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Gender Block: pussies be rioting

Hillary Di Menna

This past Saturday, February 22, anyone passing by Old City Hall in downtown Toronto would have noticed two ladies in nothing but their skivvies and balaclavas a-la-Pussy-Riot. The choice in wardrobe wardrobe was a nod to the legal restrictions our sisters in Russia will be facing—lace panties will no longer be an option as of […] More »

FTW Friday: One girl’s stand against bullies

Simon Treanor

In many ways, Alvena Little-Wolf Ear is a typical 9-year-old living in B.C. She goes to school, likes swimming, computers, painting her nails, and like so many other children her age, was the subject of bullying. For over 2 years, other kids at her school bullied her about her weight. It was so bad that […] More »

Celebrity meltdown coverage: gender matters

Lisa Whittington-Hill

  When male celebrities implode on the world stage, they’re arty heroes. When women do it, they’re called “troubled” and worse Did you miss the recent Valentine’s Day announcement that winning warlock Charlie Sheen is getting married for the fourth time? Maybe you were busy having a life, or watching season two of House of […] More »

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 »

WTF Wednesday: Teen who died had been recommended for permanent removal from parents

Simon Treanor

Rodica and Emil Radita were arrested in Calgary on Tuesday morning on charges of first degree murder of their 15-year-old son. Alex Radita died in May 2013 under what police say were “suspicious circumstances.” His official cause of death is listed as a bacterial infection that arose from “complications of neglect and starvation.” Alex was […] More »

FTW Friday: Facebook now lets users choose from 50 gender options

Simon Treanor

On Thursday, a somewhat well-known social media site called Facebook (perhaps you’ve heard of it?), announced an unexpected, but heartening update to its options and settings menu. In a move that has been praised by many LGBTQ and human rights groups, Facebook now allows its users to choose from over 50 different options to set […] More »

WTF Wednesday: Authorities totally mishandle Avery Edison’s visa issue

Simon Treanor

On Monday, U.K. comedian Avery Edison was detained and later arrested at Toronto’s Pearson airport over an issue with her visa. Edison admits she overstayed her student visa while previously in Canada, and had returned to visit her girlfriend and collect some belongings she’d left behind.  Avery Edison ‏@aedison  Feb 10 For those asking – I overstayed […] 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 »

FTW Friday: Toronto protest sends a message to Russia, with love

Simon Treanor

Standing in knee high snow in Queen’s Park yesterday, I witnessed my very first protest run. The event, which was organized by journalist and university instructor Margaret Webb, was to protest Russia’s anti-gay propaganda law, particularly in conjunction with the Sochi Olympics. I watched as the group of protestors ran around the designated route, holding […] More »

WTF Wednesday: Casual rape references on campus

Simon Treanor

So this might surprise you, but in today’s crazy mixed up world, subjects such as “rape” and “suicide” can be considered a little controversial, especially if you, oh I don’t know, combine those two subjects and make a homework assignment out of it. Surprised? Memorial University teacher John Shieh certainly was when the assignment he […] 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 »