BEYOND THE COMMONS
THE FEMININE POWER ISSUE CONTENTS
Are We Equal Yet? Congress Extra Ordinary Submissions Fufilling the Fantasy Sex Positivity Social Issues Somebody’s Daughter South African Designers are Bringing Back Body Positivity
STAFF
Editor in Chief: Sarah Harwell Art Editor: Krista Nguyen Art Co-editor: Mely Mendez Creative Writing Editor: Hannah Kozak Culture Editor: Destiny Hodges Music Editor: Gwen Gephart Politics Editor: Laura Nguyen Photography Editor: Ava Pucilowski Social Issues Editor: Salem Suleiman
WRITING TEAM Sydney Coleman Hannah Kozak Carolyn Tachoir Madison Stanley Lana Valdez
EDITOR’S NOTE
To be a publication that is dominantly powered by women - powered by the creative minds of women who have endured so many hardships, have lived life as a woman or a woman of color, is inspiring. I am constantly enlightened by the women who are a part of this magazine, the women that submit, the women who staff this magazine, the women I interview. I could not be more grateful to be surrounded by such passionate and intelligent individuals who make the world a little bit more beautiful, a little bit closer to a world that I would be proud to live in. Many of you are so talented, so driven by the work that you do. I am truly blessed to have you as my readers, and help me work towards the vision I had for this publication. Everyday, a bit of your world enters our submissions, and everyday a piece of you becomes a part of me. Thank you for powering this magazine, and thank you for an amazing half a year of seeing and publishing your craft. I cannot wait for many more months and years of doing so, and I cannot imagine what my life would be like otherwise. To all women - thank you for being powerful. Sarah Harwell
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ARE WE EQUAL YET? Madison Stanley
Are We Equal Yet?
An analysis of the failure of the E.R.A. by Madison Stanley In a nation based on the principle, “all men are created equal,” we believe that the strive for equality always wins. Here we are in 2019, and there has yet to be an amendment to the U.S. Constitution to establish equal legal rights for citizens regardless of sex. This certainly seems odd considering how many pushes for women’s equality have succeeded. It would almost seem like this already exists, because in the present day, women are able to vote, fight in combat, and receive equal pay (though some would argue that the latter is factually inaccurate in practice). Although these efforts succeeded singularly, the movement’s attempts to fight the issue of equality on a more holistic scale failed. The Equal Rights Amendment (E.R.A.) was up for ratification from 1972 to 1982, and aimed to guarantee equal legal rights for citizens regardless of sex. The amendment failed after being passed by the Senate, with only three states needed to achieve the minimum threefourths required to pass. Since 1982, two more states have signed off on the Equal Rights Amendment and with Illinois ratifying in 2018, only one more state is needed to meet the original 38. Technically, the amendment “died” after the 1982 deadline, however many proponents have pointed to the twenty-seventh amendment, which establishes that salary increases for Congress to go into effect the term after they were approved, which was introduced with James Madison’s Bill of Rights and was ratified by the last state necessary and put into effect in 1992. Needless to say, if the Equal Rights Amendment was ratified today, it would have taken less time than the twenty-seventh. So why was the amendment not ratified immediately in a nation of equality? Even some feminists argued against it the E.R.A. - these protectionistic and often religious feminists worried that the Equal Rights Amendment would establish women in combat and same-sex marriage.
