Image by Gage Skidmore

1. HRC Reminds Us That Women Are Tougher Than You Think.

If we’ve learned anything the past couple of weeks it’s that women manage to push (literally) through some incredibly painful, body-harming shit on a daily basis, and still manage to sparkle. Whether it’s the excruciating pain and deafening silence surrounding the uterine condition of endometriosis, or the general cramps and dysphoria of a monthly period, or going back to work a week after squeezing a human out of your genitals, or the pressure to continue vying to rule the free world under the obstacle of pneumonia, women are toughER than balls (sorry Liz Meriwether--y’all should know by now that balls are weak as hell). For example, after campaigning the *hardest* for all these months, queenly 68-year-old Hillary Clinton was recently diagnosed with pneumonia, and decided to cut short just one of her many campaign events to get even just a little rest. Unsurprisingly, the country erupted with questions about her ability to lead, her supposed weakness as a candidate and a woman, and her general frailty. Meanwhile, every woman ever took a moment to sit back and laugh before we continued to walk a mile in Hillary’s spiky high heels.

2. UNC Mishandles Sexual Assault Case.

Many women are criticized by rape apologists if they survive their attack and don’t immediately take their story of sexual assault to the police. While that approach is super cute--thanks for the reminder, Kurt--it’s unfair on just about every level. This week, we were reminded of the familiar pattern of reporting one’s campus sexual assault to the authorities, and even *then* feeling entirely unheard, humiliated, and endangered; not to mention the stress of seeing no changes on campus, and continually running into one’s rapist at school. Delaney Robinson, a brave University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill sophomore, is speaking out about the mishandling of her case after she reported a junior football player who allegedly raped her last Valentine’s Day. Not only was she put through the classic “what were you wearing/how much did you drink?” routine from the hospital (where she went directly after the alleged assault), but she also heard police officers laugh with her alleged rapist, assuring him not to “sweat it” (“it” of course being the crime of raping an intoxicated classmate of his. Haha! Camaraderie is gr8). Robinson’s abuser turned himself in this week on misdemeanor assault charges, and was released on a $5,000 unsecured bond. Though he has seen no discipline from the school, he was indefinitely suspended from the football team, which is more than we can expect in most cases of campus sexual assault (probs because he isn’t white). But nah, what rape culture, amirite??

3. Brown University Provides Free Menstrual Supplies.

This is my official motion to change the name to Pink University instead of Brown, as the Rhode Island Ivy has begun to offer free tampons and pads in all of its non-residential buildings on campus (including men’s rooms). Viet Nguyen, student council president, spoke to some major news sources about the importance of inclusivity when dealing with periods, ensuring that all bathrooms were stocked with supplies and not simply women’s bathrooms. As many of you know, periods provide and interesting space where people can meaningfully engage with the intersecting oppression of trans men and cis-women. Overall, the school has taken to the update with all-around positivity. This one is a #success.

Miss-Me-Nots

1. Team THINX tried our hand at a grown-up fashion show for NYFW! Intersection explored the many faces of feminism, and the many puns for mixed drink titles. Check it out!

2. Gabrielle Union has something to say about rape culture, and you probably want to hear it.

3. The Obama legacy is more than just his friendship with Beyoncé and Jay-Z (not that it needed to be).

by Team Thinx