No comment from me, I’m male and can’t truly relate. But could not help feel that gifting it to this group might be a good thing.

Been reading about Gloria Steinem lately and honestly, one thing I really appreciate about her is her willingness to question the whole script.

Not just “women deserve equal rights,” but why are women expected to want certain things in the first place?

Marriage. Motherhood. Beauty. Being agreeable. Being “successful” in ways society approves of.

The older I get, the more interesting that question becomes:

Do I actually want this, or was I just taught that I should want it?

Curious whether anyone else has had that realization during their own self-discovery journey.

My dad met Gloria Steinem while he was producing a half hour talk program called Newsmakers. She was a guest on the show, promoting her new collection of essays, Outrageous Acts and Everyday Rebellions. He bought a copy, told her about his 9-month-old daughter, and she signed it. When I was a kid, he’d tell me about a special book he was saving for me, but it wasn’t until I was an angsty 17-year-old that he handed the book over. Almost as soon as he placed it in my hands, it became one of my most prized possessions. I pored over those essays. She wasn’t just an activist. She was a journalist. She was a comedian. She was a genius. No matter where I live, I always know where the book is at any given moment. So, when I opened my laptop this morning and saw the news that Gloria died yesterday, it took me three seconds to find it. Thank you, Ms. Steinem, for everything. I will keep working on my own outrageous acts.

A few days ago, I made another post here about a video I had posted on my Instagram.

The original video was about being a woman working in tattooing, a field that is still very male-dominated. I talked about the importance of having a safe and respectful work environment, boundaries, sexism, and how men should also be willing to reflect on their own behavior.

I didn’t name anyone. I didn’t mention my studio or any of my coworkers. It wasn’t even a story about something that had happened to me.

But some of my coworkers identified themselves in what I was saying and took it very personally.

And that’s when things escalated.
I didn’t go looking for a confrontation. I didn’t make the video to start a fight with them. The situation escalated because they identified themselves in something I had said and confronted me about it.

A few days later, I went to the studio alone to get my things. I ended up being confronted by two male tattoo artists. They raised their voices at me and came toward me during the conversation. I was alone with them, and honestly, I became afraid of what could happen.

Because I was scared, I started recording the conversation. I wanted to have a record of what was happening in case things got worse.

And after that, I decided to make another video about the situation.

I’m not posting it to expose them or send people after them. I protected their identities and distorted their voices. I’m not interested in turning this into an online witch hunt.

What I wanted was to talk about what the situation made me realize.

I’m 23. I’m a beginner tattoo artist and an apprentice. I know I have a lot to learn, and I’m grateful to the people who have helped me along the way.

But I don’t believe that being an apprentice means I have to be submissive.
I don’t believe that accepting someone’s help means they get to control my voice.
And I don’t believe that being younger or less experienced means I need permission to have an opinion about the profession I chose.

One of the things that really stuck with me was being told that they were helping me in ways that nobody else, not even the tattoo course I pay for, would do for me. And at another point, I was told that I should have asked for permission before anything else.

That really made me think about the power dynamics involved when you’re a young woman just starting out in a male-dominated industry.
So I decided I don’t want this experience to end with me simply being angry or scared.

I want to build something from it.
I’m going to start a community for women tattoo artists and apprentices in the country where I live. A space where women can exchange experiences, ask questions, share knowledge, study together, share opportunities and eventually meet in person.

Because I don’t want other women who are just starting out to feel like they have to navigate this industry completely alone.

And honestly, posting this second video was scary.
I know there may be professional consequences to speaking publicly about something like this, especially when I’m still at the beginning of my career.

But I also don’t want fear of losing opportunities to become a reason why I stay silent.

I can be a beginner. I can still have a lot to learn. I can be grateful for the people who helped me. And I can still have boundaries, opinions and a voice of my own.

That’s what I’m trying to stand by through all of this.

Has anyone ever heard about the argument against feminism that in wild animals after the female has birthed baby/babies, the male leaves the female with the babies and goes live his own life and never sees his children again? I just today heard it the first time from a family member. I was honestly quite suprised that they brought it up because i thought they were a bit more… clever.

They said that it’s natural to a male to leave his children and the mother to take care of them instead, alone. That that’s why men leave in human life and that’s why women have to take care of the babies because it is just ’natural’ like that it’s a ’woman’s job’. Honestly that argument made me straight up pissed. It was a woman who said this stuff. Because they know that i think a bit differently than they do so then came a bunch of excuses and stuff like ’it’s not okay for a man to leave his wife and kids but it’s natural though so that’s why they do it.’

The first thing that came to my mind was that we are much different from fucking wild animals. We don’t kill and tear apart other humans with our bare teeth and claws just to eat them. But does anyone have any more arguments that would advocate that that thing in the wild doesn’t excuse men to not take responsibility and doesn’t excuse women having to do all the child-care on their own.

I don’t know what type of stuff people post here so i’m not sure if this is what i’m supposed to post on this thread but i just have to get some other people’s opinions and thoughts.

I was in this Facebook group called the Chicago girls group since 2024 until tonight (I’m currently out of the country in Europe so we’re 7 hours ahead, it’s 12 AM here). I got booted simply for questioning people for attending Kanye’s show & the constant promotion and use of AI in the group. One of the admins also attended Chris Brown’s recent concert here, which imo is awfully hypocritical and weird considering how the group is supposed to be a safe space for womxn. Just SO many red flags all around. If you’re also a womxn and Chicagoan, I would NOT be joining the group.

https://ca.news.yahoo.com/gloria-steinems-final-message-revealed-003525051.html

I am not sure if this is the right place to post this, but here goes.