Obviously, those concerns were both established without the Equal Rights Amendment, which is rather ironic. Additionally, some opponents to this day worry about the requirement of unisex bathrooms and the abolishment of a male-only draft. Which is true, the diction of the Amendment could lead to both of those, as well as the extinction of the pink-tax, where women pay more for the same products as men and the fact that pads and tampons are taxed as a “luxury.” Anyone who has experienced menstruation would likely argue, that it is definitely not a luxury. The amendment could also lead towards more cohesive and easier legal battles to prevent the wage gap, the glass ceiling, as well as establish family leave rather than just maternity leave. In the fight for equality, what matters is the benefits that come as a result, not the actual equality. Some of the original feminists fought to have reduced labor hours for women and were worried that as unions arose and men fought for reduced hours, they would end up losing jobs or working the same amount as the men. All of which is horrible. The concept that we fight for equality because it’s better for us and not better for society as a whole, is downright selfish. So yes, the Equal Rights Amendment could lead to women participating in the selective service. But as a woman who is wholeheartedly against the draft, I support it. If we as the United States are going to have a draft, then I should be a part of it, even if I have no intention of ever going to war. Recently, in February of 2019, a federal judge ruled the male-only draft as unconstitutional, to increase the perception that women should be allowed in combatic roles. I only hope that soon, people will realize that in order to solve the institutionalized problems, there needs to be a holistic response.
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CONGRESS The Pink Wave
by Carolyn Tachoir Women have been marching for over a century now. From the suffragettes lining to the streets in the 1910’s to the massive floods of pink hats and outlandish signs in 2017, women have been making their voices heard. Back in November, women kept on marching- marching straight into their local voting booth and effectively sending a record number of women marching straight into Congress. Regardless of party connection or political ideology, the results of the 2018 midterm elections were an obvious leap forward in numerous ways. Back in 1992, the first “Year of the Woman”, which saw 54 female politicians win their respective elections and enter the 103rd Congress. This was a major gain of the time as female representation increased 4% as only 32 women had served in previous terms. Women have been making steady strides since then, but nothing had been as drastic as 1992, until our last midterm which led to presently 102 women serving in the House and 23 women serving in Senate. Transitioning from the small sector of women in the 1990’s, our Congress is now comprised of 23% of its members being female.
The New York Times summarized the midterms fantastically through an article showcasing female progress in the United States by the numbers. According to The New York Times, more than 250 women were on the ballot with at least 117 women elected with success in both parties to some extent, 100 Democrats and 17 Republicans. 43 of those women are of color as well as at least three of them belonging to the LGBTQ community.
As the overall plethora of statistics is pleasing to see, there were many women who made individual history that is just as worthy of celebration. Kyrsten Sinema (D) became the first female senator from Arizona; Sinema is also notably the first openly bisexual senator. This is not Sinema’s first time in the record books either, back in 2013, she became the first bisexual member of the House of Representatives. Kristi Noem (R) became the first female governor of South Dakota. Noem recognized the change women want to make as she told CBS News that women do not have the sole interest to “just want to talk about women’s issues”; she instead focused her campaign on her experience as a small business owner, a previous serving member of the House, and a dedicated family woman. Rashida Tlaib (D) and Ilhan Omar (D) made history by being the first Muslim women in Congress. Tlaib is the first Palestinian-American woman in Congress and Omar is the first Somali-American in Congress. Finally, the dynamic Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D) became the youngest woman elected to Congress and is already making waves with her “Green New Deal” initiative and her fight for a $15.00 minimum wage.
Politics is still not a perfect representation of American women, as nearly half of the US is female, but the women, whether it is the advocates on the street, a busy worker who sacrificed a break in her day to cast her vote, or the female politicians willing to dedicate their time and resources to running and making a difference is inspiring. It is inspiring not only for young girls who are coming of age under a female representation like never before, but equally (if not more) inspiring to the older women who have been waiting and working their entire lives for their voices to matter, their issues to be efficiently heard. It shows to our country that there are individuals with voices that will not be silenced. Gov. Kristi Noem said, “In my family, there were no girl chores or boy chores. There’s just things to get done. So that’s what we’re going to do.” Women are not playing around, they are present, they are powerful, and the new pink wave is ready to get things done.
