Women on social media are outraged after a leaked draft of the World Health Organization’s, WHO, Global Alcohol Action Plan for 2022-2030 discussed the importance of “prevention of drinking among pregnant women and women of childbearing age,” as reported by Newsweek. Preventing pregnant women from drinking is reasonable given the damaging effects of fetal alcohol syndrome, but preventing the majority of women from drinking because they are simply able to have children at some from the age of 14 (or so) to the age of 54… Read more

Feminism is facing a huge backlash in South Korea, and it’s all thanks to itty bitty male masculinity. The pinching hand emoji, often used to mock penis size, was used by Megalia — a South Korean radical feminist group, now since disbanded — as their logo, and has become the battleground for the latest backlash to the #MeToo movement. Worldwide, men — particularly young men — are accusing feminists of man-hating behavior that unfairly vilifies and disparages men, causing anti-feminist resentment and often, retaliation.… Read more

Pornhub, the popular porn website, is facing major deserved backlash today as 34 women came forward with a lawsuit stating that videos of them were posted without their consent. And, as over half of the survivors involved in the case were minors at the time, Pornhub is being accused of violating sex trafficking laws and distributing child pornography. Many of the women have also said that their videos were the products of abuse and rape and the distress that this has had on them is irreparable. According to NBC News,… Read more

The queer Persian pop princess we’ve all been waiting for has been solidifying herself as our latest obsession. Gia Woods is ridiculously talented, undeniably sexy, and sooooo gay. With hypnotizing vocals and a nostalgic hyper-pop sound, she’s going to be at the top of all of our post-pandemic going out playlists. Originally debuting (and coming out of the closet) in 2015 with her song “Only A Girl,” she is by no means new to the music scene, but certainly staying exciting and innovative as an artist. Since then, she… Read more

There are 4 elements of the tarot: Fire (wands), air (swords), earth (pentacles, or coins), and water (cups). Each element is lauded over by a King and Queen, who represent the most righteous form, the pinnacle, of each element’s power. Kings are great and all, but yawn, patriarchy. The Queens of the tarot channel feminine energy and are known for approaching problems with intuition and inner strength, rather than the blunt force of the Kings. In this new series, we feature one Tarot Kween each week with a… Read more

It turns out that many non-white and Indigenous cultures have historically been pretty progressive when it comes to sexual and social behaviors that strayed from the binary. In fact, many of these cultures didn’t have a strict binary to begin with! It wasn’t until European colonizers arrived that the queer, Indigenous traditions began to be replaced with things deemed appropriate by their conquerors, such as Christianity, slavery, and golf. Here are three fantastically queer cultural practices from around the globe… Read more

“We Are Lady Parts,” written and directed by Nida Manzoor, is a hilarious British TV show about an all-girl, Muslim punk band. It’s fronted and supported by a cast of sexy as hell people of color of various genders, skin tones, and ways of presenting themselves, and if you don’t fall in love with every character in this show you’re insane (or incredibly picky which is fine too). And while this is technically a review of the show, it’s also me fangirling all over it to convince you that YOU MUST WATCH THIS. “We Are Lady… Read more

Singer/songwriter and Louisville-native Marzz is setting the tone with the release of her debut EP, Love Letterz. A project about self-love, healing, and the practice of vulnerability, Love Letterz comes after an array of impressive singles from Marzz, including “So Frequently," “Countless Times," and “Cleopatra." I had the pleasure of getting to know Marzz as we discussed more about her EP, her creative process, and potential future collaborations. How does it feel to know that this EP is coming out so soon? I’m… Read more

As controversial as she is celebrated, Kara Walker is a prolific artist who helped define an entire generation of Black creators. Now, her collected works on paper from 1992 through 2020 have been gathered together for a new book and exhibit—Kara Walker: A Black Hole Is Everything a Star Longs to Be. Here are a few selections from that book, along with a brief essay by curator Anita Haldemann, explaining how Walker’s drawings are a “dance of skepticism and faith” “Untitled,” 1997–1999 In the early 1990s, while she was… Read more

Jameela Jamil will star in the next Marvel series on Disney+, She-Hulk. Known for her role as Tahani Al-Jamil on the comedy series The Good Place, Jamil will be joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe as villain Titania, a woman with superhuman strength and the main rival of She-Hulk in the comics. Tatiana Maslany, known for her role as Sarah Manning (and, well, a lot of people) on Orphan Black, will play Jennifer Warner, a lawyer who becomes She-Hulk after receiving a blood transfusion from her cousin, Bruce Banner… Read more

