Carmen Rios

A professional feminist by day and overemotional writer by night, Carmen is currently Communications Coordinator at the Feminist Majority Foundation and the Feminism and Community Editor at Autostraddle. She has spoken at various events including the National Conference on Sexual Assault, Momentum, A-Camp, and the founding SPARK Summit. Carmen has been interviewed and profiled by The New York Times, HerCampus, the Guardian, Campus Progress, Ms., Good Morning America, the CBS Early Show and other print, web, and broadcast media outlets for her work in feminist organizing and online activism. Her successful work for over five years in digital feminism - ranging from Hollaback!'s successful launching Kickstarter campaign to the viral #EducateCoaches petition on Change - has earned her the titles of "digital native," "intimidating to some," and "vapid and uninteresting." Carmen's writing has been featured or spotlighted online by Jezebel, Feministing, Bitch, and Elixher; she is also part of a forthcoming printed anthology about young feminism. In the past, she's blogged for the SPARK Movement, served as a PolicyMic writer, and was Managing Editor of THE LINE Campaign blog.

Posts Written by Carmen
By Carmen Rios • 13 years ago

Making a Hot Mess out of “Feminist” TV

Cross-posted from Where Is Your Line?, a blog on sex and consent.


Not too long ago, I was invited to participate in a television pilot for ladies, purporting to tackle the complicated issues relevant to our lives. The tone would be snarky, Jezebel-esque, and “sexy”. I got excited when I learned who the producer was, and full disclosure, I’m pretty easy when you drop words like “pilot” and “L.A.” Sweetening the deal, Jessica Valenti and Anna Holmes were moderating. How could I say no to feminist TV? The technical details of my participation were precarious – like Max Headroom, I would be a disembodied head floating on a computer screen wedged between leather couches. For the sake of anonymity, let’s call the TV segment, Hot Mess. Hot Mess was described as a panel. Having served on a bunch of panels this year, I imagined a table, a discussion, moderators, a series of points to address, group participation and a friendly/feisty/constructive tone. Hot Mess had emailed me the list of potential discussion topics, and I would be part of the rape panel that they dubbed “consent aka ‘the line'”.  Again, flattery will get you everywhere, and using the title of my film to get at the issue, stroke- stroke – stroke. Some of their “get ready” questions were off the charts problematic, but they followed them up with sound research into the complexity of ...
By Carmen Rios • 13 years ago

Hollaback! Selected As Finalist in Revelation to Action Competition

Hollaback!, an international movement to end street harassment using mobile technology, has been announced as a finalist in the online competition, Revelation to Action: Your Place. Your Idea. Your Change.The Revelation to Action competition seeks to find and help fund creative solutions for motivating local citizens to strengthen communities across New England and New York.

“Street harassment is a gateway crime.It is one of the most pervasive forms of violence against women, and one of the least legislated against. On behalf of women across the world, we are honored to be a finalist,” said Emily May, Hollaback! Executive Director.

Through the use of mobile technology,Hollaback! will provide women and girl with a real-time, empowered response to harassment. Each Hollaback!will be mapped, ...

Hollaback!, an international movement to end street harassment using mobile technology, has been announced as a finalist in the online competition, Revelation to Action: Your Place. Your Idea. Your Change.The Revelation to Action competition seeks to ...
By Carmen Rios • 13 years ago

Hollaback Project Closing on Kickstarter and Seeking More Support

Emily May of New York City started Hollaback! NYC in 2005 in an effort to combat street harassment. An incredibly underreported, justified, and accepted form of discrimination against women and LGBTQ people, street harassment occurs on public transportation, in crowded areas, and close to home for most folks in urban areas. 

What started as a tool of instant justice: May had New Yorkers photograph and submit blog posts about their harassers, has grown into a worldwide campaign to end street harassment. May recently resigned from her other obligations to pursue Hollaback! full-time, and has since expanded the project to multiple social networking sites in an effort to fundraise for what she calls “Hollaback! 2.0,” a development that includes the creation of a ...

