Culture

Summer Walker, a Black woman R&B singer, poses in a white durag while talking into a pink phone

(Black) Girls Need Love Too: R&B Creates New Standards for Situationships

by Eden Bekele
December 10, 2019 at 3:11pm
This generation of Black women R&B artists are seeking clarity and setting new relationship standards for themselves—and their devoted fanbases. Read more »
Close up images from three books, including an image of a white nonbinary person leaning their head on a brown boy's shoulder; a Black girl in pajamas with natural hair; a pair of queer girls standing close to each other, one's hand on the other's neck.

The Best Queer YA Novels of 2019

by Rachel Charlene Lewis
December 10, 2019 at 12:13pm
It’s been a stunning year for queer young-adult novels. Read more »
a Black man and a Black woman pose in front an old-school Chevy in Queen & Slim

Unpoetic Injustice: “Queen & Slim” Treats Its Outlaws as Misguided Political Symbols

by Jourdain Searles
December 9, 2019 at 3:44pm
It treats its strangers–turned–outlaws as political symbols rather than fleshed-out characters with interests and flaws. Read more »
illustration of Solange's portrait from her album "When I Get Home" surrounded by different looks from her visual album videos

Solo Act: R&B Music Made My First Apartment Feel like Home

by Natelegé Whaley
December 9, 2019 at 1:19pm
Our physical living space is closely tied to our emotional needs. Read more »
Nine women, the cast of the popular television show The L Word, pose dramatically for a promotional photo.

Narrowing the Chart: The Most Essential Episodes of “The L Word”

by Rachel Charlene Lewis
December 9, 2019 at 1:15pm
For those who are new to The L Word universe, here are the most essential episodes to watch to prep for Generation Q. Read more »
The cast of "The L Word: Generation Q" stands with their arms around each other.

“The L Word: Generation Q” Isn’t an Apology—It’s an Entirely Refreshed World

by Rachel Charlene Lewis
December 6, 2019 at 5:05pm
“The idea that normalization is radical is something that we talk a lot about the writers room.” Read more »
A photo of Kamala Harris, which reads, "Is Kamala a cop?"

Very Online: “Kamala Is a Cop” Is More Than a Meme for Many Black Voters

by Rachel Charlene Lewis
December 6, 2019 at 12:21pm
What does it mean that “Kamala is a cop” is being called a meme as a means to dismiss it, especially considering that Black people drive much of meme culture? Read more »
(L-R) Lindsay Ellis, Hbomberguy, Contrapoints, and PhilosophyTube

The Unbearable Whiteness of Leftist YouTube

by Marina Watanabe
December 5, 2019 at 6:31pm
Years before the rise of so-called LeftTube, men on the site were endlessly abusing, harassing, and threatening women of color. Read more »
Sarah Jessica Parker, a white woman with blond, curly hair, plays Carrie Bradshaw on Sex & the City

Dirty Minds: The Evolution—and Queering—of Sex-Advice Columns

by Noa Azulai
December 3, 2019 at 5:18pm
Examining the cultural relevance of sex columns challenges us to question the speed at which we consume others’ sex lives, in all their intimacy and vulnerability, online. Read more »
A white woman is staring intently at a pastry shell as she shapes it into a cup.

For “Great British Baking Show” Contestants, The Real Loss is the Endless Trolling

by Rae Robey
December 2, 2019 at 11:51am
It’s not just about harassing women online—it’s about re-establishing gendered power dynamics and punishing those who flirt with the domestic on public-facing platforms. Read more »

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Ms. Opinionated: I'm a Man. How Can I Help the Feminist Movement?

by Andi Zeisler
February 19, 2014 at 2:29pm
Welcome to Ms. Opinionated, our weekly advice column dealing with questions of life, love, feminism, and pop culture. This week, a reader... Read more »

It’s Time to End the Long History of Feminism Failing Transgender Women

A transgender woman in business attire in an office looking to the side
by Tina Vasquez
May 20, 2016 at 11:28am
To imply that trans women pose a threat to cisgender women in restrooms is misinformation that preys on unfounded fears. Read more »

Game Changer: Why Gaming Culture Allows Abuse... and How We Can Stop It

Game Changer Illustration by Jasmine Silver.
by Katherine Cross
Winter 2013 • Habit{at}

You're a Bolshevik feminist jewess that hates white people… and you expect to be taken seriously when you're “critique-ing” ...

Read more »

Black Girls Hunger for Heroes, Too: A Black Feminist Conversation on Fantasy Fiction for Teens

by Zetta Elliott
December 17, 2013 at 3:19pm
What happens when two great black women fiction writers get together to talk about race in young adult literature? That's exactly what happens... Read more »