Feminist

I would have loved to vote for America's first woman president. But it wasn't meant to be.

Hillary Clinton, the woman who could have made history, simply let me down.

She let me down five years ago when she voted for the war in Iraq. And she let me down...

In Friday's New York Times, Susan Faludi rejoiced over Hillary Clinton's destruction of the myth of female prissiness and innate moral superiority, hailing Clinton's "no-holds-barred pugnacity" and her media reputation as "nasty" and "ruthless." Future female presidential candidates will owe a lot to the race of 2008, Faludi wrote, "when...

The chastity movement has grown up and gone off to college, which is no wonder, really, since legislators recently decided to focus attention and federal money on keeping unmarried adults abstaining until at least their 29th birthday. The members of Harvard's True Love Revolution, a campus chastity club,...

Here's a note that came in on my blog from "Anonymous" today, and my response.

Anonymous: I disagree with your assessment of this election. I think you are really diminishing how much of a threat Hillary is to the male power structure in America. I have never seen the media...

How independent of powerful men do women have to be?

If you're a feminist, do you have to trash the "Stand by Your Man" scenario?

And how far does illicit sex with a powerful man get women, anyhow?

The strained, pale face of Silda Wall Spitzer is etched...

Samantha, thanks for stepping back. Gerry, thanks for nothing.

Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have been having some fights lately. But mostly fair fights. She is questioning his credentials to be commander-in-chief; He is questioning her on tax returns. Not pleasant discussions in either case. But they are clearly...

I never thought we missed much when America was denied the Vice-Presidency of Geraldine Ferraro, but now I know I was wrong. Recently, the feisty former New York City Congresswoman and Mondale running mate had this to say in an interview with the Daily Breeze: "If Obama was a white...

"If Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position. And if he was a woman (of any color) he would not be in this position. He happens to be very lucky to be who he is. And the country is caught up in the concept." ...

A few weeks ago, I had lunch with an old friend, a lawyer and a judge who has been a long-time activist in the women's movement. We discussed the exciting Democratic political field and I confessed, somewhat nervously, that I supported Barack Obama.

"I'm so glad," my friend blurted....

There is a lot of discussion about "feminist in-fighting" of late, spurred by the election. Jessica Valenti of Feministing.com is doing a piece on the subject for The Nation. Here is my response to her query:

1. The fact is there have always been many "feminisms," but one dominant,...

Ever since that last debate in which Hillary sounded like a scold and Barack came across as the prince of America, I've been trying to find a word for Obama's style. Koolth is what I've come up with.

I could have said sprezzatura -- that gorgeous Italian word which means...

Barbara Seaman, born September 11, 1935; died February 27, 2008

I came to New York City in 1993, age 22, to take an internship at Ms. magazine. Within a few months, I was asked to fact-check a profile of Barbara Seaman, a pioneer in the women's health movement on the...