If you’ve been following the Johnny Depp and Amber Heard drama since it started back in 2016, you might have noticed the mass of conflicting stories that have been circulating. It really has become a he said/she said situation and quite frankly, it isn’t looking good for Heard. Now if you’re sitting there thinking “wait, what happened?” That’s why I’m here cause apparently, news outlets just don’t seem to care when it’s a man who is abused.

The world has seen a lot of incredible woman with fascinating stories who have, unfortunately, been mostly left behind by history. Or at least by the history we’re taught.

About a year ago I decided to tackle my menstrustral cycle waste head on and be done with it, period. (yes, pun intended, lol). I have never been a fan, since the first day I discovered those pesky feminine products, of the waste I was producing every month and the health warnings that came with them. My monthly flow served with the potential side of Toxic Shock Syndrome was not appealing in the least. Which made my first menstrual cycle (and every one after that) more frustrated, anxious and guilty.

I don't know what else to do with all of this. These emotions are so overwhelming that it feels like a weight on my chest. Trying to keep a smile on my face in front of my friends and family is very taxing. Sometimes i feel like screaming just to see if that would help. Things at my job of become harder to focus on because I can't stop thinking about how i feel so alone. You might be wondering why i feel this way, what is the reason for me to have this much going on. Well i will tell you. My name is Zeek Taylor, don't ask me why a girl has the name Zeek I think my parents thought I was a boy, anyway, I am 26 years old and I work as a retail sales associate. Well now that you know who I am, I will tell you how everything began. When i was 18 years old, I met this guy who was very handsome and charming. We began to talk as friends an then i began to want more from him. I was still young but old enough to understand how relationships worked. Oh did i mention that i was a virgin also? No? Oh well, there you go. Moving on, I began to start falling in love with him, he was showing me new things and being so kind a loving. Three months into our relationship i decided to take the plunge and ask him to take my V-card. I was excited when he told me he would be honored because he loves me. Well you can imagine i was on cloud 9 right? So one night i snuck out to go meet him, He was in his nice fancy car sitting right out front my house waiting for me. I felt so special, He was being very attentive to my feelings of nervousness and acknowledging that i was terrified. So in order to help me relax he took me to a hotel just so we can have our own privacy with no interruptions at all. Oh! I forgot to tell you guys abut him. Pause a moment and let me tell you. His name was Damien George. He was 21 at the time of us meeting, he worked at another retail store in the same mall that I worked at so i would see him around but not very often, like maybe every month or so. But one day he came into my store and introduces himself to me. You can imagine the rest his history. Well he lived with his parents which i can seriously relate to. But fast forward to the hotel, he had bought chocolates and my fave white roses, it was perfect, it helped me relax and get comfortable more. So as the night went on he began slowly, coaxing me to want him to touch me more. I wanted him to just get it over with to be honest, I wanted to do nothing but be in his arms and belong to no one but him. So i took the first step and kissed him. He did all the rest. By the time all our clothes were off he dawned a condom and said to me "I don't want anything to ruin this moment with you so it better to be protected." I agreed. I watched as he put the condom on and began to get a little nervous. He noticed and came down on top of me kissing me, whispering to me how beautiful i am taking my mind off of everything, and at that moment i felt it. The tip of his penis begins to enter me slowly. It started off okay, but then it grew very painful. I bit my lip to keep from crying and tried to breath through it. i took everything in me not to push him off and run, but then, everything began to start feeling better, still sore, but, good. Before i knew it i was getting lost in him and the feel of our love making. His pace began to quicken and I didn't know why. I asked him to slow down as it was still sore for me, he didn't slow down. Next he pulls out and flips me onto my stomach, I didn't know what was going on but i stayed still. This time he entered me from behind, but something felt off, i didn't feel that rubber latex feel as he began again. I asked him if he still had the condom on, he didn't answer. I tried to pull away just to see if he had it on, but he pinned me down to the bed with his full weight, wrapped both hands around my neck from behind and says, "You will shut the fuck up, don't move and take this dick or you will regret it." At that moment i realized something was seriously wrong. I tried to wiggle to get him off of me but it didn't work, "Stop fucking moving or i will hit you, you little bitch." Now at this point i was terrified. I began to kick and flail to get him off of me. His hands tighten around my neck and I can't breathe. I start to claw at his hands to try and get them off, and then he just..... stops. He grunts and pulls my hair and whispers into my ear, " Tell anyone and i will make sure no one believes a word you say. Who the hell is going to believe a whore like you anyway, stupid bitch." I was shattered. This was the man I thought i was going to be in a serious relationship with. I trusted him enough to give him my first time. I tried to fight him off of me when i became uncomfortable but he didn't stop. Now what am i supposed to do? I laid there crying my eyes out. He comes back to the bed, roughly pulls me by my arm and punches me in the face. I saw spots and lights dancing before my very eyes. The last thing i remember from that night is the feeling of disgust of have from trusting a man that raped me. How am I going to tell anyone? I gave him a yes to having sex with me but in the end it turned violent. As i cry my eyes out walking home at 5am i realized that i have just been played, my first experience turned into a nightmare. How can I trust any man after this? Months pass by and i noticed i started to gain weight. I make a doctors appointment to figure out how come i'm gaining so much weight and how come my period never came. My mom would tell me maybe its because of stress from work, and i agreed with her, so i made an appointment with my OBGYN. There she asks me a lot of questions, some i didn't know how to answer. She later tells the nurse she needs a urine sample from me and to get me ready for an ultrasound. I'm completely confused at this point but if it will help me figure out whats going on then so be it. After peeing in a cup and getting back in the room, I'm instructed to lift my shirt up to my breast, so i do. The doctor returns and tells me she is going to check on an idea she has that could give me all the answers i need. As i'm laying there she squeezes this very cold gel like stuff onto my stomach and takes the ultrasound doohickey and begins moving it around onto my belly. She then smiles at me and says "congratulations Ms. Taylor, you're going to be a mommy."

