July 2011
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No Internet!
I’m blogging this as I sit jetlagged and cold on a random piece of sidewalk in South Kensington at 4am. I’m stark naked except for a trench coat, because I ran out of the house just to check email. This is the length I’ll go to for free wireless Internet. I’m in London until Sunday evening and looking forward to seeing some blogger friends (both named Rachel). On the agenda...
June 2011
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dianamcqueen asked: I feel that sex should never be a trade. Never in their lives do men as a majority think, "Oh I have no money, I can sell myself." We don't sexualize men like that. Outlawing sexual trade means jailing people who perpetuate it, not the workers. I believe in sexual empowerment and freedom that means sex is respected and not a commodity to be bought and sold. I believe sexual power...
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Yay New York!
This is going to be the best Pride Weekend ever. So glad I’m here to celebrate. (And I’m going to live-blog the shit out of this trip.) Go marriage equality!
P.S. Nope, haven’t changed my views toward marriage though ;)
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Anonymous asked: While I largely agree with you about the negative impacts of stigmatizing and criminalizing sex work, I have a question after reading your response to the Anon who had travel questions. It wasn't clear to me what your stance on child sex work is, as you seemed to lump women and children together. Do you advocate that children should be allowed to engage in legal sex work as well? Just wanted...
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Anonymous asked: I want to travel to Thailand, but have reservations because of their policies on sex tourism. I'd like to see the country and the culture, but feel so uncomfortable supporting the economy of a country that trades and profits so openly on their women and children. How can I "do the right thing" from a feminist and humanist perspective?
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“Poor people get tired of being fucking virtuous all the time. Because we don’t...”
– Elisha Aster, “How You Shop When You Are Poor” I have a lot of empathy for Aster’s perspective. There are many folks who simply can’t “live more sustainably” or “do their part” without great sacrifice, and I think this is what’s missing from most...
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Anonymous asked: Hi Lena, this is just a curiosity driven question: why aren't you vegetarian/vegan? What are your thoughts on ethical eating? You seem very aware and passionate about a lot of other issues - obviously, gender, sex, feminism, but also, from a brief read of your blog, capitalist economics, etc - but you post a fair few meaty recipes! Are human rights your only focus?
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Anonymous asked: Re: your post on solo travel as a female when you don't know the language- what are your thoughts on travel to Berlin this way? I'm thinking of heading to Berlin solo this summer for about a week (don't know German)...
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Anonymous asked: I feel like there should be a disclaimer front and center on the site about the harassment that regular commenters have been getting. I remember that right after it all broke, everybody went anonymous, but now that it's been some time I'm seeing a lot of new commenters with names and faces and links to blogs/Disqus accounts. This really worries me. I don't want these people to...
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Anonymous asked: What do you think would be wrong reasons for someone to be abstinent from sex until marriage? I mean, of course there are obvious pro's to waiting (like not getting stds, unplanned pregnancy, whatever) but in which situations do you think that abstinence could possibly be harmful?
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“Some women want to believe that their predilection for rompers and kittens and...”
– Who Is the Black Zooey Deschanel? | Racialicious I know I’m not the only one who read this piece by Tami Winfrey Harris yesterday and thought, “THANK YOU.” (Though I gotta admit, I own exactly one romper which I have worn outside my home exactly once, and I already feel enough...
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WatchHere are some snippets from Ain’t I A Woman: Race In The Feminist Movement, an event organized by Morgane Richardson, Jamia Wilson, Shelby Knox, and Ileana Jimenez:
On April 11th, 2011 in Brooklyn’s Galapagos Art Space, a group of women came together to ignite a discourse about the experiences of women of color in the feminist movement and beyond. On this night, six outstanding...
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Anonymous asked: What exactly would you define as a "feminist"? And what advice would you have for young, budding feminists?
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Overheard In New York
Hand soap store employee: Which scent would you like? We have sweet, fresh, and clean.
Unidentified gay friend: Do you have gay?
Hand soap store employee: I have fruity.
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Yale In New York | Conversation With Lena Chen →
Hey Yalies in the city! Looking forward to meeting y’all and chatting freelance writing this Monday in the Lower East Side. (I’m leaving for New York in an hour!) While we’re at it, why don’t we just forget this whole school rivalry thing and just agree on the common enemy: Princeton.
A Conversation with freelance writer, Lena Chen. 8pm on Monday, June 6, 2011 Antibes...
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