It’s good that the definition of “beautiful” is being extended. However, I think it’s a lot more important that we stop using “beauty” as the currency of women’s value. Women are valuable and deserve to value themselves whether or not they can be considered “beautiful”.

That’s heartbreaking. Fuck the beauty standards that have caused them such damage.  I hope they can recover. 

Are you really going to deny that there aren’t tons of orphans in this country alone, as well as around the globe?

Science tells us the best way to reduce birth rates, is to educate women and give them access to contraception. I’m all in favour of this. However, you do have to be careful not to reduce birth rates too much; that leads to an Aging Society, which is a very serious social and economic problem.

You’re absolutely right that the violence this child suffered is inexcusable; I’m not trying to minimise or excuse it in the least. I just wanted to make sure that the blame for it is placed on the right head, that of the assistant principal.  

The headline “Target practice”...next to the photo of a woman who survived a gun attack. JFC.

Ah, fair enough. To answer your question; his workplace and workmates avoid any fragrance specifically labelled “lavender”. So far that’s been enough. It’s real, plant-based lavender which affects him, so cheaper products (which tend to contain artificial lavender scent) are less likely to be a problem. Family and…

According to this summary by Flaming Feminista, the assault was carried out by an assistant principal, not the original teacher.

According to the much better summary provided by Flaming Feminista, it was not the original teacher who assaulted the child. It was an assistant principal, called in by the teacher when no one would admit to wearing the perfume.  You’re correct that the assault was inexcusable.

You’re absolutely right we need a lot more information about the unnamed teacher and her part in this mess (thank you for your summary of the participants, which was a lot clearer than the actual article).

It’s bizarre to ask why someone who knows they have a perfume sensitivity *voluntarily* puts themselves in a situation where they are exposed to them? A situation they can avoid easily and without consequence?

My son’s highly allergic to lavender, as in carry-an-epipen-24/7 allergic. Lavender is the world’s most common fragrance ingredient. He has had life-threatening anaphylactic reactions from smelling fragranced products. His workmates have been asked to avoid bringing or wearing lavender-scented products in his…

So my deodorant, body wash, and shampoo smells don’t bother you but the squirt of Chanel does?

Oh god, seat belts.  My big ol’ boobs frequently send my seatbelt sliding upwards...right across my throat.

She’s saying that to a 16-year old. Who will be voting in the next election. And not, I would guess, for Feinstein.

The idea that it’s just a bunch of dudes trying to “control women” is an outdated talking point.

Trans athletes have nothing to do with the case of an intersex athlete, so why bring them up at all?

Man, Michael Cohen looks like shit. Being a convicted felon is not agreeing with him. What the hell is jail going to do to him, if the trial and testifying has torn him down that much.

They haven’t failed to critically assess the situation; they’ve assessed it and they like it. Trump is giving them racism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism and misogyny, all wrapped up in a nice theocratic package. They want what he’s doing. They want Those People to suffer.

Picture it, folks.