Amal Awad: ‘Arab women have traditionally been written about in a very patronising way’

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In our series Beauty and the books, we chat to those who love both books and beauty products. Here the author talks about her enduring love of kohl eyeliner, Marian Keyes’s novel Watermelon and speaking up for Arab women

With insight into both the western and Arabic worlds, the author Amal Awad explores how these cultures intersect and what it means for women like her. She interviewed more than 60 women in Australia and the Middle East about feminism, religion, love, culture and more for her latest book, Beyond Veiled Cliches: The Real Lives of Arab Women ($35, Penguin). And while kohl eyeliner may not have been top of her list of questions, it’s still something she wonders about.

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June 14, 2017 at 06:56AM

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from Interview by Bridie Jabour

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Kamala Harris Once Again Interrupted By Male Colleagues During Senate Hearing

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Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) was cut off by two of her male colleagues while questioning Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Tuesday, just one week after they interrupted her during a different hearing. 

During Sessions’ testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee, Harris asked him to explain what Justice Department policy prevented him from answering some questions from the committee’s members, and whether he had discussed that policy with his staff prior to the hearing. 

But as Harris, a former prosecutor, pressed the attorney general to answer her questions, she was interrupted by the committee’s chairman, Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.), and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.).  

Kamala Harris vs. Jeff Sessions. Fireworks. https://t.co/iHnA64R5QP

— Bradd Jaffy (@BraddJaffy) June 13, 2017

“Sir, I’m not asking you about the principle. I’m asking when you knew you would be asked these questions and you would rely on that policy, did you not ask your staff to show you policy that would be the basis for your refusing to answer the majority of questions that have been asked of you?” Harris, who is one of three women on the Senate committee, asked Sessions after he avoided directly answering her line of questioning. 

“Chairman, the witness should be allowed to answer the question,” McCain said.  

“Senators will allow the chairs to control the hearing,” Burr said to McCain. “Senator Harris, let him answer.” 

Harris later tweeted about the exchange:

It was a simple question. Can Sessions point to the policy, in writing, that allows him to not answer a whole host of our questions today.

— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) June 13, 2017

Neither Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) nor Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), who were fairly aggressive in their questioning, was cut off by their colleagues. 

Burr and McCain also cut off Harris while she questioned Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein last week. 

“As a career prosecutor and former attorney general, Senator Harris has run countless investigations, and will follow the facts wherever they may lead to get the truth for the American people,” Harris spokesman Tyrone Gayle said last week. “That can only happen when witnesses answer questions.”

Read more on Sessions’ testimony here.

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June 14, 2017 at 02:49AM

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from Mollie Reilly

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This Is What Superheroes Would Look Like With Realistic Bodies

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What’s one thing almost every superhero has in common? A “perfect” body made up of toned muscles and zero fat.

Recovery.org, an organization that offers resources for people with mental health and/or substance abuse issues, is making those “perfect” bodies a little more realistic by “reverse photoshopping” illustrations of some of the most iconic superheroes. According to Recovery.org, “reverse photoshop” simply means reimagining what superheroes would look like “if their bodies matched the body of the average viewer” in the U.S. 

The project features 10 illustrations of comic book superheroes such as Superman, Spiderman, Gamora, the Black Widow, Aquaman and the Black Panther. Each illustration includes a before and after of the character. The image on the left is what the superhero usually looks like: for male superheroes that means six-pack abs and massive biceps; and for women that means an illogically tiny waist, perfectly-feminine muscles and, of course, huge breasts. The image on the right looks similar to the original character, but a bit more realistic.

A spokesperson for Recovery.org told HuffPost that the organization focused on superheroes because they are role models for so many young kids. 

“With new releases every summer, we can see how these films positively affect their younger audiences. But, it’s hard to have such positive takeaways when the bodies represented on film don’t mirror what a typical body looks like,” the spokesperson told HuffPost. “This especially rings true for a younger audience considering research has found that some children are struggling with body image by the time they reach kindergarten. We conducted this project to see how our favorite heroes might change if their bodies were a bit more realistic, and hopefully more relatable.”

Scroll below to see 10 superheroes who look a little more like, well, normal people. 

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June 14, 2017 at 02:49AM

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from Alanna Vagianos

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5 ‘Wonder Woman’ Amazons On The Power Of Their All-Woman Army

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For many viewers, the recently released box-office hit “Wonder Woman” could have ― and should have ― been set entirely on the women-only Amazon warrior paradise of Themyscira.

In fact, I would have contentedly traded Chris Pine’s Steve Trevor for more time with Artemis, Antiope or Hippolyta at any given point in the film’s 141 minutes. It felt profoundly satisfying to watch women of all colors, sizes, shapes and ages wield so much physical power on a humongous screen, and as the story went from Themyscira to World War I-era Western Europe, I found myself missing the women warriors and wanting to know more about them. 

Turns out, the real women beneath the armor are just as fierce as their characters. 

*** 

Ann Wolfe, Artemis

Ann Wolfe is considered by many to be the best female boxer in history, known in particular for her strong and unforgiving punches ― in fact, her 2007 knockout of Vonda Ward has more than a million views on YouTube.

Wolfe told HuffPost a bit about how, after her storied boxing career, she came to be in the blockbuster hit.

“Wonder Woman” director Patty Jenkins had approached her for the role because of her knowledge of Wolfe’s background in boxing. Jenkins’ husband, Sam Sheridan, a former professional fighter himself, had long been following her career. As other women were auditioning for the role of Artemis, Jenkins kept going back to Wolfe. She eventually got the part, and was flown out to London to meet everyone before starting filming in Italy. 

“I had never been on a set,” she told HuffPost. “Patty got out of the director’s chat and said, ‘Sit down!’ And then Gal [Gadot] came over and looked at me and said, ‘Yep, that’s Artemis.’”

The rest, according to Wolfe, was magic. She told HuffPost that working with so many other athletic women was a gift, especially after spending so much of her boxing career being trained by and working with men.  

“It felt like we were truly Amazons,” she said. “I have never been around that many strong women at one time. It was like a puzzle, and we all fit in it together. It felt like we were real, true Amazons.” 

Madeleine Vall Beijner, Egeria 

Like Wolfe, Madeleine Vall Beijner came to “Wonder Woman” from the world of professional fighting. For over 10 years, she was a world-ranked Thai boxer. After an injury took her away from her plans to transfer into MMA, she instead took her skills to stunt roles and film. The intense physical demands that she and the other Amazons went through on set were pretty standard for her skill level. 

“I’m used to training two to three times a day,” Beijner told HuffPost. “The difference was in the techniques and choreography, but since I’m used to constantly learning new moves, pro-fighting translated itself pretty easily into stunt acting. I feel like I have a great base to build on from all my years taking punches and knocking people out.”

What was new for the Swedish fighter, though, was getting to do so much heavy lifting with other women. 

“It wasn’t actually until ‘Wonder Woman’ I got to be in a girl-power world. Being a female Thai and kickboxer, I’ve been in a man’s world for the last decade, so being around this many women was completely new to me,” she said.  

“I was a little nervous at first,” she added, “but as soon as I arrived I just felt this … surge of power and unity.”

A post shared by Madeleine Vall Beijner (@madeleinevallbeijner) on Jun 4, 2017 at 4:38am PDT

Both Beijner and Wolfe talked about that bond on set, and the environment that Jenkins created to nurture it.  

“I give a lot of credit to Patty Jenkins for creating this vibe, it truly went top-down,” Beijner said. “This movie is about a lot of things, but female power, wisdom and badassery is what’s at the core. And Patty managed to get that out of each and every one of us, as well as a team, or troops. Us Amazons challenged each other while training, only to push each other further and to become stronger. Beyond that, we used our fighting spirit to support each other. There were days we were so tired we could sleep standing up, but we went at it, again and again and again.”

Doutzen Kroes, Venelia 

Doutzen Kroes may best be known as a Victoria’s Secret Angel and supermodel, but she’s also trained in horseback riding ― and showed off these skills in her role as Amazon warrior Venelia. 

Kroes told HuffPost that having an equestrian background made the training a bit more natural, but it was still outrageously intense.

