Dawn Brulé: How I"m Surviving A Very Rare Disease

In January 2008 I had my second miscarriage at five months. My husband and I were devastated but couldn’t imagine what was to come next.


I was already having major, intense pain on my right shoulder, neck and unable to raise my right arm. I went to see a chiropractor but my...

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http://skpsoft.com/view/outspeak+news/dawn-brule-how-im-surviving-a-very-rare-disease/

Nika C. Beamon: My 17-Year Quest For The Correct Medical Diagnosis

How many times can you begin again? That’s what I asked myself as I entered the Hospital for Special Surgery, just three weeks after my first lumbar s…
Read more: Survivors, Women, Health Care, Health, Voices of Strength, Voices of Strength Nika Beamon, Nika Beamon, Rita Wilson,...

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http://skpsoft.com/view/outspeak+news/nika-c-beamon-my-17-year-quest-for-the-correct-medical-diagnosis/

Marcie Rawson: How I Survived A Flood That Nearly Wiped Out My Entire Town

June 20th, 2013 started out no different than any other day. My husband went off to work and I packed up our two children to meet some friends for a play date. I had heard that there was a state of emergency due to the the flooding of the High River, near our home in Alberta, Canada, but...

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http://skpsoft.com/view/outspeak+news/marcie-rawson-how-i-survived-a-flood-that-nearly-wiped-out-my-entire-town/

Randy Austin-Cardona: When Many Losses Come At Once

Within three years of turning 50 I lost both of my parents, I was diagnosed and treated for prostate cancer, the kids moved away, I had to have surgery on my foot and learn to walk again and I lost a job that I loved.


Sometimes loss is expected, sometimes it’s even welcomed, but...

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http://skpsoft.com/view/outspeak+news/randy-austin-cardona-when-many-losses-come-at-once/

Rachel Brehm: How I Overcame Body Image Issues And Let My Eating Disorder Go

Originally posted on Twiniversity.com


I can’t really explain how my pregnancy taught me to eat intuitively until you understand why eating was such a big deal for me. My history with food and body image is not a good one. For 15 years I suffered, unable to pull myself out of the...

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http://skpsoft.com/view/outspeak+news/rachel-brehm-how-i-overcame-body-image-issues-and-let-my-eating-disorder-go/

Dr. Franky Dolan: How This Couple Fought Through Illness To Find A New Destiny

I am a caregiver for my partner who has become housebound and bedridden due to an incurable “invisible” disease. I too live with a serious illness, barely getting through each day, mostly housebound myself. Franky and I met, and a spell was cast; we fell madly deeply infatuated...

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http://skpsoft.com/view/outspeak+news/dr-franky-dolan-how-this-couple-fought-through-illness-to-find-a-new-destiny/

Vietnam Vet Reunited With Prized Camera Lost Nearly 50 Years Ago

A Vietnam veteran has been reunited with a camera ― and memories ― that were lost nearly 50 years ago. Leon Hembree served in the Marines and Army, and photographed his time overseas on an 8mm film camera. Sometime around 1967, Hembree said, the camera was stolen.
Some 50 years on, Steven Bri...

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http://skpsoft.com/view/outspeak+news/vietnam-vet-reunited-with-prized-camera-lost-nearly-50-years-ago/

carole braverman: The Wonderful Day My Student Forgave Me

I used to teach at a private high school in New England, and in one of my classes, I had a student named Liza.


On the first day of class, when I called her name, I pronounced it Lisa, and she politely corrected me. It was Liza, she said. The next day it happened again....

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http://skpsoft.com/view/outspeak+news/carole-braverman-the-wonderful-day-my-student-forgave-me/

This Trans Pioneer Has Been Fighting For The Trans Community For Decades

This is the eleventh feature in a series that aims to elevate some of the transgender and gender-nonconforming individuals who have played a significant role in the ongoing fight for trans and queer liberation. Check out the previous features with CeCe McDonald, Kate Bornstein, Laura Jane G...

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http://skpsoft.com/view/outspeak+news/this-trans-pioneer-has-been-fighting-for-the-trans-community-for-decades/

Sachal Afraz: Is Education Really the Answer?

A recent Pakistani voice in America once again brought my attention to the state of education in Pakistan. In every street of the country, there are stories of children from poor, serving class families attempting to gain education and improve themselves against all odds. Meanwhile...

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http://skpsoft.com/view/outspeak+news/sachal-afraz-is-education-really-the-answer/

Janell Ross: Tina Turner Moving On, Two Politicians in Complicated Trouble, Republican Dance With Latino Voters Hard to Follow

It seems that women’s full integration into the military is following a well worn path. First women have proven their utility, despite obstacles. Then, they convince a few proximate naysayers. That circle grows and finally, a policy change. “Since 1994, women have technically...

