Russian lawmakers have submitted legislation to ban same-sex marriage. The ban comes two weeks after voters approved a set of constitutional amendments that would define marriage strictly as a “union between a man and a woman.” Not only does the legislation ban gay marriage, but adoption. However, discrimination against same-sex couples looking to adopt was already rampant. Now it’s just enshrined in the law. According to senator Yelena Mizulina, one of the co-authors of the bill, “The bill ends the practice of marriage between persons of...

At the Black Lives Matter protesters in Portland, Oregon, on Sunday, dozens of women wearing yellow and handing out sunflowers formed a protective "wall of moms" around demonstrators during a confrontation with federal law enforcement. A massive crowd had gathered for the protests. Portland police said in a statement that demonstrators were blocking roads and causing disturbances. Protestors in the crowds were chanting “Feds stay clear, moms are here!" and "Feds go home!" before a fence outside a federal courthouse was toppled. Federal agents violently responded with...

When you think about activism, what first comes to mind? Probably protesting, voting, posting on social media. Maybe you even think about the bra-burning feminists of the ’70s. Would you ever think about sewing when it comes to activism? Although it’s not in most people’s definition of activism, many of those in the embroidery community have been using their skills to make a difference in the world, and it’s kinda awesome. Embroidery is a type of decorative sewing that typically uses embroidery floss with different types of...

In a historic move on July 14, the City Council of Asheville, North Carolina, held a vote to provide Black residents of the city with reparations. The City Council also apologized for the city’s participation in slavery and for its discrimination and denial of liberties to Black residents, who make up 12 percent of the city's population. Councilman Keith Young, a Black member on Asheville’s City Council, said, “It’s simply not enough to remove statues. Black people in this country are dealing with issues that are...

Shortly after announcing its decision to change its outdated and offensive name, this Washington-based football team is in even more hot water. On Thursday, the Washington Post released a piece with accusations of sexual harassment and verbal abuse from 15 former female employees and two journalists who covered the team. The article implicated Richard Mann II, the team's assistant director of pro personnel, and Larry Michael, the team's former senior vice president of content and play-by-play announcer, and included screenshots of inappropriate sexual comments made to...

Trigger warning: this story includes discussions of sexual assault, domestic violence, violence against womxn. Since the murders of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Tony McDade, and a number of other Black Americans at the hands of law enforcement officers — as well as the subsequent global movement calling for an end to police brutality and systemic racism — discussion surrounding the prison industrial complex and prison abolition has seen a resurgence. While the United States prison system has many faults, perhaps the main point addressed within the Black Lives...

I love weddings. I really do. What’s not to love? Beautiful venues, free cake, watching family members’ drunk dancing, and an excuse to break out your old homecoming dresses from high school. However, the older I get—and the further I dive into feminist literature—the more I question the traditions we follow at weddings. I may love them, but weddings are just weird. You invite everybody you know and pay for each of them to eat, pick your favorite friends to stand next to you and pick...

Headlines around the world showed Black Lives Matter protestors in Bristol, England toppling, in a now viral video, a statue of Edward Colston, a slave trader from the 17th century, and throwing it into a river. Now, a new sculpture has been put in the place where Colston’s statue once stood: a Black Lives Matter protestor. British artist Marc Quinn erected the statue of a black woman with her fist raised in a Black Power statue. Quinn said he based the statue on the viral photo...

In 2018, we saw an election with a record-breaking number of women running for office. This year, that record has been broken once again. According to The Hill, over 570 women are running for office during the 2020 election. 574 women have filed to run for primaries for House seats and 58 women have filed to run for primaries in the Senate. This is a 20 percent increase from 2018, which had 476 House candidates and 53 Senate candidates. This is a major uptick in female representation...

If you’ve been on the internet in the last few months, you might have seen the phrase “Arrest the cops that killed Breonna Taylor” pop up a lot. Breonna Taylor was a 26-year-old black woman who was shot eight times by police when they showed up at her and her boyfriend’s home with a no-knock warrant. Since her death and subsequent inaction when it comes to the arrests of the officers that killed her, people have been calling for justice. But some might say that the...