GRRRBOSS ZINE ISSUE ONE

femme-inism issue

BOSS! OSS!

GRRR

note

Editor s

’ Where to begin has stunted me on writing this editor’s note for quite some time- Feminism has been a quintessential part of my identity, before I am anything, I am a black woman. For that reason alone, I wanted to make a zine for all women and femme presenting people all over, to share what makes them, them! There is no agenda, no one box this zine tries to categorize itself in, I wanted truth, hurt, love, curiosity and concern for the femme experience to be showcased in all sorts of ways for us all to be enamored by. I hope these writings, photos and artworks move you as much as they did to me- that means we’ve all done a job well done. But I hope you finish reading this first issue and feel empowered to share your own way of expressing yourself to the world, whether that be in the next issue, on your socials, or in passing conversation- GRRRBOSS is set out to be the instigator! I hope this zine pushes you be comfortable not only in yourself, but in your experiences and navigation of a world that is always too quick to say no in your comfortability.

Being told to be yourself has become a bit of a tiresome rhetoric, but there’s a reason you hear it time and time again- there is nothing more beautiful than that, and hopefully, GRRRBOSS proves that right.

- Sharon Anatole

GRRRBOSS! FEMME-INISM ISSUE

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worst that there is, better at least than countries like America, where “only 13 states [of 50 total] in the nation require sex education” .

When you think of books, film, and media that mention the topic of orgasm, what comes to mind?

Boys and men? Or girls and women?

The truth internationally is that we are raised familiar with the idea of male pleasure. Male desires. Male masturbation. Male orgasms.

By Lucian Wu

We know a lot about how men “get off ”, and many of us go through the perpetual effort of modelling ourselves in ways that are attractive or satisfactory, based on metrics created by and for men. The same can not be said for women. We squirm and shy away from discussing female pleasure with hegemonic excuses like “women are mysterious and impossible to understand”, whilst comfortable enough to dedicate an entire scene in a coming-of-age comedy to depict a teenager who violating a dessert, after which his father excuses him with a tone reminiscent of the old phrase that “boys will be boys”.

Orgasm. Six letters and two syllables enough to make one blush just saying it out loud. After all, it’s personal.

Whether sexual gratification is something we prioritise, or we would rather seek to pleasure ourselves in other aspects of life, sexual climax has historically been a conversation behind closed doors, or not happened at all. To no one’s surprise, gender - a binary through which we are perpetually policed and expected to adhere to – is a major factor in this game and effects your chances of scoring.

However, in recent years, with a diaspora of forums online open for discourse, and sexual health advocates growing on social media platforms to promote the pursuit for personal pleasure, surrounding stigma has begun to dissipate. The male orgasm is no longer the sole conversation at the table, and over time masturbation is less exclusively seen to be a male act.

Specifically, this has allowed for the narrowing of the “orgasm gap”, a facet of gender inequality that is mentioned less in comparison to other feminist discussions.

Stigmatised, and commonly framed with embarrassment or deemed unnecessary for discussion, the topic of orgasm, particularly the female orgasm, is left out of sex education…

So what is the orgasm gap?

…leaving us to figure it out for ourselves.

When you think of the sex education lessons you received in school, what comes to mind? From videos that vaguely hinted towards the possibility of lust, to beige cartoons resembling gingerbread men (with added genitalia); the curriculum covers a lot. Including but not limited to puberty, contraception, relationships, and sexually transmitted diseases, the standard of compulsory “Sex Ed” in the UK isn’t the THE ORGASM GAP

The term “orgasm gap” refers to the gender disparity in orgasms in sexual encounters, where cisgender women experience “substantially less” orgasms than cisgender men . Though sexual satisfaction cannot be entirely measured by orgasm inequality, it is a significant issue in heterosexual encounters. Based on a study conducted by Durex in the Netherlands, “20% of women were never, or very rarely able to orgasm, as opposed to 2% of men” . Additionally, Frederick, D.A., John, H.K.S., Garcia, J.R. et al. from the Archives of Sexual Behaviour analysed data from the sex lives of over 52,ooo Americans, finding that out of all demographics, heterosexual men were the most likely to climax during sex, with 95% of respondents reporting that they usually or always orgasm. They were followed by “gay men (89%), bisexual men (88%),

lesbian women (86%), bisexual women (66%), and heterosexual women (65%)”. It should be acknowledged also that what activities fall within the definition of sexual intercourse for those of different orientations will vary, and is an effective explanation for why heterosexual women climax less than their homosexual or bisexual counterparts.

