Welcome to the latest installment of Ms. Opinionated, in which readers have questions about the pesky day-to-day choices we all face, and I give advice about how to make ones that (hopefully) best reflect our shared commitment to feminist values—as well as advice on what to do when they don't.
Dear Ms. Opinionated,
I have broken things off with what seemed to be the love of my life. I am 26 and we've been together for nearly 7 years, he is the first and only person I ever loved.
Writer Jordannah Elizabeth wrote up a list of her five favorite black women musicians for Bitch this week. People loved the post and wanted more. So Jordannah put together a whole mixtape of Black women artists. Enjoy!
R&B/Soul mixtapes can be cheesy and predictable! I want to spice this mixtape up with songs from Black female musicians from different genres and eras. These amazing women had strong and influential careers and enormous talent! All of the tracks are thoughtful, empowering, sweet and emotionally penetrating, just like every strong and classy lady should be!
A common trope about models is that we don't eat. Well, I’m a model and I love food. I eat often and during all parts of the day—the spicier the dish, the better. Most models—at least the ones I work with in Los Angeles—do eat, with fewer exceptions than one might expect.
This past year, rape has dominated the headlines. From front-page coverage of the Penn State trials to Todd Akin’s “legitimate rape” comment to international outcry about gang rape in India to national focus on Steubenville, talking about rape—a long-silenced topic—is finally a mainstream conversation. We are in a unique cultural moment where the ever-present epidemic of sexual violence is being recognized.
We need to not only recognize the reality of rape, but work to end it. We need a platform to honor survivors that will forever change the way the American public responds to their experiences. We need to create a national monument to survivors of rape and abuse.
My passion for everything relating to the world of sex is rivaled only by my love of comics.
Really, it was only a matter of time before I'd combine these two topics to bring you, dear perverts, a weekly comic sharing my experiences with everything the sex industry has to offer. Toys, workshops, birth control, I wanna talk about it all. With the aid of guest reviewers, this comic will cover products for ALL the different anatomies people posses, from vulvas to penises and beyond.
This season Project Runway welcomed its first-ever Native American designer, textile artist Patricia Michaels. The show raps up tonight and the Taos, New Mexico designer is one of the final three competitors.
But whether Michaels wins or loses tonight, having her viewpoint and hand-crafted talents highlighted on one of the most popular shows on TV has been, quite honestly, a welcome change from several recent factory-made fashion appropriations of Native American culture.
On August 16, 2006, a group of young, gay black women were hanging out in New York City's West Village when a man approached and started harassing them. The man, Dwayne Buckle, followed the women, saying things like "I'll fuck you straight." They tried to ignore him and walk away, but he pursued, grabbing at his crotch and continuing to hurl insults. Finally they confronted him and a fight broke out. One of the women had hair pulled out, another was choked by Buckle on the ground. Two passerbys came over to stop Buckle, who ended up being stabbed and spent five days in the hospital.
We're down to the final three competitors in this season of RuPaul's Drag Race. Each of the trio has the crown and cash directly in their crosshairs, yet this week had to compete in challenges as rigorous as they were random. Will the winner be Alaska the all-around pro, Jinkx the jester, or Roxxxy the... um... hair choreographer? Read my illustrated recap of the show's best moments below!
Are you a criminal? Let me be specific: have you committed the civil offense of working in the United States without papers? Have you thwarted our nation of laws through heinous acts of unauthorized fruit picking? How about using your degree from UC Berkeley to perform renegade statistical analysis? Are you one of the 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the United States?
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