That time of the month can be sometimes be unpleasant, to say the least. From exhaustion to cramps and cravings, there can be many things that can make it difficult to deal with. However, that doesn't mean that there aren't things you can do to try to improve the situation. If you find yourself dreading your period, here are a few things to try that might make it a little more bearable.

I remember looking at myself in the mirror when I was a kid and thinking how ugly I was and how I couldn’t wait to be able to afford plastic surgery.

The world has changed, but not yet for the best, especially for women. Though the condition is now much better than it was centuries ago, we are still far from our goal of equality between men and women. There is absolutely no reason for women to die at the rate they are dying today.

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They told you that you weren’t beautiful and that made you angry. Then they had the nerve to call you manly and that made you angrier. Next, as if that weren’t enough, they chastised you for being angry, berating you with appellations such as attitudinal and bitter, and that sent you into a rage. It was a rage that you have every right to be in, because you are, essentially, a victim who has been disrespected in every way. But, while before mentioned folks might be causing you quite the angst, quite the annoyance and are factors you could certainly do without, in all totality, they are actually correct.

We are about to enter the Holiday Season. It kicks off with Black month, formerly knowns as Black Friday, followed by Thanksgiving, St. Nick’s Day Dec 6, Chanukah, Christmas, Kwanza, New Year’s Eve and finally New Year’s Day. Later in the year, other holidays are also celebrated.

I’m going to be straight for a second: I get a really heavy flow. Ever since the miracle of womanhood first hit—imagine me, a pimpled, chubby twelve year old, cursing the universe for endowing her gift during gymnastics class—I’ve dealt with the difficulties of a heavy period.

The #AsSheIs Challenge has swept Instagram by storm through the Miss Universe/Miss USA Organization, sharing the Live Life Unfiltered initiative. The “challenge” is to empower women to be as they are. As many of us have read, social media is linked to a significant increase in depression, suicide, anxiety, and body image issues. The mission of #AsSheIs is to remind women that we all have insecurities and bad days, despite what Instagram may portray.