The Victorian Era, is particularly interesting a popular theory is that vibrators were invented by physicians who tried to cure hysteria in women by masturbating them (eventually growing tired of repetitive hand strain). Hysteria referred to “manifestations of distress in women” such as irritability, excessive lust, flatulence, or fainting. Maine states in “The Technology of Orgasm” that the root of hysteria can be traced back to Ancient Greece and the idea of “womb-wandering” throughout the female body and believed to cause madness. Thus, 19th century doctors used the “Brandt Method” of womb “manipulation” via massage, described in The International Record of Medicine and General Practice Clinics (1876) though the practice was carried out decades prior. Maine suggested vibratory machinery like “The Manipulator” invented

by Dr Taylor in 1869 replaced manual massage, emerging as a more efficient method of medically inducing orgasms known as “hysterical paroxysm”.

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In the (Machar et al. 2020) review of Orgasm Equality, the researchers posit that our “cultural prioritization of penile-vaginal intercourse over more clitorally focused sexual activities is linked to the gendered orgasm gap”.

In a similar vein, Laurie B. Mintz’ book Becoming Cliterate: Why Orgasm Equality Matters--And How to Get It she says “We’ve been thinking about sex all wrong. Mainstream media, movies, and porn have taught us that sex = penis + vagina, and everything else is just secondary.” She highlights that whilst penetrative sex is considered the standard - and this is the way men are reliably known to climax - the science shows that most women cannot achieve orgasm like this. It explains why in both the Durex and Frederick study, it shows heterosexual women as the least likely to climax. Simply blaming heterosexuality is not enough of a nuanced resolution to close the orgasm gap. It is the way in which sex is viewed and discussed by straight people that must be re-evaluated.

water to imitate an erection” (Carlsbad, 2014).

Moving to modern history, first versions of sex dolls were used by French and Spanish sailors in the 18th century (Ferguson, 2014), replacing sex as it was believed that women on boats was unlucky. Aptly named “Dame de Voyage” or “Ladies of the Journey”, these masturbatory devices were made from “cloth or old clothes”. Though more research is to be done in the area of sex toy history, it is evident in these examples that sex paraphernalia was largely intended for penetration. So, what does this have to do with the orgasm gap? Well, the history of sex toys reflects perceptions of pleasure in those time periods, and is in many ways, evidence of what people craved, and the very “penis + vagina” way of looking at sex that Laurie Mintz described.

As enterprise and innovation in sex technology has developed, significant strides have been made to improve accessibility, helping women, disabled people, queer people, and other minorities (kink-based or sexually deviant communities) to set on their journey of personal exploration. Subsequently, the rise of toys continues to narrow the gap of orgasm disparity. Not just between men and women, but for others too.

A brief history of sex toys:

To grasp the complexities of how the sex toy industry has helped to close the orgasm gap, we should first gain understanding of the history of sex assistive tools and their use through time. Contrary to popular belief, sex toys/assistors are not a modern phenomenon and humans have experimented self-pleasure for centuries, with or without tools. In fact, the oldest dildo discovered in Germany in 2005 was “made out of polished stone and estimated to be 28,000 years old ” (DiTecco, 2020). (from Huffington Post Hinde, 2015). Ancient Greeks had “olisbokollikes”; quite literally dildos made out of “hard baked bread”, which were gifted by soldiers to their wives before battle (Devlin, 2018). In the Middle Ages, a plant called “Cantonese Groin” was “soaked in

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Nevertheless, it is just a theory, and experts such as Professor Helen King have disputed the validity of her hypothesis as iterations of early vibrating machinery were intended for non-sexual muscle massaging. Many theories other than hysteria bloomed and flourished, and strong opinions formed around the phenomena of orgasm. In (Riddle, 2014) an expert in Victorian sexuality wrote that “many doctors saw the art of self-pleasure as highly dangerous to health” and in 1894, Dr A.J. Bloch referred to female masturbation as a “moral leprosy.”

