Ella Dawson on Muck Rack

Ella Dawson

New York
As seen in: Rebel Ever After, Medium, TED Ideas Blog, astrology for writers, Patreon, Substack, Vox, ELLE, Salon, Women's Health, Longreads and
Covers:  Sexuality, technology and social media, feminism, pop culture.
author of BUT HOW ARE YOU, REALLY (@DuttonBooks, June 2024). sex & culture critic. survivor. she/her. 🏳️‍🌈

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Ella Dawson’s Biography

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Ella Dawson is a sex and culture critic whose writing has been published by ELLE, MTV, Vox, Women’s Health, and more. In her talks, she speaks to the crisis of miscommunication in our lives, from our dehumanizing culture of casual sex to how shame keeps us silent about our mental and sexual health. Her TEDx talk about fighting herpes stigma has been viewed 600,000 times, and her activism has been featured in the Washington Post, HuffPost, TeenVogue, and New York Magazine. Her work fighting herp…

Ella Dawson’s Journalist Portfolio

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Bullies Targeted Me For Being Bisexual - Here's What I Wish I Knew Then

Bullies Targeted Me For Being Bisexual - Here's What I Wish I Knew Then

I realized I wasn't straight when I was 17 years old and kissing a friend at a high school cast party. We wer…

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Why I Love Telling People I Have Herpes

Why I Love Telling People I Have Herpes

To be fair, we both were. Andy was working on a political campaign in Maine while I finished a social media i…

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The dark side of going viral

The dark side of going viral

First-person essays and interviews with unique perspectives on complicated issues. By now, you've probably he…

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"Bad Sex," or the Sex We Don't Want But Have Anyway

"Bad Sex," or the Sex We Don't Want But Have Anyway

Ella Dawson wrote this piece in response to the short story "Cat Person" by Kristen Roupenian, which was rece…

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Do We Owe Partners Our Stories of Assault, Harassment, and Abuse?

Do We Owe Partners Our Stories of Assault, Harassment, and Abuse?

I have plenty of quirks that are easier to get out in the open early. These parts of my life are worth leadin…

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Why I Celebrate The Day I Was Diagnosed With Herpes

Why I Celebrate The Day I Was Diagnosed With Herpes

On May 9, I will commemorate a very important anniversary. Three years ago, I was diagnosed with genital herp…

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Articles

The Feminist Revolution Is Nothing Like The American Revolution

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By Ella Dawson
| Evie Magazine Verified
To celebrate America 250, reflecting on what the Founding Fathers did for America can help us understand where feminism went wrong. Many people source the beginning of feminism to its “first wave,” when suffragists had some legitimate claims, similar to the Founders'. This wave was led by women like Elizabeth Cady Stanton, who had seven children, and argued that women could both hold public office and voluntarily be wives and mothers.
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20 Novels That Healed Me Faster Than Any Self-Help Book

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By Fleurine Tideman Verified, Ella Dawson, Melanie Whyte, Marissa Dow Verified
| Betches Verified
Nothing irks me more than people who swear by self-help books. The kind who believe non-fiction is a “more valuable use of your time” (barf) and look down at my smutty romantasy books. I’ve read self-help books, and genuinely, I get more value out of TikToks. They just proceed to offer the most BASIC advice with some FAR TOO CONVENIENT anecdote saddled onto it. Way to simplify things and make it seem like it’s your fault your life isn’t sunshine and roses. Forget depression and anxiety.
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friday love list #8: pride edition

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By Jeanna Kadlec, Ella Dawson, Amaya Rourke, Maeg Keane
| astrology for writers Verified
astrology for writers is an exclusively reader-supported publication. if you enjoy getting this newsletter in your inbox, please consider becoming a paid subscriber. A day for connection, for beauty, for joy. For sharing what is bringing us joy, and what we’ve loved. As ever, the Friday Love List is in honor of and offering to Venus. Here are some of the things that most brought me pleasure and delight this week.
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