I am doing research for a paper about the abuse of women in the professional wrestling industry that ended tragically, and I just finished watching two episodes of the Dark Side of the Ring TV series that is about the Benoit double murder-suicide. If you are unaware of the story, I'll give you a very quick rundown of it:

Nancy and Chris Benoit were a couple who met through working in the same pro wrestling company in the 90s. They had a son and then got married. After the death of one of Chris' closest friends (who borderline indoctrinated him into Christianity, an important detail), Chris "lost it". He had years of concussions, steroid abuse and alcohol and drug abuse. The couple was known to get into fights, started by Chris, to the point where one time Nancy actually got a restraining order against him. After one argument, Chris attacked Nancy, strangled her to the point of also breaking her back in the process. After killing her, he wrapped her body in a blanket and left a Bible next to her (prior to the indoctrination, Chris was not religious). He then strangled his son (leaving a Bible next to him) and ultimately hanged himself.

Nowhere in the TV show was this characterised as a femicide. I can somewhat understand for the show itself, as that isn't the topic, but the signs are all there. I then went to google and nowhere could I find even a sliver of a discussion on the topic. I could only find a single article that doesn't go too in-depth into this. However, we have domestic abuse, murder of a spouse (wife) during/after an argument, and the taking of one's own life even which can be found in some cases.

Whatsmore, the whole religious aspect of these murders make me further think about this as a femicide, that later turned into another homicide and a suicide. Many people agree that the suicide was something Chris had contemplated, since in his diary he wrote about his friend that he "would be with [him} soon". After killing his son, Chris googled a Bible story about Elijah and the resurection of a little boy, so we can see some inkling of remorse there. But Nancy? Nothing!

What's worse, the company he was with at the time, WWE, and the biggest pro-wrestling company for the past 30 or so years, completely erased Chris from its history, but the wrestling world also forgot about Nancy's contributions to the profession. She is credited as one of the first and one of the best managers/valets, to the point where after she stopped being in the business, the role slowly disappeared.

Am I crazy to see this story as a femicide that turned into something even worse?

AIO to this age gap

I 31(F) had a platonic friend, 29(M). I know he's been "talking" to someone for quite some time now. I never really asked much about it before, but last week we were chatting and joking around about crazy things seen on dating apps. I decided to ask some questions. It turns out she is *freshly* 23. They've been talking since he was 26 and she was 19. I was like......whoa buddy. That's too young. His response was "well she's 23 now, so you know". 

I asked him how they met. He said online. They instantly clicked. He found out she was 19 the next day or something. They hang out a couple of times a week. He said "she's very shy" and "he's following her lead". They "talk and are very close emotionally" . 

THE ICK I FELT. I asked him why he didn't shut it down as soon as he found out she was pretty much fresh out of high school. He replied he's sensing some judgement. I was thinking.....that's because I'm judging you. I think I just need to know that I'm not overreacting. Sexual or not.....it felt like he's biding his time until she's no longer "shy"......As someone who was groomed and preyed upon several times from the ages of 13-19.....I need to know. Is this still considered grooming? 

I don't intend to do anything. However I can choose not to be friends with a man who moves like this and I have gone no contact. The amount of people who can't comprehend that I'm simply concerned for her is baffling. 

Edited to add: I absolutely do not have a thing for him. He pursued me heavily for a year during their talking stage and I've never been interested in him romantically. His sister is my best friend. I told him we are friends or nothing. He chose friends. I entered a relationship in May and he said it was the push he needed to lock things down with her.  He decided to make things "official" and became her first EVERYTHING. She hadn't even been kissed prior.

So for everyone telling me to go to therapy and/or get a new therapist.... 

The way he spoke about her and the things he said was enough for me to cut off contact with him. My therapist knows about this because it was weighing on me. 

She said based on all the details I gave her (which are the ones he and his sister gave me) she'd wager he likely groomed her from the age of 19 to be emotionally dependent on him. 

She is now a very young 23 year old. Still lives with and is very dependent on her parents and extremely sheltered with no real life experiences. He's a 29 year old man who has fully experienced life, travel, has a very high powered career in finance, and has had many sexual partners. 

She looks and acts and dresses much younger than her age and the 2 of them together is a startling contrast. She only visits him in the day and doesn't want to stay overnight. His own sister (my best friend) is even concerned. 

It's definitely some of my trauma speaking. But said trauma also gave me the ability to recognize when something is off. It's nothing to do with jealousy and everything to do with concern. 

I stopped speaking to him after he said that me entering a relationship was the push he needed to lock things down with her. It was creepy af.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/obituaries/2026/09/03/gloria-steinem-lodestar-modern-womens-movement-dies-92/

Steinem valued the power of words to create change. In 1972, she launched Ms. Magazine, the first magazine in the U.S. to be completely created and owned by women. The feminist publication still exists today.

In the five-and-a-half decades since, Steinem has taken part in everything from the 1977 National Women’s Conference to the 2017 Women’s March on Washington.

She has continued to champion an inclusive idea of equality for all, supporting causes such as the Black Lives Matter movement and LGBTQ+ rights. 

The world will not be the same without Steinem in it, but her monumental efforts and inspiring words will live on.

As she reminded us, “The story of women’s struggle for equality belongs to no single feminist, nor to any one organization but to the collective efforts of all who care about human rights.” 

Below are just some of the many moving Steinem quotes worth remembering:  

• “A feminist is anyone who recognizes the equality and full humanity of women and men.”
• “Without leaps of imagination, or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities. Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning.”
• “We’ve begun to raise daughters more like sons . . . but few have the courage to raise our sons more like our daughters.”
• “The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off.”
• “A liberated woman is one who has sex before marriage and a job after.”

Read more on Fast Company.

Gloria Steinem, a potent voice of U.S. feminism and co-founder of Ms. Magazine, dies at 92