queer
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Activism
Crosspost: So What If I Wasn’t Born This Way
The “born this way” story of queer identity is one most people in modern developed countries know well. It is applied to people of all sexual orientations and to trans people, especially binary trans people, and tells us that the right way to be queer follows a common structure. We have to know we were “different” from early childhood, we…
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Science
Another Sex/Gender Controversy
In a recent blog post, Gia Milinovich responds to some of the heat she’s received for a panel she chaired for SohoSkeptics on gender. Though I don’t doubt Gia is well intentioned, her post is unfortunately filled to the brim with many misconceptions about gender stemming from what appears to be an adherence to a biological essentialist understanding of sex/gender.…
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Feminism
A Secular Prayer for National Coming Out Day
Today is National Coming Out Day. Although it’s hardly a secret, here’s my official Skepchick coming-out as an radical queer who is pansexual in her tastes. You should also be reading — and now, thanks to the podcast, listening to — Queereka, if you aren’t already. If you’re scratching your head at “radical queer” and “pansexual,” I ask that you…
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Activism
Follow-Up: Boycotting Russia
[TW: Homophobia, violence] I recently wrote a post explaining why I am boycotting the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia. In it, I expressed my outrage with the new Russian law passed back in June that effectively bans queer people from public life and has ushered in a new era of public violence towards queer people in Russia. A few people…
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Activism
Why I am Boycotting the 2014 Winter Olympics
[TW: Homophobia, violence, rape] I’m not a particularly big fan of most sports. It’s not so much that I dislike them as that I’m indifferent to them. I live in San Antonio, Texas, and Spurs fever is pretty big around here. People are always perplexed when I have no idea that there was a Spurs game, let alone that they…
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Feminism
Let’s Play a Love Game: On Orientation & Options
Note: I’m going to use more than one term to describe similar things. All less usual terms regarding gender and sexual orientation are linked to explanations of their meanings. Of all the misguided things Woody Allen and his movies have stated about gender and sexuality, the most grating to me is his quip about nonmonosexuals: Bisexuality immediately doubles your chances…
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Meta Stuff
ICYMI: March 31 – April 6 on the Skepchick Network
If you are like many people I know, you probably spent the weekend at NECSS or Skeptech or some other awesome conference while I have stayed at home, slaving away to bring you this roundup of posts from the Skepchick Network. Pooooooor me. Read them, why don’t you? Teen Skepchick The Physics Philes, lesson 42: Angular and Linear Movement, Long-Lost…
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Featured
Why Gender Differences Don’t Matter (and Other Myths)
Cross-posted at Queereka. A few days ago, Harriet Hall wrote a post on Science-Based Medicine titled “Gender Differences and Why They Don’t Matter So Much.” The article left a bad taste in my mouth for a number of reasons. Aside from what I feel is a gross misrepresentation of various criticisms of Michael Shermer (which I will leave to Ophelia and PZ to deal with as…
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