Ramsey Orta is not the revolutionary leader he has been made out to be. He may be another victim of targeted state violence, as Eric Garner was, but he is also a violent abuser. By Kika D. & Dani TW: details of state violence, anti-Black violence, domestic/interpersonal abuse, and misogynoir. “People love evidence. If there...
Tag: abuse
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‘The Umbrella Academy’, Vanya Hargreeves, and The Impact of Residual Trauma
‘The Umbrella Academy’ presents Vanya as a villain—and she is understood as such by many fans—but, in truth, she is the one who has been the most victimized. This essay contains spoilers for seasons 1 and 2 of ‘The Umbrella Academy.’ It also discusses childhood, familial, and partner abuse. The Umbrella Academy is a flawed,...
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It’s Not Surprising That Ellen DeGeneres’ Show Is Rife With Abuse and Exploitation
Systems of oppression are breeding grounds for abuse and exploitation. The alleged abuses on DeGeneres’ show are not separate from those structures. In recent months, allegations of a toxic and exploitative work culture pervading The Ellen DeGeneres Show surfaced after dozens of former employees interviewed by Buzzfeed News came forward. Initially just whispers, a general...
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Committing Harm Is Not The Same As Being Abusive
In conflating harm with abuse, we contribute to disposability politics and stray further away from a more just future of accountability and healing. This essay discusses sexual violence and mentions r/pe My queer parent, Hunter Shackelford, and I sit around and talk a lot. For hours, most days. At the genesis of our relationship, one...
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Forcing Children To Lose Weight Is Child Abuse
There is no other way to put it. Forcing exercise and diets on your children is an attempt to punish them for their (perceived) fatness and that is abuse. TW: this piece discusses anti-fatness, fat camps, diet & exercise, and familial/social child abuse. please proceed with caution. I have been fat for as far back...
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‘Bombshell’ Fails to Paint White Women As Leaders of the Resistance
t’s ludicrous for Bombshell to position any of these women as champions against workplace sexual harassment when their racism simply shifts that violence against Black and brown women. CW: Discussions of workplace sexual violence I knew exactly what I was in for the moment I sat down for my screening of Bombshell (dir. Jay Roach)...
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4 Things People Do That Harm Survivors of Sexual Violence
From derailing, to gaslighting, to unsolicited advice: people derail important conversations held by survivors of sexual assault. TW/CW: this article discusses sexual assault/violence as well as gaslighting of a sexual assault survivor By Gloria Oladipo Sometimes, to shame the devil, we have to share our secrets. Especially when it comes to exposing predators in our...
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The Ritual of Taking Nude Photos For Myself Helped Me Reclaim My Body
Taking nude photos of myself gave me a sense of empowerment in reclaiming my body for myself only, shifting the power from my rapists back to me. By Chaney Williams This essay contains discussions of sexual assault and emotional abuse and mentions r/pe My relationship with taking nude photos has gone from being laced with...
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When Marginalized Folk Take Our Lives, It’s Because the State Already Has
TW: This essay discusses suicide I had just finished my first and most brutal semester at Morehouse College days before. I went over to my brothers’ house to stay there before heading back home to North Carolina. Sitting in the back room scrolling through Twitter, I heard my eldest brother start crying in the living...
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Wild Flower Sex is a Lesson in White Abuse of Power
The callout to Wild Flower is an example of what many Black sexuality professionals face in the field. And more, what Wild Flower Sex did was not accidental, or a one-time mistake. Content Note: This piece contains discussion of anti-Black violence, misogynoir, sexual violence (assault and rape), sex work. Please read at your own discretion....