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Naseem Jamnia's logo. Their name and, under it, "literary speculative fiction," is beside a paisley on its side, which has light blue and salmon-colored curls inside it. The paisley has a star at its tip.
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    • …  
      • Home
      • About 
        • About Naseem
        • Accolades
        • Speaking
        • Editing & Authenticity Reads
        • Press Kit
      • The Bruising of Qilwa
      • Sleepaway
      • Events & Appearances
      • Writing 
        • Anthologies
        • Gender
        • Science in Society
        • Mental Health & Disability
        • Social Justice
        • Video Games
        • Book & Game Reviews
        • Writing Resources
      • Press
      • Contact
    A tiny image of the paisley from Naseem's logo, which has light blue and salmon-colored swirls inside and a star on its tip.
    Naseem Jamnia's logo. Their name and, under it, "literary speculative fiction," is beside a paisley on its side, which has light blue and salmon-colored curls inside it. The paisley has a star at its tip.
      Newsletter
      • Home
      • About 
        • About Naseem
        • Accolades
        • Speaking
        • Editing & Authenticity Reads
        • Press Kit
      • The Bruising of Qilwa
      • Sleepaway
      • Events & Appearances
      • Writing 
        • Anthologies
        • Gender
        • Science in Society
        • Mental Health & Disability
        • Social Justice
        • Video Games
        • Book & Game Reviews
        • Writing Resources
      • Press
      • Contact
      • …  
        • Home
        • About 
          • About Naseem
          • Accolades
          • Speaking
          • Editing & Authenticity Reads
          • Press Kit
        • The Bruising of Qilwa
        • Sleepaway
        • Events & Appearances
        • Writing 
          • Anthologies
          • Gender
          • Science in Society
          • Mental Health & Disability
          • Social Justice
          • Video Games
          • Book & Game Reviews
          • Writing Resources
        • Press
        • Contact
      A tiny image of the paisley from Naseem's logo, which has light blue and salmon-colored swirls inside and a star on its tip.
      Naseem Jamnia's logo. Their name and, under it, "literary speculative fiction," is beside a paisley on its side, which has light blue and salmon-colored curls inside it. The paisley has a star at its tip.
      • Social Justice

        Almost everything I write has a social justice lens to it. Here are the pieces that are most focused on social justice.

        The Bitch Media logo, which says "bitch" in maroon and "media" in red, all lower case.

        Silicone Sham: Will Sex-Doll Brothels Change the Future of Sex Work?

        Many sex workers are eager to get back to work, but it’s proving difficult. Nevada’s brothels, for example, have remained closed during the pandemic, although some now offer nonsexual escort services. Governor Steve Sisolak has said that reopening brothels isn’t “on his radar,” despite detailed safety plans from brothel owners and a lawsuit leveled at the him by licensed sex worker Alice Little. “Right now, there are zero legal options for sex workers in the United States,” Little told Bitch. “By keeping the brothels closed, [Sisolak] is directly endangering workers like myself who came to Nevada to work legally.” In theory, there is little wrong with sex dolls if they’re seen as the logical continuation of the centuries-old practice of using sexual devices. Despite the ableist perspective that sex dolls should be for people with “social skill deficits” or who are elderly or disabled, there are a growing number of married people and women purchasing the dolls. This has become even more common since the pandemic changed the very nature of sex and dating.

         

        See also anything else I've written for Bitch, including but not limited to:

        • Love Removal Machine: The Future of Outsourcing Sex
        • Rise of the Machines: Robot Replacement Is a Labor Issue
        • Grand Theft Creative: The Gaming Industry's Exploitative Crunch Culture
        • Needles and Spins: Anti-Vaccine Propoganda is Dangerously Profitable
        The Sidequest.Zone logo, which says "sidequest" in lower case and cream font, except for the Q, which is capitalized and is shaped like a green compass in the middle. The background is sage green.

        Spyro Reignited Is a Joyous but Troubling Trip Through Childhood

        Introduced in Ripto’s Rage, Handel and Greta are the only human characters (unless you count the wizards that appear every now and again as villians you run over to get gems) to make an appearance in the Spyro trilogy. They’re small blonde-haired children; Greta speaks with a lisp and Handel is off doing things by himself, reappearing as part of the frame story at the end of the level. The weirdness of humans in a world run by creatures aside, our Hansel-and-Gretel callbacks appear in worlds that are… shall we say, awkward at best, racist at worst.

         

        See also:

        • Mystic Messenger Trash: #MeToo and Toxic Masculinity in Zen's Route
        • Mystic Messenger Trash: On Mental Illness, Self-Sacrifice, and "Casual Racism" in Yoosung's Route
        • Mystic Messenger Trash: Gals Being Pals in Jaehee's Route
        The Ravishly logo, which has the word written in white on a purple background, with the "ly" in italics

        Iran Deserves Your Sympathy, Too

        I remember the flood of sympathy that happened in response to the bombings in Paris and Manchester. I remember the Facebook frames tinted in red, white, and blue, and how solidarity trended on Twitter in hashtags like #PrayforParis and #WeAreManchester. People marked themselves as safe, and in came the flood of support. Where is the support for Tehran, or Mashhad, or Kermanshah?

         

        See also:

        • I'm an Intersectional Feminist Because of My Sufi Faith
        • What Does Your Story Add to the Conversation?
        The Cosmopolitan logo, which is the word in all caps and pink.

        I Don't Identify as a Woman. Will the Woman's Movement Fight for Me?

        While I’m pleased that binary trans people are gaining more visibility, many nonbinary individuals — myself included — feel forgotten, especially in activism. We may support the mission of the women’s movement — and many of us do — but we don’t always feel like it supports us.

        The Bustle logo, which says "Bustle" in white with an underline on a blue and teal background.

        Betsy DeVos Failed to Condemn Schools that Discriminate

        Such programs are actually key to closing the education gaps in poor communities. The elimination of after-school programs, like the ones that 21st CCLC provides, pushes the communities that benefit from them further into the margins. The After School Alliance showed that after-school programs are critical in impoverished communities, which are usually communities of color that already suffer from high crime, have low-performing schools, and lack of accessible, nutritious foods. Parents from these communities look to these programs to not only keep their children safe but to help them with homework, feed them, encourage physical activity, and improve school performance and attendance.

         

        See also:

        • Religious People Should Be Worried About the Birth Control Mandate
        • Will Other Countries Exit the Paris Climate Agreement?
        • It Might Take Four Years to Get Out of the Paris Deal
        The Coffeelicious logo, which is a C in browns and a coffee cup with steam coming out of it in front.

        The Dangers of the Gender Binary

        Originally shared on The Coffeelicious, no longer active

        Humans like categories: cat or dog, Wars or Trek, girl or boy. And often, we can fit into these categories. Some XX individuals are girls. Some XY individuals are boys. Some XX individuals are boys, and XY individuals are girls, and we understand that to be within the same umbrella and an unfortunate matter of circumstance. But whether we can accept it or not, there is a “none of the above,” too.

      © 2022, Naseem Jamnia

      Photos of Naseem by Jennie Kaplan, 2018, and Jeramie Lu, 2022

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