Whether it was the belief that massaging the female “sacral” region could save them from hysteria, or dangerous and lead to hysteria, women were treated as passive subjects. Acted upon, with little autonomy when men (husbands and doctors) evaluated their wellbeing and made decisions to “cure” them. Many readers would assume Victorian husbands would be more protective of their wives, but it was common-

place at the time for women not to be viewed as having desire, rather, objects of desire.

This is not the only instance in history but shows one root of thought from the tree of ideas eventually formed about women’s pleasure.

As outlined, the history of the vibrator specifically is among one of the most contentious of all other sex toys. For instance, dildos. These objects are more easily home-made, and it doesn’t take a genius to identify or create DIY phalluses that are safe for use . Vibrators, on the other hand, were something to be purchased, and the realisation that their primary purpose was not for muscle relaxation but for masturbation; laws changed . Since its appearances in 1920’s pornography, the vibrator pierced public consciousness and virtually “disappeared in public life until the 60s” when it “emerged in adverts as a sexual commodity”. Fears grew in several religious states of the US, and places like Alabama brought in laws to prohibit the distribution of obscene material in 1975. This not only prevented access to sex toys for people who wanted them but silenced the wider conversation about sexual gratification.

Feminists and their Sex Stores: Our story moves on past the 60s, where second wave feminism popularized their slogan “the personal is political”. Amidst activists was a core sentiment that self-liberation could be found through sexual liberation. And non-surprisingly, a notable attitude shifts around sex toys coincides with the sexual liberation of the next couple decades. The focus shifted towards the gendered inequities of sex tackling what Lisa S. Sigel (2018) described as “sexual pleasure limited by a failure of education” referring to the way that reproduction or contraception was taught with little to no consideration for enjoyment. The deficits of the education were then dealt with by the opening of sex shops that were created with women’s pleasure in mind.

In “Vibrator Nation: How Feminist Sex-Toy Stores Changed the Business of Pleasure”, Lynn Comella describes the manifesting of feminism into retail, with one of the first sex shops called Eve’s Garden opening in 1974. A familiar network to interpret and one that was “consciousness raising and information sharing”, helped customers grasp bigger aims of female empowerment via sexual liberation. Good Vibrations, a shop opened three years later, diversified stock in shops to include therapy and education around personal pleasure, i.e. how to take control of one’s sex life and communicate effectively in bed.

THE ORGASM GAP

These contrasted Comella’s impressions of “dirty, disreputable, and male dominated” sex shops.

Importantly, the range of products on offer was nothing like women had ever seen before, with more clitorally-focused devices such as the Japanese Hitachi Wand invented in the 70s (and marketed in the USA as a body massager due to anti-vibrator legislation).

Other notable releases during this time include the “Rabbit”, also made by the Japanese in the 80s, with simultaneous internal penetration and clitoral stimulation; a popular combination among vagina-owners that is more likely to bring them to climax than – you guessed it – the ol’ penis-in-vagina action.

Sibel argues that Comella’s perspective are somewhat one-dimensional as it “ignores the longer history of sexual emancipation”. She paints a picture centering second-wave feminists, perhaps because “it [the narrative of white sexual liberation] was the only story they knew”. Interestingly, Sigel levies that earlier vendors of paraphernalia were not just motivated by “venality but also by sex nonconformity and political radicalism”. Feminists way before the 70s did their part in encouraging women to seek sexual satisfaction and educated them in their personal understanding of pleasure. Nonetheless, with the introduction of sex toys such as the Rabbit, it is important to highlight how the invention of alternative, female-focused and clitorally-considerate gadgets have benefitted women.

