Jessica Valenti
Jessica Valenti (/vəˈlɛnti/; born November 1, 1978[1]) is an American feminist writer.[2] She was the co-founder of the blog Feministing, which she wrote for from 2004 to 2011. Valenti is the author of five books: Full Frontal Feminism (2007), He's a Stud, She's a Slut (2008), The Purity Myth (2009), Why Have Kids? (2012), and Sex Object: A Memoir (2016). She also co-edited the books Yes Means Yes: Visions of Female Sexual Power and A World Without Rape (2008), and Believe Me: How Trusting Women Can Change the World (2020). Between 2014 and 2018, Valenti was a columnist for The Guardian.[3] She currently runs the Abortion, Every Day newsletter on Substack.[4] The Washington Post described her as "one of the most successful and visible feminists of her generation".[5]
Jessica Valenti
Early life and education[edit]
Valenti was raised in Long Island City, Queens, in an Italian-American family.[1][6] She graduated from Stuyvesant High School in New York City in 1996[7][8] and attended Tulane University in New Orleans for a year, and then transferred to the State University of New York at Albany, graduating in 2001 with a bachelor's degree in journalism.[9] In 2002, Valenti received a master's degree in Women's and Gender Studies with a concentration in politics from Rutgers University.[10]
Harassment[edit]
Valenti has been the target of online threats and harassment throughout her career.[28] In a 2006 blog article by Liz Funks at HuffPost, Funks wrote about online attacks made about Valenti after a group photo that included Valenti at a luncheon with former President Bill Clinton went viral, focusing on her outfit.[16]
In July 2016, Valenti announced she was taking a break from social media, after receiving rape and death threats aimed at her then five-year-old daughter. On Twitter, Valenti denounced the harassment as unacceptable. Immediately after that, Valenti made her Instagram account private.[35]
Personal life[edit]
In 2009, Valenti married Andrew Golis, former deputy publisher of Talking Points Memo, former general manager of Vox Media,[6][36] and currently the Chief Content Officer for WNYC.[37]
The couple has one daughter, born in 2010.[38]