Despite their diverse backgrounds, experiences, and comedic styles, the following six people have all shared a similar feeling with regard to comedy: that it has been a personal remedy and platform to deal with the discrimination they have experienced throughout their lives and careers. The perspectives they share on society as individuals who have been pushed into the margins has proven game-changing to the comedy scene in the last decade. And so, to celebrate Pride Month, here are six of the most talented LGBTQ… Read more

Many terrifying statistics have come out due to the COVID-19 pandemic, one of them being an alarming increase in suicide attempts among adolescent girls. According to a new study by the Center for Disease Control, visits to the ER as a result of suicide attempts have risen 50.6% among girls ages 12-17. In males, the number, while still serious, increased by 3.7%. "The mean weekly number of these visits was 26.2% higher during summer 2020 and 50.6% higher during winter 2021, compared with the corresponding periods in… Read more

The title for Krys Malcolm Belc’s memoir comes from the legal designation assigned to him as a nonbinary transmasculine parent. The book begins with Belc’s experience as a pregnant transmasculine person, something that broadened his sense of identity. His memoir is comprised of interconnected essays that do not always follow a linear timeline but, when pieced together, paint a picture both of Belc’s developing sense of self throughout his life and the pivotal moments that showed him that he did not fit into the rigid… Read more

June 2021 marks the eighth annual National Immigrant Heritage Month, a time to acknowledge and honor the contributions and achievements of immigrants in the United States. Despite the country's designation as a "Nation of Immigrants," immigration has always been—and in the new Biden Administration, continues to be—a controversial issue (most recently with Vice President Kamala Harris telling migrants “do not come” to the United States during a visit to Guatemala). The migrant crisis at the border is ongoing, the… Read more

Justin Halpern, co-creator and executive producer of the HBO animated DC series Harley Quinn, has inadvertently caused an uproar on social media, after revealing to Variety that DC forced him to cut a scene from season three, in which Batman gives oral sex to Catwoman, because, apparently, “heroes don’t do that.” Halpern explained their reasoning, saying, “We had a moment where Batman was going down on Catwoman. And DC was like, ‘You can’t do that. You absolutely cannot do that.’ They’re like, ‘Heroes don’t do that.’… Read more

“The men who rule the world have made a fucking mess,” sings Shirley Manson, matter-of-factly, in the opening line of No Gods No Masters—Garbage’s seventh full-length since releasing their eponymous debut in 1995—appropriately setting the tone for an album forged by the raw emotions of a band still trying to make sense of a world consumed by racism, sexism, and capitalism. This rebellious spirit is present in Manson’s refusal to sugarcoat lyrics and the sonic inclusion of unexpected synths and heavy guitars,… Read more

In the age of streamers like Hulu and Netflix, it can feel torturous to actually have to watch a show — especially one as twisty and thrilling as Freeform’s Cruel Summer — in week-by-week installments. Harley Quinn Smith, who plays one of the show’s most surprisingly divisive characters, understands the frustration. “We learned about how the show was ending as we shot each episode,” the 21-year-old tells BUST. “Everything that the audience is feeling now is what we felt like a few months ago while we were filming.”… Read more

Alicia Keys posted a video to her Instagram yesterday in which she discussed how her morning routine in front of her mirror changed her life. In the video, she reveals how every morning, she stands in front of a mirror and takes in what she sees while playing the song “I Am the Light of the Soul.” “You are supposed to look at yourself with no judgment, just acknowledge," says Keys, "and get used to seeing you.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Alicia Keys (@aliciakeys) In another post, Keys writes a… Read more

The sophomore LP from Red Ribbon (the project of songwriter Emma Danner) sounds like how many of us are currently feeling: lost, but with a sense of wonder. Having moved from Seattle to L.A. while working on the album, Danner’s songs are noticeably more sonically informed by the new locale. The opener “Weight of Man” is reminiscent of a Neil Young piano ballad during his Laurel Canyon days, while “Renegade” shifts to a more classic-Fleetwood-Mac-with-the-windows-down kinda vibe. Whether it’s how she uses her voice, or… Read more

With Megan Thee Stallion and MARINA releasing music this week, summer is set. Here is a list of songs to add to your playlist that are guaranteed to elevate your summer. 1. "Keep It Movin’ " by Olivia O’Brien Making her name known through songs like “Josslyn” and “NOW,” Olivia O’Brien has made it very clear that nothing is off-limits when writing about her previous relationships. While her new album “Episodes: Season 1” has many anthems that can help anyone through a breakup or heartbreak, “Keep It Movin’” talks more… Read more