Emily May of New York City started Hollaback! NYC in 2005 in an effort to combat street harassment. An incredibly underreported, justified, and accepted form of discrimination against women and LGBTQ people, street harassment occurs on public transportation, ...
By Carmen Rios • 14 years ago

A Week of Action at American University: No Room for Rape Apologists

It has been a long time since students at my college were organized, cooperative, and angry. But I go to American University, and our school paper, The Eagle, is infamous for publishing inflammatory and often antagonistic opinion pieces by a staff columnist- and last week, the columnist chose to write about sexual assault and date rape.

I’ve been working with Women’s Initiative, a campus group, and have regularly had to respond to pieces published by The Eagle and mobilize others to do so. At the beginning of September, the paper published the first of a regular series on sex and dating that told women at AU not to worry about drunk hookups: to think of ...

It has been a long time since students at my college were organized, cooperative, and angry. But I go to American University, and our school paper, The Eagle, is infamous for publishing inflammatory and ...
By Carmen Rios • 14 years ago

A Feminist Valentine


My Valentine’s Day experience is pretty similar year-to- year.
(This is to say that I’ve spent every Valentine’s Day trying to get over the fact that it’s Valentine’s Day.)
I’ve always struggled not to be overly cynical of the entire day; being a feminist has often made accepting cultural messages about sexuality and relationships difficult. Since most of my activism has been directed at changing that landscape, I am glad to be taking steps toward doing that this Valentine’s Day with THE LINE.
THE LINE Campaign is an interactive, media-based campaign to end rape and sexual assault. The purpose of the campaign is to start dialogue through a documentary film of the same name and then ...


My Valentine’s Day experience is pretty similar year-to- year.
(This is to say that I’ve spent every Valentine’s Day trying to get over the fact that it’s Valentine’s Day.)
I’ve always struggled not to be ...
By Carmen Rios • 14 years ago

THE LINE Screening in NYC: “Upgrade Your Thoughts!”

Last week, over 100 New Yorkers (and a few strays from New Jersey) crowded into Gallery Bar to watch THE LINE and hear from a kick-ass group of panelists, including: Erin Burrows of SAFER, Joe Samalin of Men Can Stop Rape, and Ignacio Rivera, trans artist, poet and educator. Thanks to everyone that came out and gave their voice and support!

Folks crowded up to the bar and sat along the wall for cushy seats. We give extra love to those who sat on the concrete barroom floor. Julia Weis and Meredith Villano, of Paradigm Shift hosted the event and got us the Time Out critic’s pick for the night. I was extra nervous to present ...

Last week, over 100 New Yorkers (and a few strays from New Jersey) crowded into Gallery Bar to watch THE LINE and hear from a kick-ass group of panelists, including: Erin Burrows of SAFER, Joe Samalin ...
By Carmen Rios • 14 years ago

THE LINE

I’d like to think my very own feminist life has been divided into pieces.

The very first piece, of course, was Hillary. I’m a young’n, so it was the first time my politics and my campaigning were feminist, the first time I could actually engage in discussion about feminism and work to make a ticking time bomb campaign a success.

Next came Women’s Initiative at school, and then interning at The Feminist Majority Foundation. Mix a few conferences, stir well…

And now, I have THE LINE.

THE LINE is an awesome documentary by Nancy Schwartman, a filmmaker from New York, that explores consent, rape, the “grey area,” and sexual boundaries by exploring her own experiences abroad.

As an intern for Nancy, I’m heading up THE ...

I’d like to think my very own feminist life has been divided into pieces.

The very first piece, of course, was Hillary. I’m a young’n, so it was the first time my politics and my campaigning were feminist, ...
By Carmen Rios • 14 years ago

Gender & Feminism, or “Why My Friends Don’t Call It Women’s Studies.”

I was sitting on a bus, visiting DC after only a week of being home from the glorious college town I call home. My friend, an incredibly progressive, pro-queer, pro-woman male, was rattling on about gender, and gender theory, and the majors combined in my school (Women’s, Gender, & Sexuality Studies) failing us as a student body by taking away any real focus from the intense theories and ideas covered in each division.
I am a Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies major.
“And you know, we gotta stop calling it Women’s Studies.” He proceeded to tell me that that was all wrong, that it was what “we” were fighting against, that in a world where we deconstruct gender we shouldn’t ...

I was sitting on a bus, visiting DC after only a week of being home from the glorious college town I call home. My friend, an incredibly progressive, pro-queer, pro-woman male, was rattling on about gender, and ...