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Billie Eilish Showed Off Her Body on Tour for an Important Reason


Billie Eilish’s oversized clothing has become one of her staples, and she’s said multiple times there’s a reason behind it. “I never want the world to know everything about me,” she explained in a 2019 Calvin Klein campaign. “I mean, that’s why I wear big baggy clothes: Nobody can have an opinion, because they haven’t seen what’s underneath.” In a June 2019 interview with Vogue Australia, she said her style “gives nobody the opportunity to judge what [her] body looks like.”

But in a video interlude for her Where Do We Go? World Tour, which kicked off March 9 in Miami, the pop star addressed exactly that: the idea of people judging her—or anyone’s—body. In the clip, Eilish is seen slowly undressing as she gives a powerful message about body-shaming. Per BuzzFeed, fans who attended the show say this was Eilish’s full speech:

“You have opinions about my opinions, about my music, about my clothes, about my body. Some people hate what I wear. Some people praise it. Some people use it to shame others. Some people use it to shame me. But I feel you watching, always, and nothing I do goes unseen. So while I feel your stares, your disapproval, or your sigh of relief, if I lived by them, I’d never be able to move.

Would you like me to be smaller? Weaker? Softer? Taller? Would you like me to be quiet? Do my shoulders provoke you? Does my chest? Am I my stomach? My hips? The body I was born with, is it not what you wanted?

If I wear what is comfortable, I am not a woman. If I shed the layers, I am a slut. Though you’ve never seen my body, you still judge it and judge me for it. Why? You make assumptions about people based on their size. We decide what they’re worth. If I wear more, who decides what that makes me? What that means? Is my value based only on your perception? Or is your opinion of me not my responsibility?”

Watch a (somewhat shaky) fan video of the interlude—courtesy of the Twitter account Eilish Tour News—for yourself, below:

Fans flooded to Twitter to praise Billie Eilish for taking a stand against body-shaming. “Billie is using her tour as a platform to send a positive statement to her fans by using an interlude about how people’s opinions on her body aren’t her responsibility is so powerful,” one fan tweeted. “I love this women so much.”

See, below, just a few reactions from fans:

Eilish hasn’t commented on the response to the interlude yet, but stay tuned.



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Meghan Markle Reportedly Says Baby Archie Has Reached an Important New Milestone


The Duchess had some more empowering words of wisdom to share with the school’s young students, telling them they’re all entitled to “speak up for what is right.”

“When we thought about what I wanted to do for International Women’s Day this year, for me it was incredibly important to be with the women of our future,” Markle began her impassioned speech. “And that is all of you young women here as well as you young men who play a very large part in this.”

“No matter how small you might feel, how low you may feel on the ladder or the totem pole, no matter what colour you are, no matter what gender you are—you have a voice, and you certainly have the right to speak up for what is right,” she continued.

Markle also urged the young men in the room to “protect” and “value” the women in their lives every day.

“You have your mothers, sisters, girlfriends in your life. Protect them. Make sure they are feeling valued, and safe,” she said. “Lets all just rally together to make International Women’s Day something that’s not just on Sunday but frankly feels like every day of the year.”



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Clare Crawley, 38, Is the Bachelorette—Why That’s Important


As a loud and proud cougar who made the British tabloids for having such a great sex life in my 40s, I’m thrilled to see Clare Crawley, 38, cast as the next Bachelorette. And based on the social media reaction, I’m not the only one.

Clare is the hero we need right now because “older” women are more likely to know what they want. Far from being desperate, as society claims, they’re usually single at that age because they refuse to settle for less than what they deserve.

Full disclosure: I never considered myself a huge fan of The Bachelor or The Bachelorette before. Among other things, I’d always just assumed the franchise wouldn’t speak to me as a woman who’s never cared that much about getting married. I’d rather be alone at any age than feel alone by settling with the wrong person out of fear. With the announcement that Clare will be the Bachelorette, though, I realized the biggest reason why I kept turning off the show: I can’t relate to a 23-year-old who says she’s ready to settle down with one man forever…before she’s old enough to even rent a car without a surcharge.