Currently I am taking a sex , gender and culture course in university and I had a male in my class say that , in the case of the 12 year old girl who was raped and became pregnant That she should not be allowed to have an abortion because the rapist has owned up to his actions, and willing to parent the child once let out of prison ... that maybe if she was on birth control she could have prevented it . Prevented what? Are you fucking kidding me ? She could have prevented being raped? really ? You’ve got to be fucking kidding me

A 19 year old British woman has been found guilty of causing public mischief in Cyprus for alleging she was gang-raped by 12 Israeli youths aged between 15 and 18 in a hotel in Ayia Napa, Cyprus. The woman had claimed that on 17 July she was attacked and raped but 10 days later the police arrested her after she retracted her statement. This was all done without the woman having been allowed any legal representation and she was coerced into making the statement, she didn’t even have a translator and was suffering from PTSD.

TRIGGER WARNING: This is obviously a very sensitive topic and it should never be taken lightly. My purpose in writing this is to help those close to victims understand the difficulties that lead up to and follow after reporting abuse. If you are a victim and you're reading this, my heart is with you. You are not powerless. You are not alone and I hope the following helps you understand your thoughts and feelings about the situation you are in.

I remember looking at myself in the mirror when I was a kid and thinking how ugly I was and how I couldn’t wait to be able to afford plastic surgery.

In recent years, there has been a surge of female empowerment and girl boss-style advertising campaigns. The world is marching forward and media is becoming increasingly open to positioning women as leaders of that march.

She Ain’t Pretty (Thank god)

I don't know what else to do with all of this. These emotions are so overwhelming that it feels like a weight on my chest. Trying to keep a smile on my face in front of my friends and family is very taxing. Sometimes i feel like screaming just to see if that would help. Things at my job of become harder to focus on because I can't stop thinking about how i feel so alone. You might be wondering why i feel this way, what is the reason for me to have this much going on. Well i will tell you. My name is Zeek Taylor, don't ask me why a girl has the name Zeek I think my parents thought I was a boy, anyway, I am 26 years old and I work as a retail sales associate. Well now that you know who I am, I will tell you how everything began. When i was 18 years old, I met this guy who was very handsome and charming. We began to talk as friends an then i began to want more from him. I was still young but old enough to understand how relationships worked. Oh did i mention that i was a virgin also? No? Oh well, there you go. Moving on, I began to start falling in love with him, he was showing me new things and being so kind a loving. Three months into our relationship i decided to take the plunge and ask him to take my V-card. I was excited when he told me he would be honored because he loves me. Well you can imagine i was on cloud 9 right? So one night i snuck out to go meet him, He was in his nice fancy car sitting right out front my house waiting for me. I felt so special, He was being very attentive to my feelings of nervousness and acknowledging that i was terrified. So in order to help me relax he took me to a hotel just so we can have our own privacy with no interruptions at all. Oh! I forgot to tell you guys abut him. Pause a moment and let me tell you. His name was Damien George. He was 21 at the time of us meeting, he worked at another retail store in the same mall that I worked at so i would see him around but not very often, like maybe every month or so. But one day he came into my store and introduces himself to me. You can imagine the rest his history. Well he lived with his parents which i can seriously relate to. But fast forward to the hotel, he had bought chocolates and my fave white roses, it was perfect, it helped me relax and get comfortable more. So as the night went on he began slowly, coaxing me to want him to touch me more. I wanted him to just get it over with to be honest, I wanted to do nothing but be in his arms and belong to no one but him. So i took the first step and kissed him. He did all the rest. By the time all our clothes were off he dawned a condom and said to me "I don't want anything to ruin this moment with you so it better to be protected." I agreed. I watched as he put the condom on and began to get a little nervous. He noticed and came down on top of me kissing me, whispering to me how beautiful i am taking my mind off of everything, and at that moment i felt it. The tip of his penis begins to enter me slowly. It started off okay, but then it grew very painful. I bit my lip to keep from crying and tried to breath through it. i took everything in me not to push him off and run, but then, everything began to start feeling better, still sore, but, good. Before i knew it i was getting lost in him and the feel of our love making. His pace began to quicken and I didn't know why. I asked him to slow down as it was still sore for me, he didn't slow down. Next he pulls out and flips me onto my stomach, I didn't know what was going on but i stayed still. This time he entered me from behind, but something felt off, i didn't feel that rubber latex feel as he began again. I asked him if he still had the condom on, he didn't answer. I tried to pull away just to see if he had it on, but he pinned me down to the bed with his full weight, wrapped both hands around my neck from behind and says, "You will shut the fuck up, don't move and take this dick or you will regret it." At that moment i realized something was seriously wrong. I tried to wiggle to get him off of me but it didn't work, "Stop fucking moving or i will hit you, you little bitch." Now at this point i was terrified. I began to kick and flail to get him off of me. His hands tighten around my neck and I can't breathe. I start to claw at his hands to try and get them off, and then he just..... stops. He grunts and pulls my hair and whispers into my ear, " Tell anyone and i will make sure no one believes a word you say. Who the hell is going to believe a whore like you anyway, stupid bitch." I was shattered. This was the man I thought i was going to be in a serious relationship with. I trusted him enough to give him my first time. I tried to fight him off of me when i became uncomfortable but he didn't stop. Now what am i supposed to do? I laid there crying my eyes out. He comes back to the bed, roughly pulls me by my arm and punches me in the face. I saw spots and lights dancing before my very eyes. The last thing i remember from that night is the feeling of disgust of have from trusting a man that raped me. How am I going to tell anyone? I gave him a yes to having sex with me but in the end it turned violent. As i cry my eyes out walking home at 5am i realized that i have just been played, my first experience turned into a nightmare. How can I trust any man after this? Months pass by and i noticed i started to gain weight. I make a doctors appointment to figure out how come i'm gaining so much weight and how come my period never came. My mom would tell me maybe its because of stress from work, and i agreed with her, so i made an appointment with my OBGYN. There she asks me a lot of questions, some i didn't know how to answer. She later tells the nurse she needs a urine sample from me and to get me ready for an ultrasound. I'm completely confused at this point but if it will help me figure out whats going on then so be it. After peeing in a cup and getting back in the room, I'm instructed to lift my shirt up to my breast, so i do. The doctor returns and tells me she is going to check on an idea she has that could give me all the answers i need. As i'm laying there she squeezes this very cold gel like stuff onto my stomach and takes the ultrasound doohickey and begins moving it around onto my belly. She then smiles at me and says "congratulations Ms. Taylor, you're going to be a mommy."