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EXTRA ORDINARY SUBMISSIONS
We’ll All Have Our Chance In Front of the Mirror Rachel Blair
Watch as the broken barbie dolls March like ants down a straight line Wait your turn We whisper into each other’s ears I put a smile on my face to be greeted with pink lipstick We fight for the right shade to match our complexion The girl behind me starves herself as we wait in line While the two in front of me glue extensions to each other’s eyelashes If you’re able to stare back into your reflection, you’re rewarded with a face mask Self care, they say When it reaches my turn, I can only look for a quick second I squeeze my eyes shut My hair is matted My boobs could be bigger I wish I could see past my reflection I’m handed a wilted rose The tag on the stem reads See you next year! A thorn pricks my finger I will wait in line for another year Maybe then will the mirror crack under the pressure of my strength
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“Love Fifteen� Angela Louise Domingo It was during a hundred and five degree tennis match when we first met. Your racket with neon pink strings and a light blue grip, screamed at my eyes. My racket with plain white strings and a dirty, white grip. Your hair short with side-swept bangs, bounced lively with every forehand. My hair was forced into a French-braid, pulled back with a visor. Your skin was lightly tanned and kissed pink from the blistering sun. My skin with crooked teeth, tried to keep up. Your voice, confidently loud, spoke from across the court. My voice, quiet and nervous, attempted to respond. But it was our skirts, that were the same brand, the same color, and the same style, that flew gloriously through the air.
capillaries Laia Nalian
i remember- shafts of light graced my room, their lemon glow pierced through the gloom. planets danced between my fingers, but this time, 3 AM time, they expanded into my very soul. lonely and crowded by color threatening to spill out, like vomit. below my heart, where breath is conceived, i could almost hear my blood run
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ethereal woman Laia Nalian
she bends towards the light of Capella its radiance imprinting on her heart; a lasting starburn she blossoms quickly, withers even faster but when she blooms, it’s for good even though she yearns to be caught in a blaze’s embraceenamoured, enraptured, smitten, spellbound. she makes her home within the liminal space of an indigo landscape that greets you with an amber morning where she races through the badlands that call her 'mother,' where she adorns wishes in the branches of a bone tree in the asteroid orchard she takes your hand and leads you to the deep lagoon; the front row seat to a sunset eruptionan illusory, summer solstice, in the heart of an endless gallery; honeycombed under the compound eyes of a figure with a galaxy for a soul
(overture) little brown girl, with the scars on your chest Laia Nalian
in this holy land of ramshackle homes and linoleum, tainted and delicate things thrive. where soft atrocities expand over skin like bruising fingers over touch-me-nots, a body is sheltered by knobby knees. carved out of durian flesh, on the foundation of that age-old song of freedom. catching incandescent tans under sun and starlight halos made of afternoon rays with skin mottled like hawk moth wings, there is an entire cosmic phenomenon embedded in your skin. scatter your findings from a worn baby blue bageyelashes, dog teeth, stitches from a dress discarded long ago. you recall the last time you held the sun in your arms, the lagoon glowing when you tossed her in. little brown girl with the scars on your chest, from giving too much and taking too little. who sungazes between white bars of a windowed tindahan, through the green hands of palm leaves that fall short of kissing the sky. you leave little notes and wishes on the ground, for fairies to return in color and windy greetings.
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Laia Karmela is a Filipina and self-identified 'bedroom artist'. A multimedia artist and synesthete, she takes inspiration from the fantastical realms conjured in her imagination and weaving her interest in telling the stories of those displaced and invisible. Despite working in three fields- illustration, music, and writingthere exists a thread connecting each creation, all taking place in one immersive, brilliant universe. She is a rising college senior double majoring in Art History and French and currently finishing her third year abroad in Paris.
