For when you have more emotions than even Facebook lets you convey.

Image via Runway News

1. Fifth Grade Fashion Designer Reigns at NYFW.

There is nothing “Iffy” about the badassery of 10-year-old Egypt “Ify” Ufele, a fifth grader from Queens, NY (where else would a queen like this hail from?) who started her own clothing line called ChubiiLine. Ify was bullied at school about her body type, and channeled her pain into fashion excellence. Her clothes were featured last week at Small Boutique Fashion Week in NYC and Atlanta, and are designed to be worn by pretty much anybody--despite size, gender, or age. As of now, the clothes are only for sale online (a model we like, totally support btw lol), but honestly, what better way to spend your money than by supporting young, black, female brilliance and resilience in the face of cruelty and adversity?? Once we recover from being glass cases of emotion, our first stop will definitely be at Chubiiline. Need more fun, feminist fashion news? Check this out.

2. Gaza Women Break the Chain of Sexism.

Who has two thumbs, some fly wheels, and a revolutionary spirit? If you were thinking Stuart Little, you’re not wrong--but add a few fearless Palestinian women to that list, while you’re at it! There maaaaay be a mini movement (in more ways than one) brewing among Gaza biker gals who are challenging a decades-old Hamas-ian rule meant to keep adult women from practicing sports in public. In particular, cycling is off-limits because of its provocative nature (??) and the possibility of showing skin with each full rotation of the wheels. Tired of this ridiculous rule, Amna Suleiman and a small group of other free-spirited spin-sters (spin sisters?) have taken their bikes to the streets, determined to bring a sense of levity and charming rebellion to a region that has beared witness to some of the longest-standing violence and destruction in history. Look, ma! No hands, or oppressive patriarchal domination!     

3. Kesha Endures Abuse Within the Legal System.

Everyone knows the “golden rule”; the one unifying concept between the playground and adult civil society; the old adage we all recite with confidence: “Treat Corporations The Way You Want To Be Treated.” In particular, the American legal system exhibits a profound understanding of the concept--unless, of course, you were to swap the word “corporation” for “woman,” in which case the system would probs say something like, “Treat Women The Way Legal Pawns Would Want To Be Treated If Only They Had The Capacity To ‘Want,’ Seeing As They Are Inanimate And Unfeeling Objects.” Lol, too harsh? Nah, because here’s the thing: singer and pop icon Kesha, famous for her party anthems of a by-gone (high school gym) era, has found herself utterly trapped in a contract with Sony, and a music producer who has allegedly been sexually abusing her for almost a decade. When Kesha and her legal team sued for the contract to be broken while the assault allegations are being settled, the ruling basically stated that the company (Sony) would face ‘irreparable harm’ if they had to sever that valuable contract--never mind the harm that Kesha would endure under the duress of reliving her trauma at work--and thus, the contract shall stay intact. For many, this case is a wake-up call that our people, specifically women, are valued less as human beings than corporations are. Read more of our thoughts, and propose solutions, here.

4. Kasich Signs Away State Funding for PP in Ohio.

Pour one out for the fallen homies, the most recent of whom is the entire state of Ohio. Here’s what happened: their governor John Kasich (New Hampshire’s #2 GOP Presidential pick, BTW) just signed away state funding of “any entity that performs or promotes nontherapeutic abortions.” The hardest hit victim of these $1.3 million budget slashes will inevitably be Planned Parenthood, an organization, as we know, that provides vital women’s health services--97% of which are non-abortion-related, including cancer screenings, STD testing, anti-sexual assault education, etc. Not only is legislation like this incredibly insulting, but it’s beginning to feel a little too familiar. If you thought you could get away with not voting in this upcoming election, you may wanna cancel that spa day you had planned for November 8th and save it for another time (because, like, definitely do not miss a chance to #treatyoself either!). Your uterus will thank you for your vote.

5. Third Chinese Province Considers 'Menstrual Leave.'

Period pain has seen a lil news bump over these past couple weeks, helped in large part by Lena Dunham who has opened up about her endometriosis so severe that she has to take significant time off of work. Another story arose this past week, when it was announced that a third Chinese province is considering joining some regional countries like Japan in offering women two days of work leave each month to deal with excessive period-related pain. Anhui would be China’s third province to adopt “menstrual leave,” alongside Shanxi and Hubei. Certain experts and Chinese feminists worry that this policy may backfire, and serve to handicap women seeking specific jobs, and suggest tweaking the legislation so that it only applies to women in specific, labor-intensive industries such as assembly line workers and street sweepers--women who tend to be migrant workers. Either way, we love to see period talk making global news headlines!

BONUS: "Why I Can't Stop Won't Stop Watching The Bachelor"

by Team Thinx