“I’ve loved riding horses my entire life,” she said. “But riding at full gallop with a weapon was challenging, but empowering and so much fun.” 

She too was quick to credit Jenkins for steering the ship and allowing women to be their baddest warrior selves.

“She is like a real-life Queen Hippolyta ― Patty set a mood that was welcoming, warm and supportive,” Kroes said.

She was also grateful for that tough-yet-maternal culture among the other Amazons. “Many of the other Amazons are also mothers, so we were all able to have our families with us during filming,” she said. “It was just a very special moment — to be in this gorgeous Italian paradise, shooting this historic film and iconic story and then having the opportunity to share it with so many cool women and their children … The experience of working on Wonder Woman was something I’ve never had before.” 

Brooke Ence, Penthesilea

Like some of the other Amazons, Brooke Ence caught the attention of the director as a professional athlete ― she’s a competitive CrossFit athlete, and was scouted by film producers just before the 2015 games. 

“I got a call from Warner Bros. asking me if I would come in and read,” she told HuffPost. “I had no idea what it was for.”

Ence told HuffPost that she initially felt conflicted about accepting the role because the filming would clash with her training schedule for the 2016 CrossFit Games. 

“I was really hesitant to [accept the role] … But it just seemed like a really great opportunity that people audition for all the time and never get,” she said. “And it literally just fell in my lap. I just couldn’t say no.”

Because Ence was training for the CrossFit Games during filming, she felt right at home among the other athletes. In fact, she was the last Amazon that they flew out to train ― most of her training was pretty much already done, and she was already in Amazon shape. But that didn’t mean she didn’t have more to learn. 

“Everyone that was an Amazon [had] so much mental strength,” she said. “Everyone just walked with more power. They walked with this Amazonian vibe.”

“It was a great realization of all the different types of strength. Strength for me is physical and super, super mental,” she continued. “And there, not only did I get to see and feel strength in a physical sense, but a lot of it was in attitude, and determination … It was very empowering to be around so many different types of women with the common goal. Everyone came together as this army.”

Samantha Jo, Euboea

Many have already seen Samantha Jo on film before without even knowing it. She’s worked as a body double for major Hollywood blockbusters like “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn ― Part 2,” and “300: Rise of an Empire.”

Jo also told HuffPost how much she loved being on set with so many ripped women who were there to play the role of warriors, especially in contrast to her experience in “300,” when she was the only woman on set with dozens of men.

“It was really interesting to contrast the experience of working with 40 men, where I was the only woman,” she said. 

“Females just have a different kind of energy. There was this bonding that happened. I think it was probably through the suffering [from training],” she added.

She told HuffPost how, on the first week of shooting, part of the training for the women playing Amazons was to stack weights on top of a sled and push it back and forth.

“It was my first week, and my muscles weren’t quite developed, and I wasn’t as strong as everyone else yet,” she said.  

At one point, after about 20 seconds, she began to feel dizzy and felt herself fading. 

“All of the women in the gym ran up behind me and started yelling and cheering for me. I don’t think I would have made it had they not given me that extra push. I almost started crying [at] the love that I felt,” she said. “And that was only day three.”

What’s abundantly clear, from Jo and the rest of the Amazons, is that “Wonder Woman” being led by Jenkins was what made the experience ― and the film itself ― so damn special. 

“The whole vibe of the set really starts from the top down,” she said. “It was interesting to get a female perspective.” Jo said that the story itself was that much better because it was told and directed by a woman.

“Yeah, there’s a lot of action and cool moments. But at the heart of it, it’s about love and compassion and unity,” she said. “It translated so well coming from a woman’s voice. We all knew that we were going to be a part of something really special.”

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June 14, 2017 at 02:49AM

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from Jenavieve Hatch

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Terrifying Photos Recreate The Horrors Of Gay ‘Conversion Therapy’ Centers

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A new collection of photos is providing a striking ― and horrifying ― visual recreation of the barbaric practice of gay “conversion therapy” and the impact it has on its victims. 

Photographer Paola Paredes first learned of the “Clinicas de Deshomosexualizacion” in her home country of Ecuador four years ago from a friend. After completing a project called “Unveiled” that documented her own coming out process ― including filming herself with three cameras as she came out to her parents ― Paredes decided the focus of her next work would be on these gay “conversion therapy” clinics. 

Paredes told HuffPost that while these “conversion” therapy centers are illegal in Ecuador, they often operate covertly out of houses or addiction clinics for alcohol or drugs in remote Ecuadorian towns. 

In order to portray experiences of people who have been through these clinics, Paredes interviewed a number of survivors. She then used their stories and experiences ― as well as the acting lessons she undertook specifically for the series ― to recreate the horrors of these “conversion therapy” centers in this “Until You Change,” a collection of photos currently associated with an ongoing crowdfunding campaign aimed at bringing LGBTQ awareness and education to Ecuador.

”[This series] can actively help us take action,” Paredes told HuffPost. “We created this crowdfunding campaign hoping to take advantage of this momentum. We want to design an educational campaign that centers around teaching people about homosexually, LGBT rights, gender identity and human rights. We believe that only through building education and tolerance we can prevent the existence of this clinics. The funds will also go to psychological support for the victims.”

Check out more images from “Until You Change” throughout this article and learn more about the photographer’s relationship with the victims of these gay “conversion therapy” clinics and what she hopes the impact of this project will be by reading our interview with Paredes below..

HuffPost: What inspired the project?
Paola Paredes: I heard about these clinics around four years ago ― one of my close friends told me about them. It affected me in a completely personal way [because] at that time I was not out to my parents yet. I thought that I could be locked up in one of these clinics. I was going through my own personal journey with my sexuality and it took me a while to comes to term with it. Hearing about these clinics lingered in my mind for years. I think deep down I knew I had to create something.

In 2014 I created my first body of work “Unveiled.” I sat my parents down for a conversation and told them I was gay in front of three cameras – a completely surreal and liberating experience. I was fortunate that my parents were completely accepting and that “Unveiled” turned into my first solid body of work that was published quite extensively online, and in a few exhibitions. From “Unveiled” I had a lot of gay men and women contact me around the world to thank me for sharing such an intimate moment with the world. They also shared with me their own anguish and positive coming out stories. It was there that I realized how powerful art can be.

Those letters gave me a sense of purpose. I understood I could use art to communicate important stories. It was around the time I finished “Unveiled” that I knew my next project would have to be about the clinics. I knew I was ready personally and artistically to take on that challenge. It was thanks to “Unveiled.”

This project is a sort of an extension to “Unveiled” as in terms of subject matter, and because I use myself as the protagonist again

How did you go about researching the project?
I first started reading the articles that came out online when there was small media attention given to the clinics around 2011 and 2012. That gave me the first information that I needed. I then set out to find victims to talk to, which took a couple of months. I embarked on a six-month interview process with one of them. We had really in depth conversations.

After this was the planning process with the images, studying movies for the framing and composition of subjects. And lastly was the month process in Ecuador of scouting locations and rehearsals and planning with my actors.

After the images were made I embarked on an interview process where I met with activists and institutions that play a big role in the regulation of these clinics.

I want to clarify something that I think has been left out in other publications is that these clinics are illegal in Ecuador. The Ministry of Health is the organization that regulates these clinics. These clinics are really addiction clinics for alcohol and drugs. But since these people consider homosexuality a disease, they treat it as an addiction. The laws prohibit that these clinics treat homosexuals.

Because of the media attention in 2011-2012 the clinics have found ways to become more clandestine. They exist usually in remote towns in Ecuador ― in random houses. This has made it more difficult for the Ministry of Health to regulate these clinics.

What were a few of the most surprising or shocking things you learned while researching the project?
[I think it would be] the entire interview process with the victim I spent six months with. Her testimony is heartbreaking ― listening to things she had to witness or be put through.

My interviews with activists were also quite shocking as I found out the inner workings of institutions here and how these clinics operate as mafias.

As a queer woman, what was going through your head as you acted out these scenes?
It was hard [sighs]. In the beginning I struggled with making the images look realistic. I did early tests in the studio with friends and I tried to “act” like I was being kicked or hit. They came out looking incredibly fake. It was then that I realized I needed to work with actors and theatre directors and work drawing on true emotion. We held rehearsals with actors for weeks, and we all had real characters. Real people that I had learned of through my interviews inspired the characters.