Up to this point, most sex toys and sex aids in premodern history were fairly straightforward in being centred around penetrative pleasure, either imitating the phallus (i.e. dildos) or an orifice for a phallus to fit into. Thus, the reshaping of the mainstream sex toy reflected the reconsideration and reconstruction of female pleasure. One also cannot deny that the sale of erotica in sex stores (depicting toys) both literature and film format, heavily influenced perception.

Our use of toys can help our views on pleasure…

Destigmatisation has led to higher purchases of toys that were once deemed unconventional.

Media depiction such as the show Sex & The City were especially effective in improving acceptability, with a 1998 episode sending Rabbit Vibrator sales soaring after Miranda showed off her new toy.

“Ladies I present you with The Rabbit” After sensing apprehension from her friends she says, “I know where my next orgasm is coming from. Who here can say as much?” 23 years later, this reverence of the vibrator still rings true, though it has changed a great deal. Clitorally-considerate toys became clitorally-focused , and are unrecognisable compared to classic toys of the past.

It is undeniable that “Media [became] a source of sex education” , and the Fifty Shades of Grey book/film series shifted views around sexual communication, normalising BDSM and introducing new fantasies.

LoveHoney sales jumped 30% in 2016 from creating a range based on the films , with “props ranging from wrist restraints to nipple clamps”, on top of the classic vibrator. Items like these are hugely beneficial for enhancing sex, as it stimulates erogenous zones and facilitates roleplaying which can heighten tension, create more orgasm-inducing environments as it ticks two out of three “most common sexual fantasies” stated by Sex, Explained (a documentary series by Vox), novelty and control.

The market has also become more inclusive and grown to look after a wider range of people. Though toys facilitating queer sex such as “strap-ons” are sold in the mainstream, modern companies such as Enby, have created “trans visibility” products helping genderqueer people to heal nerve sensation after physically transitioning. Toys have become more disability-friendly and age-inclusive, with glowing buttons for the visually impaired, magnetic charging (to avoid fiddling with small batteries), and soft handles for those with arthritis. These improvements not only help to lessen the gendered orgasm gap, but help marginalised groups in the wider sexual community feel recognised, so no one is left out of the fun.

Thus, the positive implications that sex toys have had on the orgasm gap will continue to grow. Byers (2011) found that one of the most difficult things for couples to do is discuss sexual likes and dislikes and unless the ideas and practice of sex changes for heterosexuals, women of all ages and abilities will continue to bear the brunt of the orgasm gap. Sex toys play an

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instrumental part, not only providing orgasms, but in what it represents. The expansive process of self-exploration has enhanced sex lives on a micro level but changed the trajectory of how pleasure is distributed on the macro scale. As awareness increases, more will immerse themselves in the ever-growing diaspora of products and resources.

Toys are just one part of the encouragement needed for one to not be a stranger in their own body and find the right sexual vocabulary to effectively inform a partner. At the end of the day, communication makes all the difference, which Dr. Lehmiller cites as the biggest influencer for increasing orgasms , and needs to happen on all levels for the orgasm gap to one day close.

Often straight couples are bound by heteronormative perspectives of sex. When you look to your own life or the lives of people you know, there are roles within sex that are considered normal and alternately, abnormal or unusual. There are male partners who may initially object to suggestions. There are men who oppose to giving you oral sex (despite receiving it from you) yet feel emasculated at the thought of you using a vibrator when you have sex with him.

The examples I could give of the scenarios I have heard from my straight female counterparts are endless. However, it is when you break free from these normalised constraints that you may achieve personal sexual liberation and do your part to close the wider issue of the orgasm gap between genders and between sexualities. There is no single correct way to free oneself of these restrictions, but this article has explored why sex toys, or other “sexual paraphernalia” may help you start that journey.