Clare isn’t interested in settling, as we’ve seen already with her willingness to walk away from Juan Pablo. And on Good Morning America, she said she wants a man who’s willing to let his guard down and be emotionally brave. As someone who’s learned the hard way not to date emotional gold diggers, I’m already a fan of this attitude and approach. Clare can hopefully teach all of us what to look for in a healthy partner and what to not settle for.

And, as Clare pointed out in that interview, age is a benefit because it has taught her what she does and doesn’t want. I didn’t have my first worthy orgasm until my mid 30s because I didn’t know my body or what I wanted sexually due to lack of experience and a tendency to hook up with selfish dudes who just didn’t care. So imagine how little I knew about serious relationships, especially the kind that might lead to marriage, in my 20s. I admire younger people’s infectious enthusiasm and positive outlook, but age and experience are what teach human beings about everything in life. Those much-needed lessons are hard. They take time. Why do you think Yoda and Gandolf are so smart? Age and experience!

Clare knows her worth. Not despite her age. Because of it.

More than anything, though, having Clare cast is about representation. Women (and men!) are waiting longer to get married and have been for a while, so it’s nice to see the Bachelor franchise better reflect our reality. Clare not only has the confidence and experience of an older woman who knows her worth, but she’s also been around the block at Bachelor Nation. She knows what she’s doing and won’t be pushed around.

We need women like this. Someone who wants to find love and is optimistic, but who’s not willing to sacrifice herself or her integrity in order to get it. Clare represents the very best part of being older and unwed—you stop worrying so much about being alone. And when you don’t let society manipulate you into making decisions based on fear or social pressure, you attract the kind of person who respects you as much as you respect yourself. I can’t wait to watch.

Melanie Hamlett is a comedian, storyteller, and journalist from New York City who’s now based in Europe.



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The Women of RAICES Have an Important Message: ‘Stand Up. Fight Back’


The truth isn’t so easy. I had a choice of going either to school or surviving. I had to help my madrecita put food on the table and raise my brother. But the system doesn’t reward those priorities. Instead, the system made me and my family suffer. It’s deporting my friends, it’s killing families, it’s putting children in cages, and keeping thousands of people in danger across the border. It’s this system that these women on stage are fighting every day.

My mom, sitting right there, the love of my life, that beautiful woman, is a woman who knows how to play both mama and papa. She’s a woman who gave up her dreams, left everything behind in Peru, like so many mothers may be doing at this moment. The story I continue to write is her story, and tonight, I want to give her some hope in writing a new chapter in her life.”

She then called her mother up to the stage and presented her with a gift: an envelope containing her green card. “You’ve been waiting for this for the past 17 years,” she said, “and I’m happy to let you know that you are finally getting it.”

The women then led the audience in a chant: “When immigrant rights are under attack, what do you do? Stand up. Fight back!”

A leader in providing legal services to immigrants in federal detention centers and in the community, RAICES is a resource for asylum-seeking families in a system designed for them to fail. With over 10 million undocumented individuals in the U.S., RAICES helps unaccompanied children, single adults, families, and the LGBTQ community feel welcomed, safe, and protected in their new cities.

With the enactment of the Trump administration’s zero-tolerance policy, RAICES’ work is more vital than ever. And after raising $20 million through a Facebook fundraiser amid nationwide uproar over family separations—it’s clear that they’re not slowing down. The majority of RAICES’ employees are female, and women hold most of the leadership positions, so Glamour was honored to welcome the change-makers at the annual awards ceremony.

Find out more about Glamour’s 2019 Women of the Year here.



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People Are Praising Netflix’s ‘Unbelievable’ for Starting Important Discussions About Sexual Assault


It seems like everyone is watching—and talking about—Netflix‘s Unbelievable. The series, based on a true story, centers on Marie (Kaitlyn Dever), a former foster teen who reports to local authorities that she was raped. But the officers, all men, don’t believe her story, citing inconsistencies in her statements. After several conversations, the cops essentially strong-arm Marie into saying she made the entire thing up. Her life unravels in the aftermath: Her friends disown her, she receives a demotion at work, and the city sues her for filing a false police report. But then, three years later, two female detectives (Toni Collette and Merritt Wever) start looking into several rape cases similar to Marie’s story and deduce that the same man is committing these assaults.

