A message from our editor for our white readers and friends. Rape culture and toxic masculinity are intricately embedded in, and dependent upon, white supremacy. Black lives matter. Ending rape culture is an abolitionist project; we must abolish the police. Donate to Movement for Black Lives https://secure.actblue.com/donate/movement-4-black-lives-1 or find a local organization or Black owned…
It cannot be said that The Bridges We Burn is subtle about our politics. Like our emotions, we wear our politics on our sleeves and strive for a praxis that bridges our ideals, theoretical foundations, and action for justice and equity. To that end, it is important for us to state that The Bridges We…
Abuse can be difficult to see or name from the inside. If we suspect or believe someone we care about to be in an abusive relationship, confronting them about it in a way that may feel accusatory has the potential to push them closer to their abuser. The realities of domestic violence are often confusing…
I have never been one for New Year’s resolutions, but for the past several years I take New Year’s Eve/Day as an opportunity to recommit myself to some variation of Dan Savage’s “Campsite Principle.” Last year it read: I will strive to leave my friends, family, partners, work, coworkers, lovers, acquaintances, communities, spaces in which…
For how obsessed our culture is with sex, we are pretty terrible at talking about what good sex looks like, how to have it by talking with our partners about mutual and shared pleasure, how to ask for what we want, how to say what we don’t. We are especially really terrible at teaching our…
The vast majority of violence in all forms is perpetrated by men (against women, other men, queer folks, children, etc.). In order to stop cycles of violence, we need to challenge toxic masculinity and expectations of manhood that discourage emotionality, empathy, communication, cooperation, and so many other productive characteristics. This is may seem easier said…
Gender is not the only rigidly defined structure that shapes our sense of self, our relationships, and our culture. Sexuality has also been constructed in a way that limits our potential for self-realization and connection to other people. In US America, patriarchy and rape culture has mandated the sexist, transphobic, and homophobic structure of heteronormativity.…
Comedy can be an incredible tool for furthering social justice by challenging seats of power and shining light on uncomfortable truths. Alternatively, comedy is often wielded by those with power—straight white men—to perpetuate oppression and discrimination by picking on people marginalized by society; by punching down. In Hannah Gadsby’s Netflix special, “Nanette,” the Tasmanian comic squares her…