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http://skpsoft.com/view/outspeak+news/janell-ross-tina-turner-moving-on-two-politicians-in-complicated-trouble-republican-dance-with-latino-voters-hard-to-follow/

Laverne Cox Serves Up Nicki Minaj Fierceness In 'Lip Sync Battle' Clip

Laverne Cox is set to appear on Wednesday’s episode of “Lip Sync Battle,” and judging by the first clip, she’s feeling herself. 
The actress is seen lip-syncing to Nicki Minaj’s “Roman’s Revenge,” and it’s all kinds of fierce. Dressed in a sheer bodysuit with black short shorts, Cox hair-whip...

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http://skpsoft.com/view/outspeak+news/laverne-cox-serves-up-nicki-minaj-fierceness-in-lip-sync-battle-clip/

New York Women in Film & Television: Empowering Initiatives Create Girl Power

Aspiring doctor Makeiya Randall



By some accounts there are more than 62 million girls around the world who are not in school — half are adolescents. The results are too often tragic. As part of the Let Girls Learn initiative, which seeks to increase access to education for...

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http://skpsoft.com/view/outspeak+news/new-york-women-in-film-television-empowering-initiatives-create-girl-power/

Sherri Shepherd And Others Talk Infertility In Redbook Magazine"s "The Truth About Trying" Series

One in eight women in the United States will struggle with infertility, according to Redbook magazine who is on a mission to help banish the stigma associated with it and get women to open up about their struggles. The magazine launched their “Truth About Trying,” series last...

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http://skpsoft.com/view/outspeak+news/sherri-shepherd-and-others-talk-infertility-in-redbook-magazines-the-truth-about-trying-series/

Anna Camp Opens Up About Hollywood Sexual Harassment

Anna Camp understands firsthand the sexual harassment her fictional character Jane Hollander has to endure in the new Amazon series “Good Girls Revolt.” 
On Monday, the 34-year-old actress sat down with People Magazine and her “Good Girls Revolt” co-stars to discuss the upcoming series, which...

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http://skpsoft.com/view/outspeak+news/anna-camp-opens-up-about-hollywood-sexual-harassment/

This Adorable Lesbian Couple Has An Important Message About The Election

An elderly lesbian couple from North Carolina recently took part in a series of videos, which were released this week, and reflected on their fifty years together, the journey to marriage equality in their state and the impact of the now infamous anti-queer House Bill 2.
Lennie and ...

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http://skpsoft.com/view/outspeak+news/this-adorable-lesbian-couple-has-an-important-message-about-the-election/

This Group Is Connecting Black Travelers And Shattering Stereotypes

Travel has usually been seen as a luxury that black people just don’t ― or can’t ― have but one collective, Nomadness Travel Tribe, is working to change that and make travel more accessible. 
“The concept of Nomadness is really that there are no ethnic, economic barriersto being able to trave...

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http://skpsoft.com/view/outspeak+news/this-group-is-connecting-black-travelers-and-shattering-stereotypes/

Artists Share Illustrations To Condemn Violence Against Women In Latin America

Following the rape and murder of 16-year-old Lucia Perez in Mar del Plata, a coastal town in Argentina, earlier this month, tens of thousands of women protested gender-based violence across the country on Wednesday.
They marched toward Buenos Aires’ Plaza de Mayo on “Black Wednesday,” dress...

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http://skpsoft.com/view/outspeak+news/artists-share-illustrations-to-condemn-violence-against-women-in-latin-america/

Fox Fisher: Open Letter To A Trans Girl And Her Loving Mum

In a final court case yesterday, a seven-year-old child was removed from their mother’s care because the child (born as a boy) had “lived life entirely as a girl”. It was reported in The Guardian and now The Mirror and is so damaging. I know these two individuals and the...

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http://skpsoft.com/view/outspeak+news/fox-fisher-open-letter-to-a-trans-girl-and-her-loving-mum/

Sean Carman: John McCain: Walking Zombie?

On Monday, John McCain, speaking about Iraq on ABC’s Good Morning America, said, “We have a lot of work to do and I’m afraid it’s a very hard struggle, particularly given the situation on the Iraq/Pakistan border.”


Only it turns out Iraq and Pakistan...

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http://skpsoft.com/view/outspeak+news/sean-carman-john-mccain-walking-zombie/

Sarah Lawton: You Can Have Nice Things Or You Can Have Children

I’ll be the first to admit I’m somewhat klutzy, it runs in the family. It’s rare though that I actually ruin anything nice. I have noticed since having a child though, that the old adage “This is why we can’t have nice things” has really come home to...

