I came across an article online posted on Elite Daily. Author Alexia LaFata apparently thinks it is “completely okay to objectify men” because men are always the oppressors and women are always the oppressed. LaFata emphasizes on the existence of “the male gaze,” which is the idea that women are portrayed as sexual objects to satisfy a straight, male audience. Notice how I made the previous words bold and italicized, because LaFata just loves to stress on straightness and maleness.

When I began junior or high school in seventh grade, Carol was in the eight grade. She was a pretty girl, about 5”7 inches tall slender and popular. She had shoulder length blonde hair and hazel eyes and was a cheerleader. She was actually the captain of the group. Looking back I would say she resembled Marcia Brady from the television show The Brady Bunch, only a few inches taller. I would see her walking through the halls of school with her hair bouncing on her shoulders, often with an enterauge of other cheerleaders with her. I was a shy teen and would imagine what it must be like to be so pretty and popular.

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.

We are starting to learn much more about the impact of different types of drugs. In recent years, a lot of research has gone into the impacts of psychedelics on mental health. We have some solid research showing success in treating PTSD and depression with mushrooms.

When is it okay for consent to be withdrawn in a given situation? Is there a point of no return where a person must simply follow through? No matter who you speak to, everyone will have a different opinion about this aspect of consent. There are a lot of different opinions based on people's experiences and their upbringing, but the truth is that most people haven't really learned about consent. Most people have not taken the time to learn about and explore the topic. They feel they have a good understanding just because they have a basic understanding. Research actually shows that most people aren't able to correctly identify the finer points of consent. This is why it's important we continue to have the discussions exploring the different aspects of consent. So when can consent be withdrawn?

Either you’re going through it right now, you’ve already been through it, or you’re watching your daughter/sister/niece whoever go through it with popcorn at the ready, waiting to see what her next dramatic moment or meltdown is going to be.

“I’m a guy and I was raped; it’s that simple.”

The mystery as to why women hate other women has been in question for centuries. Women have always been fighting the same battle, and yet we continue to pull each other back while striving to reach the same goals. Why is this so? If women were to work together and lift each other up as opposed to hating one another, we would probably go much farther in the world at a much faster pace. The female gender could make strides like never before. So what gives?

Since I was a child, Ancient Egyptians have fascinated me. Their religious system alone could be turned into an incredible fantasy novel with barely any tweaking, and their insistence on decorating even the most simple jugs as if they were priceless artwork baffled my young self, having grown up in a culture that treats mobile phones as throwaway recyclables, but as I've grown older I've started finding different aspects of this ancient civilisation interesting.