We drew on some Stanislavski acting techniques. And the theatre director made me imagine I was really held in the clinic. The scenes you see were really acted out.

How and why did you decide to cast yourself in every photo?
For a few reasons, it followed in terms of style to “Unveiled,” where I use myself in the images. “Until You Change” was always like a second chapter to “Unveiled.”

The other reason was that photographing the inside of these places is prohibited so I had to find another way to tell the story.

And most importantly, the victims asked to remain anonymous. So it was in order to protect their identity.

How did the women you interviewed finally escape these facilities? What are their lives like now?
It varies. In many cases the victims have significant others that notice they have gone missing. The significant others usually have a suspicion that it might have been their family who has put them in a clinic. They then go to activist groups to report it and then the police. And it is the activist and police process of investigation that rescues them.

In some cases, they are let out on their own, or their parents take them out.

What’s next for you?
Hopefully not using myself in any more photographic series [laughs]. I am hopeful this campaign will be successful. If it is, then my next few months will be spent in designing and creating the campaign. I think we could do a really good job!

I am also working on other independent projects centered around photographic archive and I teach at a university.

Head here to visit the crowdfunding campaign inspired by “Until You Change.” For more from Paola Paredes, visit her official website here.

This interview was edited for clarity and length.

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June 13, 2017 at 08:49PM

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from JamesMichael Nichols

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Chelsea Clinton Doesn’t Give A Hoot What You Think Of Her ‘Damaged’ Heels

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The Daily Mail didn’t mince words when it called out Chelsea Clinton’s “damaged” heels last week, but she fired back with the perfect response.

The outlet tore into a pair of the 37-year-old’s slightly worn nude heels, calling them “frayed” and “shredded,” and featured zoomed-in photos of those supposed flaws. 

“Chelsea Clinton stuck to her favorite pair of damaged heels to attend an awards dinner in New York,” the article said. “She donned a little black dress with a black and silver tweed jacket, not to mention a pair of destroyed nude pumps.”

Clinton later addressed the ridiculous shoe controversy during an appearance on “The Tonight Show” last week.

“As we were talking about earlier, there was an article that came out today about the fact that I wear the same shoes a lot, which I’m actually wearing again this evening,” she said. “How dare I wear scuffed shoes? They’re really comfortable.”

She added, “I think this is probably something working women — particularly working women New Yorkers — can empathize with. When you find a good pair of shoes, you just stay with them.” 

Allure magazine also called out the Daily Mail’s unwarranted critique with an article titled, “The Reason Chelsea Clinton’s Shoes Are So ‘Damaged’ Is Because She’s Busy Getting Shit Done.” 

Clinton clearly enjoyed Allure’s article and even tweeted it out: 

This made me laugh. Hard. Then I realized I’m wearing the same shoes again today. So I laughed harder! https://t.co/39yxVbbVvg

— Chelsea Clinton (@ChelseaClinton) June 7, 2017

We’re sure this isn’t the last we see of those heels. 

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June 13, 2017 at 08:49PM

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from Carly Ledbetter

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Roxane Gay Responds To Mamamia’s ‘Cruel And Humiliating’ Article

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Roxane Gay, the author of several critically acclaimed books including Bad Feminist, Difficult Women and the just-released Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body, endured what she’s appropriately described as “cruel and humiliating” treatment at the hands of Australia’s self-described “largest independent women’s website.”

Anyone who follows the feminist author on Twitter knows that Gay has been making the interview rounds ahead of Hunger’s debut, a book that details Gay’s experience “learning how to feed your hunger while taking care of yourself.”

Australian site Mamamia was afforded the opportunity to speak with her back in May, and as an “appalled” Gay said, the experience has been “a shit show.”

I am appalled by Mamamia. It was a shit show. I can walk a fucking mile. https://t.co/14RNv2Ig0B

— roxane gay (@rgay) June 13, 2017

“Can she fit into the lift?” Shame on you @Mamamia https://t.co/14RNv2Ig0B

— roxane gay (@rgay) June 13, 2017

It is cruel and humiliating. https://t.co/XY2AU0XPFG

— roxane gay (@rgay) June 13, 2017

In an attempt to introduce the podcast interview with Gay, Mamamia appears to have disclosed a list of the author’s personal requests, breaching confidentiality. A description featured on the site’s No Filter podcast on Monday (and captured in screenshots since it was deleted) disclosed a litany of preparations the website underwent in order to interview Gay.

“A lot of planning has to go into a visit from [the] best-selling author,” the description read, listing a series of questions: “Will she fit into the office lift? How many steps will she have to take to get to the interview? Is there a comfortable chair that will accommodate her six-foot-three, ‘super-morbidly obese’ frame?”

Oh Mamamia. When good intentions just do so much damage… this is appalling http://pic.twitter.com/Kni2nKpvkp

— courtney robinson (@courtney_ro) June 13, 2017

Mamamia’s co-founder and creative director Mia Freedman expounded upon the preparations in a now-deleted article (you can see the cached version here).

“Her size is imposing and also a logistical nightmare for her,” Freedman wrote. “The requirements back and forth with her publishers who had brought her out to Australia to promote her books were extremely detailed.” 

Reiterating the above questions, she also claimed “[t]here was also a lot of talk about chairs ― making sure we had one sturdy enough to both hold her weight and make sure she was comfortable.”

Justifying the confidentiality breach, Freedman said the details were “a fundamental part of the story.”

“You see, Roxane Gay is … I’m searching for the right word to use here. I don’t want to say fat so I’m going to use the official medical term: super morbidly obese.”

Whatever. Just what the fuck ever.

— roxane gay (@rgay) June 13, 2017

Many, many of Gay’s readers have pointed out Mamamia’s treatment of Gay completely misses the point of Hunger itself. In an interview with Trevor Noah, Gay explained the motivations for writing the book.

“I wanted to tell the story of my body, because when you’re fat in the world, people have assumptions,” she said. “They assume you’re stupid. … I think it’s important to show what it’s actually like to live in this world in a fat body.”

Mamamia has since apologized, releasing a statement that reads in part:

In no way did Mamamia ever intend to make Roxane Gay feel disrespected and we apologise unequivocally that that was the unintended consequence, including to her publishing team who organised the visit and made the requests in good faith. We are mortified to think she would ever believe this to be the case or that we have upset someone we so deeply admire and respect.

As soon as we became aware of her feelings about it, we took down the written post, edited the podcast intro and changed the podcast description to remove all references to the questions asked by her publishers and about details she said she found upsetting.

“As a publisher that’s championed body diversity and representation in the media we’re deeply apologetic that in this instance we’ve missed the mark in contributing to this discussion,” Mamamia admitted. “We believe the conversations sparked by Roxane’s book are vitally important for women to have, and are disappointed our execution hasn’t contributed in the way we intended.”

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June 13, 2017 at 08:49PM

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from Katherine Brooks

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9 Women On Why They Switched From Cardio To Weight Training

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Anna Danes was a lifelong runner, jogger and walker, but after giving birth to her daughter 12 years ago, she got busy and wasn’t able to keep up her regular exercise routine. She quickly noticed changes in her body, especially her weight beginning to creep up, and eventually went back to a cardio-heavy routine.

She wasn’t seeing results, though, and after successfully battling breast cancer, getting divorced and shaking off her old life as a lawyer to become a jazz singer (her sophomore album, “Find Your Wings,” topped iTunes’ jazz chart in 2016), she knew it was time for a change.

“I’m not ready to look midlife, even though I am midlife,” says the 47-year-old musician. “I’ve got a new life post-divorce: dating and a new career that’s taking off.”

So just three weeks ago she began lifting weights four times a week, and has already noticed major changes.

Aside from losing 8 pounds — no small feat! — Danes says, “My energy is way up too — old running speeds are now a breeze.”

While every body requires a different workout routine, and the exercise regimen that works best for you may involve all cardio or very little, fitness experts say that a mix of cardio and weight training can be important not only for aesthetic reasons but also to help prevent injuries and decrease the risk of osteoporosis, particularly in women.