"Sweet"
Emily Zomoroudi got that unibrow like frida kahlo, summer tan that sticks year round, but a personality sweet as dulce on a palo negativity makes me sour got me thinkin' that i can't look pretty even during golden hour un pedazo de miel can't satisfy my craving "i want to be happy" i cry on the bathroom floor as i'm up all night shaving don't know what loving myself is like probably sweeter than helados michoacanos but truly, a saccharine taste such as mine
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AMBER LANG-JONES
EILEEN NGUYEN
“Business Baker� My name is Eileen Nguyen and I wanted to submit photos that I took of my lovely friend Deanna Chan. She is such a hardworking woman who really has clear goals. She's majoring in accounting and has a concentration in entrepreneurship. Chan is also an active member of an accounting club. Chan knows that the business world can be pretty tough, especially for women. So she does anything that she can to get herself out there and make sure that she's made a name for herself. Not only is Chan an active college student with a double major in accounting and business management, as well as a concentration in entrepreneurship, she is also a baker. She has a dream to open up her own bakery, where she plans to bake treats that are influenced by many different countries around the world. She bakes any chance that she gets and even bakes for people at school for special occasions. 16
FUFILLING THE FANTASY by Hannah Kozak
Victoria’s Secret has been supplying women with undergarments since it was founded in 1977. The brand is owned by L Brands alongside other large-scale companies such as Bath and Body Works. Each year, millions of people tune in to watch the annual Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show to watch their favorite models walk, singers perform, and spectators gawk at the large, infamous wings. I mean, how can anyone not know the iconic brand when it’s in most malls and a large supplier of overpriced women’s items? In November 2018, Ed Razek, senior executive for L Brands, stated in a Vogue interview that Victoria’s Secret would not cast a “transsexual” model in the annual fashion show because “the brand has a specific image . . . the show is a fantasy.” This comment quickly went viral and gained the attention of several public figures.
There should be no “fantasy” to upkeep; the only fantasy we should strive for is one with inclusivity, positivity, and nothing short of reality.
Halsey, who performed at the December 2018 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, was quick to make a public statement once the show aired. In a social media post, she said, “some comments were made regarding the show that I simply cannot ignore . . . I have no tolerance for a lack of inclusivity . . . complete and total acceptance is the only ‘fantasy’ that I support.” Social media influencer Nikita Dragun, a trans woman, also took to social media to post a video of her dressed as a Victoria’s Secret angel. She posted the video on Twitter saying, “Dear Victoria’s Secret, you said trans women can’t sell the ‘fantasy’ so here I am as a trans woman selling the fantasy.” Other subtle cries of disapproval include Rihanna acknowledging an Instagram post that praised her for being inclusive with her Fenty x Savage fashion show, and Kendall Jenner, who has walked in the fashion show numerous times, making a social media post stating “celebrate trans women” after Razek’s comments. Shortly after, Victoria’s Secret posted a public apology from Razek online. Razek said his comment “came off as insensitive.” He also stated that “[Victoria’s Secret] had transgender models come to castings” and, although they did not make the cut, “it was never about gender.” But is this apology really sufficient? There are other lingerie/undergarment brands that are being inclusive without hassle. As mentioned before, Rihanna’s Fenty x Savage lingerie fashion show included many women of different race and overall looks. In 2018, Victoria’s Secret still predominantly casts thin, blonde, white, cisgendered women. Over half of the American population is women, and of those women, roughly 16 percent are Hispanic, 13 percent are Black, and five percent are Asian. While five percent does not sound like much, five percent of 163 million people is an astounding number of American women. Additionally, roughly five percent of Americans identify within the LGBTQ+ community. Razek’s comments resulted Victoria’s Secret seeing a new low in views for the 2018 fashion show. Unfortunately, exclusion isn’t just an issue with Victoria’s Secret — it’s an issue throughout most of the fashion world. Women come in all shapes, sizes, colors, and forms. There should be no “fantasy” to upkeep; the only fantasy we should strive for is one with inclusivity, positivity, and nothing short of reality.
LUNCH BREAK featuring
Maria Pamela Vergara
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Maria Pamela Vergara Maria Pamela Vergara is a young filmmaker, writer, graphic designer, and all-in-one creative. Vergara is a first-generation immigrant who graduated the University of Southern California in 2015, in which she studied cinema. She speaks multiple languages and is talented in multiple ways - she creates films in her free time, and works in marketing for an art museum in the Bay Area. BTC: You’re a recent alum from USC for film, which is one of the best schools in the world for cinema. Where did your love for film come from?
really supportive. It’s very fulfilling to be able to share that love with other people who have the same passion for the same thing.
