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Jessica Valenti
Born	November 1, 1978
Education	Master's in Women's and Gender Studies
Alma mater	Rutgers University
Occupation	Writer
Known for	Founder of Feministing
Spouse	Andrew Golis
Website	jessicavalenti.com

Jessica Valenti (born November 1, 1978) is an American blogger and feminist writer, who became known for having founded the feminist blog Feministing in 2004. She is the author or co-author of four books on women's issues, including Full Frontal Feminism (2007) and He's a Stud, She's a Slut (2008). Her work has appeared in Ms. magazine, The Guardian, The Nation, TPMCafe, and Alternet.

Background

Valenti was raised in Long Island City, Queens. She received her master's degree in Women's and Gender Studies from Rutgers University. On October 3, 2009, she married Andrew Golis, the deputy publisher of Talking Points Memo.

Writing and blogging

Valenti founded Feministing as a source for feminist news and ideas by and for young feminists. It was created while she was working at the National Organization for Women's legal defense fund (now Legal Momentum), in response to what she describes as "dismissal from older feminists." She left in February 2011, saying she wanted it to "remain a place for younger feminists to build their careers and platforms."

As a result of her work with Feministing, Valenti was invited in 2006 to meet President Bill Clinton, one of several bloggers invited to have lunch with him. Valenti was criticized afterwards by law professor Ann Althouse, who wrote in her blog that Valenti had stood in front of Clinton in a group photograph after the lunch, in a "three-quarter pose" that Althouse saw as posturing. She wrote that the pose irked her, as a feminist. Althouse was in turn criticized in Salon by Tracy Clark-Flory for having reduced Valenti to her appearance and sexuality.

The context of the criticism was the sometimes sexualized content of Feministing—Althouse called it a "breastblog." Erin Matson of the National Organization for Women's Young Feminist Task Force told Liz Funk of The Huffington Post: "This controversy is a rehashing of a very old debate within the feminist community: is public sexuality empowering or harmful to women? ... ome feminists may disagree with the stance taken by many of Feministing's writers, but let's reserve the word 'anti-feminist' for our real enemies."

In addition to her work appearing in several newspapers and magazines, Valenti is a contributing author to Click: When we knew we were feminists, We Don't Need Another Wave, and Single State of the Union.

Books

• (2007). Full Frontal Feminism: A Young Woman's Guide to Why Feminism Matters. Seal Press. ISBN 978-1580052016.
• (2008). He's a Stud, She's a Slut ... And 49 Other Double Standards Every Woman Should Know. Seal Press. ISBN 978-1580052450.
• with Friedman, Jaclyn (2008). Yes Means Yes: Visions of Female Sexual Power and A World Without Rape. Seal Press. ISBN 978-1580052573.
• (2009). The Purity Myth: How America's Obsession with Virginity Is Hurting Young Women. Seal Press. ISBN 978-1580052535.

References

1. Foster, Julie (2001-05-22). "WND Exclusive Feminists flag WND columnist". WorldNetDaily.com.
   • Valenti, Jessica (2008-08-21). "Jessica Valenti archive". The Guardian.
   • Valenti, Jessica (2008-03-26). "The Sisterhood Split". The Nation.
   • Valenti, Jessica (2008-11-19). "Anti-Choicers Switching Up Strategies?". TPM Cafe.
   • Valenti, Jessica (2008-11-19). "Alternet Author Page". Alternet.
2. Department of Women's and Gender Studies (2005-08-06). "Graduate Alumni Profiles - MA Degree Recipients". Rutgers School of Arts and Sciences. Retrieved 2008-05-28.
3. Lane, Dakota (2009-10-18). "Jessica Valenti and Andrew Golis". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-05-06.
4. Barcella, Laura (2007-04-27). "Full Frontal Feminism". Alternet. Retrieved 2008-10-25.
5. Traister, Rebecca (24 April 2007). "Tough titties". interview. Salon.com. Retrieved 2 February 2009.
6. Dominus, Susan (1 February 2008). "Feminists Find Unity Is Elusive". article. New York Times.
7. Valenti, Jessica. "Farewell, Feministing!", feministing.com, February 2, 2011.
8. Clark-Flory, Tracy. "The blogosphere's breast debate", Salon, September 15, 2006.
9. Funk, Liz. "Feministing: Feminist? Or Just -Ing?", The Huffington Post, October 12, 2006.
10. Martin, Courtney (editor) (April 27, 2010). Click: When we knew we were feminists. Seal Press. ISBN 1580052851. {{cite book}}: |author= has generic name (help)
11. Berger, Melody (editor) (September 25, 2008). We Don't Need Another Wave: Dispatches from the Next Generation of Feminists. Seal Press. ISBN 1580051820. {{cite book}}: |author= has generic name (help)
12. Diane Mapes (editor) (2007). "The Taming of the Threw". Single State of the Union. Seal Press. ISBN 1580052029. {{cite book}}: |author= has generic name (help)

Further reading

• Jessica Valenti
• Feministing.com
• Huffington Post
• Scher, Bill (2007-04-30). "Full Frontal Feminism" Author, Jessica Valenti: The IM Interview". The Blog. Liberal Oasis.
• Barcella, Laura (2007-04-27). "Full Frontal Feminism". Alternet.
• Pearse, Emma (2007-04-29). "Q&A With 'Full Frontal Feminism' Author Jessica Valenti". New York Magazine.
• Jess McCabe (7 May 2008). "He's a stud, she's a slut?". The F-Word.

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• American bloggers
• American feminist writers
• American women writers
• Living people
• Rutgers University alumni
• Writers from New York