Life Resources

I realize this is long overdue, but I figured later was better than never.

In regards to some of the websites/blogs I will consult after graduation, here is what I've come up with:

• Feminist Majority Foundation (feminist.org) - Feminist Majority Foundation is a huge online database of the different happenings that are the current "hot issues" in the feminist world today. Best part about this website? They have a "jobs/internships" tab that will direct you to all the current feminist related jobs and internships available nationwide.
• National Organization for Women (NOW.org) - NOW is a grassroots organization dedicated to inclusivity and connecting women all over the world. Although, the site is somewhat outdated and a bit of an eyesore, the information is credible and appropriate.
• St. Cloud State University Women's Center (Facebook page) - stay current with what's happening at the Women's Center.
• Bitch! Media (blog) - a great blog that is a tool in critiquing and analyzing pop culture with a feminist spin. 
• Ms. Magazine (blog) - this blog is a product of the magazine publication that has been in print since the 1970s. Favorite part about this blog is its "Ms. in the Classroom," which makes the Ms. Magazine publication available in classrooms and "provides students with cutting-edge analysis of contemporary issues and events using gender, race, and class lens."

Do you want free birth control? Me too!

Birth control has only been legal in the United State since 1965. That means, for the past 46 years women have been able to take the right preventative measures to ensure fun, hot sex without the looming thought of possible pregnancy (always a good thing).

A few days ago, a panel from the Institute of Medicine recommended that "the government require health insurance companies to cover birth control for women as preventive care, without copayments." In the past few months in our horrible political (GOP) climate, it has been incredibly difficult for women to receive proper preventative care. This is a big victory, but we're not there yet. It's now up to the Department of Human and Health Services to act upon the IOM's recommendation.


Please tell HHS you support making birth control available to millions of women without co-pays or other out-of-pocket costs.

Bottom line: birth control is basic health care.

I'm baaaack. No, really, I am.

So, I won't lie.

I needed a break.

I needed a break from reality and feminism. I needed a chance to be... uninformed. It was nice while it lasted, but now it's time to get my ass in gear and to continue this wonderful blog, that, admittedly, I have been avoiding.

So, there really isn't a better way to pick up where I left off than to write about what mattered to me today in the news, blogs, internet world, etc.

Over at Huffington Post, they're doing a series of posts about women in technology, titled, "Women in Tech," and I'd consider it a very good find. It's nice to see women finally being acknowledged and celebrated in the technological world.

University of South Florida now has dorm options for transgendered students. Woo! Also, my very own St. Cloud State University has an LGBTA Pride Community, and according to the LGBT Resources website, "all-gender housing allows same gender roommates, opposite gender roommates or other gender-identity roommate pairings in University operated housing. This option is designed as an intentional living community affirming the cultural experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, gender-queer, gender-variant, questioning, any other resident who does not fit into the gender binary, and allies." I'm so proud, SCSU.  

For those interested in marketing and advertising, the all-know feminine hygiene brand, Always, was the first to to run an advertisement that showed blood. Crazy that it took this long, right? But, don't get too excited - this ad is only a print ad, meaning that it hasn't yet hit the big screen.

Some prisoner in Michigan is so upset that his jailing facility won't allow him to look at porn, that he's suing the State of Michigan and Governor Rick Snyder. Since when did porn become an entitlement?

As most of you may know, Femicide, or sometimes known as Gendercide, has been awful (the world awful isn't even close to how disgusting and cruel it is) in most under developed countries of the world, but parents are going to a new extreme now. Instead of killing their infant girls when they're born, they're paying surgeons to perform sexual reassignment surgery. 

Do you enjoy good movies? Do you enjoy feminist critiques on good movies? Then I have found the website for you! Check out Bitch Flicks. You won't be disappointed.

On a more local level, it's been settled that Minnesota will be closing six of their Planned Parenthoods due to budget cuts. According to the article, "the loss of family planning services for women in the affected communities could drive up state health care costs -- and the number of abortions, said Sarah Stoesz, executive director of Planned Parenthood's chapter for Minnesota and the Dakotas."

MN might be lucky enough to host our very own SlutWalk, although the dates are still tentative. Don't know what SlutWalk is? According to their website, "when we first heard about the Toronto Police officer labeling women and people most at risk of sexual assault as “sluts”, we thought about making noise and demanding for more than an apology. We have a constitutional right to a freedom of expression and a freedom of assembly so we’re using it. Putting that into action, we wanted to go right to Toronto Police Service’s front door at 40 College St. with impassioned numbers uniting against these damaging stereotypes. Thus SlutWalk was born and began with SlutWalk Toronto. We are taking our frustration to the streets – literally. Toronto’s Walk was the first and was incredibly successful with an estimated 3,000-4,000 people joining us on the street and many others supporting us from afar."

Interested in participating in SlutWalk Minneapolis? Be sure to search them on Facebook, read their amazing blog, and follow on Twitter!

Pseudo hiatus or just writers block?

So, it's been two weeks since my last blog post... but who's really counting, right? I guess I could say I had writers block, but then that wouldn't be entirely truthful - I always have so much to say. So, I'll just settle with the idea of a hiatus, which came unexpectedly, for, I believe, my laziness did get the best of me.

But, to get things back on track, I do have an issue I would like to shed light on.

Yesterday, the Minnesota House "voted to put a constitutional amendment defining marriage as between one man and one woman in front of voters on the 2012 ballot," says Jon Collins from St. Louis Park Patch this afternoon. The vote came in at 70-62, most of which were consistent with the Democrat - Republican party lines, although four Republicans voted against the bill and two DFLers joined the Republicans in voting for it.

What does this mean, you may ask?

This means that the vote is in our hands. We, as Minnesotans, will decide whether or not we violate the 14th Amendment of the Constitution that states, "no state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, pr property, without due process of law; not deny to any person within its jurisdiction the protection of the laws."


This bill, clearly unconstitutional, will be in the fate of our Minnesota voters. Love is love, and this bill is creating and supporting hate against the LGBTQ folks here in MN.

It's time to take a stand. Thus, I encourage you to VOTE NO to the marriage amendment that will appear on the ballot of the November 6th, 2012 election.

To be more involved and get more information, please login to Facebook and "Attend" the event, "I WILL vote NO on the marriage amendment!" Do it because you know it's the right thing to do - SPREAD LOVE AND NOT HATE.