Dead-Set on Changing a Few Minds!

Hello everyone!  My name is Madeleine and I’m really excited to be a new blogger here! Right now I’m living in Charlottesville, Virginia with my girlfriend, Lauren, and our cat, Dorothy.  I’m taking some time off from being a student at the University of Virginia to figure out what I’m doing with my life.

As a middle child and the daughter of a midwife, I knew how babies were made from a very young age.  When I was just shy of three, I asked my very pregnant mom why she hadn’t had a period in a while, and she explained pretty much all there was to know about baby-making.  At eight, I was humiliated when she brought in a plaster pelvis and a baby doll to teach my girl scout troupe about midwifery on career day.

As a lesbian (and a bit of a late bloomer), though, I didn’t think about sex as anything beyond a straight-forward act of procreation until my line was crossed.  My first year of college, I was raped and beaten by a stranger at a party.  I wish I could say I had a “click” moment after that and became the radical feminist I consider myself today.  It wasn’t until about a year and a half later, though, that I was able to take that experience and channel the anger I felt into something positive.

This past year, I co-founded a co-ed queer fraternity at my university, began speaking on panels to educate the public about LGBTQ issues, and started devouring feminist blogs and literature.  I strive to dispel myths about lesbians, rape survivors, and feminists.  I may not be able to change the world, but I’m dead-set on changing at least a few minds.

Tags: activism, feminism, power, respect, women