Is anyone ever ready? — “Sex started to hurt,” my friend confesses in an anguished voice. “I worried that was it for us. I’m only 63. Would ever have sex again? Had my body just given up down there?” We’re in the kitchen, talking in that conspiratorial way women do when they don’t want men…

In response to his recent tweet about Sports Illustrated model Yumi Nu — Yesterday Sports Illustrated released its four 2022 Swimsuit covers. One cover features stunning plus-size model Yumi Nu in a gorgeous black one-piece. In response to her picture, Peterson tweeted: “Sorry. Not beautiful. And no amount of authoritarian tolerance is going to change that.” Everyone has a right to their opinion…

That’s actually the opposite — I will never forget the first time I worked a busy shift teaching swimming lessons at the university pool. I was the first teacher to return to the women’s staff room, so I quickly stripped off my bathing suit and climbed into the shower, which was roughly twice as large…

What’s a warm-blooded woman with P.E.N.S. to do? — The moment my meagre adolescent boobs began to blossom, the p.e.n.s arrived to spoil all hope for them. No, wait, I don’t mean that. My nipples aren’t permanently erect — maybe around 80% of the time. Sexy! you may be thinking. But there are a lot of times I don’t…

‘Nice’ is no longer enough to make me trust you — Trigger Warning: this article contains descriptions of sexual assault and abuse that may not be suitable for all readers. Fearless community, please read with care. “He seemed like such a nice guy!” How many times have you heard it? How many times have you said it? A couple of years ago, I was casually dating a man…

I’d love to share my fries with you, but not my burger — The other day we were eating burgers. My partner leaned over and snatched a fry from my daughter’s plate. She immediately protested. “That’s mine!” He dismissed her complaint with the typical, “It’s just one fry,” but I wasn’t about to let this opportunity go. …

Your unfounded fears about vasectomies are ruining your sex life — In the past few months, I’ve had roughly the same conversation with a dozen different cis female friends in long-term relationships who don’t have nearly as much sex as they want. They wish it were more frequent and more satisfying. In several cases, they don’t have sex at all. They’ve…

And it is not your fault — There are several minutes every day I don’t like my daughter. Several minutes of fury so hot my stomach acid burns my throat and my mouth fills with ashes. Minutes that feel like hours where I gaze hungrily at the door and wonder what would happen if I walked out…

All ideas of ‘ownership’ have got to go. — About three years ago, I got an unexpected text: We just asked James but wanted to check with you, too. We are hoping to use his sperm to get pregnant. The text came from a friend. She and her wife had looked into the complicated process (and astronomical expense) of…

Why internet trolls target women writers — To a misogynist, there’s literally nothing scarier than an articulate woman. In Shakespeare’s most bloody and terrifying play, Titus Andronicus, the king’s daughter is raped. To keep her from telling her tale, the men who assault her pull out her tongue. …

I believe in feminism spelled F-R-E-E-D-O-M — I can sum up what feminism means to me in one word: freedom. Freedom for all women to love what they love. Freedom for women to pursue their passions. Freedom for women to get higher education or social assistance. Freedom for women to have access to whatever they need, want…

‘I Hate Men’ is a small feminist book with a big idea — “As long as there are misogynistic men who don’t give a damn, and a culture that condones and encourages them, there will be women who are so fed up they refuse to bear the brunt of exhausting or toxic relationships.” — Harmange I recently posted my review of the book…

Loving ‘for life’ isn’t the only way to measure success — I stayed with a woman for about a month on the east coast. One night over a glass of wine, she leaned in and told me in a low, conspiratorial voice, “The other day, I went on a date with a man who had a huge penis.” Trying not to…

Losing a child taught me we need to take better care of women and their bodies — No one warned me how much I would bleed. Perhaps the nurses and doctor to whom I spoke before the surgery were too busy asking me whether I was there “voluntarily” to talk about proper aftercare. It had been four long, torturous days since the ultrasound technician had announced they…

Resilience, thy name is Woman — Retro Rewind is a weekly series that reconsiders pre-2000 pop culture. More here. Rewatching Aliens last night, I was once again struck by the quiet fortitude of its cast of women. Not just its unforgettable hero, Ellen Ripley, either. Brave and steady women are its norm: the medic who first…

My fingers trace them lovingly — I wear them like a badge of honour, though I didn’t always. They cut across my inner thighs — veins of gold in marble. As though a large cat became too playful, and stroked me with claws too roughly. You might not even notice them, unless I encouraged you to…

‘Boys will be boys’ is a deadly euphemism — Trigger warning: an honest depiction of what it feels like to almost drown. “It’s only a joke” “I was just playing” “Don’t take it so seriously” “Why are you making such a big deal out of it?” “Boys are just like that” How many different ways do we tell girls…

And that’s when I knew I had to get out — It’s funny (not funny) how far down the rabbit hole an abusive relationship can take you. I know many of you have been called much worse. I know many of you are called a “bitch” every. Single. Day. I’m sorry. You aren’t. No matter who you are or how you…

How can women get off the merry-go-round of domesticity? — Unpaid labor has long disproportionately fallen on women’s shoulders. — The Washington Post To me, she seemed a culinary wizard and the source of my most treasured recipes. …

Barefoot at 4 am never felt so good — “Hello darkness, my old friend” — Paul Simon I lie awake listening, for fear that I will hear a rattle at the door or some footsteps in the hall. …