I wonder if (and highly doubt) Apple realized the irony of censoring the word “vagina” out of the title of Naomi Wolf’s new book, Vagina: A New Biography.  The point of the book is to educate people about the vagina, and therefore about women – striving for a greater understanding and respect. And the title was clearly chosen at least in part to provoke and to de-stigmatize the perfectly harmless word that ... Read More

With 3 members of Pussy Riot on trial in Russia, Madonna is the latest celebrity to speak out in support of them, urging the Russian court not to condemn the trio to prison.  The women, all in their 20s, are on trial for performing a song in a Russian Orthodox church protesting Putin and his support by the church’s leaders-- particularly Patriarch Kirill. The rockers’ prosecutor asked for a three-year prison sentence, ... Read More

It looks like one boarding school on the other side of the pond is aiming to squash any and all signs of traditional femininity in its students. Just to be on the safe side, don’t plan on rocking anything above your ankle if you find yourself at Cheltenham Ladies’ College. The prestigious school for young women ages 11 to 18 opened in Gloucestershire, England, in 1854, and it seems Cheltenham would prefer to hold on to the dress ... Read More

Last November, atheist Egyptian blogger Aliaa Magda Elmahady posted a nude photo of herself on her blog, tweeting and tagging it #NudePhotoRevolutionary. She and her boyfriend were then criminally charged with "violating morals, inciting indecency and insulting Islam" -- spurring activists to "take back the nude photo," as it were. When blogger and activist Maryam Namazie got wind of this, she decided to take on the project of the Nude ... Read More

  Russia's Orthodox Church recently advocated more modest dress; top church official Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin, who previously said that mini skirts "provoke" men, complained of women "either scantily clad or painted like a clown"- strong words, the article points out, in a country like Russia, where dressing up, wearing a lot of makeup, and good grooming are often the norm for women. Though this conversation isn't new, it ... Read More