Australian swimmer Madeline Groves has withdrawn from the Olympic trials in Adelaide, alluding to inappropriate conduct by an as-yet-unidentified figure within the sport. Writing in a tweet that this should “be a lesson to all misogynistic perverts in sport and their boot lickers -- you can no longer exploit young women and girls, body shame or medically gaslight them and then expect them to represent you so you can earn your annual bonus. Time’s UP” Let this be a lesson to all misogynistic perverts in sport and their… Read more

After COVID, countless scandals and many questionable decisions, many fans think The Bachelor franchise has finally run its course. According to his Instagram, Chris Harrison officially stepped down from his role as host on Tuesday after defending the racist actions of a contestant during an interview in March with Rachel Lindsay, the first Black Bachelorette. Rachael Kirkconnell, the contestant Harrison defended, was facing backlash for the multiple Instagram posts that resurfaced including one from an Old South… Read more

Artist, rapper, activist, street performer, and New York City mayoral candidate Paperboy Prince is out to change the world. Employing eye-catching fashions and theatrical flair to draw attention to their platform—Medicare for all, abolishing police, cancelling rent, legalizing psychedelics—the nonbinary rapper (who uses the pronouns they/them and God/Goddess) is laser focused on getting young people into politics. “I am so fun and playful and crazy because my political messaging and the things that I’m fighting for… Read more

Adrianne Wortzel is a groundbreaking pioneer in the field of robotic art who has been making and exhibiting her futuristic pieces for over 50 years. Her amazing genre-hopping projects include films, drawings, texts, robotic and telerobotic performance productions, artist’s books, photography, and online pieces. Her writing includes articles, fiction, and scripts. And her international collaborations with other artists, scientists, and engineers made her an important resource in her years as a Professor Emeritus in… Read more

On Monday, a judge in India ruled in favor of a lesbian couple, calling for greater protection and resources for the country's LGBTQ+ community. The couple, S. Sushma and U. Seema Agarval, fled from their hometown to escape their parents' disapproval. After their parents filed a "missing person" report, the couple claimed they were subjected to invasive questioning and harassment from the police. Judge Ananad Venkatesh of the Madras High Court sided with the couple after they asserted that the police subjected them to… Read more

Historic art forms and stories are on full display at the Turtle Bay Exploration Park. A new addition to the museum is an exhibit on the Jingle Dress, a traditional Native garment typically worn during ceremonies. The Jingle Dress and its dance are believed to be a source of healing for Indigenous communities. In addition, it sheds light on violent crimes committed against Native American women. For April Carmelo of Redding, a guest curator and citizen of the Greenville Rancheria, this exhibit is personal. “This… Read more

New York lawmakers passed a bill that would make it easier for trans people to change their legal gender. This includes changing their name on legal documents, such as a birth certificate and driver's license. The Gender Recognition Act (GRA) repealed the requirement that trans people had to put their name in the newspaper. In addition, 'X’ has been added to driver's licenses as an option for gender, removing the requirement that a medical provider “prove” a trans person’s gender, them reported. A trans person seeking… Read more

The personal gets political in Holler, a powerful feature debut set in writer/director Nicole Riegel’s hometown of Jackson, Ohio. Jessica Barden (The End of the Fucking World) stars as Ruth, a smart and sullen teen who starts stealing scrap metal when her older brother Blaze (Gus Halper) loses his job at the local factory. With their mom Rhonda (Pamela Adlon) in jail and detoxing, Blaze and Ruth are barely keeping the bill collectors at bay. So, when they’re invited to join the local scrap crew and even move into the… Read more

Former Beverly Hills, 90210 actress Shannen Doherty turned to social media to speak out about Hollywood’s strict beauty standards, and to share her thoughts on embracing her natural beauty. She posted a bare-faced selfie to Instagram on Tuesday. In her caption, Doherty wrote that she was "watching movies and noticing that there were 'few female characters' she could relate to.” "You know, women without fillers, without Botox, without a facelift. Women who embraced their face and all the experience it showed," she wrote… Read more

Girls Just Wanna Have Rum Want to enjoy the kitschy glamour and delicious refreshment of Tiki cocktail culture without the gnarly colonial aftertaste? Women are leading the way, creating a tropical drink revival for a more enlightened generation The room glows amber, its walls papered with gold-leaf palm fronds. Bird calls emanate from the speakers, buoyed by the soft lilt of vibraphone. Revelers sip orchid-laden elixirs while topless, brown-skinned women, painted on backgrounds of black velvet, smile demurely from… Read more