The show isn’t easy to watch. It’s gritty, and graphic, and it can be triggering for people who have experienced sexual assault. But the response to it online is overwhelmingly positive: Many are praising the series for its nuanced depiction of what sexual assault survivors go through when reporting their cases. “This is literally why women struggle with admitting to being sexually assaulted because they’re forced to relive the moment 60+ times, and then poked and prodded at by our legal system,” one person wrote on Twitter.

“If you’re someone whose first response to a rape being reported is ‘but they could be faking it’ you should watch the series #Unbelievable and educate your spiteful selves,” tweeted someone else.

Other viewers are calling for female officers to handle female sexual assault cases after watching Unbelievable. The series does an excellent job at showing how empathetic Collette’s and Wever’s characters are toward the women they work with. The male officers who handle Marie’s case are cold and mechanical, and they have an obvious bias against her. “I just started watching #Unbelievable and I firmly believe that a rape victim (if female) should be interviewed by a woman detective,” one person tweeted.

Read some more reactions to Unbelievable, below.

The show is currently streaming on Netflix.



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Cervical Biopsies Are Important, Common—And Can Be Seriously Traumatic


This is not a witch-hunt—but it is a wakeup call. Cervical biopsies are a critical tool in the arsenal of women’s healthcare, but the argument that “most women do just fine without painkillers” doesn’t address the fact that many definitely do not. It’s hard not to feel like our pain isn’t being blown off and brushed aside. At the very least, women should be better informed about what they’re in for, instead of being allowed to walk into a procedure that has the potential to be traumatizing.

So, what are doctors doing to prepare women for cervical biopsies?

There are no official guidelines for pain management during a cervical biopsy other than the ACOG recommendation to take some ibuprofen 30 minutes prior to the procedure. Philips uses lidocaine spray to partially numb the cervix and also tries to “manage a patient’s expectations for the discomfort by explaining that some people have discomfort and some do not. I also tell them how much time I expect the procedure to last so they can manage the time in their heads. It helps to know we won’t be taking biopsies forever,” she says. “The medical community certainly takes women’s pain seriously. No one likes pain and we try to be very mindful of it—but with cervical biopsies, it is hard to predict who will have pain.”

What You Can Do About It

A good doctor will explain the procedure and let you know what to expect before pulling out a pair of scary-looking forceps. Most of the women I spoke to said their doctors did that—but ultimately, it’s up to you to ask questions and advocate for yourself while your feet are in the stirrups.

“If you can, pre-medicate with 600–800mg of Ibuprofen,” says Sherri Ross, M.D., an ob-gyn and author of She-ology. “That is helpful along with asking the doctor to numb the cervix with a lidocaine injection or spray.” Before you have a cervical biopsy, she advises asking the following questions:

1. What are you seeing on my cervix or Pap smear that makes you want to do a cervical biopsy? Are your concerns related to the HPV virus?

2. What does this type of cervical biopsy entail? Please walk me through the process.

3. How long does it take and will I experience any pain or uncomfortable symptoms?

4. What painkillers are available to make the procedure less uncomfortable?

5. What complications of a cervical biopsy should I be aware of?

6. What should I expect after having the biopsy? Should I bleed after a cervical biopsy?

7. What will the results tell me? Will you or your nurse call me with normal or abnormal results?

8. When can I have sex, use tampons, or take a bath after having a cervical biopsy?

Another good tip: Bring a support person. “If I could give advice to anyone dealing with the process, it would be to not deal with it alone, and bring someone with them to the appointments. I did everything on my own, and literally had a meltdown after,” says Dava, 37.

Most importantly, never be afraid to speak up—no medical procedure should leave you feeling traumatized. Ask your doctor to walk you through what she’s doing every step of the way, speak up if you’re in more pain than you can handle, and insist that your doctor provide a painkiller if you need it. “Women need to empower themselves and be their best health-care advocates,” says Ross. “It’s important to ask a lot of questions so you fully understand what is happening. If your healthcare provider is not helpful or cooperative with your questions, get a second opinion or find a provider who makes this an easy process—because it really should be.”

Gigi Engle is a certified sex coach, sexologist, educator and writer living in Chicago. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter at @GigiEngle.





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