Related Articles August 5, 2017
This week's a little on the lighter side, reading-wise, but there are some great articles nonetheless. We have a whole bunch of "women in the workplace" type of reads this week (maybe it's because I'm searching for a new job in the coolest city ever), along with some VERY important commentaries about women of color and Blackface in the digital age. I was laughing my ass off all week as the White House was blowing up from the inside out (THE MOOCH, LOLOLOL), until the Dems decided that reproductive rights weren't really that important (AA;LKDJFAD;FAHUV!!!!!).
Anyway, I hope you enjoy, I've got some great things cookin', and don't forget that the LBGTQ+ Issue deadline has been extended until September 1!
xo Sarah
"What It's Like To Have Your Dad Come Out As Gay" by Jennie Melamed for Teen Vogue - This is a heartwarming tale about the relationship between a daughter, her family, and her father after he reveals himself as gay. At the time, gay marriage wasn't legal, and Jennie touches on the struggles her father faced after suppressing his attraction to men for so long. It's beautifully written, and a good read to keep your spirits up.
"Thousands of women try to make a living blogging and vlogging. Most fail." by Gaby Dunn for Vox - An inside look at how difficult it is to make a living with digital media if you're a woman, and if you're a man, but especially for women. Companies expect you to do work and promotions for free, and when men tackle "women's interest" topics, like makeup, they are launched to stardom. It was super intriguing!
"The Pink Ghetto Of Social Media" by Alana Hope Levinson for Matter – THIS PIECE IS SO RELEVANT TO ALL OF US ZINE GALS. Social media is just lumped in with our other duties of putting out content and creating a community, but it's WORK. And it's severely undervalued!
"Zine Queens: How Women's Magazines Found New Life Via Indie Publishing" by Ruth Jamieson for The Guardian - Yesss!! Let's celebrate, for a moment, the victory that is women succeeding in indie publishing. I'm not super into the headline of the article, as I think many of our mags defy the "Women's Magazine" trope, but this is a celebration nonetheless. Shout out to all those kick ass publishing babes out there, especially Sophie over at Achey Breaky Heart, for showing me this article. xo
"Serena Williams: How Black Women Can Close The Pay Gap" by Serena Williams for Fortune - I love her. This piece is written from a place of privilege, and she calls that out right away. Then she carries on in a battle cry to rally Black women everywhere to close the gap. Is it realistic? I'm not sure. While Black women are the hidden influencers in our society, it will take more than them to recognize and fix the issue. This is a great place to start though.
"Dear Men Of 'The Breakfast Club': Trans Woman Aren't A Prop, Ploy, Or Sexual Predators" by Janet Mock for Allure - OMG. Janet Mock is not here for your micro-aggressions and blatant disregard for the trans community. She's calling it ALLLLLL out. "The Breakfast Club" has definitely been served in this scathing essay by Janet herself after experiencing their bullshit first hand as a guest on their show, and after. Get it Janet. Take em down.
"We Need To Talk About Digital Blackface In Reaction GIFs" by Lauren Michele Jackson for Teen Vogue - This thoughtful essay will call out your GIF using and make you think twice before reinforcing cultural stereotypes of black people by using them in reaction GIFs. It's beautifully thoughtful, and definitely worth investigating and paying attention to.
"Some Of Us Are Brave: Radical Black Care Is The Revolution" by Tamara Winfrey Harris for Bitch Media - This moving essay by my favorite columnist is a call to action for Black women to take care of themselves, to teach each other to take care of themselves, and how doing so IS the revolution. It's been established that self-care is important, but "radical Black care" goes beyond that, encouraging Black women, the pillars that hold up our society no matter what, to take care of themselves and that it isn't selfish to do so.
"Dear Democrats, Equality Is Impossible Without Reproductive Rights" by Lauren Duca for Teen Vogue - The fact that our elected Democrats are willing to bend on this issue, to support Dems who don't support abortion rights, sends the signal that they don't actually care about equality for women. Lauren Duca's weekly columns always explore political news, but this week's can't be emphasized enough. There is no equality without reproductive rights.
"Why We Need A Feminist Guide To Marriage" by Jo Piazza for Girlboss - I've been thinking about this a lot lately, not because I am seeing anyone (because I'm not, I don't have time for that right now), but because marriage is a part of the patriarchal system, a tool that has been used in the past to oppress women. But I would like to think that marriage can be more than that, and this piece begins the conversation all about it.
Read all of my recommended articles from now to infinity and beyond here.