Cupid, Draw Back Your Bow...

Okay, we all know that Valentine's Day is a vapid, capitalist, heteronormative holiday. The red and pink, the candy, the cards, the weird pressure to be in a relationship, it's all kind of annoying. But that doesn't mean we can't have a little fun, does it?

Take, for example, this human heart made out of Necco Conversation Hearts:

What Valentine wouldn't love to get such a thoughtful gift? Make it yourself with all of the inedible candy you can get your hands on!

And on the subject of handmade human hearts, check out this super-cute ribcage Valentine from etsy:

Of course, a lot of the problems with Valentine's Day stem from the holiday's focus on heterosexual, traditional romantic relationships. We feminists, however, realize that that isn't the only way to love someone. The folks at someecards (profiled in the Noir issue Bitch List!) agree. They've got free e-Valentines for just about every relationship. One of my faves:

Perfect for any crush, regardless of orientation, gender, or relationship status.

If you've got someone (or multiple someones) out there that you're dying to make your Valentine but are conflicted because of your progressive, feminist politics (and who doesn't?) why not get said person a subscription to Bitch? It's the perfect way to say "I love you, but I don't buy into corporate, non-gender-progressive holidays."

And we can't forget that Valentine's Day is also V-Day, a time to work toward ending violence against women. Regardless of your thoughts on Valentine's Day, V-Day is a cause we can all support.

So how do you feel about Valentine's Day? Do you have any non-traditional Valentines or stories to share?