“Did You Drop a Pound?”: Why I Won’t Be a Silent Feminist

“You look thin. Did you drop a pound?” It felt like a Jeopardy category: Dumbass Statements for 800. The answer: “What is something you should never say to a woman.” Let’s go again, Alex. At first, I didn’t say anything. I continued wiping down my exercise mat while Dave adjusted Read more

Hey, Mom Next Door – I See You

I admit I didn’t really like you when we first met. We had only been in the house a month when you came over with your 12-year-old son, Kyle. You introduced yourself, welcoming us to the neighborhood. You gave us a quick, but very detailed, oral tour of the houses Read more

Crunches and Compassion: Transgender Rights and the Cisgender Community

I began referring to him privately as “The Swede.” From in between my crunches on the exercise mat, I snuck glances at his pale, chiseled face. His square jaw and high, sculpted cheekbones stood out as if his face was sketched from the pages of a superhero DC comic. I Read more

Lipstick and Vigilance

My friend and I were engrossed in conversation, but I still noticed the boys. There were five of them, split into two flanks. Three of them arranged themselves on a bench, idling like birds waiting for a bit of dropped crust to set them swooping. The other two stood on Read more