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Passing this along... The deadline is fast approaching, so write speedily!

Call for Papers: Feminism, Fashion and Flair: Confronting Hegemony with Style (Deadline: 9/15/08)

We are soliciting essays for an anthology on gender politics and pop culture trends. We’re looking for intellectual depth, political passion, and writing that snaps..

So by now we all know the basics about Sarah Palin, first-term governor of Alaska and John McCain's utterly transparent pick for running mate: She's a self-described "hockey mom," an avid proponent of drilling in Alaska and an equally avid opponent of abortion and gay-marriage rights. (She's also so unknown as a politician that Fox News has repeatedly been referring to her as "Susan" Palin—though admittedly, getting facts right has never been the forte of that particular outlet, has it?)

Um, have you seen this one? It's a video game called Cunt.  

Long before I was aware of concepts like oppression and feminism, I learned about animal rights. 

It started as love. I've had a deep love for animals for as long as I can remember, often preferring their company to that of humans. Growing up I could spend hours -- probably days -- sitting in the cornfields talking to mice, playing in the snow with my dog, or visiting the toads and turtles near my grandparents' summer trailer.

Thanks to the wonderful Adele Nieves at A Book Without a Cover for sharing the news about the Adipositivity Project.

The Adipositivity Project aims to promote size acceptance, not by listing the merits of big people, or detailing examples of excellence (these things are easily seen all around us), but rather, through a visual display of fat physicality. The sort that's normally unseen.

The hope is to widen definitions of physical beauty. Literally.

Let me preface this by saying, that I don't believe this phenomenon is revolutionary or even very subversive in terms of gender-bending. But it IS a trend I've noticed, and one I can't help but enjoy.

Men have been donning this upper-lip facial hair for a long time, of course. It was a victorian trend, it was a 70's trend and now it looks to be a 2000's trend. But beyond the male moustache resurgance, I've notice a trend by those of us with the double x chromosome make-up. Nowadays fake eyelashes aren't the only false facial hair women are taking advantage of. Plenty are having fun with the contrast of a traditionally femme appearance in contrast with a striking patch of hair on the lip.

The first time I became aware of this trend was at a New Year's Eve party last year. Someone showed up with a package of fake moustaches and the ladies in attendance went nuts. They were wearing them all night (crooked by end) and everyone looked decidedly cute with their added facial hair. 

Another amazingly articulate, thoughtful, critical analysis of "feminism" by Jess Hoffmann... Here's a snippet, but please please go read the rest.  

I see a lot of people who say they believe in “intersectionality” talk about it kind of like this: Since some women are people of color, and some women are poor, and some women are queer, it’s important for feminism to take an intersectional approach that recognizes the way some women experience sexism and racism, or sexism and economic exploitation, or sexism and homophobia, or other such combinations. And then maybe they’ll go a step further, and say something about how, for women of color, sexism and racism aren’t just two separate forms of oppression experienced simultaneously, but are intertwined in really complicated ways. So, a lot of self-identified supporters of intersectionality will say, if feminism is going to be a movement by and for all women, it needs to look at how all forms of oppression, not just sexism, play out in different women’s lives. And I think that’s all true and good.