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Feminism has a crucial role to play in modern life, but I sometimes wish it would leave our fairy tales alone. The results of its revisionist meddling are too often unconvincing and unsatisfying.
Remember last year’s Maleficent? It turned an age-old story on its head by revealing that the fairy (Angelina Jolie) who turned a princess into a “Sleeping Beauty” was not evil at all. No, she was merely wronged and misunderstood. Worst of all, we learned that the somnambulant princess could not be awakened by a kiss from the handsome prince, but only by a motherly peck from that same fairy.
How heartwarming. And how utterly unromantic.
Thank goodness Disney’s new live-action version of Cinderella doesn’t wear its feminism on its sleeve. It has nods to modern sensibilities, to be sure, but they’re handled with a lighter touch.
Elizabeth "Libby" Gregory, 1970s and 80s Free Press Editor, is the inspiration for our annual award for Lifetime Achievement in Community Activism. Libby was foremost a feminist, but also an entrepreneur owning three businesses on OSU campus -- Tradewinds, King Avenue Coffee House, and Byzantium. As a journalist she primarily covered women's rights including a sexual assault column. Libby was a Columbus community activist who sadly left us in 1991 as a result of a plane crash.
Each year since 1998, the Free Press chooses a local activist to honor with the "Libby" award. This year, it is Michel Coconis.
Our awards event is Saturday, November 14 from 12:30-3:30pm at the Goodale Park Shelterhouse. Free and open to all, we will provide light refreshments.
History doesn't just shape our past—it shapes the conversations we'e having today!
Join Simply Living's Film Series at Gateway Film Center for a special screening of BOMBSHELL, a compelling 2026 documentary exploring how the story of the atomic bomb was presented to the public—and the courageous journalists who challenged official narratives and worked to uncover the human cost, even as government censorship limited what could be reported.
Stay for a special panel discussion featuring director Ben Loeterman, producer Gaia de Simoni, and historian Felecia Ross, moderated by Spencer Hunt, Director of Student Media for The Lantern at Ohio State.
The Simply Living BOMBSHELL screening
Gateway Film Center, 1550 North High Street in Columbus
October 26 from 6:30–8:30 PM (doors open at 6:15 PM).
Tickets are $10 and can be purchased from Gateway Folm Center.
How many more drownings is going to take before something of substance will be created to put an end these continued tragedies?
I have heard and read some of the reasons why various affected groups do not wish to implement preventable barriers to these drownings. And the reasons nearly always seem to boil down to money. Apparently, the loss of several children isn’t worth the cost of preventing more families from further suffering.
The Columbus Apartment Association has argued that wrapping these ponds in standard perimeter fencing restricts the movement of local wildlife, preventing water birds, amphibians, and other small animals from naturally accessing or exiting the water source.
To be clear, retention ponds are a city code requirement and they aren’t constructed by developers because they have an environmentalists’ heart felt need to create a body of water for birds, amphibians, or wildlife. To the contrary, developers in Columbus have no problem whatsoever when it comes to eliminating such habitat in order to construct housing to jack up their bank accounts.
There are 989 billionaires in the United States. John Rockefeller was the first in 1916.
What people fail to grasp is that being a billionaire means that you have at least 1000 million dollars. Most billionaires have more than that.
It’s impossible to grasp how that amount of money translates to power and influence. Unless you’re a billionaire you have no idea what it’s like.
Buying Elections.
Forget about the 14 million dollars Ginther spent on the previous election to beat Joe Motil; that’s pocket change to a billionaire. We don’t elect billionaires; they elect themselves. Money can buy elections in the United States, but there’s something more important than just buying an election: influence.
People Listen to Billionaires.
Thursday, October 22, 7pm
Out of the Closet, 1230 N High St, Columbus, OH
Out of the Closet Columbus is hosting its inaugural Fashion Show on October 22, showcasing custom looks from local designers, so come in your very own stylish fit.
Join us as fashion, community and a cause come together in Columbus.
Free admission
Vivek Ramaswamy's campaign has produced an advertisement featuring Amy Acton's estranged mother calling her daughter a liar. The circumstances behind that accusation are extraordinary. Acton has publicly alleged that she was sexually abused by her stepfather as a child, that her mother sided with the accused, and that they have had no meaningful relationship for nearly fifty years. Her brother has supported her account of their abusive childhood. Yet Ramaswamy's campaign has chosen to present the mother's accusation as evidence against Acton's credibility. The central question raised by this advertisement is not simply whether voters should believe the mother. It is what the decision to produce and promote such an advertisement reveals about the political judgment of the candidate responsible for it.
My neighbor and I were talking about how it took a diverse coalition of volunteers to collect thousands of signatures for Ballot Issue 8. It was a historic achievement; nobody is giving them any credit. It’s the first time in decades that we can make our politicians more accountable to the citizens of Columbus.
The neighbor joked that it was just as historic to see how quickly City Council drafted their own opposite ballot issue to maintain the absolute grip of the rich and powerful on city government (by adding 4 at-larger members). Since then, they have begun their campaign to discredit Issue 8 and deceive voters to buy their “Vote Yes on both Issues” propaganda.
Well, my neighbor and I figured out a solution to both Issues 8 and 9 that would make the rich and powerful rulers of Columbus happy.
Sell Seats on City Council.
The Free Press and the wider community are mourning the loss of Tim Wagner, who left us unexpectedly on October 19, 2026 to move toward Nirvana. It’s difficult to imagine life without Tim Wagner in it – he was a driving force behind many social justice activities, a spiritual comrade and very good friend of the Columbus Free Press. The prayer ceremony on Zoom by the local Buddhist Center, Columbus Karma Thegsum Chöling (KTC), drew over 50 people last night.
Hundreds gathered at the Ohio Statehouse on Saturday, October 17, 2026 for the No KIngs - Vote Early rally.