Photo by Sean Valentine on Pexels.com “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free” (Statue of Liberty), is the message found on the plaque on the Statue of Liberty. It inspires hope of a new life, an opportunity available to anyone. Yet policy and rhetoric in the United States oppose… Continue reading Washington and Policy: The Promotion of Eugenics and Sterilization of Black and Brown Women
In the early nineties, the Riot Grrl movement emerged from the feminist punk scene, offering a radical response to the pervasive gender inequality and patriarchy in mainstream music. Through the decades, this genre has expanded to become an empowering platform for LGBTQ+ artists, providing them with a space to challenge traditional norms surrounding gender, identity,… Continue reading All Queers to the Front! An Intersectional Feminist Perspective in DIY Music Culture
Our Bodies, Our Stories, Our Resistance! From forced sterilizations of Black, Indigenous, Latina/o/x, and immigrant women to unauthorized medical experiments on vulnerable populations, the American medical system has long been a site of both healing and harm, which has fostered mistrust in these targeted populations. These actions were not random, but they were driven by… Continue reading Colonial Roots and Reproductive Justice
Abortion is a sensitive topic for many people due to their beliefs or personal experiences, which is why Pro-choice is essential to many women because they get to decide what they want to do with their bodies without the government’s interference. Women have fought for their rights for many decades, and this includes the right… Continue reading “My Body, My Choice”: Pro Choice Advocacy
1Identifying and highlighting specific instances of women of color's (WOC's) mortality rates and pain management disparities humanizes and showcases that this is not a problem of mere alarming statistics but, instead, something that affects real women's lives, health, and safety. The heartbreaking stories of world-renowned tennis player Serena Williams, CDC epidemiologist Shalon Irving, and doctor… Continue reading Medical Racism: A Critical Threat to WOC’s Health
Reproductive justice is more than the right to choose, it’s about the right to live, thrive, and parent in dignity. For women of color, especially Native and Black women, reproductive oppression has never existed in isolation. It has been deeply entwined with colonialism, white supremacy, and patriarchy. From forced sterilizations to criminalized pregnancies, reproductive policies… Continue reading Reproductive Justice
Catholic churches use the bible and the image of Mary (the mother of Christ), to tell women to live in purity until married. Priests within the church or the sisters do not teach how sexual intercourse can lead to pregnancy, all to preserve the sanctity of marriage. I, as a Mexican American woman, and many… Continue reading Catholics: Mexican Americans, Sex, and Birth Control
Since at least 2001, with the first introduction of the federal DREAM Act in the U.S. Congress, undocumented youth and immigrants have collectively organized themselves into one of the central social movements of the past two decades. Undocumented women and UndocuQueer individuals occupy a unique liminal space within the umbrella of the undocumented identity and… Continue reading (Re)claiming Intersectionality: Centering Gender and Sexuality in the Immigrant Rights Movement
Over time, one thing has always been up for debate: women’s rights. Men have never liked the idea of women being even remotely equal to them in any way imaginable. More importantly, when it comes to a woman's choice, it all starts with the first essential choice of a woman deciding whether or not she… Continue reading The Decision Is Mine… Or Is It?
When we think of music, we can see artists expressing themselves through their talent and vision of the art. Art is essential to everyday life; we may take it for granted, but what we shouldn’t take for granted are the artists who make the art we consume. Classical Music is an art form we love… Continue reading Women in Classical Music: Are Women Safe from Sexual Violence?
