bell hooks' on love and relationships Love is a topic that bell hooks, the pseudonym of American essayist and feminist activist Gloria Jean Watkins, has never been shy about. In All About Love, she makes readers reflect on how we demonstrate love in our everyday lives; in The Female Search for Love,

Women and ADHD. A long history of misunderstandings   “No, you cannot have ADHD; you have a college degree!” I wish I could say that I have heard this sentence only once, but I would be lying. It took me a long time to understand this sentence is actually rooted in misogyny as much

In 2010, the World Association for Sexual Health (WAS) set September 4th as 'World Sexual Health Day' (WSHD) to promote social awareness of sexual health worldwide. However, what do we truly mean by sexual well-being?

In 2023, Dutch women earn on average 7.4% less than men. Recent research shows that the gender pay gap in the Netherlands has even become bigger over the past two years. It is often said that women ‘just need to negotiate better’. Our response? Educate yourself about the true underlying

"Sexual freedom is magnificent and fragile,’’ a bold statement that dr. Julia Shaw starts off with in her book ‘’Bi: The Hidden Culture, History, and Science of Bisexuality.’’ This sounds familiar; Embracing my bisexuality is a complex but exciting journey with ongoing uncertainty. As a bisexual person, I've struggled to express my identity to friends, family, and partners. I wonder if my lack of relationships with women or non-binary individuals automatically categorises me as straight. But my attraction to multiple genders is about what really moves me, not ticking relationship boxes. Sometimes, I feel pressured to validate my bisexuality by dating people from various backgrounds. This journey makes me question if my feelings and experiences are enough to confidently claim the "bi" label.

Gym bros have emerged as prominent figures in the fitness world. These adrenaline-fueled gym enthusiasts are deeply invested in the gratification derived from intense physical exercise. Regular gym-goers are likely familiar with the archetype of the gym bro—the individual who excessively grunts

It may sound a bit strange, using an insult as a badge of pride. Today it is known, however, as a process called ‘reclamation’. A means by which marginalised group members consciously label themselves with words once used to hold them down. Doing this allows a sense of ownership of the self, something that's lost after facing years of oppression and prejudice. As a result, some slurs (partly) lose their negative meanings. In this three-part series I will explore how discriminating language evolves through time. To show you that language in general is not rigid, but continuously adapts to our changing views of others. This second article covers the N-word, as an example of racist slurs.

Prevention is better than cure. Most of us know that. We do our best to eat healthily, and exercise regularly to become as healthy as possible. In any capacity, we do our best to take care of ourselves, but we can't do everything alone. For example, as long as we feel good, we don't know whether there

Various autistic people have found ways around singling out as a minority to actively engage in global politics. In this blog post, I will discuss three autistic influencers: Greta Thunberg, Daryl Hannah and Temple Grandin. The term 'auti-influencers' will be used to refer to a global movement of people

Vagina crystals, yoni pearls, love eggs… it’s a thing. Sometimes they’re used to increase libido or to strengthen orgasms. Others use vagina crystals to strengthen their pelvic floor, balance their menstrual cycles or to alleviate PCOS symptoms. Sounds like there could be no harm

Lesbian women and gay men face negative bias when accessing the labour market. These biases negatively affect their employment probability and employer tenures. Social scientist Karel Fric researched the labour market experiences and outcomes of lesbian women and gay men in EU member states. With his

It may sound a bit strange, using an insult as a badge of pride. Today it is known, however, as a process called ‘reclamation’. A means by which marginalised group members consciously label themselves with words once used to hold them down. Doing this allows a sense of ownership of the self, something that's lost after facing years of oppression and prejudice. As a result, some slurs (partly) lose their negative meanings. In this three-part series I will explore how discriminating language evolves through time. To show you that language in general is not rigid, but continuously adapts to our changing views of others. This first article covers sexist language, in particular the term bitch.