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Meredith Ralston

Professor of Women's Studies and Political Studies, Mount Saint Vincent University
My research work has been mainly in the areas of women and politics, slut-shaming and sex work in Canada and the Philippines.

In my new book, Slut-Shaming, Whorephobia, and the Unfinished Sexual Revolution published by McGill-Queen's University Press in June, I examine the common denominators between the #MeToo movement, the myths of rape culture, and the pleasure gap between men and women to reveal the ways that sexually liberated women threaten the traditional patriarchy. Weaving in history, pop culture, philosophy, interviews with sex workers, and anecdotes, I show how women will achieve sexual equality only when the sexual double standard and good girl/bad girl binary are eliminated and women viewed by society as “whores” are destigmatized. Illustrating how women’s sexuality is policed by both men and women, I argue that women must be allowed the same personal autonomy as men: the freedom to make sexual decisions for themselves, to obtain orgasm equality, and to insist on their own sexual pleasure. Dispelling the myth that all sex workers are victims and all clients are violent, the book calls out Western society’s hypocrisy about sex and shows how stigma and the marginalization of sex workers harms all women.

Kamala Harris’s run for president is getting ugly, but Republican misogyny may backfire this time

Jul 27, 2024 12:51 pm UTC| Insights & Views Politics

United States Vice President Kamala Harris is making a bid for the Oval Office, replacing President Joe Biden to square off against Republican Donald Trump. She may become the first woman and second racialized person to...

Sex workers' rights: Governments should not decide what constitutes good or bad sex

Sep 28, 2023 02:59 am UTC| Health

An Ontario Superior Court justice has dismissed a constitutional challenge to Canadas sex work laws, saying that the Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act (PCEPA) does not violate sex workers Charter...

Economy

China Hits Back with New Tariffs on U.S. Goods After Trump’s 10% Levy

Chinas finance ministry announced fresh tariffs on U.S. products on Tuesday, responding swiftly to a 10% tariff imposed by President Donald Trump on Chinese imports. The U.S. tariff, which took effect at 0501 GMT, marks...

Trade Truce: Trump Pauses Tariffs as North America Strengthens Borders

+9 Tariff Suspension and Trade Agreements President Donald Trump announced a 30-day tariff halt on imports from Mexico and Canada after successful negotiations. The Mexican president, Claudia Sheinbaum, agreed to...

Global Currencies Stabilize as U.S. Tariff Uncertainty Persists

The Canadian dollar, Mexican peso, and euro held steady against the U.S. dollar on Tuesday following a volatile Monday, where they rebounded from multi-year lows. This came after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a...

Stock Market Dips as Trump’s Tariff Plans Spark Uncertainty

U.S. stock indexes closed lower Monday but rebounded from earlier steep losses after President Donald Trump delayed new tariffs on Mexico. Trump granted a one-month pause after Mexico agreed to deploy 10,000 National Guard...

New U.S. Tariffs Hit Chinese Packages: What Shippers Need to Know

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced that all mailed packages from China will require formal customs entry starting Tuesday under new tariffs. According to a notice posted in the Federal Register on...

Politics

Elon Musk-Backed Trump Plan to Shut Down USAID Sparks Political Battle

The Trump administration extended a lockout of U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) employees for a second day, accelerating efforts to dismantle the agency. The move follows Trumps foreign aid freeze on Jan....

Trump Highlights Strong Interest in TikTok Amid Uncertain Future

Trump Highlights Strong Interest in TikTok Amid Uncertain Future Former U.S. President Donald Trump stated on Monday that there is significant interest in TikTok as his administration works to facilitate the sale of the...

Malaysia PM Prioritizes Global Trade Over Waiting on U.S. Tariffs

Malaysia is proactively strengthening trade relations with China, Russia, and Brazil to mitigate potential risks from U.S. tariffs, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim stated on Tuesday. Speaking in parliament, Anwar emphasized...

Trump Administration Moves to Boost U.S. Energy Production, Slash Regulations

The U.S. Interior Department announced a series of orders to advance former President Donald Trumps energy agenda, prioritizing domestic energy and mineral production while cutting regulations. Interior Secretary Doug...

Sheinbaum Secures Tariff Pause in High-Stakes U.S. Negotiation

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum successfully navigated a major foreign policy challenge, securing a 30-day pause on U.S. tariffs after negotiations with President Donald Trump. The threatened 25% tariffs, aimed at...

Science

South African telescope discovers a giant galaxy that’s 32 times bigger than Earth’s

Inkathazos glowing plasma jets are shown in red and yellow. The starlight from other surrounding galaxies can be seen in the background. K.K.L Charlton (UCT), MeerKAT, HSC, CARTA, IDIA, CC BY You may not know it, but right...

It’s science, not fiction: high-tech drones may soon be fighting bushfires in Australia

Picture this. Its a summer evening in Australia. A dry lightning storm is about to sweep across remote, tinder-dry bushland. The next day is forecast to be hot and windy. A lightning strike tonight could spark a fire that...

Earth is bombarded with rocks from space – but who gets to keep these ultimate antiques?

Every day, about 48.5 tonnes of space rock hurtle towards Earth. Meteorites that fall into the ocean are never recovered. But the ones that crash on land can spark debates about legal ownership. Globally, meteorite hunting...

Most of us trust scientists, shows a survey of nearly 72,000 people worldwide

Public trust in scientists is vital. It can help us with personal decisions on matters like health and provide evidence-based policymaking to assist governments with crises such as the COVID pandemic or climate change. In...

Astronauts on NASA’s Artemis mission to the Moon will need better boots − here’s why

The U.S.s return to the Moon with NASAs Artemis program will not be a mere stroll in the park. Instead it will be a perilous journey to a lunar location representing one of the most extreme environments in the solar...

Technology

Hong Kong Tech Stocks Rally on AI Optimism Despite U.S. Tariffs

Hong Kong-listed Chinese technology stocks surged as optimism over artificial intelligence (AI) advancements from companies like DeepSeek and Alibaba (NYSE:BABA) overshadowed concerns about new U.S. tariffs. DeepSeeks...

Apple Criticizes EU Porn App, Citing Consumer Trust Concerns

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) has voiced strong opposition to a pornography app available on iPhones in the European Union, blaming the blocs Digital Markets Act (DMA) for eroding consumer confidence. The app, Hot Tub, is...

Xiaomi Stock Rises as Morgan Stanley Raises Price Target on EV and AIoT Growth

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) has boosted its price target for Xiaomi (OTC:XIACF) Corp (HK:1810) to HK$45 from HK$35, maintaining an Overweight rating, citing strong growth in electric vehicles (EVs) and AIoT. Analysts...

OpenAI and Kakao Forge AI Partnership for Korean Market

OpenAI and Kakao have announced a strategic partnership to develop AI solutions tailored for South Korea. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Kakao CEO Chung Shina revealed the collaboration during a press conference in Seoul,...

Trump Orders Creation of U.S. Sovereign Wealth Fund, Eyes TikTok Purchase

U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order to establish a sovereign wealth fund within a year, aiming to generate national wealth and potentially acquire TikTok. The order directs the Treasury and Commerce...