That time of the month can be sometimes be unpleasant, to say the least. From exhaustion to cramps and cravings, there can be many things that can make it difficult to deal with. However, that doesn't mean that there aren't things you can do to try to improve the situation. If you find yourself dreading your period, here are a few things to try that might make it a little more bearable.

June 6th 2016,

As you read the tales of the Japanese culture on geishas, you are taken on a self-identity journey. This era of Japan is where entertainment and a patriarchal society begin to go hand in hand. This book imprinted on all its international readers because it touched every culture controversy that made outsiders raise their eyes. In the told tale you find themes of sex taboos, foot-binding, child neglect, adaptation, and perfectionism in outstanding reach. These events being true and someone actually living through them evokes a greater amount of emotion. Some chapters are more heart-wrenching than others. The journey begins with the passing of the mother; Chiyo is the main character and she is sold to a geisha house by her father.

Priya’s Shakti, a superheroine online comic from India, stands out in the world because of its impact. UN Women named her a Gender Equity Champion. It’s the first comic of its time to confront teenagers with the reality of sexual violence. This free comic is available online, translated into many languages and adapted into many formats at https://www.priyashakti.com .

A few years ago it came to our attention that female statues of actual, real women who lived (have a name and birth date) were underrepresented compared to the men. The media coverage seem to be focused on New York City. I started researching the entire United States to see how many I could actually find.

Amanta Krasniqi always felt compelled to compete in a beauty pageant but lacked the nerve to actually give it a go. Her time finally arriving, the Yorktown native has signed up for the 2020 Miss New York USA Pageant and has drawn courage from a women she has long adored. “Her body wasn’t skinny. She had curves. That’s how you're supposed to have confidence in yourself, said Krasniqi of Marilyn Monroe, and therein lies what really drives her to represent New York for the town of Yorktown.

