Signs of progress!
You've heard me talk about the Advocates for Human Rights before, right? They love to get their hands dirty and attack the tough issues at the policy level.That's why they're fighting to move sex trafficking to the sex offender grid in Minnesota. If adopted by Minnesota, the changes would ensure that sex traffickers would be sentenced as sex offenders. The Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines Commission will meet on Dec. 10 of this year to make a decision on the issue.Click here for more info.

High School Yearbooks and Gender Performativity
Ceara Sturgis is a lesbian student at Wesson Attendance Center in Jackson, Mississippi. In addition to being gay, she chooses to express her gender in a traditionally masculine way. One example? She wears boys' clothing.At Wesson Attendance Center, students take yearbook pictures in formal attire- tuxes for boys, drapes for girls. Clearly, the high school imposes a strict gender dichotomy upon students; females are to present as women, and males are to present as men.Ceara Sturgis refuses to follow this tradition- she wants to wear a tux. Why can't she blur the gender lines a bit? School authorities won't allow her to appear in the yearbook unless she wears a dress.

Food AND Feminism: House Party for The Advoctes for Human Rights
Today I had the privilege of attending an open house fundraiser for The Advocates for Human Rights. The event featured State Representative Michael Paymar- a key player in the recent changes in sex trafficking laws- as the main speaker. Rep. Paymar also recently served an important role in the Battered Women's Justice Project.We listened to Rep. Paymar's inspiring speech- a call for further action- while sipping warm mulled cider from large mugs. Upon further exploration of the quaint buffet table, I discovered the most delicious artichoke dip I've ever tasted. Accented with black olives, it was the perfect combination of creamy and tangy.Overall, the afternoon prove

The Double-Daring Book for Girls
There has been a continued craze with The Dangerous Book for Boys series. Inside the first book were fun, constructive activities and lessons for young boys- how to build a tree house, how to tie a variety of useful knots, and short lessons on famous battles in history. The book was well received by parents and young boys alike.Ten months later, the publishers came out with an edition for young ladies- The Daring Book for Girls. Come on. Dangerous vs. Daring: which would you rather be? Shouldn't we be pushing girls more towards the dangerous end of the spectrum (and for that matter, bringing boys back toward daring

Ruben Rosario make a good point.
Read this, and remember..."...until women can move freely and think freely in their homes, on the streets, and in the workplace without the fear of violence, there can be no real freedom."