Women have been faced with inequality since the beginning of time. Today, their rights are stillbeing oppressed, along with their healthcare rights as human beings. Specifically, Walgreens announced a few weeks ago that they will not be distributing abortion pills, such as mifepristone, in states where GOP AGs (Grand Old Party attorney generals) object. The nation’s second-largest pharmacy chain also confirmed it will not sell abortion pills in several states that remain legal. This decision was based on the consistent harassment in letters by nearly two dozen Republican state attorney generals who threatened legal action against the drug store.
In August of 2021, “Twenty-two year old female missing in Wyoming” was a news headline that scoured the media. Two years later, the name “Gabby Petito” still makes headlines from time to time. What exactly was it that made this story captivate an audience of millions? Was it because she and her spouse had a YouTube channel, they posted vlogs to? Was it because Gabby was a young, white, conventionally attractive female? Regardless of what the reasoning may be, her story perfectly aligns with what is commonly known as ‘missing white woman syndrome’. Missing White Woman Syndrome refers to the media’s infatuation with covering missing white women and its failure to cover identical stories about women of color. A question that may be commonly asked when analyzing Gabby Petitos story is, would this story be as popular if Gabby was not white?
Working with a disability presents many different physical and mental challenges. Employers fail to realize that many people with disabilities (PWDs) are qualified and able to work and continue to miss out on hiring PWDs. Disability inclusion goes beyond just hiring people with disabilities, it’s about accommodating those in need and valuing all employees for their strengths. Although I haven’t experienced being turned away from a job by having a disability, I often experience a lack of resources needed to perform tasks.
According to the CDC, black women are three times more likely to die after childbirth than white women in the United States. This is a statistic I read in an NPR article in 2021, titled “Trying To Avoid Racist Health Care, Black Women Seek Out Black Obstetricians.” I was shocked to read how many Black women are met with discrimination, or simply do not feel safe in the care of non-Black physicians. The article explains that black patients are often under-treated, having their pain ignored and are less frequently referred for specialty care, which usually occurs due to an unconscious bias held by doctors. Continue reading Representation matters, even in medicine – by Peyton Schultz→
It’s not a secret that the LGBTQ+ has faced an extremely long and strenuous journey regarding equality. The road that the group continually travels is paved with hate crimes, betrayal, self-denial, and various other guttural pains. That’s why, for many members of the LGBTQ+ and its supporters, the initial acceptance and usage of same-sex celebratory branding and advertising was exciting. However, less than 8 short years after nationwide marriage equality was enacted, brands are overusing and oversimplifying LGBTQ+ content for marketing purposes. In practicing what some call “Rainbow-Washing,” brands have taken a form of allyship and tacked a price tag onto it.
I sit in my bed at night, aimlessly scrolling through social media on my phone. I settle for Instagram and begin working my way through the feed. Dozens of pictures of girls with slim figures and delicate features flood my phone, promoting flat tummy teas and diet plans, “how-to’s” to lose weight as fast as possible and get a smaller waist. Slim down after the Holidays! At home remedies to lose those extra 10 pounds! It all begins to look the same, but not just on Instagram nowadays. Body positive influencers are few and far between. The societal standard has been set for years, girls of all ages struggling with body dysmorphia and eating disorders starting at such young ages. TikTok has become overtaken by diet culture and bodychecking. This push for everyone to change and alter their bodies and to never be content with the body you have. This idea that you can only be happy if you are thin and the only way to be healthy is to be in perfect shape. This issue has become such a rampant issue with such an astounding effect on teen girls. They look to social media and all they see is negativity surrounding their body types.
Mental Illness is something that has been a problem for a long time but in today’s time, it has started to receive the attention and awareness that it deserves. Mental illness is discussed in many different ways. It receives national media attention when a celebrity is struggling with depression or when a professional athlete struggles with anxiety. A diversity problem that arises within the discussion and awareness of mental health however is the lack of importance the world puts on mental illness within men. In society today, when men come out and say that they’re struggling with their mental health, it is received with ridicule and hate.
Gender diversity in social media has become a major problem in modern society because social media reinforces the notion of stereotypes. Social media influences user’s perception by not pressing the importance and the need for a resolution of these gender related issues. The problems surrounding gender diversity is that it’s corrupting individual’s minds and perceptions by sending out specific messages to encourage users to think a certain way. This is a current and relevant problem that I see every day on social media platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
As you’re standing in line at the store, someone approaches you with the question, “Do you know what it is going to be yet?” as they stare at your pregnant belly. The individual is looking for the answer of whether you’re going to be having a boy or girl but, with a new aspect of parenting emerging, parents are participating in a new practice of raising their children outside of typical gender roles called gender creative parenting. By allowing your child to be gender creative, you’re allowing them to express themselves freely, and without judgement. The surrounding idea is that this will help children as they grow up to feel fully supported in their own gender expression, rather than the stereotypes that are placed upon them at birth. Essentially, gender creative parenting means granting children full autonomy to decide what they like and dislike, with no regard to labels such as “boy” or “girl.”
Hiring minorities in the workplace is a topic that is uncomfortable, yet relative for discussion. It appears that Arabic people face discrimination in the workplace at a high level, especially since September 11, 2001 when the Twin Towers fell. I have experienced such racial oppression myself through my friend when we both applied for the same job.
When I applied to work at a tire repair shop in Chattanooga, I asked my friend, Ali, if he would be interested in working with me. He was eager at the opportunity since his father used to have a repair shop of his own, and he was already experienced from what his father had taught him. Therefore, the chance to work at a place that was high paying and allowed us to work together seemed like the perfect opportunity. However, due to my friend being of Arabic descent, I did not know the implications that would have when we both submitted our applications at the same time.