“I think the most important thing about any athletic pursuit for women … is the general sense of competence you get from knowing that your body can do whatever you need it to,” says Karen Ko, a Toronto-based strength coach and personal trainer. “This is huge for women. We’re socialized to defer to men in areas of physical activity — they are the experts, they are inherently stronger than us. Strength training challenges this narrative and is extremely empowering.”

While some women, especially those facing illnesses or injuries that impede their ability to perform load-bearing exercise, do best with cardio only, most would benefit from adding some kind of weight training to their workout routine. Ko says it’s never too late to start, and adds that the “bro culture” of the weight room is changing and becoming more welcoming to people of all genders.

Need a little inspiration? Let the journeys of Danes and the other women below motivate you to try something new.

“I feel in control more, that I can do this, I can get fit on my own just by doing the work — and feel strong!”

Name: Anna Danes

Age: 47

Location: Solana Beach, California

Cardio history: I’ve been a runner/jogger/walker the majority of my life. In my early 30s, I did a lot of running races but stopped after I became a mom at 35. Then, my cardio routine depended on what I could get done while tending to a little kid. As my daughter got older, I returned to the gym sporadically and sometimes had trainers help me (but that could never last because of the expense factor). My very recent routine, before I began lifting, was jogging on the treadmill at the recommended “fat burn” rate about two times a week, and walking briskly outdoors about five times a week for about 4 miles each time.

Why she switched: Three weeks ago, after Mother’s Day, I stepped on the scale and was mortified by what I saw. Suddenly, over the past year, I had put on 15 pounds of pudge and was starting to look midlife and out of shape, despite my best efforts to do cardio almost every day.

What she does now: I lift weights about four times a week for roughly an hour, with the help of an app on my smart phone called FitBod. The app keeps track of all your goals and stats, keeps track of your workouts and varies them daily according to muscle groups that need to be worked. I try to hit upper and lower body at least twice a week.

In addition to lifting, I’ve decided to take my cardio to the next level with the help of another free app, Running. Instead of jogging with no results, the app helps you use interval training, get motivational build-up from the app’s “coach” and streams upbeat music.

How her body has reacted: Besides losing 8 pounds (which I couldn’t do before for the life of me with just jogging) in just three weeks, I’ve noticed I am starting to look cut again. There is definition in my abs and arms, which I’ve not seen in a long time. I feel tight, and my skin feels better all over, has better texture. I’ve also increased my normal running speed on the treadmill from 4.2 to 5.5 miles per hour in just three weeks. I feel stronger all over, and can run up and down the stairs in my house just doing chores!

I feel 100 percent better about my outlook on life, too. I feel in control more, that I can do this, I can get fit on my own just by doing the work — and feel strong! The new positive outlook is probably the most important thing for me.

“People always ask me if I’m a runner and I respond, ‘No I’m a squatter.’”

Name: Christie Maruka

Age: 47

Location: Wall, New Jersey

Cardio history: I was always in the gym with a 30- to 40-minute cardo session, four or five days a week, either the elliptical or stairs. My workout included weight training all my body parts, except I didn’t do squats and dead lifts. I did abs every other day, longer cardio sessions and higher reps with weights.

Why she switched: I switched because I started seeing and reading a lot more about women doing squats and dead-lifting, and they weren’t huge or extremely bulky, and I became very interested in trying this. Then I found Instagrammer Jen Selter (queen of squats) and admired her figure, so I followed her and began doing squats and absolutely loved the results I was seeing. As I get older, or any woman in their 40s, we will start losing muscle and I want to prevent this as much as possible. Squatting and dead-lifting have given my legs and butt a lot of shape and muscle definition.

What she does now: My routine now consists of higher-intensity weight training, no more than 12 reps. I split it up into upper body and lower body, and use the maximum amount of weight I can lift. I do exercises that have big, compound movements and involve the biggest muscles — like your quads, hamstrings and glutes. My cardio I do at a higher intensity and not longer than 25 minutes, and only on the days I do my upper body. After squats and dead lifts, I can barely walk out of the gym, so no cardio.

How her body has reacted: I’ve noticed that I’m so much stronger, I have more energy and I’m less tired. My body fat is lower and I’m much leaner, and you can really see the muscles. Wearing dresses and skirts in the summer and feeling confident is when it all pays off. I love my routine and I love the results. I am constantly preaching to friends and clients about squatting and dead-lifting and how great it is. People always ask me if I’m a runner and I respond, “No I’m a squatter.” It takes dedication and, for me, working out is a way of life, not a temporary fix.

“It’s so utterly empowering, no feeling can match that.”

Name: Diana Mitrea

Age: 29

Location: New York City

Cardio history: I have been active the majority of my life, but unfortunately, the majority of my life was spent doing only cardio. As a kid and in high school, I played soccer and swam. In college, I would run on the treadmill or outside every so often.

Why she switched: After graduating, I started teaching group fitness programs but all of them were around cardio ― my favorite class to teach was kickboxing. I would jump around the room for 60 minutes with my participants, drenched in sweat. It was amazing and tons of fun, but I felt that after a few years, my fitness had plateaued. I wasn’t getting leaner or more toned. I also felt like I wasn’t “powerful” enough in front of the class. Some of my other instructor colleagues really were a presence in front of the room. You looked at them and you thought, “Wow, that person is STRONG.” I wanted to be like that.

What she does now: I signed up with a personal trainer to help me learn more about weightlifting and strength training. Sometimes I think people don’t realize the value of having someone holding you accountable and helping you with form, education and motivation. I was determined enough to make the change that I went and purchased several months’ worth of sessions and committed to it. Little did I know that I would fall in love with how lifting made me feel.

Fast forward to now and I’m incredibly proud of where I’ve gotten in the past few years. I’m a personal trainer and group fitness instructor in NYC. I went from zero strength to being able to dead-lift over 200 pounds, doing several pullups in a row, and can clean and jerk almost my body weight. [Editor’s note: “Clean and jerk” refers to a weightlifting movement in which the barbell is pulled up to chest and shoulder height and then hoisted above the head.] I tell every woman I meet to stop being shy and get in that weight room! If you don’t know where to begin, hire someone. You will never realize what your body is truly capable of until you start picking up real weights.

How her body has reacted: The main difference I notice is that people compliment me not only on my physique (lifting weights really helps out your booty!), but people are also impressed with what I can do. It’s more than just my appearance that gives them a positive impression. It’s so utterly empowering, no feeling can match that. The other bonus is that I don’t have to work out as often to maintain my fitness. I used to put in two or more cardio hours a day! Now if I miss a day or two, it doesn’t even matter. I can eat more. My body can burn the food as fuel just by standing there. It’s amazing to me how it all works.

The only thing I wish in all this is that I had started lifting sooner. I would be so much stronger now if I had started five years earlier! However, starting now is better than never so I’m glad I discovered this world when I did.

“I never think about needing to be smaller or looking like a fashion model because I need my muscles to perform.”

Name: Meghan Kennihan

Age: 35

Location: La Grange, Illinois

Cardio history: I started long-distance running in 2008, half and full marathons, which led to half and full Ironmans from 2011 to 2013. That moved to ultramarathons — 50 km, 50-miler, 100 km, etc. — for the past three years. During these periods, I was basically doing cardio in the form of biking, running or swimming for 15 to 20-plus hours a week, with maybe five of those hours as light circuit-style, high-rep weight training — so more cardio than lifting.

Why she switched: I made the switch to more heavy lifting and dedicated powerlifting because I was always injured. I would get at least two injuries a year that would knock me out for two months, many of them stress fractures. So I knew I needed to build stronger bones, hips and glutes to support my endurance activities, and the light weightlifting wasn’t cutting it. A CrossFit gym near my house was starting an eight-week powerlifting class that was going to provide a program and culminate in a competition. It was great to have the support and coaching for the proper form. I ended up adapting quickly and falling in love with the heavy lifts and the powerlifting program. I broke six Illinois state records at the competition and was hooked. I also did not get injured that year.