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http://skpsoft.com/view/outspeak+news/sarah-lawton-you-can-have-nice-things-or-you-can-have-children/

Ieva Zu: A No-Brainer EU Referendum Voting Guide to a British Fashionista

Photo by Paulius Chmieliauskas, captured in Shoreditch, London


Politics, sometimes, may seem not entirely related to fashion, but voting in EU Referendum should be an ultimate ‘must’ to every British fashionista. As strong supporters of borderless talent exchange and European...

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http://skpsoft.com/view/outspeak+news/ieva-zu-a-no-brainer-eu-referendum-voting-guide-to-a-british-fashionista/

"The Voice" Judges Kick Off Season 11 With Powerhouse Performance

We already know this season of “The Voice” is going to be a good one. 
On Sunday night, during a special preview of Season 11, we got a little sneak peek of what to expect, and let’s just say that we’re excited. Off the bat, the preview introduced us to some ridiculously talented teens ― W‎é ...

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http://skpsoft.com/view/outspeak+news/the-voice-judges-kick-off-season-11-with-powerhouse-performance/

Alex McKelvey: I Spent The Past Month Trying To Become An "Informed" Voter

I’m voting for the first time ever on November 8, in large part because I’m curious to see how it feels. I’m ready to witness how my identity, the ever-changing construct I like to check in on from time to time, conforms to the shape of Active Citizen in the most basic...

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http://skpsoft.com/view/outspeak+news/alex-mckelvey-i-spent-the-past-month-trying-to-become-an-informed-voter/

Musician And Former Athlete Will Sheridan Opens Up About Coming Out And More

This month, Akil Patterson of Athlete Ally sat down with Will Sheridan as he prepared to host one of New York’s hottest events, Westgay. Will was also selected to be the Grand Marshal for Chicago Pride last month.


Akil Patterson: Will, it’s great to finally meet you face to face here, eve...

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http://skpsoft.com/view/outspeak+news/musician-and-former-athlete-will-sheridan-opens-up-about-coming-out-and-more/

Photo story: Peoples under threat 2016

Further mass migration inevitable as persecution is ignored in states where peoples are under threat, says MRG
New global ranking of countries where civilians most at risk of mass killing
With the refugee crisis far from over, the failure to address persecution in states where peoples are...

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http://skpsoft.com/view/outspeak+news/photo-story-peoples-under-threat-2016/

Uganda: Cross-cultural encounters in the grazing lands of Karamoja

In October 2015, members of the European Parliament (MEPs) Maria Heubuch and Norbert Neuser visited Karamoja (Northern Uganda) to learn about pastoralism. During their visit they discovered how pastoralism copes with climate change and assures food security. Though pastoralism has...

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http://skpsoft.com/view/outspeak+news/uganda-cross-cultural-encounters-in-the-grazing-lands-of-karamoja/

SWM 2015: Mexico - Sexual violence against indigenous women in Ciudad Juárez

Embargo: 2 July 2015 00.01 (GMT+1)
Case study by Mariah Grant
Ciudad Juárez is a striking example of both the good and the bad that the economic opportunities inherent to urbanization can bring. This city of nearly 1.5 million inhabitants is situated on the Mexico side of the border with ...

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http://skpsoft.com/view/outspeak+news/swm-2015-mexico-sexual-violence-against-indigenous-women-in-ciudad-juarez/

Thailand: Karen woman fights for justice over husband’s disappearance

On 17 April 2014, Billy Rakchongcharoen was stopped at a checkpoint near Bangkloy village in western Thailand.  He was accused of stealing honeycomb from Kaeng Krachan National Park and taken into detention. The park authorities claim he was released after being questioned. But nobody has ...

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http://skpsoft.com/view/outspeak+news/thailand-karen-woman-fights-for-justice-over-husbands-disappearance/

Lisa F. Crites: How I Turned My Breast Cancer Into A Positive Way To Help Others

Call it clairvoyance or pure coincidence, but from the age of 15, I was confident I would face at least two extreme traumas in my life; my mother would die tragically and I, at some point, would be diagnosed with breast cancer. During my teen years, sometimes I would wake up in hysterics...

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http://skpsoft.com/view/outspeak+news/lisa-f-crites-how-i-turned-my-breast-cancer-into-a-positive-way-to-help-others/

United Kingdom: Racism in universities: 'There is a sense your face doesn't fit'

The   survey of 631 black union members [132kb] working in post-16 education also found that over two-thirds (71%) said they had ‘often’ or ‘sometimes’ been subject to bullying and harassment from managers.
UCU has called on colleges and universities to take a more pro...

