Culture

Public spotlight has focused intently on reproductive justice lately: in the campaigns of presidential hopefuls, in the media, and in the procedings of the U.S. legistlature. Debates have culminated this fall in a show-down on Capitol Hill as members of Congress attempt to de-fund Planned Parenthood. The House and Senate both voted to de-fund the organization, which amounts to cutting off Medicaid payouts to the non-profit that millions of low-income people depend on for healthcare. But wait a second: why are lawmakers making such a stink over Planned Parenthood anyway?

I am tired of disbelief. I am tired of skepticism. I am someone who does, genuinely, believe in the value of looking at things with a critical eye, of being cautious, of acknowledging that there are two sides to every story. But I am tired of it when it comes to people who have been, or are being…

Madison Kimrey is, in a word, amazing. You might know her from the letter she wrote to Phyllis Schlafly a few months ago, but that’s not the only thing she’s done that’s so fantastic.

Hello Me-from-the-past, I’m glad to see you discovered a means of asking questions of your future self. I kid, but believe me when I say that your questions strike a chord with anyone who’s found themselves drawn towards sex and sexuality based professions (for the purposes of this articles, I’ll…

The idea that women who sexually express themselves in any number of ways – like something as simple as expressing sexual desires to a partner through words, be it in speech or text – are sluts, people without or with less value or only sexual value, “bad” women or any of the other crappy things…

It is absolutely okay to watch Crazy, Stupid Love (which is actually mostly about men in the first place!) or any other “chick flick” or romantic comedy that catches your eye or interest. Some types of movies are marketed more towards men or women, but that doesn’t mean people of other genders can’t…

Scarleteen volunteer Sam reflects on the significance of The Rocky Horror Picture Show and how it relates to sexuality, identity, and her middle school experience.

Dating this wonderful person pushed me to think about some things in new and challenging ways. Here are some of my favorite lessons that I learned when I dated a woman.

One of the things that can be hard, when choosing to come out to parents, is the fact that you might feel like you have to educate them about gender issues, both on a general level and in terms of your own identity; this can make a process that might already feel overwhelming or stressful even harder to manage. Letting an organization that’s dedicated to this sort of education do some of the work for you can take some of that weight off of your shoulders.

In September of 2012, openly gay footy player Jason Ball started a change.org petition calling on the AFL (Australian Football League, for all you non-Aussies out there) to air anti-homophobia videos during their grand final. They agreed to show the ads from No To Homophobia during the preliminary finals, and since then, Jason has kept very busy speaking to new AFL players about homophobia in sport, becoming an ambassador for national mental health organization Beyond Blue, and leading the 18th Pride March Victoria through Melbourne with his teammates.