The challenge of entering the corporate world presents unique challenges for women. Here are three areas of concern for females going into the world of work - whether in their 20's or 50's - and expert advice on how to not just survive, but thrive in today's environment.

This is a man’s world, sang James Brown more than half a decade ago.

A bare stage. Slowly, a single pool of light to the far left side lights up. It is a perfect circle. Gradually, the intensity of the light brightens, threatening to blind us for a moment until it dims down to tolerance. We wait for a minute until a second pool of light comes up in line with the first on the right side of the stage. This does the same as the first light, brightening with much intensity but then returns to tolerance. Finally, the last pool of light glows in between the others far upstage and center, to reveal the silhouette of A NAKED MAN standing in a tub of water. His back is turned to us. The NAKED MAN can be a father, a brother, a lover, a rapist, or a photographer. We don’t know. What we do know is that the light he is in doesn’t get brighter. It just obeys the laws of darkness, and is barely lit, leaving the man in an uncomfortable night. From stage left, A GIRL walks in backwards, holding an empty leash in her left hand and a basket in the other. She seems to be looking for something, or searching for someone—perhaps the animal that belongs on the leash, or the food that belongs in the basket. This too, we do not know. What we do know is that the basket is white, and the leash is white with red. Both were made to be white, but a crimson design lives on the collar of the leash. The crimson is blood. A GIRL steps into the first stage left pool of light, and blinks eight times in an attempt to clear her vision. She inhales deeply. The sound of her inhale is magnified, and the tiny breath can be heard from six directions. A DRUNK enters from upstage, passes the NAKED MAN, and joins the GIRL, dressed in an elegant evening gown made of green silk. Her wet hair hangs on her cheeks, and she appears to be very pregnant, stretching the delicate fabric too thin around her swollen belly. The two speak.

There have been a lot of articles saying that woman collect DNA from every man they ever slept with (even in their brain), all of these articles seemed to be case off of one study which... isn't exactly about what I thought it would. For one, the study does not once mention sexual intercourse as a potential reason why woman may carry 'male' cells. If anything, the study suggests that these 'male' cells are from their sons. Yes, sons! Mothers who have carried baby boys for nine months. Another theory mentioned that these 'male' cells came from an older brother, which they also while they were still in the womb. So... NO! These stories about gaining DNA from every man you have had sex with is still yet another mis-use and inaccurate use of scientific research targeting woman with a sexuality because... sexism!

We all want to believe that a rapist is an undeniable monster. A person who is so easy to pick out in the crowd for being an undeniable creep. They are that stranger in the dark alley or lurking in the bushes. Some despicable man with no semblance of soul or care for other human beings that lives to attack women because he couldn't be with a woman otherwise.

So, what exactly is neoliberal feminism? It is in fact the convergence of neoliberalism, feminism and capitalism ideologies. Neoliberal capitalism’s colonisation of the feminist movement has seen a new individualised mode of feminism where previous solidarity has replaced by individualism. The emphasis is no longer on a work to effect change for all women, but neoliberal feminism is beneficial to an elite minority who are unaware of the barriers working class and privileged enough to believe that even under current patriarchal structures, anything is possible for women,

There are women who love the women, but love the men more. They seem consoling and balletic, but are mask-less spectators proffering a speech about a pseudo notion of love towards women, while honoring men who cross-question the necessities of the same women they will forever claim they love. These women will conceal their emotions indicating any support for the woman with a past and a confession. Her confessions lie within the constructs of being believed and being somewhat forgiven by the women who needed her to retire from stories of abuse.

It’s no secret that "feminism" is something of a dirty word to a lot of people, to the point that “feminist” can be considered an insult (Waugh 2015). But where does this come from? Is the movement that started with women getting the right to vote (Ruiz) and progressed into fighting against environmental destruction (We Rise; Kapoor 2015; Ruiz), capitalist oppression (We Rise; Red Letter Press 2007; Kapoor 2015; Ruiz), and racism (We Rise; IWDA 2018) really such a terrible thing?