What she does now: I still compete in ultra runs and endurance activities, but I do only three to four days a week of running and low mileage. I do the powerlifting twice a week and mix in other cross-training activities, like kettlebells, TRX and yoga, to keep my body guessing and make sure I am a well-rounded athlete.

How her body has reacted: I feel strong and confident. I am a personal trainer and run coach and it is great when I can challenge my male clients to lifts and put them in their place! I never think about needing to be smaller or looking like a fashion model because I need my muscles to perform.

“If there was a zombie apocalypse, I think I’d be able to survive!”

Name: Nicole Quiroz

Age: 33

Location: San Diego

Cardio history: I wouldn’t consider myself an avid runner, but it was my top-choice workout before I discovered lifting. I would run on treadmills or trails around a lake or hillsides, do some kind of kettlebell workout, followed by whatever diet fad I was on at the moment. One thing was clear to me: I wasn’t getting any results. Sure, running made me sweat like a maniac and gasp for air every second. But I was also injured quite often. I would consistently hurt my hips, knees and ankles.

Why she switched: Tearing my hip muscle was the worst out of all of my injuries and the final straw. It took me almost four months to recover from my injury. I knew I had to start working out again, but I didn’t want to return to running. That’s when a friend introduced me to powerlifting and it changed my life.

What she does now: Now, about 90 percent of my workout is powerlifting. I would start with stretches or yoga, followed by 10 sets of dead lifts and 10 sets of back squats. That’s it! I feel like lifting is the best cardio workout anyone can get. I can burn up to 650 calories in an hour just by lifting weights.

How her body has reacted: The strength and confidence I’ve gained through powerlifting has changed my life and my perspective on fitness. There’s a stigma about women and powerlifting — the fear of gaining bulk. No, you will not bulk unless you have a strict meal plan that purposefully makes you bulk. You will gain definition and curves, which is what I believe many women who work out strive for. In addition, I’ve revisited running. I’ve noticed that I’m not tired as quickly. I also run faster and can run a longer distance without stopping. The fat I’ve lost and the muscle and strength I’ve gained through powerlifting have helped support my running milestones. If there was a zombie apocalypse, I think I’d be able to survive!

“I just wanted more of a body. I’m a petite woman with no curves, which can be daunting in today’s booty-obsessed world.”

Name: Jenay Rose

Age: 27

Location: Los Angeles

Cardio history: I could never really get into working out. I was never athletic growing up, but about three years ago I fell in love with yoga. Vinyasa flow is a fast-paced, constantly moving practice.

Why she switched: As I’ve become a more advanced practitioner of yoga (I am now a yoga teacher and wellness influencer), I have been craving more. I used to leave a level 3, two-hour yoga class exhausted, but now I am ready for more. I also wanted a more drastic improvement in muscle mass. I have always been fairly thin and petite, but as I get older, I desire to have more of a physique. So, I decided to add in weightlifting about three or four weeks ago.

What she does now: I attend three or four yoga classes a week, and train in the gym at least twice a week, but I am going to up that to four times a week. Once you start seeing small results, it can be incredibly gratifying and inspiring to work harder, commit more and really accomplish your goals.

How her body has reacted: Since adding in weights, I feel leaner and stronger — physically and mentally. Yoga is incredibly soothing and replenishing for me, but I wasn’t 100 percent happy with my physical appearance. I just wanted more of a body. I’m a petite woman with no curves, which can be daunting in today’s booty-obsessed world. Overall, sweating and detoxifying through working out has made me a happier, kinder and all-around better person. I now have the ability to channel my angst into something positive, benefiting myself and everyone around me. Lifting weights makes me feel like a strong, independent woman, while yoga gives me peace of mind and confidence.

“My attitude doing it is not very good. But afterward, I feel really good.”

Name: Jacquie Jordan

Age: 46

Location: Los Angeles

Cardio history: My workout routine before lifting was pretty consistent: swimming Monday, Wednesday and Friday; spinning Tuesday and Thursday; yoga Saturday; yoga sculpt Sunday. I would also substitute yoga sculpt with jogging or hiking.

Why she switched: I switched because some parts of my body — no matter what — were not changing or improving. I eat clean. I don’t eat sugar, flour or drink alcohol. I’m practically no-carb. So I know food is not an issue.

What she does now: I’m really new to the weightlifting, and I love/hate it. I hate it because it is so foreign to me, and I have all sorts of preconceived ideas about who should really be doing weightlifting. Since it’s new to me, and I’m already experiencing a significant shift in the body in terms of inches, I have cut back on my other workouts. I’m doing hot yoga to stretch out and continuing with the swimming.

How her body has reacted: I generally carry weight around my hips and thighs; I seem to be predisposed this way, and the weightlifting is literally cutting through the fat. I am being trained by Kenneth Rippetoe of One with the Water. This is all foreign to me and I have tremendous resistance. My attitude doing it is not very good. But afterward, I feel really good.

“I’m positive that my physical fitness helped me have a faster and (somewhat) easier delivery of my son in 2016.” 

Name: Alayna Curry

Age: 29

Location: Orlando, Florida

Cardio history: In college, I gained more than the typical “freshman 15.” Once I graduated, I was fed up with being insecure about my body. I decided to try Zumba since I liked dancing and wasn’t a big fan of other fitness activities. I fell in love! I went two to three times a week at first. Once I started to feel better about working out, I started doing cycle classes, too. I’d say at that time, I was doing about four to five cardio classes a week. Eventually, I decided to get licensed in both Zumba and cycle and started teaching a few classes a week. I was still intimidated by weightlifting, so I kept to cardio because I was seeing weight loss.

Why she switched: One day, I overheard another instructor say, “If you’re trying to lose weight, you need to incorporate weights into your workout routine, not just cardio.” That was the first time I’d really heard that. After a while of just cardio, I hit a plateau and didn’t really see any changes in my body, so I decided to start lifting. The biggest motivator for me was having a lifting buddy who was also just starting out, so we could keep each other accountable.

What she does now: Now I spend more time on weights than cardio. Your body actually works harder and longer during and after weightlifting than cardio, so you get a bigger bang for your buck. As a working mom, it’s hard to find time to get to the gym, but I make an effort to lift three to four times a week. I focus on different areas each day — legs, back and biceps, triceps and chest, and shoulders. I try to incorporate a short abs workout into every session, too. I never do the same workout routine twice. I want my body to be surprised, and challenge my muscles in a different way each week. I do a mix of machines, free weights and body weight exercises. In addition to lifting, I still do cardio about two to three times a week. I’ve been teaching Zumba for six years and I love it. I’m able to burn upward of 750 calories a class. I also walk a lot with my family.

How her body has reacted: Once I started lifting, I got a lot of feedback from friends saying I’d lost weight. Funny thing is, I didn’t really lose any pounds, I was just looking leaner and fitter. Now that I’ve been lifting regularly for several years, my energy is better and I feel stronger. I’m positive that my physical fitness helped me have a faster and (somewhat) easier delivery of my son in 2016. I continued to lift responsibly through my pregnancy, which helped me quickly get back into pre-pregnancy shape later. Overall, I feel better and look better thanks to this lifestyle change.

“I was always self-conscious of having big thighs, now I embrace them because they are strong thighs. These thighs let me squat a lot of weight!”

Name: Meghan Scanlon

Age: 29

Location: Boston

Cardio history: Before I started lifting, I did many endurance events. Once I stopped playing soccer in college, I began to run and completed 10 marathons, including qualifying for and running the Boston Marathon. Running eventually led to triathlons, including three full Ironmans. During this time, I was running five days a week, anywhere from 5 to 20 miles, biking three to five days between 60 minutes and three hours, and swimming three days for about an hour.

Why she switched: I decided to truly switch my focus after the summer of 2016 due to a hip injury while training for a marathon. I could perform most lifts without pain, yet couldn’t run a mile. This is when I saw a shift in my body, energy and success lifting. I entered my first powerlifting competition the winter of 2016. After the second time I competed, I ran a personal-record half-marathon the next weekend.

What she does now: I lift five days a week. Four specifically for powerlifting, and one day I leave for fun. The length of my workouts varies depending on where I am in my training cycle, but ranges between an hour and two most days. I also do high-intensity interval training once a week and run twice, but only 2 to 4 miles each time.

