feminist and reproductive justice-loving friends this holiday season. 1. Birth Control Pill Pin This colorful and simple birth control pill pin from Dissent Pins is a great option for people who like to make a subtle statement. It’s perfect for fashion-conscious folks and friends who might be going into the medical or pharmaceudical fields. 2. “No Politics in My Uterus” Mug Why not get that avid coffee or tea drinker something that’s bold but also practical? This mug is… Read more »
The Science Behind the Female Orgasm: Originally an Ovarian Matter (Maybe)
The female orgasm—it’s been researched enough to prove that it exists and what the female body undergoes before, during, and after orgasm. But another question remains: Does the female orgasm serve a reproductive purpose? We know why male bodies orgasm. From a solely reproductive lens, it serves as a way to trigger ejaculation and get sperm one step closer to fertilizing an egg. According to Women’s Health, during sexual stimulation, the vagina widens up toward the cervix while pelvic muscles tense up near the vaginal opening. After more stimulation prompts those muscles and nerves to build more tension, an orgasm happens as that tension is involuntarily released. “The big bang is the moment when the uterus, vagina, and anus contract simultaneously at 0.8-second intervals,” writes Nicole Beland for Women’s Health…. Read more »
My Experience as a Latinx Woman in Sports
I have played soccer for 19 years of my 23 on this planet. I even went on to play for my University’s women’s soccer team as a goalkeeper all four years. The University of Texas Pan-American (now UT Rio Grande Valley) are in the NCAA Division 1 Western Athletic Conference. I was also a part of the “Student Athlete Advisory Committee” since my sophomore year of college. SAAC is “the voice of the student athlete” and I was President of my institutional and conference SAAC. We discussed institutional, conference, and NCAA policies and issues. I oversaw eight school across the United States. As president of the WAC SAAC, I ensured student athletes accurately understood and relayed policies and their consequences to their respective student athlete body and administration. I also… Read more »
It Was Never A Secret
Victoria’s Secret chief marketing officer Ed Razek has come under fire after an interview with Vogue where he insinuated that trans and plus-size models are not attractive enough to be a part of the “fantasy” of their brand. The brand has been met with criticism since his comments, and #boycottvictoriassecret was a trending topic on Twitter. But let’s be honest: even if you haven’t seen what the models look like in the annual fashion show, anyone with a passing familiarity with Victoria’s Secret knows the brand always has been a blatant catering to the white male gaze. Look back at the “Perfect Body” campaign from 2014 that showcased only one type of body. Or the many extreme uses of PhotoShop. Not to mention the many instances of cultural appropriation over… Read more »