2021 is all about nostalgia, with shows like Gossip Girl, iCarly, and Punky Brewster all finding ways back to our screens. It has become very clear that we love seeing what our favorite characters from way back then are up to now. One show that is set to make a highly-anticipated comeback is Sex and the City, which is set to appear on HBO's streaming platform, HBOMax. As someone who has watched the series multiple times, I could not be more excited to see what the gang is up to in this hectic time. Along with the… Read more

TV writer and former Rookie editor Danielle Henderson’s new memoir, The Ugly Cry (Out June 8 from Viking), is a testament to the fact that most childhoods cannot be distilled into pure tragedy or pure comedy. She revisits her curiosity and confusion while coming of age in the ’80s as a Black girl in a white neighborhood in upstate New York, and her recollections oscillate between the tragic (various forms of abuse), the comic (a song to accompany outdoor peeing), and the tragicomic (her grandmother’s penchant for… Read more

Japanese Breakfast goes big on Jubilee, an album featuring billowing orchestral arrangements, smooth ’80s flourishes, and lush shoegaze sounds. Michelle Zauner’s previous two albums under this moniker dealt with grief and loss, but it’s apparent from the cheerful horns on the first track that Jubilee is bold and triumphant. Japanese Breakfast has always displayed a wide range, and this is no exception: from the danceable (“Be Sweet”) to the brooding (“Sit”) to the political (“Savage Good Boy”), Jubilee contains an… Read more

Lyon, a city in France with over 500,000 people, is rolling out changes to its budget to create more equity in its urban planning specifically in the category of gender reform, according to Bloomberg. A committee is being put together to look at three different categories of the city’s budget: gender-neutral amenities of the city, areas where “gender budgeting” is already implemented, and areas for improvement. What is Gender Budgeting? Lyon is not the first to implement these reforms. Gender budgeting is a tool that… Read more

Kate Winslet has recently spoken out about her insistence that her "bulgy bit of belly" should not be cut from a sex scene in her TV series, Mare of Easttown, despite director Craig Zobel’s suggestion to edit out any unflattering angles. In an interview with The New York Times, the actor, 45, also spoke about sending back two posters in which she felt her face had been too airbrushed: “I’m like, guys, I know how many lines I have by the side of my eye, please put them all back.” In the show, Winslet plays police… Read more

Lake Highland High School’s valedictorian, Paxon Smith, deviated from her original speech to slam the new Texas “Heartbeat Bill” during her commencement speech. Smith wanted her voice to be heard and to shed light on current issues women are facing. “I refuse to give up this platform when there is a war on my body and a war on my rights,” Smith said. "This is a war on the rights of your mothers, a war on the rights of your sisters, a war on the rights of your daughters." Last month, Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law the… Read more

Insecure star, Issa Rae, will be joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the upcoming sequel to Into the Spiderverse. Rae, 36, will be lending her voice as Spider-Woman—aka Jessica Drew—in the sequel to the 2018 Oscar-winning animated movie, accompanied by Shameik Moore as Miles Morales and Hailee Steinfeld as Gwen Stacy. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson are directing the sequel. Phil Lord and Chris Miller are returning as producers along with Amy Pascal, Avi… Read more

On Tuesday, June 1, 2021, in Lubbock, Texas, the court dismissed a case intended to block the previous ordinance that made the city an anti-abortion “sanctuary city,” The Texas Tribune reported. The ordinance, passed by voters in May, bans abortions in the city and allows family members of the woman to sue anyone who aids in the process of attaining an abortion. “Aiding or abetting an abortion” as stated by the ordinance on the Lubbock city website includes knowingly giving a woman transportation to the procedure,… Read more

Naomi Osaka dropped out of the French Open on Monday after the tennis player received a $15,000 fine for refusing to speak to the press due to mental health issues. “The truth is that I have suffered long bouts of depression since the US Open in 2018, and I have had a really hard time coping with that,” Osaka stated in a tweet on Tuesday. “Though the tennis press has always been kind to me (and I wanna apologize to all the cool journalists I may have hurt), I am not a natural public speaker and get huge waves of… Read more

I love all eras of Liz Phair, and Soberish is no exception. Her first full-length record in a decade finds Phair combining her early work’s inventive, intimate jump-rope-rhyme sounds with her innate pop hit-making ability by enlisting Exile in Guyville/Whip-Smart/whitechocolatespaceegg producer Brad Wood. Soberish has everything Phair fans love: explicit desire within complicated love, rebellious lyrics sung in striking melodies, and even a nod to Henry, the bartending friend from 1998 favorite “Polyester Bride.” Phair… Read more