How her body has reacted: Since making the switch, my body composition has changed drastically. It is something I didn’t notice right away and I truly still don’t understand how drastically it has changed until I look at pictures and see how much leaner my body is and how much stronger I am. I have more energy outside of training, which leaves me in a good mental space to focus on eating healthfully to fuel my body properly.

While I was training for endurance events … at times I felt run down, and it would be hard to eat properly and I would end up bingeing. I also was in the constant mindset of needing to be thinner to excel in endurance events, which would lead me to eat too few calories and again I would end up bingeing. So although my calorie burn was much higher while training for marathons and Ironmans, my nutrition was not nearly as good. The other thing that has changed is my confidence. I was always self-conscious of having big thighs, now I embrace them because they are strong thighs. These thighs let me squat a lot of weight! It is funny, I am even more confident in my running (short distances, of course!) and have run a lifetime mile personal record this year. I am so much more confident in my own skin, which transfers to all aspects of my life.

Looking for resources to help on your weightlifting journey? Personal trainer Ko recommends Girls Gone Strong, Starting Strength and Stronger by Science to help you get started and train smart.

The responses in this post have been edited for clarity and length.

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

June 13, 2017 at 08:49PM

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from Stephanie Hallett

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Lawmaker Breaks Chicken’s Neck On Camera To Announce Anti-Abortion Bill

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NEW YORK― Republican state Rep. Mike Moon of Missouri posted a video of himself slaughtering a chicken on Monday to spotlight his new bill to ban abortion in the state. 

In the Facebook video, Moon breaks a chicken’s neck and rips its heart out while explaining to the camera that Gov. Eric Greitens (R) has called lawmakers back for a special session this summer to limit abortion. Then, wearing a blood-spattered white t-shirt, Moon announces his own legislation.

“So we’ve been called back to this special session for the primary purpose of supporting life, protecting the unborn specifically,” he says. “I think we need to get to the heart of the matter here. So today, I’m filing a bill that will lead to the stopping of abortion in the state of Missouri and I hope you’ll support it.”

Moon’s bill would “require due process of law before the life of any human, born or unborn, is ended prior to natural death,” effectively outlawing abortion in Missouri.

Under current state law, women must have a state-directed counseling session and then wait 72 hours before being able to have an abortion. 

Some commenters on Facebook were disturbed by Moon’s video and his implication that slaughtering a chicken is similar to abortion. He replied that he “wasn’t trying to make a comparison” ― but then followed up with a tweet that makes that very comparison. 

“Some people seem to be freaking out about the chicken video … I wonder if they know what an abortion is?” Moon tweeted. 

 

Some people seem to be freaking out about the chicken video… I wonder if they know what an abortion is?… https://t.co/N4YVaFdCvg

— Mike Moon (@realmikemoon) June 13, 2017

Reproductive rights advocates were puzzled by his stunt. 

“Whatever Mike Moon does with a chicken in the privacy of his home is his own business,” Alison Dreith, the executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri, told the Missouri Times. “But we will not let him use the rights of women across Missouri as some kind of political prop. His call to ban abortion is disturbing and dangerous, no matter what he does with that chicken.”

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June 13, 2017 at 08:49PM

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from Laura Bassett

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Twitter Schools Tomi Lahren After She Calls LGBTQ March ‘Crybaby Fest Of Bulls**t’

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Tomi Lahren gave her haters another reason to hate her this week.

The rightwing political commentator took to social media on Sunday to slam The Resist March, which replaced this year’s Los Angeles Pride Parade on June 11 in response to forces “gathering in government that intend to take away our hard-won basic human rights.”

What are they “resisting” exactly? Can any of these groups celebrate their “pride” without bitching about POTUS? They are obsessed! https://t.co/7sAz1HND31

— Tomi Lahren (@TomiLahren) June 11, 2017

You resist. We persist. Keep crying Snowflakes. #GreatAmerica

— Tomi Lahren (@TomiLahren) June 11, 2017

In a video posted to Facebook, Lahren offered her trademark “final thoughts” on The Resist March, calling it a “crock of crap” and railing against participants who she claims turned “what has been a celebratory parade into a crybaby fest of bullshit.”

”Your rights are not threatened — are you kidding me?” Lahren incredulously asked. “In fact it’s President Trump and the Republicans who battle big government to protect your rights, to protect all of our rights.”

She added, “We get it — you’re gay and guess what, we don’t care. President Trump doesn’t care. In fact, President Trump, unlike President Obama, stood up for your rights day one. Obama had to evolve, remember that? Or were you too busy waving your rainbows and screaming your profanities about our President?”

But, as many have pointed out in the last year, Trump and his administration have hardly been allies to the LGBTQ community. From rolling back protections for trans students to neglecting to offer an official White House proclamation for Pride Month ― something President Obama did every June during his presidency ― Trump and his cabinet have yet to prove that they are truly “standing up” for queer rights.

Predictably, Twitter users weren’t too pleased with Lahren’s interpretation of the event and were ready to call her out:

Trump and his crew fighting for gay rights?! Am I in some parallel universe? Alt facts are big w y’all so, I’m assuming so…

— Corey Garcia (@CoreyLGarcia) June 12, 2017

Hey, genius, educate yourself for once. From the earliest days of Stonewall, gay pride has ALWAYS been resistance & fighting oppression.

— Etoile Frank (@PHXfrank) June 12, 2017

You must live under a rock if you think people aren’t empowered by these marches, speeches, and activists.

— Kori (@korimargarett) June 11, 2017

Why don’t U go to the ❤️ of a pride parade and ask what the R’s have done for them? If U know so much. Easy to shout from a fox hole.

— Melissa Dyanne (@m_dyanne) June 11, 2017

The old world is dying. A new one is being born. Soon, your hate-filled rhetoric will be but a distant unpleasant memory.

— Eric DeBlackmere (@AstronomerEric) June 11, 2017

If you had any objectivity, you’d acknowledge the clear reason for a #resistmarch. People like DeVos are actively working against LGBTQ.

— Jason Daniel (@Jasons_Thinking) June 11, 2017

Maybe they’re protesting because… http://pic.twitter.com/OtYhsLrB7R

— Brenna Simon (@BrennaSimonSays) June 11, 2017

For starters… http://pic.twitter.com/Ti7PqqqoYC

— Kevin Creasy (@BourbonGuru) June 12, 2017

And then there’s this little nugget. https://t.co/AJJDoVPENf

— Kevin Creasy (@BourbonGuru) June 12, 2017

You’re shook. That’s your final thoughts. And we all sense it.

— Alt. Sean Spicer (@AltUSPressSec) June 11, 2017

If only you’re final thoughts were really final…. ✌ ✌ ✌ ✌ ✌

— UfcWeHaveHistoryToo (@NzNwordHistory) June 11, 2017

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

June 13, 2017 at 08:20PM

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from Noah Michelson

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5 Things To Say In Awkward Situations Instead Of “I’m Sorry”

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How many times do you find yourself apologizing throughout the day? Do you say “I’m sorry” when it takes you a few hours to respond to an e-mail? When you start to speak at the same time as someone else? When someone else bumps into you?

You might not even realize when you are doing it. I only realized how frequently I was apologizing after I literally kept a tally for each time I said it in the course of one day. I found, much to my horror, that there were sorrys everywhere. My world-record number: fifty-three. Yes, I said “I’m sorry” fifty-three freaking times. In a day. I was shocked and embarrassed by the number, but the silver lining was that I became aware of my excessive apologizing right then and there—and you better believe I did something about it. I encourage you to count sorrys for yourself, because only once you are mindful of how much you are saying it can you finally stop apologizing for things that aren’t deserving of an apology.

I’m sure you’re not surprised to learn that studies have shown women are more likely to say “I’m sorry” than men. The interesting thing about those studies are that men don’t have a problem apologizing, they just have a higher threshold for the stuff they deem worthy of an apology. Bumping into someone coming out of the elevator or not returning a call right away doesn’t make their sorry benchmark. But for many of us ladies, it does.

