Feminism
News
5 Quick, Easy & Impactful Ways to Celebrate Planned Parenthood’s 100th Birthday!

Planned Parenthood’s Centennial is here — Saturday, October 16th — so get on the party bus to show your support for the organization that does so much to support women’s health and reproductive rights. 1.  Change your profile picture. Make sure your friends and family know you proudly support Planned Parenthood yesterday, today, and the next 100 years. Add […]

Confessions
Strap-Ons Are the Great Gender Equalizer

Discussions on pegging usually go in one of two directions: 1) Straight into the ugly past where men who enjoy anal play automatically means they’re either girly or gay [sic], OR 2) towards thoughtful discussions about the nuances of sex and the politics of gender. We obviously prefer to highlight the latter, so today we give you Jon’s recent […]

How To
10 Super Easy Ways NOT to Be a Misogynist Pig Like Trump*

*Or Billy Bush Can’t seem to view women as human beings? Is that psychic club from Cro-magnon Man days weighing you down and holding you back? Well we’ve got 10 easy ways to help you conquer your ass-backward ways. Follow these simple steps, and soon you’ll be striding upright with confidence into the 21st century! 1. First […]

Pop Culture
Our Snarky Summary of the First Presidential Debate

On Monday, September 26th, 2016, at 9pm EST, the Republican and Democratic nominees for President of the United States, Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton respectively, came together for their first debate (transcript here). About 100 million people watched the Gathering, when a stroke of a sword would release the power of the Quickening. In the […]

Personal Essays
On the 10th Anniversary of Our DIY Wedding

Ten years ago today, Joey and I were married — untraditionally, feministically, fantastically. By the spring of 2006, we knew we were going to be together, but we weren’t sure we were going to exchange vows. As a little girl, I had never dreamed of my big day with a big white dress and a […]

Dear Em & Lo
I Hate My Big Vulva/Vagina — What Can I Do?

Dear Em & Lo, I am always self-conscious when it comes to wearing jeans and tight dresses and it’s all because of my big vulva/vagina. This really affects my self-esteem really bad and I think that I am not normal. My vulva/vagina looks big and when I push in too if it, I can already […]

News
What Do You Call a Trans Man Who Gives Birth and Nurses?

Lucky! Time Magazine recently ran an article entitled “My Brother’s Pregnancy and the Making of a New American Family” by Jessi Hempel about a transgender man getting pregnant, having a baby and nursing his child (which introduced us to our new favorite term, “chest-feeding”): Pregnancies like Evan’s—and the many that are likely to follow—will stretch our cultural perceptions […]

Confessions
The Negative Power of Porn

Porn is a tricky thing. On the one hand, you can’t legislate people’s fantasies, especially when pornography may be the one sexual outlet they have.  As sexual liberator, educator or tension reliever, it can be a positive thing. But, it can also be a destructive thing: ruining relationships, setting up unrealistic expectations, perpetuating misogyny. Certainly some porn […]

TV
Asking for Permission to Marry a Woman Is Total Effing Bulls*&t!

Is it the 21st century? Is a woman about to become President of the United States? Do all the best crime dramas feature women in the lead roles (Marcella, Happy Valley, The Fall, The [Swedish] Bridge, The Bletchley Circle…the list goes on)? Yes, women still don’t make the same as men yet — yet — but we’ve come […]

Sexual Health
If America Made Abortion Illegal…

by By Carla McKirdy for Bust Magazine If you’ve ever wondered what life in America would be like if the laws protecting a woman’s right to choose were reversed, look no further than Argentina. Underground abortion clinics whose addresses are revealed only in hushed tones via word of mouth. The paralyzing fear of undergoing what […]

Advice
The Meanings — and Myths! — of Rape Fantasies

[Editors note: FYI, we at EMandLO.com prefer the term “ravishment fantasy” to further distinguish it from actual rape, since the difference has everything to do with the control Dr. Ley describes below. However, since this is a syndicated column, we’ll keep the original language in tact.] by Dr. David Ley for YourTango One of the hardest presentations I’ve ever given […]

News
Planned Parenthood on the SCOTUS Ruling Against Texas Abortion Restrictions

Embed from Getty Images   The following is the statement released by Planned Parenthood Federation of America on June 27, 2016, in response to the Supreme Court’s ruling against the ridiculous/outrageous/bananas/bullshit Texas abortion restrictions:   “We are taking this fight state by state,” says Planned Parenthood   Washington, D.C. – Today, the Supreme Court of […]

News
NYC Passes Legislation Making Tampons & Pads Free in Public Restrooms

The Council of the City of New York released a press release on Monday, June 21st, 2016, which read in part: Feminine hygiene products are essential for the health and well-being of women and girls. Inadequate menstrual hygiene management is associated with both health and psycho-social issues, particularly among low-income women. Access to feminine hygiene […]

Confessions
A Straight Man’s Take on Rape Culture

As usual, Johnny had something thoughtful to say. This past week it was about rape culture, thanks to the Stanford rape case in the news: You know… as a straight man you think “rape culture” is bullshit when you learn about it. You believe that a tiny percentage of men are rapists, and since they’re sociopaths, there’s no […]

News
The Highlights from Hillary’s Powerful Planned Parenthood Speech

In her first speech after securing the Democratic Party nomination, Hillary Clinton gave a powerful speech to the Planned Parenthood Action Fund in DC, slamming Donald Drumpf and reassuring voters that defending women’s rights will be a big part of not only her campaign, but her presidency. Here are the highlights from the half hour speech: […]

News
EVERYTHING You Need to Know — And Read — About the Stanford Rape Case

This post has been updated since its original posting with further links and excerpts. The Case On January 18th, 2015, two Swedish Stanford grad students riding bicycles late that night spotted a man thrusting on top of an unconscious woman behind a dumpster. When confronted, he tried to run but one of the cyclists chased […]