The Lady Garden

Things we liked, or didn’t like, from around the internet this week.

31 arguments against gay marriage. (And how to tell the person using them to STFU.)

Girl on the Net on Adverts for the Ladies: or, “I won’t buy your shit just because you painted it pink.”

Jill at Feministe talks about the importance of cool aunts and uncles. (They don’t have to be biologically related.)

The UN Population Fund has called family planning “an essential human right“.

Charlie Glickman talks about things men can do to not be creepy. There are some other great suggestions in comments.

It’s the constant testing of limits, whether that’s moving into someone’s personal space, touching them without permission, getting permission for one kind of touch and then moving past that, and so forth, that makes it creepy. It’s because they keep looking for ways to creep past the boundaries.

Marc Ellis (not that one) talks about his experience of coming out of the Masculinity Box.

As I worked to accept myself, I began to seek out advice on how to restore my marriage which has long suffered a break-down in communication. While I found advice on dealing with a spouse that did not communicate, where intimacy was lacking, and there was a desire for vulnerability and sexual satisfaction; nearly all of this advice was written for a woman.

Grantland sent a 25 year old dude to watch all 5 Twilight movies. In a row.

And in that moment, I was sure that Twilight had somehow taken me to another dimension. One in which Academy Award winners could be conjured from thin air to silently mock me during my quest.

On Caitlin Moran and cool feminism.

So much of what Moran says sound like it comes from a weird twilight zone of “feminism.” It’s a lot like those celebrities who say they support gay rights or a women’s right to choose, then make a point of scoffing, “But don’t worry, it’s not like I’m a feminist or anything!” Except in Moran’s world, she’s proudly proclaiming “YES I’M A FEMINIST!” while saying a lot of stupid shit so she can keep fitting in with the guys. Because this is cool feminism. Or something.

Christmas gifts for people you don’t really like.

Enjoy a bitchy fashion memoir? Grace Coddington is the shit.

Tomorrow is International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. (Which really needs a better name.) Here’s a piece on violence against women in South Africa (obvious trigger warning.) Here’s one on women in Papua New Guinea. (ditto) (And what UN Women is doing in PNG.) Maybe it’s time to think about your dance moves?

To get the rest of your weekend off on a slightly more cheerful note, have you me Tama, the Station Master cat?

And because the Lady Gardeners like a parody….Fifty Shades of Chicken.