Longform Editorial
Police Are Allegedly Sleeping with Sex Workers Before Arresting Them
In many US states, it is technically legal for undercover cops to have sex with sex workers during the course of anti-prostitution sting operations. Advocates argue this is nothing less than institutional rape.
Inside the Insane Feud Between a Vegan Strip Club and the Steak House Next Door
In Portland, Oregon, a vegan strip club and the steak house-slash-strip club next door are locked in an intense rivalry; protests have ensued, and a wall has been erected between the two businesses. We spoke to several of the employees and customers.
Inside the Dubious Schools Training Filipina Women for Domestic Work Overseas
For working-class women in the Philippines, becoming a live-in domestic employee abroad is a chance to provide for themselves and their families. But they often face exploitation and debt from training centers, employment agencies, and the employers...
Divorcing Reality TV: What Happens After You Leave the Real Housewives
Women have reinvented themselves after divorces for decades, but after they’ve left the Real Housewives franchise, reality stars have learned they are branded forever.
Fellatio and Juliet: On the Hard Task of Writing About Blowjobs
Though many authors have mounted attempts to convey the strange and singular experience of fellatio, only those who understand the power dynamics between giver and receiver succeed.
The Women Trolling the GOP with Bills that Restrict Viagra Use and Ejaculation
Throughout the US, female politicians are proposing laws that would regulate men's reproductive choices the way we regulate women's. Though the legislation is often described as satirical, the intent behind it is dead serious: to show how ridiculous...
'Those Visits Were Everything': How Prison Visitation Cuts Devastate Families
Buried in the New York state budget is a proposal to cut weekday visits for over 20,000 inmates. For families of incarcerated people, this could mean barely having any real contact with their loved ones.
'It Was A Wonderful Adventure’: What It’s Like When You Retire From Sex Work
We spoke to former sex workers about their careers after sex work—from a professional dominatrix turned chef’s little bitch to the escorts who became leading activists and academics.
The Misogynistic History of Trying to Understand Women Who Self-Harm
For centuries, women and men alike have been engaging in acts of self-harm, but our understanding of the behavior has long been limited by sexist stereotypes.
How the Push to 'Break the Silence' Fails the Feminist Movement
In her new essay collection, Rebecca Solnit, the author who gave rise to the term "mansplaining," celebrates how women have finally succeeded in telling the stories of their oppression. But she offers no perspective on what happens after that.
Even Joan Didion's Unfinished Notes Are Good as Hell
In recent years, Joan Didion has been heralded as a literary hero for young women. Although her new book, "South and West," is small and apparently aimless, it nevertheless proves why she should be.
'She Was Asking the Lord to Let Her Die': Raising a Trans Child in Texas
Kimberly was a straight-ticket Republican and a conservative Christian—until she raised a transgender daughter.