Weekly Feminist Reader

Johanna Quaas
Meet Johanna Quaas who, at age 86, is the world’s oldest gymnast.

Laurie Penny takes on Naomi Wolf’s Vagina and it’s great.

On the ethics of writing about sexual abuse.

A couple different takes on the professor who caused a major national scandal by breastfeeding her baby in class.

A court ruled that Jennie Linn McCormack, the Idaho woman who was charged with an “unlawful abortion” after ordering the abortion pill online, can’t be prosecuted.

The Economist looks at how TRAP laws are aiming to regulate abortion out of existence.

Two state AGs write that the Violence Against Women Act reauthorization seeks to turn a bipartisan concern for abuse survivors into a partisan wedge.

UGH! A major news organization asked Jessica to write about how she lost her baby weight.

A new book called Sex and World Peace looks at how the status of women affects a nation’s security–and vice versa.

As some Pakistani women rebel against arranged marriages, they often risk it all.

Anderson Cooper’s show spread some really ridiculous sensationalism and misinformation about trans identity.

Grantland is cautious optimist about the state of women’s athletics after the stellar summer of 2012.

Stacey May Fowles on the process of writing about sexual violence.

Three Afghan actresses were attacked by a mob. One was killed and the other two may face prison for “moral crimes.”

Ann on Pussy Riot, riot grrrls and the next generation of punk-rock feminists.

A women’s labor coalition is suing to stop Missouri’s new law that allows employers to deny contraception coverage.

What have you been reading/writing/watching/learning this week?

St. Paul, MN

Maya Dusenbery is executive director in charge of editorial at Feministing. She is the author of the forthcoming book Doing Harm: The Truth About How Bad Medicine and Lazy Science Leave Women Dismissed, Misdiagnosed, and Sick (HarperOne, March 2018). She has been a fellow at Mother Jones magazine and a columnist at Pacific Standard magazine. Her work has appeared in publications like Cosmopolitan.com, TheAtlantic.com, Bitch Magazine, as well as the anthology The Feminist Utopia Project. Before become a full-time journalist, she worked at the National Institute for Reproductive Health. A Minnesota native, she received her B.A. from Carleton College in 2008. After living in Brooklyn, Oakland, and Atlanta, she is currently based in the Twin Cities.

Maya Dusenbery is an executive director of Feministing and author of the forthcoming book Doing Harm on sexism in medicine.

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