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Gender Block: Our federal government is rewriting prostitution laws

Hillary Di Menna

The federal government has opened an online public consultation regarding adult prostitution laws in Canada. It will remain open for the next month, closing March 17. The six-question survey asks Canadians if it should be legal for people to purchase sex, legal for people to solicit sex and what, if any, limitations should be put […] More »

Gender Block: February 14 Annual Women’s Memorial March

Hillary Di Menna

Starting in Vancouver after a 1991 murder of a Coast Salish woman in the Downtown Eastside, Canadian cities have participated in the Annual Women’s Memorial March, to honour the lives of missing and murdered women, every Valentine’s Day. “This event is organized and led by women in the DTES [Downtown Eastside] because women—especially indigenous women—face […] More »

Gender Block: why internet trolls love to target feminist bloggers

Hillary Di Menna

This January, anti-feminist social media trolls have made headlines. Thought Catalog’s Chrissy Stockton wrote an anti-women’s life choices piece under the pen-name Amy Glass. In the U.K., two anti-feminists were jailed for their attacks via Twitter against high-profile feminist Caroline Criado-Perez. Social media anti-woman trolling isn’t new, but it seems to be getting more attention. The […] More »

Gender Block: why hating on the “girly voice” is totally bogus

Hillary Di Menna

Since high school I have been told to stop faking my “girly” voice. I have become so self-conscious of it that I actually have to try and not speak so quickly and comfortably. Apparently, my natural voice is girly, a.k.a feminine, a.k.a unprofessional, a.k.a obviously not that of a man’s. I’m not the only female […] More »

Gender Block: I have tits; give me real stuff

Hillary Di Menna

Another just-plain-hilarious-meme is circulating! A picture of a woman, serene expression on her face, arms extended sits above a picture of a man, arms extended, looking to the sky in anguish. On hers it says, “I have tits, give me free stuff” on his, “I have a penis blame me for everything” So funny! Women […] More »

Gender Block: black feminism

Hillary Di Menna

At the end of December, social media addressed singer Ani DiFranco’s choice of venue for a feminist song writing retreat: a former slave plantation. DiFranco writes on her website, after cancelling the June event to be held in Louisianna at Nottoway Plantation, “I did not imagine or understand that the setting of a plantation would […] More »

Gender Block: Christmas gift giving and stereotypes

Hillary Di Menna

So evidently, Christmas is coming. Lots of shopping, lots of kids getting excited and lots of opportunities for us adults to hammer home stereotypical gender roles to the tiny, influential minds in our lives. This can especially happen when a gift-giver doesn’t really know the kid that well and relies on traditional go-tos. One year […] More »

Gender Block: Microsoft’s bossy bra tells ladies when they are allowed to eat

Hillary Di Menna

Some Microsoft folk decided that ladies need to be told when they are emotionally fit to eat—and the only thing they would listen to would be their bra, a smart bra to be exact. This “ambitious endeavour,” still in the prototype stage, of a product will detect what a woman is feeling, and then decide […] More »

Gender Block: body shaming

Hillary Di Menna

According to bodyshaming.org body shaming is defined as, “inappropriate negative statements and attitutes toward another person’s weight or size.” Take, for instance, this sadly classic scenario: a lady passes a group of others who erupt in whispers about what’s wrong with her clothes—muffin top, the clothes were made for thinner girls, the shirt shows how bony […] More »

Gender Block: black women are not accessories

Hillary Di Menna

White artists appropriating black culture isn’t new (Elvis, anyone?)—but pop culture social commentary as of late is taking a hard look at the practice. Recently, singer Lily Allen has been criticized for using black female dancers as props in her video for “Hard Out Here.” “Much of the video features Lily Allen dancing in a […] More »

Gender Block: advertising’s wolf in sheep’s clothing

Hillary Di Menna

Imagine having your waist measured with measuring tape and being a size “passionate.” Or stepping on a scale to see, not a number, but the word “perfect.” Body positive activists already have—and Special K has mysteriously come up with these same ideas to put in their ad campaigns. On August 21, a commercial for the […] More »