PV: Initially, I started with a love for writing in high school. I thought that that’s what I was going to be, and that’s what I wanted to do; upon graduating and not having a clear direction, I went to community college and didn’t have a focus until I took a film class there. It wasn’t until I realized that film has directed my entire life in some way. I can remember specific moments in my life where and when a film was important to me. Taking an intro to film class, I didn’t start loving film, but instead it made me realize that I’ve always loved film. The class was just introductory, and I was learning about basic concepts like lighting and narrative and plot, it made me really appreciate film.
BTC: Coming to L.A. and learning film in the central hub of where film began, how did that inspire you or discourage you?
BTC: Being peers and friends with classmates from USC, how did having that environment benefit your experience learning film, especially because of the community at USC for film is it’s own group? PV: It was so beneficial, because when you grow up in your town and graduate from your high school, you have your friends but they’re not necessarily interested in the same stuff as you. Getting to go to USC and be with people who not only are studying what I’m studying but are also transfer students, they go through the same process as me. With the community at USC, we built a collaborative close knit group of friend; we were all required to take this production class even if you’re just a film studies student, and all of us took that class together and helped with each other’s thesis films and other assignments. If a classmate needed someone to do their sound, then we would just meet up each other; it was
PV: It was overwhelming because this is the center of where it all is with Hollywood being here, and is where all the classic films are made. I almost got the sense of, “I’m at this school, and I can’t fail because it would be such a missed opportunity.” It’s both inspiring and discouraging at the same time. The ways that it’s inspiring is because I was surrounded by people who also have the same goals and ambitions as me. Because I was constantly surrounded by film everywhere I turned, it became a driving force. The discouraging part is that if someone doesn’t have the ambition and the drive, which a lot of people here have, it would lead to the fall to the wayside. It really is a lot of pressure. For example, if I went to a different film school not in LA or necessarily known for its film program, the pressure and discouragement wouldn’t be as tough because of the reputation and location that USC has. It’s a catch all, but you really have to not get in your head about it. It’s both [inspiring and discouraging] because being surrounded by it, it reminds you of why you’re doing it, but at the same time you can’t escape it. BTC: You have several short films on your website, what sparked you to create films outside of your everyday working life? PV: Those specifically, I called them my “Coping Mechanisms” for certain issues that I had going on, so I 20
made a series that was for trauma that I had to deal with, and certain situations that I used as an outlet while at the same time expressing myself using film, and tell my story through that. There’s another series called “For You”, and each video would be about a specific person and sending them messages. Being able to express myself in a way that’s not just an assignment or something that I have to do for work or for school is necessary as an artist because when you’re just creating projects because you have to do it, you lose the love for it. You lose your sense of where you’re at too, and doubt if you want to do this anymore. I remember when I was doing just assignments and not doing anything for fun anymore, I would ask myself if I still love film. Being able to have a project every once in a while, even if it’s just a small video, it’s still something where you’re just working on you. Even if you don’t show it to anyone else and you don’t publish it anywhere, I still feel that it’s necessary. BTC: Being consistently creative is a major theme for you with your job, what you studied in school, and your short films. Recently you founded a magazine for film that has a focus on intertwining emotions and its relevance to cinema. How did you think of the idea of this magazine, and what set it into motion? PV: I’ve always had the idea for a film zine on the back burner. I really wanted to do something where I could connect film to emotions and feelings but it never really came into motion until January when I saw If Beale Street Could Talk directed by Barry Jenkins; after I saw that movie I felt super overwhelmed, and I knew that I had to share this with someone, I wanted people to see this movie. After that, I got home and I just started writing in this book where I save all my ideas, and then went back to the zine idea. I really want to be able to share a certain movie and how it made me feel, and have other people feel that too. Instead of making a zine that’s just all about me, I wanted to make something that’s collaborative, which led to opening the zine up to submissions, giving people the chance to share how they feel about a certain movie. That’s how it came into an idea of its own; I wanted something that’s tangible, and made for people who aren’t into film either, just something everyone could connect to. BTC: Film is used to spark a series of reactions and feelings. How does this correlate to how you see and make films?