So why do we as women say we are sorry so much? Part of it might be out of habit. Part of it might be a desire to seem more likable or express empathy. Some women I speak to tell me that it’s about not looking overly aggressive or not wanting to assert too much authority. I get it: It’s nerve-racking to interrupt your boss or badger someone for something that hasn’t been done. But are you sorry for it? Whatever the core reason, it makes us look like we lack self-confidence. Let’s vow to apologize only when we actually do something wrong.

Aside from interrupting a superior, here are other times we tend to say sorry in the workplace—with a possible alternative to say instead:

1. Being late for a meeting

What you might be inclined to say: “I’m so sorry, I had XYZ to do.”

What you should say instead: “Thank you so much for your patience. I know your time is valuable, so let’s dive in.”

2. Asking a question

What you might be inclined to say: “I’m sorry, can I ask a question?”

What you should say instead: “Here’s my question.”

3. Not liking something

What you might be inclined to say: “I’m sorry, I just didn’t think it was that good.”

What you should say instead: “I personally didn’t care for it, but here’s an idea to improve upon it.”

4. Grabbing something or getting by someone

What you might be inclined to say: “I’m sorry, I’m just going to reach by you to get that. I’m sorry, I’m just going to scooch around you.”

What you should say instead: “Do you mind handing that to me?” or a simple: “Pardon me!”

5. If someone asks you a question to clarify something you said

What you might be inclined to say: “I’m sorry for the confusion. What I meant to say was XYZ.”

What you should say instead: “Let me clarify what I was saying about XYZ.”

Nailing workplace communication isn’t an overnight thing, especially if you’re conditioned to be timid. There’s no shame in writing out phrases like this in advance before you walk into an important meeting or difficult conversation. Or practice with a friend. Chances are, she’ll need the help, too.

This is an adapted excerpt from Boss Bitch, by Nicole Lapin, published by Crown Business. Lapin is also the author of best-selling Rich Bitch and the star of the nationally-syndicated business competition reality show Hatched.

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

June 13, 2017 at 08:20PM

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from Ashley Sepanski

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Walmart’s Sick Leave Policy Is Terrible, Especially For Women

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At a time when more and more companies are going out of their way to promote work-life balance, Walmart is punishing workers for having a life outside of work.

Hourly Walmart workers who miss their scheduled shifts because they’re sick or having a family emergency risk getting fired under the company’s punitive policy on sick leave. The policy is particularly harsh toward women, who most often care for children and family members outside of work. 

Each time a worker misses a scheduled shift ― the schedule is worked out three weeks in advance ― they earn a “point.” Accrue enough points and you’re fired, or as company spokesman Blake Jackson puts it: “You’re eligible for termination.”

Jackson says that managers have discretion when deciding to hand out points, and if someone has a good excuse for missing a shift, they’re not penalized.

But Walmart workers tell a vastly different story in a report released earlier this month from A Better Balance, a nonprofit legal advocacy group. The group surveyed about 1,000 of the company’s employees. Eighty-five percent said Walmart regularly punishes people for taking time off because of a disability or serious illness. 

The report claims that Walmart often acts unlawfully, penalizing workers who should be protected under various federal laws. Workers said their managers would often ignore notes from doctors ― not even reading them before issuing points.

Katie Orzehowski told HuffPost she missed a few shifts from her job at a Walmart in North Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, after she had a miscarriage last year ― and was docked six or seven points.

When she was back at work and discovered she was still bleeding, her boss said leaving work early would cost her a half point. Later that year, Orzehowski ― who makes $10.20 an hour ― came to work when she had the flu. “I’m thinking, ‘Oh jeez, I can’t afford to miss work,’” she said.

It’s clear that these are not isolated incidents, but a pattern of similar stories we heard time and again.
Elizabeth Gedmark, senior staff attorney at A Better Balance

Walmart disputes Orzehowski’s story, which she also shared with The New York Times.

“We do not have any information that would support that Ms. Orzehowski advised us of a medical reason for her absences. If that were the case, she could have used those medical records to apply for a leave or accommodation,” Walmart said in a statement.

According to the Better Balance report, Walmart has a policy of not retaining, or even looking at, doctor’s notes from employees. Orzehowski said she brought in a note. “They’ll turn down every excuse you have,” she said.

“The stories in our report speak for themselves. And it’s clear that these are not isolated incidents, but a pattern of similar stories we heard time and again,” Elizabeth Gedmark, a senior staff attorney at A Better Balance, told HuffPost.

“We heard from hundreds of workers who have been punished for absences related to serious illnesses and disabilities. In particular, Walmart’s routine failure to accept doctors’ notes is a major focus of the report ― and exactly why they claim to not know about a worker’s medical condition.”

Walmart said it hasn’t examined the survey in detail and notes that it cannot speak to the accuracy of the anonymous anecdotes in it.

It’s important to consider that Walmart, the largest private employer in the U.S., is not punishing workers for taking paid sick time. Most of these workers simply don’t get paid when they miss work ― though last year, the company did start allowing employees to earn paid time off (including vacation and sick time) if they work a certain number of hours.

The company says the point system is necessary to keep workers from calling at the last minute and leaving their colleagues short-handed.

Workers do need to miss work on occasion, and the company has “processes in place to assist them,” spokesman Jackson told HuffPost, emphasizing that Walmart complies with federal laws.

“We have countless Walmart associates who successfully partnered with the company to authorize their absences from work,” the company said in a statement. “We believe we have the right training measures in place to help communicate our attendance, disability and pregnancy policies to our associates.”

She was on her deathbed when I requested time off to be with her. My request was denied. Walmart said I would be fired if I took the time off. My mother died alone.
Walmart worker quoted in A Better Balance’s new report

Yet even if the points system is administered with high discretion and within the bounds of the law, it still leaves workers in a terrible position.

Employees say the system effectively scares them from taking sick time and adds stress to already stressful situations. Women, who are often responsible for children at home, are in a particularly tight spot. You can’t always plan in advance for when your child gets an ear infection or needs to be picked up early from school.

The stories in the Better Balance report are heartbreaking: One worker said her manager threatened that she’d earn points if she took time off to be with her mother, who was getting hospice care.

“She was on her deathbed when I requested time off to be with her,” this worker says in the report. “My request was denied. Walmart said I would be fired if I took the time off. My mother died alone in early April 2017. Not being with her when she passed was devastating.”

Other employees describe receiving points for taking time off to handle chronic conditions like asthma or emergency medical conditions like a heart attack. A mother got points for taking her son to the hospital when he had pneumonia.

“Giving a worker a disciplinary ‘point’ for being absent due to a disability or for taking care of themselves or a loved one with a serious medical condition is not only unfair,” write the report’s authors. “In many instances, it runs afoul of federal, state and local law.”

A Better Balance, which has also filed a separate pregnancy discrimination lawsuit against Walmart on behalf of two employees, worked with the labor group OUR Walmart to conduct its survey via Facebook, targeting users who identified as Walmart employees.

Walmart’s points policy likely wouldn’t comply with state law in Massachusetts, which passed a paid sick leave law just a few years ago. Employers in the state cannot take action against workers for using paid sick leave, explains Amanda Baer, an associate at the law firm Mirick O’Connell in Westborough, Massachusetts, who works on labor and employment issues. (Walmart said that it always complies with local laws.)

The points system is especially tricky, Baer said. “You could have an employee who’s one point away from being fired, but gets the flu,” she said. “You don’t want your sick employees coming to work and getting everyone else sick.” 

The policy also puts customers at risk: Who wants to get sick because you bought laundry detergent from a cashier with the flu?

The United States is the only developed country that does not mandate that employers provide paid sick leave or maternity leave. But there are a few federal laws that give workers protections when they need time off.

The Family and Medical Leave Act provides 12 weeks unpaid time off to employees at companies with 50 or more workers who have worked there for at least 1,250 hours. That time doesn’t have to be taken all at once.

You can use FMLA time for a serious medical condition or to care for an immediate family member with a serious medical condition. Prenatal care and chemotherapy, for example, would both be covered under FMLA. If you’re out for three days or more from work, that should be covered under FMLA, explains Emily Martin, general counsel and vice president for workplace justice at the National Women’s Law Center.

