During a time when the popular focus on trans rights has led queer activists to question and ultimately condemn the concept of a biological woman, feminists need to pay attention. And this…
Beneath its quiet indie surface, venerated U.S. filmmaker Jim Jarmusch’s new film Paterson relies on so many clichés — about people of colour, about women and men, about artists, about relationships both…
Skimming over liberal media these past months, the assumption is that anyone who might have an issue with a transgender person in their washroom is necessarily a Bible-thumping bigot from the south.…
Is a half-hour sugarfest of self-congratulation any way to mark International Women’s Day? Familiar to many women — especially if they have ever worked in an office of any kind — is…
A recent investigation by The Globe and Mail revealed how badly the Canadian justice system fails at prosecuting rape cases. Robin Doolittle reports that “one of every five sexual-assault allegations in…
In certain social circles, praising “sex workers” has become fashionable. How has prostitution — an outdated, slavery-like industry — been made to look so modern? A BBC Three video making the rounds…
Alison Bechdel, get thee to a cinema now! Here is a film that not only passes your revolutionary test with flying colours but has a strong female protagonist whose position stems from…
I’ve had the distinct honour of teaching in the field of Women’s Studies for 15 years. I’ve been lucky enough to see students transition from first-year students to a wide variety of…
On January 21st, an estimated 2.9 million people participated in Women’s Marches around the U.S., setting a record for the largest one-day protest in the nation’s history. For many feminists, a public…
We seem to have reached something like the opposite of a critical mass. A critical lack, rather — wherein people are looking around and asking, “What happened to the lesbian?” As we…
As a founding member of the Aboriginal Women’s Action Network (AWAN), I am fascinated by recent conversations about Joseph Boyden. I love that Indigenous peoples are asserting the importance of lived experience, growing…
Now far in the rear view mirror, the (Bill) Clinton years seem like a turning point for contemporary social movement strategy. For that generation of young people onward, progressive politics was remade…
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has announced that a “bathroom bill” addressing gender-identity claims in access to bathrooms, showers and locker rooms will be one of his top priorities for this legislative…
This week my To Do list actually includes both “check opening hours of Vienna Christmas markets” and “write angry letter to Prime Minister Trudeau.” In light of an attack in Berlin’s Christmas…
Our lives as Indigenous women and girls are severely impacted by male violence, poverty, and other expressions of patriarchy, capitalism, and racism. We should, therefore, be allowed to prioritize issues that directly…