Communication is what bridges the gap that separates your vibrator from your boyfriend, and sure, he might never learn to vibrate. But he might – as the design of the vibrator has done – become clitorally-considerate, and you’ll feel better versed in guiding him.

‘calling me beautiful won’t win my heart again’

By Neha Verma

By Antonio Mochmann

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@455moonchild

For you, I would give

A

The fingers of my left hand; knuckle by knuckle, pry off the nail, The shells of my knees - I look up at you anyway,

The gentle curve of my spine; interlock me like vertebrae, Let me give you my soft pieces:

The inner thigh, delicatessen

Thenar eminence, kiss me softly before the bite, Areolas; sliced and carved, small and sweet,

My throat - rip my neck, eat my words, devour the lilies of my lies Treat me, my sweet meats, But please,

Let me keep my eyes; to gaze at you is happiness, Let me keep my ears; to hear you is heaven, To keep these, I can keep you.

Angus Beef Chart

Madeleine Ramsay

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the plastic smelling so slightly of man?

or maybe i’m wrong and you should rot instead inside your beloved toy van

cutting you up-

ion

Sub miss

remember!

from left to right a few times before you feel this insatiable creeping feeling deep in your gut, it’s me

you’ll tell them about your ecstatic day, and maybe sway,

daughter and by your plastic pit of sand

wife, your

A plastic van as a toy in your large infant hands and i like to think of how one day you’ll come home to your

I have nail sized dents in my palms where my middle finger poked holes for you, I have a ball of words at my throat that I should’ve spat at you, please feel ecstatic that I thought of you; who can just about muster a stare or a beep or a shout, and I feel truly bad for you as you sit foaming at the mouth, because it makes you feel good.

A

Yazmin

Sadik

1

MARLEY THEOBALD My mother, who this portrait depicts, told me recently that she feels like her age is turning her invisible, because she is no longer beautiful and no longer useful. She has always been pretty overtly feminist, always taught me to be the same, and it’s disconcerting to see someone who has infinite value to me find herself losing sight of that value because of the way the patriarchy disregards older women. Nowadays, it seems like there’s more pressure than ever to look youthful, to get cosmetic surgery, to spend money on skincare and makeup - our fear of ageing, of outgrowing our beauty and our usefulness, generates a huge profit. So I wanted to paint my mother as I see her and I wanted to represent her the way she always taught me to represent myself - as invaluable regardless of what men might see when they look at us.

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CHINA GIRL

DREAMS

OF

FIELD

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BURNING

For Weezer and David Bowie

in bed a man reaches to choke me beckons come down on the street i’m a lot like you for days i stumble in my own head fattened sacred cow as a child my mother raised fingertips to my

i could never touch you batting thundering i think it would be wrong beneath eyelids i’m fasting praying my children come they look less like me a man comes inside my mouth promises television promises eyes of blue if i should have a daughter i’d like her to keep a closed mouth singing oh baby just you shut your—oh daughter how i hate looking at you

By Eileen Huang

face get rid of these a man raising his fingers to my too much mouth: quiet never hush hush

On Land, Love, and Liberation:

Within capitalism’s harsh ideals of individualism, the individual has lost their sense of community, love, and joy that makes us feel whole. Capitalism strips us of all that we are, of all that we’re made of, of everything that connects us together. It forces us to devote ourselves to that which is meaningless, creates division, and isolates us in our learned hatred. We must understand that we are prisms, reflecting all that shines outside us. That we are products of everything that this world holds, and therefore, we feel as though the material is all that matters. For many folks who have been subject to the harsh realities of capitalism, individualism, and imperialism, our inner worlds have become chaos, slowly stripping us of all that we truly are. We become machines of hatred, isolating ourselves from our own humanity.

