Reddit makes Rebecca hate atheists and Ed hate men

Reddit thread here, if you’re interested These discussions, while useful, take a toll. Sometimes they just seem…tiring. I admire people who are willing to run the “sexism on the internet/in skepticism/atheism” treadmill, but can’t help but wonder how they manage to remain sane. Especially while being attacked endlessly for their efforts, as Rebecca Watson has … Read more

Dramatic generalizations incoming. Ready? Here we go.

When it comes to women and political issues, conservatives will generally be the ones to attack women’s actions by attacking their appearance. Liberals, however, can be counted upon to respond by defending the woman’s appearance rather than her actions.  The corollary is, of course, that when desiring to promote a woman politically conservatives will trumpet … Read more

#heblowsalot

Ah, the power of Twitter. It can help organize protests, keep people in contact in the midst of tragedy, spread news like wildfire, and allow governors to become aware of the fact that teenagers are saying mean things about them. And then take action! Emma Sullivan is an eighteen year old student at Shawnee Mission East … Read more

“Normal” is overrated

“We’re all pretty bizarre. Some of us are just better at hiding it, that’s all.” — Andrew, The Breakfast Club The Pervocracy has a great post on the end of “normal” relationships in general, but I particularly liked the part about gender norms: you don’t have to be non-heterosexual to question what gender means to … Read more

Coulda been, shoulda been, never woulda been

Apparently October 9th is National Pro Life Cupcake Day. Did you know? It’s a day when pastries become  political…poor pastries. Pressed into service on behalf of highly controversial issue which doesn’t have, so far as I can tell, any direct connection to wax paper wrappers and frosting. But, one might ask, how is this joyous … Read more

How not to deal with misogyny, gaming edition

Girls, keep out! Let’s say you’re planning a big party. Unfortunately, when parties like the one you have in mind have been thrown in the past, they have tended to attract…well, some assholes. These assholes direct their ire to and about a certain specific group of people, and it can be really obnoxious, making others … Read more

“All great leaps forward in liberty and equality”

Ed Brayton has a very moving (to me) post today about the progressive acceptance of equality in the face of absolutist proclamations that the faith of the majority rejects it. Using an argument from Southern Baptist Al Mohler which appeals entirely to tradition and biblical exegesis as an example, he notes that advancements in equality … Read more