If you’ve been following the Johnny Depp and Amber Heard drama since it started back in 2016, you might have noticed the mass of conflicting stories that have been circulating. It really has become a he said/she said situation and quite frankly, it isn’t looking good for Heard. Now if you’re sitting there thinking “wait, what happened?” That’s why I’m here cause apparently, news outlets just don’t seem to care when it’s a man who is abused.

It's funny how the beliefs and values of our previous generations still make themselves present in the modern world where the world is your oyster and information is easily accessible at your fingertips. I mean, computers in your pocket? Who would've guessed this could be possible back in the 80's! Anyone can educate themselves about anything they want at any point in time now. Still, the idea of being a single woman over the age of 30 is looked at as a bit of a shame and there are so many sympathetic onlookers willing to give you a helping hand in finding you a mate...you poor thing, you!

Being a woman sucks, plain and fucking simple. Times have changed but not enough. Women are still the minority in this world. It goes men, children, the elderly, animals and then women. We come fucking last always, no matter what. This world is cruel and not made to have women in power.

The world has changed, but not yet for the best, especially for women. Though the condition is now much better than it was centuries ago, we are still far from our goal of equality between men and women. There is absolutely no reason for women to die at the rate they are dying today.

Hopefully you read my previous post on stopping the contraceptive pill, but if not here is a quick recap; it's bad for you and I hate it.

The most sensitive part of a woman's body is also the most ignored part in the current life style when it comes to personal hygiene. Most of the women pretend to be unaffected and hide issues that they are facing in and around their vagina, but often faces serious issues in their later stages.

The world has seen a lot of incredible woman with fascinating stories who have, unfortunately, been mostly left behind by history. Or at least by the history we’re taught.

Women have been fighting for equality in the United States since day one. Slowly, women are making progress. There is one segment of society in which very little progress has been made. We still do not honor women the same way we do men.

This Changes Everything is new in theatres and should be required viewing for all women, girls, and anyone in the entertainment industry. Tom Donahue's discussion of the lack of female representation behind the camera is well-structured, compelling, clear, and concise. Though it doesn't necessarily tell us anything we haven't been hearing for years, it’s (hopefully) still enough to get people listening. It reiterates that men outnumber women in film in almost every department and, while the Me Too movement has pulled many peoples' heads out of their asses, we still have a long way to go before the representation on a film set matches the demographics that represent our society.

About a year ago I decided to tackle my menstrustral cycle waste head on and be done with it, period. (yes, pun intended, lol). I have never been a fan, since the first day I discovered those pesky feminine products, of the waste I was producing every month and the health warnings that came with them. My monthly flow served with the potential side of Toxic Shock Syndrome was not appealing in the least. Which made my first menstrual cycle (and every one after that) more frustrated, anxious and guilty.

Pissed off and in pain.

The birth control patch is one method of birth control that uses a release of hormones to prevent pregnancy. It is a beige patch that is stuck to the skin. The user wears the patch for a week before replacing it with a new patch. This is done for three weeks in a row and then a week break is taken for menstruation.

The first time I allowed someone to do what this person did to me, I was shocked. It opened my eyes to something I clearly knew plenty about, but didn't understand until it happened to me. The fact that someone could have so much control over another person's life made it seem less real and more surreal. Hearing about situations like this would make me furious towards the victim. Just leave the person, how hard is that?

It's a sad day when you have to admit to yourself that a home, is not a home anymore. When you can't remember when it ever felt like one. This revelation can take you away from the prison you're in, and make you wonder how you ever ended up inside of it in the first place. I never really knew why he liked to stay with her, it was always something of a mystery in my mind. I think it was a mystery for him, too. But the fact that he had already had one once over, this time around being his second chance - and if, in his words, they divorced then - he'd never find anyone else again. That he would live the rest of his life for him. This was his one chance in his mind. I wish he could get out of it.

I am only a woman who has temporarily set her life aside to reflect on my personal experiences and ideas to share what I feel would inspire you to master your power. My motive is simply to aid you to tap into the source of your immeasurable creativity and sexuality to bring more joy and satisfaction into your everyday life. I have no intention to formulate a step by step guideline; because I believe happiness is prompted through inspiration rather than instruction.