GRRRBOSS! FEMME-INISM ISSUE

Setting Our Minds

FREE

ON LAND, LOVE, AND LIBERATION: SETTING OUR MINDS FREEE

Recently, I began craving deep vulnerability with my mind, body, spirit, and community. I know that so many of us have been at dissonance with ourselves, as we are taught to isolate ourselves from all that these systems repress, we begin to isolate from ourselves as well. Many of us have learned to fear our bodies, for we’re taught that they’re the root of our problems. We have been fed lies, teaching us that the system is not to blame for our oppression and repression, but that the blood is on the hands of our own people. These systems which undergird every facet of our lives want us silent, hurting, and dying - and their definitions of us will set us up for suffering.

We have been trained to fulfill and live out these dehumanizing depictions of us. From a young age, people socialized as girls have been taught to shrink themselves, to be small. After all, how could they degrade us if we weren’t so afraid to take up space? Black, Indigenous, and people of colour are taught that their bodies are to be feared, rather than to fear white supremacy. Could this be why some of us comply and watch as they see our people die? They’ve cursed our tounges, stripping us of our language, how can we be free to speak and express if you’ve torn the pen from my fingers and cut my mother tongue. How can I feel free in this so-called country, in a home where the bricks are held together with the blood of my ancestors. They do not protect me, pigs do not protect me when they feast on our hearts, on our humanity. You may call this nature but don’t lose sight of the ways they marginalize and oppress us, nothing about this is natural to us as humans.

But I no longer to I wish to be constraint, you do not define me. If you decide what is a “woman” then I no longer wish to be her. If your love and freedom may only imprison me, I no longer wish to love him. If my skin reeks of “terrorist”; if my body is so hideous; if my mind is criminal; if loving is now radical; then we must release ourselves from our shackles. How can we truly liberate ourselves when even the air around us feels so heavy, filled with the sweat and tears of our people? Capitalism and white supremacy penetrate the ground beneath me, attempting to suck up all life from the Land. Yet, I know that this very land is home. I am reminded of how connected we all are as we plant our feet on the ground, allowing our bodies to kiss the earth as we become enveloped in Mother Nature. She holds us all, as we begin to fall back into our bodies, and slowly can maybe start to feel a bit safer in this world. As I know that our Mother can never define and separate us, she is mwy sanctuary. To me, loving her means to love myself, for I don’t need to perform any longer, because I know I’m safe here. I’ve begun to feel free. I know that I can take up space, that I can begin to fall so deeply into myself.

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To heal and DEEPLY, for love, joy, an act not

OF

Your violent killing and exploitation of the Land that is so sacred to us is deeply embedded into your colonial mindset, as you kill and exploit our people just the same. The way to feel safe in our bodies is to care for, love, and defend the Land. When we see how you torture and berate the Land, we can only imagine how you wish to do the same to our bodies, mind, and spirit. You wish to rip us from our dignity and our humanity, you wish to isolate us. You see humanity and morality as a fatal flaw, you see love and emotion as a weakness. By these terms, you render us useless, you decide that these modes of thought are foolish and unworthy of respect. But, radical love can set us all free.

They shrink our message because they know that if we do prevail, then soon they will fall.

ourselves so fully making s p a c e unconditional and peace, is resistance, selfishness.

Through community, through connection, as we are held by our Mother we can begin to heal together. To create sacred and loving spaces with one and another means to actively resist the forces that want to keep us apart. To heal ourselves so fully and deeply, making space for unconditional love, joy, and peace, is an act of resistance, not of selfishness. In my spirit, I know that all I crave is solidary, strength, and purpose, as they anchor and ground me. I know that being present with my body can feel safe, but only once we shed the cages you’ve placed our minds and hearts in. I can my heart pulse to the beat of freedom, I have hope in a reality beyond this hurt. I know that our togetherness will bring us liberation, as we nurture and love each other without reservation, we will gain the strength to uproot the causes of our pain.

By Neha Verma ON LAND, LOVE, AND LIBERATION: SETTING OUR MINDS FREEE

Photography @confusedcu1ture

COVER S TA R !