The key protection the law offers? Job security. “You can’t be retaliated against,” Martin said. An employer can’t threaten disciplinary action. And it’s your boss’ responsibility to recognize if you might qualify for FMLA, she added.

Yet Walmart told just 23 percent of workers with absences that likely qualified them for FMLA leave that they were eligible for it, according to the Better Balance survey.

The Americans with Disabilities Act also offers job protections for employees with disabilities who need reasonable amounts of time off. Other states and localities have laws in place that protect pregnant women from discrimination.

Last year, Roni Gumbert was fired from the same Walmart in Pennsylvania where Orzehowski works for taking too much time off. 

Like most working parents, the 33-year-old needed to leave work to deal with a family issue: Her 1-year-old was getting chronic ear infections, and needed to be picked up early from day care or even taken to the hospital.

Meanwhile, Gumbert was also dealing with her 74-year-old father, who is suffering from Parkinson’s disease and early onset dementia. He landed in the emergency room more than once for falling down the stairs at his apartment building. Gumbert’s mother, who had been helping with child care, had died suddenly the year before.

Each time she called in or was late, Gumbert was penalized ― receiving a point for missing a full shift and a half point for leaving early or arriving late.

“I talked to the general manager and the store manager,” Gumbert told HuffPost. “Nobody was willing to be understanding.”

Gumbert, who worked for the company less than a year, said she earned eight points before losing her job.

According to Walmart, Gumbert’s manager gave her 10 points for 20 “occurrences,” the term for missed or late shifts. 

The company wouldn’t provide further detail on why certain shifts were exempted, citing privacy concerns. 

Other companies are moving toward more understanding leave policies.

Earlier this year, Facebook expanded its leave policy to help workers who need time off to care for sick relatives or for bereavement. The company now gives all employees six weeks of family leave to care for ailing family members, plus three additional days to care for a family member with a short-term illness, like a child with the flu, and 20 days of bereavement leave ― twice as much as before.

“People should be able both to work and be there for their families,” the company’s chief operating officer, Sheryl Sandberg, said in a Facebook post announcing the new policy. “No one should face this trade-off.”

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

June 13, 2017 at 03:50AM

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from Emily Peck

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Why Little Boys Need Wonder Woman, Too

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It’s not often I find myself in a New Jersey Walmart, much less find inspiration there, but that’s exactly what happened when my mother, my son and I hit one for supplies during a recent family trip. I was wandering through the disorienting and oversized aisles when somewhere just past the Budweiser-printed cowboy hats, I came across this:

This is a the huge selection of girls’ Wonder Woman T-shirts currently available at Walmart. Not one of them is pink. http://pic.twitter.com/eR9qGiRN3j

— Emily McCombs (@msemilymccombs) June 11, 2017

That’s a giant display of 16 freaking superhero T-shirts for girls ― superhero T-shirts reading things like “Strong” and “Girls Will Rule The World.” And, as previously noted, almost none of them are pink.

First, I teared up with the surprise of it all. Second, I wished they came in my size. And third, I turned my head slowly toward my 5-year-old son, who apparently knew exactly what I was thinking because he automatically yelled out, “I’m not wearing one!”

It was a moment that crystallized the one little thing that keeps me from fully enjoying the flood of Wonder Woman merchandise that’s become recently available to girls ― these T-shirts, the “Wonder Woman” line at Gap, Wonder Woman Barbie, among others. Girls around the country are being empowered and inspired by finally having a mass market female superhero and I couldn’t be more into it. They deserve it. We deserve it.

But so does my son. 

When I share that I wish places like Walmart and The Gap would make just a few of these T-shirts for boys, people respond that I can just put the girls’ shirts on a boy, which, of course, is technically true. (Although as moms of boys who prefer stereotypically “female” characters will tell you, there are sometimes prohibitive fit issues.) 

But the thing is, my son is 5. I can’t put anything on him that he doesn’t want to wear. And when he sees a shirt in the girls’ section, with a tag that says “girl,” he doesn’t want to wear it. Blame the gender normativity that started coming home with him along with the regular cold and flu germs once he started school and became exposed to lots and lots of opinions and ideas about what boys and girls are supposed to like. (And blame the rest of our culture, advertising, media, etc. that started socializing him basically from before he was born. After all, I’m a tried and true feminist mom, but I’m just one woman.)

So it’s not about whether or not my son can fit into a “girls” shirt. It’s about the fact that when you put Wonder Woman in the girls section, when you market strong female icons to girls only, what you end up with is a little boy who had the gall to tell me over breakfast the next day that he doesn’t think Wonder Woman is even “cool.”

In fact, he thinks Hawkman (which has got to be the most ridiculously third-string example he could have even come up with) is much cooler than Wonder Woman, simply because she is for girls.

Strong women shouldn’t be just for girls. Female role models shouldn’t be just for girls. And I can’t help but think that if those Wonder Woman T-shirts had been sold in both sections of the clothing store for my son’s whole life, he never would have thought they were. 

It might be too late for Wonder Woman and my son. But it’s not too late for the next little boy to never know that the badass female cultural icon isn’t “for him.” Because it’s not just girls who need a strong female role model. It’s boys, too.

You shouldn’t worry too much about my son, though. He may not be into Wonder Woman, but he proudly wears the ornate, sparkly mood ring I bought him. The kindergarten boys haven’t entirely won yet. 

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

June 13, 2017 at 01:21AM

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from Emily McCombs

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Meet Jessica Watkins, The Only Black Woman In NASA’s Newest Astronaut Class

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Watch out, universe. NASA’s newest class of astronauts includes one woman with some serious black girl magic.

NASA announced its first class of astronaut candidates since 2013 on Wednesday. The twelve candidates from various backgrounds and fields of study met some pretty rigorous requirements and made it to the top of the pool of 18,300 applicants, a record number for NASA. Among them is one black woman: Jessica Watkins.

Y’ALL NASA JUST ANNOUNCED THEIR NEWEST ASTRONAUTS. SHOUTOUT TO BLACK GIRL SHINING JESSICA WATKINS!!!! ‍ http://pic.twitter.com/AA19DrEIHq

— wikipedia brown (@eveewing) June 11, 2017

Watkins, a 29-year-old geologist from Lafayette, Colorado, told Blastr that she’s excited about NASA’s efforts to diversify STEM.

“I’m very excited about the diversity on this team, this amazing group of people. I think that says a lot about NASA and their goals towards creating a diverse workforce,” she said. “I think the thing about diversity is that it allows for experiences that may not be exactly the same to bring different things to the table. And then the other side of that… is the idea of being able to be a face to others who may not see people who look like them in STEM fields in general, and doing cool things like going to space.”

Watkins said that she always knew that she wanted to be an astronaut. After majoring in mechanical engineering at Stanford and admitting that wasn’t her passion, she shifted gears and started studying planetary geology. After completing her doctorate in geology at UCLA, Watkins began working on the Mars Curiosity rover, according to NASA.

The new class will begin their two-year training at the Johnson Space Center in Houston in August. While training, the candidates will learn a range of lessons, including on the International Space Station systems, robotics training, space walks, the Russian language and flight training.

Some of the candidates could participate in the Orion mission, which aims to send men and women to Mars. Watkins, who worked on the Mars Curiosity rover, has a good chance of being one of those to set foot on the planet. She told the Lafayette News that she’s “excited about contributing to” NASA’s expansion of human presence in space.

Watkins told Blastr that she’s passionate about encouraging young girls to pursue a career in STEM. She advises girls who are interested to get a mentor, especially a female mentor, to help them.  

“That is something that has really pushed me to this point in my life,” she said. “I’ve been really grateful and lucky to have the mentorship support that I’ve received from a lot of my teachers and professors and supervisors. That’s been something that’s really important for me, and I think help with that idea of persistence, having a mentor who can continue to push you and encourage you in a STEM field is really helpful.” 

Black astronauts are few and far in between in the history of NASA. But Watkins is in good company with the five black women who’ve made their mark including Mae Jemison, Yvonne Darlene Cagle, Stephanie D. Wilson, Joan E. Higginbotham and, more recently, Jeanette J. Epps.

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

June 13, 2017 at 01:21AM

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from Taryn Finley

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