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http://skpsoft.com/view/outspeak+news/united-kingdom-racism-in-universities-there-is-a-sense-your-face-doesnt-fit/

Iran stands top with over 1084 Executions in 2015

Iran records the highest ratio of executions worldwide relative to populationWritten by Rahim Hamid
Photo: “Firing Squad in Iran” by Jahangir Razmi of Ettela’at
The position of Iranian officials regarding Saudi Arabia’s execution of 47 prisoners, as well as Iran’s instigation via its B...

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http://skpsoft.com/view/outspeak+news/iran-stands-top-with-over-1084-executions-in-2015/

Homeless People Get Much-Needed Tampons, Pads Thanks To Teen"s Nonprofit

One teen is rallying people to help the homeless through an issue that’s often neglected. 
Homeless people across the United States, as well as in a few other nations, are getting free menstrual products thanks to Camions of Care, an organization founded by Nadya Okamoto, an 18-year-old Ha...

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http://skpsoft.com/view/outspeak+news/homeless-people-get-much-needed-tampons-pads-thanks-to-teens-nonprofit/

Zac Thompson: Melania Trump - Before She Was Famous

It’s been an abnormally quiet week for Donald Trump. It should come as no surprise after his controversial and abysmal performance at the third Presidential debate. At this point his campaign manager probably has the orange-skinned-xenophobe bound and gagged somewhere until election...

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http://skpsoft.com/view/outspeak+news/zac-thompson-melania-trump-before-she-was-famous/

Stacey Thayer: A Bereaved Mother"s Journey To Peace

I met and said goodbye to my first-born children on the very same day. After five months of carrying my identical twin daughters, Lucy and Polly, I unexpectedly lost them to a rare disease of the placenta.


I was 37, about to celebrate my one-year wedding anniversary, and experiencing...

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http://skpsoft.com/view/outspeak+news/stacey-thayer-a-bereaved-mothers-journey-to-peace/

Katie Hayek: The Day I Heard The Words "You Have Cancer"

No one ever thinks they will be the one to hear those words. I can assure you I did not. And as with most cases where one’s life is forever changed without a moment’s notice, it often follows the somewhat inevitable sentiment that: “Everything happens for a r...

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http://skpsoft.com/view/outspeak+news/katie-hayek-the-day-i-heard-the-words-you-have-cancer/

Denna Babul: How I Went From Fatherless To Fearless

From fatherless to forgiveness and from forgiveness to fearless is how I would personally describe my survival story. My father was murdered when I was 13-years-old. We have no idea who was responsible for his death or even why someone would have committed such a heinous act of violence.
I...

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http://skpsoft.com/view/outspeak+news/denna-babul-how-i-went-from-fatherless-to-fearless/

Dave Sandler: The Day I "Died" On A Softball Field

On August 9, 2009 I took the biggest detour of my life! It was the day I died, but God was not ready to take me. While scoring the winning run in a ch…
Read more: Survivor, Survival, Voices of Strength, Voices of Strength Dave Sandler, Detour Dave, Rita Wilson, Health Post50, Voices, ...

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http://skpsoft.com/view/outspeak+news/dave-sandler-the-day-i-died-on-a-softball-field/

Caroline Hart: What It"s Like To Come Out Later In Life As A Binational Couple

My wife, Laurie Hart, and I both came out later in life. She was 34 and I was 42, so that was the first of many hurdles we had to get over. We had both previously been married to men and had three children between us, so to many of our family members and friends, this was a very big...

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http://skpsoft.com/view/outspeak+news/caroline-hart-what-its-like-to-come-out-later-in-life-as-a-binational-couple/

Rhonda McMeekin: Finding Strength After The Loss Of My Baby Daughter

At 34 weeks gestation, in February 2013, I gave birth to my stillborn daughter, Everlee Rose. My first and only child, having struggled with infertility, she was everything I ever wanted, and everything I had to lose.


For the last two and a half years I have been navigating my...

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http://skpsoft.com/view/outspeak+news/rhonda-mcmeekin-finding-strength-after-the-loss-of-my-baby-daughter/

Wendi Knox: Finding A New Calling After Being Laid Off At 50

Turning 50 is challenging enough.


But losing a job at 50 in the youth-obsessed world of advertising, well, that was a crisis.


For me, it wasn’t just a job. It was the culmination of a 25-year career.


I started out writing copy for noodle packages and worked my way up to...

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http://skpsoft.com/view/outspeak+news/wendi-knox-finding-a-new-calling-after-being-laid-off-at-50/

How I Kept Going After Losing Both My Children

This piece is by Jamie Simmer, 56.


My name is Jamie Simmer and I am 56-years-old. I was raised in a chaotic, unpredictable family environment between Michigan, Virginia, and Florida. I lived most of my adult life in the Southwest in Arizona and New Mexico. After finding myself single...

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http://skpsoft.com/view/outspeak+news/how-i-kept-going-after-losing-both-my-children/