by Shay Orent | Dec 22, 2020 | Blog Post
“What I ended up feeling when I was talking to girls was that they were systematically disconnected from their bodies, and with boys it was that they were systematically disconnected from their hearts.” – Peggy Orenstein, author of Girls & Sex and Boys & Sex... by Shay Orent | Sep 16, 2020 | Blog Post
My favorite outlandish dating story is one I heard on a podcast called Tell the Bartender. They went out once and had a nice time; they stopped at her apartment after so he could use her bathroom; he stole her expensive stage makeup; then wore it on their next date.... by Adriana Li | Sep 9, 2020 | Blog Post
When I think about safety, and how complex that concept can be, I think about the iceberg-depths of what that can mean for women of color, especially those who are survivors of abuse. With the recent surge of the Black Lives Matter Movement, and the suffering we all... by Shay Orent | May 20, 2020 | Uncategorized
Girl on a swing overlooking a beautiful landscape If you had asked me 6 months ago if an IMPACT class could be taught online I would have laughed out loud. I didn’t think there was a substitute for the feeling of strength and accomplishment that comes from physically... by Shay Orent | Mar 18, 2020 | Uncategorized
We are living in dystopic times, to say the least. To be in the present is to live mentally in the future, fearing the consequences of a pandemic whose potential for destruction is vast. For now, many of us are doing our best to heed the warnings from other countries... by Shay Orent | Jan 22, 2020 | Uncategorized
A consensual encounter where a young woman is kissing another young woman lovingly on the forehead Sexual coercion has been on my mind a lot lately. And one thing I’m realizing is we don’t talk about it enough. Which makes sense–it’s an uncomfortable topic, and... by Shay Orent | Nov 4, 2019 | Uncategorized
———— The following is an interview IMPACT Boston conducted with two organizers from the Every Voice Coalition, a movement bringing together students, advocates, and universities to end sexual violence on college campuses. The following is an... by Shay Orent | May 17, 2019 | Uncategorized
I like you. Do you like me? Yes? No? It isn’t just boys who need to learn to hear the word “no.” I’m at a high school teaching our IMPACT:Ability program. We’re about 6 weeks into the program, so we’re starting to address some more uncomfortable topics. This week... by Shay Orent | Apr 17, 2019 | Uncategorized
“Don’t talk to strangers.” “Don’t walk alone at night.” “Use your keys as a weapon.” If you live in a body that society views as vulnerable, you have probably been the recipient of many safety tips. Often these are well-meaning, but too often they are also... by Aishah Shahidah Simmons | Mar 14, 2019 | Uncategorized
I just completed IMPACT Boston’s 20-hour women’s core self-defense course. I’ve wanted to take one of these courses ever since the 1990s but I didn’t for a myriad of reasons. To say that I had one of the most physically and emotionally grueling 20-hour...