‘Spit On The P’

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mood swings / extra tampons and pads in y pockets / calling friends whilst walking hom front of your mirror at 2 am / glitter pens / bl / holding hands with your friends / drunk kis / shouting lyrics / breakdowns / not pretty en enough / skipping meals / survival of the pre girls / laying on the floor / flowers / clenched waxing tables / lingering floral perfumes in c dying your hair / instant regret / cutting you or a sports bra / inheriting emotional trauma bathroom trips / chipped nails with white pa scrubbing / portrayal of women in the media healing before engulfed in the next trauma / / anxiety when you walk past a group of boy liking boy bands and twilight / diminishing y onto lipgloss / man’s world / getting cat call getting cat called wearing crop tops / sexy h disney channel / picnic in parks / first shot o bush whilst your friend keeps a lookout / cin get this bruise / dear diary / scraped knees / powerlessness / rage / GRRRBOSS! FEMME-INISM ISSUE

omanhood W is just

;

your bag’s side me alone / dancing in lood stained sheets sses with a stranger nough / not good ettiest / kissing other d fists / makeup isles / changing rooms / ur hair short / 34C bra a from your mum / aint / plucking and a / male fantasies / / aloe vera face masks ys / demonised for your anger / hair stuck led wearing hoodies / halloween costumes / of vodka / peeing in a nema dates / how did i / bruises /

By Jo John

South Asian Fusion I’m Mathushaa Sagthidas known as @mathuxphotos and I’m a Tamil-British fashion photographer, stylist and creative director. Skills that I further developed from studying fashion promotion at Ravensbourne University London and fine art photography at Camberwell College of Arts, UAL. A pivotal part of my work is my identity - Tamil Eelam ethnicity and British nationality, it has been a strong influence in who I am as an artist but also a big part in fully understanding who I am no matter what environment I am in. This complex cultural identity is often reflected through traditions, history and strongly by fashion photography.

Studying fashion promotion really allowed me to discover and understand fashion photography but studying fine art photography allowed me to develop a style rich in cultural and historical references through fashion photography.

Feminism today for me is very much centred around fair, equal and authentic representation of all woman but in terms of my work, which is very strong centred around bringing genuine and authentic representation to south Asian woman of all skin tones and cultures, something that I am a strong advocate for. However when I say equal I refer to of course understand the effects of the gender gap but also ensuring that woman of various skins tones, races and cultures are treated equally and given a fair chance at various opportunities. As someone that has slowly begun to become more and more involved in the creative industry, I want use what ever power/ position that I have/ will have in the future to ensure that woman are recognised for their creative and talents without a sense of tokenism.

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THIS PAGE: Photography @ mathuxphotos (SELF PORTRAIT) styling by @mariakayumm @ yasitskrishy @pink._.sockedhoe Make up @yasitskrishy

THIS PAGE: Photography @mathuxphotos Models @yasitskrishy @_anujaa_naidu_ Make up @yasitskrishy OPPOSITE: Photography @mathuxphotos Model @mells.db Make up @yasitskrishy

ABOVE: Photography @mathuxphotos Models @yasitskrishy Models @yasitskrishy @ pink._.sockedhoe @maya_lusha Make up @yasitskrishy RIGHT: Photography @mathuxphotos Model @lequesha.x Stylist @_.shivxni @artisticplug

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THIS PAGE: Photography @mathuxphotos Models @yasitskrishy @ pink._.sockedhoe Stylist @_.shivxni @artisticplug

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I Feel Safest With My Sisters When they pic my fro and I pic theirs.

When they oil my scalp and I oil theirs.

When they cornrow my hair and I cornrow theirs.

When we bask in in the sunlight and our melanin gets even richer.

When we sing along to soul and our souls fill the air.

When they wrap my head at night and I wrap theirs.

When we go to sleep and I look to them and see part of myself.

Samantha Thompson GRRRBOSS! FEMME-INISM ISSUE

GRRRBOSS! FEMME-INISM ISSUE

‘Consumate’ by Hana Mehmed

GRRR BOSS! Graphics and art direction: Lola Monaghan @lolamonaghancreative GRApHICS: ELLA WILLIAMSON @ecwdzign