Related Articles: December 2, 2017
Happy Saturday!!! I am thrilled to share with you the Pink Things Weekly, a condensed version of this article, delivered straight to your inbox every Saturday morning. Less clicking for you and more sharing for me!
I am so fucking sick right now. My head hurts so much that I can't read any more (which is really upsetting because I haven't even gotten to my Friday newsletters yet). However, I thought 12 of the countless articles I read this week were worth the click. Check them out below and don't forget to sign up and share our new newsletter! I'll love you forever <3
I'm going to go sleep now.
xo Sarah
PS. Our December monthly newsletter (a different one, only once a month!) dropped yesterday with a holiday gift guide and more <3
"Lena Dunham is Trash, Issues Apology for Defending Friend Against Rape Accusations" by Yesha Callahan for The Root - *big sigh* What the actual fuck Lena Dunham. I'm also rooting because an amazing Lenny Letter writer just resigned from the publication after Lena Dunham pulled some White Femininst bullshit last week. And also starred in Leandra Medine's podcast, Monocycle. What the actual fuck.
"Why I Finally Accepted Being an 'Intimidating' Woman" by Maria Del Russo for Refinery29 - Omg, this new column for Refinery29 is so fun! I love everything about this piece, from her personal experiences to extending the conversation beyond heterosexual couples. I am also an intimidating woman, and from my experiences swiping (I have only been on one date in the last year), a lot of men can't handle me. But that isn't my problem, and I have never thought it was. I can't wait to see what the next one is about!
"The Endo Look: Body Positivity Needs to Tackle Chronic Illness" by Caroline Reilly for Bitch Media - I'm not going to lie, I cried during this piece because I can relate so heavily. I have a slew of health problems and often feel like my body is fighting against me. This writer has made peace with hers, but I'm not there yet. I have hope that I will find a doctor that can tell me what's wrong with me (PCOS? Metabolic tumor? Who knows?). I gained 80 pounds in two years. I tried everything to lose the weight or stop it from piling on. I worked out every day doing 45 minutes of cardio. I saw a nutritionist. I tried fad diets. I consulted countless doctors and no one can seem to figure out exactly what is wrong with me. It's not my thyroid. Looking in the mirror and watching my body change so drastically, and the stretch marks and worsening skin conditions that came with it, was hard. I can't remember the last time that I was happy with how I looked. So I'm all about this personal essay on the trials of body positivity while living with a chronic illness like endometriosis (or in my case, PCOS).
"You Don't Have to be Sick to Deserve Birth Control" by Meghan Racklin for Teen Vogue - This is a great Teen Vogue op-ed! It's ridiculous that we are still debating some of these things when they have been determined previously as legal and important. Like abortions, there isn't a reason to need to justify why someone takes birth control. It's a part of basic healthcare, regardless of why you take it.
"Weight Discrimination In The Workplace: The Troubling Lack Of Plus-Sized CEOs" by Bourree Lam for Refinery29 - Yaassss. I mean, it's fucking BS that there aren't enough women or non-binary CEOs to begin with, but even fewer of them are "plus sized". As a plus lady myself with high aspirations, I know how hard it is. I feel like I am always undermined or judged for how I look, even though my weight is a medical issue unrelated to self control. So this was a great read to reaffirm that I'm not crazy and give me some tips on how to manage that in the workplace.
"The Fragility of Body Positivity: How a Radical Movement Lost its Way" by Evette Dionne for Bitch Media - Keeping in the theme of body-positive pieces, this one tears the movement a new one in an eloquent essay. My favorite quote? "As fat acceptance writer Bethany Rutter wrote, 'the greatest trick the devil ever pulled was snatching body positivity out of the hands of fat women and then convincing them it was never theirs in the first place.'"
"Sexism, Remembered and Forgotten" by Lauren Duca for Teen Vogue - Another amazing column by my favorite Teen Vogue writer. This piece is hugely humbling, and an important reminder that as we fight, some of us are tired, and to treat all of those fighting with us with kindness and respect (especially when we need a break).
"The Joy of Not Wearing a Bra" by Hillary Brenhouse for The New Yorker - On a lighter note, this essay is FANTASTIC! It's wraught with humor but is serious at the same time. Fuck bras, this woman writing about her breasts always dancing is awesome.
"The Glaring Blind Spot of the 'Me Too' Movement" by Gillian B. White for The Atlantic - Everyone talking about "Me Too" needs to read this, especially if you're a white, cis, heterosexual woman. Then think on it. And then do better at showing up for everyone.
"#GIRLGUISE" by Aja Rajkovic for Medium - WHAT AN EYE OPENER. If you didn't know this before, #Girlgaze is way worse than I thought. Read this before supporting the organization and think about how you might be able to contribute to actually changing the industry and getting artists paid.
"An 'It' Flower for a Feminist Moment" by Bonnie Wertheim for The New York Times - This was an absolute delight to read! I've read 20395820 things about feminism, but this is the first profile about flowers and feminism that doesn't equate pink and floral to dainty. It's AMAZING. All hail the anthurium!
"The Emotional Labor of Women in the Workplace" by Emilie Friedlander for No Man's Land and Outsider - This is a really popular article this week, and totally important to read!! Women are absolutely shelved with the emotional work in the workplace, often taking time away from doing the physical work that needs to be done, and we often aren't paid for it — women of color especially. This was a well written piece on how the work dynamic might change if we stand up for ourselves and make sure we know, and our bosses know, that emotional labor deserves payment (not that payment guarantee's we'll continue to do it).
Check out hundreads (lol, see what I did there) more articles here.