Victoria Moroles isn't new to the entertainment industry by any means, but her recent role starring in Hulu's feature film Plan B arguably takes the cake. Originally a small-town girl from Texas, Moroles relocated to Los Angeles early on to pursue her dream of acting. In the years since, she's managed to build quite the resume, and when approached by director Natalie Morales with the opportunity to co-lead her first major film, she simply couldn't refuse. The comedy follows best friends Sunny (Kuhoo Verma) and Lupe… Read more

My experiences in my late twenties inspired me to write a book about the Saturn Return, to ensure that people don’t make the same mistakes as I did. Also, to let everyone know what is going on during this critical juncture in their lives. My book, “Saturn Return Survival Guide: Navigating this Cosmic Rite of Passage,” is great for those going through their first, second, or third Saturn Return to understand the changes that are happening in their lives. The Saturn Return occurs every 27-29.5 years. The first one occurs… Read more

Trigger warning: This article includes detailed descriptions of abuse and sexual assault. That 70s Show actor Danny Masterson is on trial for three rape charges. After three days of tearful testimonies from the three women, the actor faces up to 45 years in prison if convicted, and remains free on a $3.3 million bond. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Charlaine F. Olmedo found the women’s testimonies to be credible and asked Masterson to surrender his passport, CBS reported. The alleged rapes occurred between 2001 to… Read more

Why are the dyke bars disappearing? Comedian and executive producer Lea DeLaria seeks to answer this question in The Lesbian Bar Project, a short film documentary about the campaign started by Erica Rose and Elina Street to raise awareness and money in an effort to save lesbian bars from mass extinction. The lesbian bar has become an endangered species in the U.S., with numbers dropping from 200 in 1980, to 21 in 2021. The Lesbian Bar Project documentary was released three days into Pride Month and serves both as a… Read more

The thunder vibrated up through the soles of my feet, and the exhaust pipes blasted through my ear drums, rattling my skull. Like a swarm of black hornets in the distance, I watched them rolling in. It was the Dykes on Bikes, the official protectors, and historic leaders of the pride parade. This witnessing occurred at my first Pride parade, which I attended by accident my junior year of high school. My parents and I had driven up to San Francisco from Los Angeles to visit my guncles on an early June weekend. On our… Read more

The LGBTQ+ community is vast and experiences are varied. In honor of Pride month, here are nine LGBTQ+ authors from around the world whose works offer compelling insight into the diversity of the community while exploring the universal complexities of identity and sexuality, and celebrating the joy and comfort of love and community. 1. Beijing Comrades by Bei Tong, translated by Scott E. MyersImage via Feminist PressOne of the first LGBTQ+ novels to come out of China, this now cult-classic of Chinese queer literature… Read more

Former U.S. President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama are partnering with Netflix to produce a new animated show called We the People. Doc McStuffins writer Chris Nee created the show, and Black-ish creator Kenya Barris has teamed up with the Obamas, Tonia Davis, and Priya Swaminathan to serve as the executive producers. Ten episodes are set to air on July 4; however, a free prescreening of the show will be released on June 24 at the AFI DOCS film festival, Entertainment Weekly reported. The… Read more

Photographed by Amanda Lopez Styled by Alanna Holton Rose Makeup by Renée Loiz for Exclusive Artists Management using Danessa Myricks Beauty Hair by Saundra Martinez Hair Pieces on Models and Horses by Mane Tresses Models: Chanel Rhodes, Alexandria Braxton Edwards, and Michele D. Braxton-Nelson On Chanel: Hanifa Jumpsuit; Aziza Handcrafted Earrings and Necklace; Boots: Vintage. On Alexandria: Daily Paper Jacket; Aziza Handcrafted Earrings; Hat, Pants, Necklace, and Boots: Vintage; ring: model’s own. On Michele: Aliétte… Read more

August doesn’t believe in magic or time travel. She doesn’t even believe in love at first sight—that is, until she meets Jane, a kind-hearted, magnetic girl who takes the same subway every day. But as August learns more about her enigmatic crush, she realizes that Jane is actually displaced from the 1970s, trapped on the Q train, and unsure how any of this happened. It’s up to August to help figure out how Jane got stuck in time, while keeping her feelings at bay. Much like Red, White, and Royal Blue, Casey McQuiston’s… Read more

A lot goes into making a live performance memorable and worthy of watching. Whether it’s the talent that’s being showcased, the set design, or even the use of lighting, everything about making a good show is crucial. What many people may not question is who tackles all of the fine details into producing and designing something like a concert or a live music production. That is where Laura Escudè comes in. Multi-talented artist and world-famous live show designer, Escudè is a woman with a vision of bringing people… Read more