Culture

Amanda Rosenberg, a British Chinese comedian, with shoulder-length blond hair and glasses wryly smiles at the camera

Blue Humor: “That’s Mental” Is a Hilarious Meditation on Life with—and Stigma against—Bipolar Disorder

by Evette Dionne
November 21, 2019 at 3:39pm
Comedian Amanda Rosenberg is doing something extremely important: disrupting the stigma that keeps so many people silent about their pain. Read more »
A close up of Brandon, played by Hilary Swank, a white teen boy with brown hair looks away from the camera

Fighting to Thrive: Reflecting on “Boys Don’t Cry” 20 Years Later

by William Horn
November 20, 2019 at 11:21am
Representation matters, but so do the stories that the media—film and television—chooses to tell about trans lives. Read more »
Author Nina MacLaughlin, a white woman with shoulder-length brown hair, smiles for the camera

Siren Songs: Nina MacLaughlin on Revisiting the Women of Ovid’s “Metamorphoses”

by Jessica Jernigan
November 19, 2019 at 11:47am
In Wake, Siren, Ovid’s women emerge as unique individuals, fully formed and very often full of anger. Read more »
Eva Green, a white woman wearing a space suit, plays Sarah in Proxima

The Final (Male) Frontier: “Lucy in the Sky” and “Proxima” Bring Women Astronauts down to Earth

by Beatrice Loayza
November 19, 2019 at 9:01am
The final frontier continues to be a male-dominated arena, fertile ground for storytelling that taps into masculine psychologies in symbolically grandiose fashion. Read more »
a group of witches dance together in a black and white photo

Binding Harm: Generations of Witches Intertwine Rituals and Activism

by Jessica Jernigan
November 18, 2019 at 12:20pm
To be a witch is to have and to exercise agency on behalf of all. Read more »
Alma, an animated character on Undone, is a woman with brown hair who is staring forward intently

Bending Reality: “Undone” Is a Testament to Hollywood’s Cripping up Problem

by Sara Novic
November 15, 2019 at 4:01pm
Disabled stories need disabled writers, consultants, directors and producers, too. Read more »
A black woman poses holding a large green leaf with her eyes closed in front of a yellow background.

Very Online: Black-Run Plant Instagram Accounts Are Connecting Black People to Their Roots

by Rachel Charlene Lewis
November 15, 2019 at 2:26pm
Digital plant communities aren’t as accessible—or welcoming—for those who aren’t white. Read more »
Three teenagers, one white boy, one white girl, and one woman of color, lay together in a bed. The white girl is the only one awake; the other two sleep. They are all cuddled.

5 Underrated Messy Bisexual Characters Blessing Our Televisions

by Rachel Charlene Lewis
November 15, 2019 at 2:24pm
Most importantly, none of these characters are “perfect.” Read more »
a pink t-shirt that states OK Boomer over and over again in dark red letters

Backtalk: OK Meme-er

by Amy Lam
November 14, 2019 at 7:20am
This week, Dahlia and Amy talk about the meme that’s the perfect digital eye roll. Read more »
A woman in large glasses, Carmen Maria Machado, sits against a table while looking into the camera.

In the Muck: With “In the Dream House,” Carmen Machado Archives Queer Women’s Pain

by Rachel Charlene Lewis
November 13, 2019 at 3:50pm
“Our culture does not have an investment in helping queer folks understand what their experiences mean.” Read more »

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Best of Bitch

She-Hulk, Attorney at Law: She's Mean, She's Green, and She Believes in Due Process

by Tammy Oler
Spring 2015 • Law & Order
Avenger. Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. Member of the Fantastic Four. Read more »

Saying Goodbye to Maria and the End of a Sesame Street Era

by Angely Mercado
August 13, 2015 at 5:52pm
Growing up, Sesame Street's Maria was one of the best Latina role models I had. Read more »

Why You Should Pay for Porn

by Casey Quinlan
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If you’re a progressive middle-class individual, chances are you think about where your food comes from. Maybe you try to buy shoes that are... Read more »

Mock & Awe: Janet Mock on Truth-Telling, Community Building, and Writing the Story She Had Been Waiting for Her Whole Life

Janet Mock, a transgender Hawaiian woman with curly, brown hair, smiles
by Tina Vasquez
Spring 2014 • Maps & Legends
“Redefining Realness” is written with astounding honesty and heart. Read more »