PV: My process in filmmaking are stories that I want to tell, and the most important thing for me when I’m making films, is that I want it to be authentic. When you go about the business of “I want to make this, and people will see it because it looks cool,” it loses focus - when you’re making a film, don’t think, “I want to tell this story” to spark a reaction for the sake of it, rather than it being meaningful. When people get lost in trying to achieve something rather than focusing on the story itself, you lose authenticity, you lose real feeling and real true emotions because you’re just trying to focus on the end product rather than telling the actual story with care and intimacy, and don’t communicate it properly. I think the most powerful thing that film can do is tell someone’s story as well as an important story - someone’s story that hasn’t been told yet. Those are always the films that truly spark emotion, feeling and meaning because it’s something people haven’t seen before, versus a really empty, “we’ve seen this all the time, this makes everyone laugh”. Those films are harmless, but the ones that are really important are the ones that take care of a story. BTC: Being a woman of color is difficult to find representation in film. Finally seeing filmmakers that look like you today, does it make you relieved that it’s finally happening after so long or does it emphasize a frustration that you would have, that you finally have representation after so long? PV: Definitely a bit of both, it’s finally bubbling up to the surface where people are talking about it, and it’s getting in headlines and attention, like Crazy Rich Asians but I also don’t want to get to the point where filmmakers “reach a point” and don’t need to go further because it’s just scratching the surface and is completely superficial - we haven’t even gotten to the system or the industry itself, where they may be an all Asian cast, but are the crew members and script writers Asian? Is the film representing the LGBTQIA+ community? You can see the push for diversity because it’s trendy, and you’ll see a “diverse” movie but all the writers will be white males, and write it completely wrong. Often, the actor gets blamed for it because the representation isn’t accurate, but you can’t blame the actor when the people that are writing it, producing it, and the executives are all older white males making the decisions. It’s great to see a start but we have to trickle down and I don’t want people to lose sight of the need to push for more.
“I think the most powerful
thing that film can do is tell someone’s story as well as an important story” BTC: Definitely, I feel like that happens in any industry. When one revolutionary thing happens, it goes back to what it used to be. PV: Exactly, if we say something, people will claim that already have “that one movie last year,” and don’t see the need for more. BTC: Going to university in California, being surrounded by a diverse group of people, how did this help in having others to relate to in a world of film? PV: I was lucky enough to have a community myself of really diverse people, for example, one of my close friends is from Mexico, and my other friend is from Korea; being able to have different perspectives is always beneficial because if you’re always inside your own bubble then you’re telling the same story, never get corrected or don’t get new information if you’re doing something wrong, or notice if you have certain prejudices. Being able to have different people in our circle always benefitted us, especially in terms of the stories we tell and what we want to achieve. For example, my friend from Mexico is trying to get into casting and didn’t realize that there was an issue in Asian representation because he thought that the United States already has really diverse casts to begin with, and we were able to tell him about how the industry is over here. It’s just the same thing with other friends too, we’re just constantly teaching each other new ideas and teaching each other from our learning experience. BTC: It’s definitely the small things in culture that you don’t realize until you tell someone. PV: It’s also just the fact that other countries are completely different. We can’t assume that the way it is somewhere else is going to be is going to be the same in Mexico for him, or that it’s going to be the same for my friend who’s from Korea. It’s all completely different and we can’t push our own thoughts onto them. BTC: Living in the Bay Area, it’s a completely different creative world than LA. How has this move affected you? PV: Going back home it’s definitely different, it’s a blessing in disguise because it’s pushed me to find inspiration in
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a way that I couldn’t before, because in LA it was so accessible. My community and all of my resources were in LA, USC’s campus which I could go to all the time is in LA, and then I had to go back to the Bay and reset myself. I had to ask myself if I still wanted to continue film, and when I knew I did, I really had to seek out people and push myself. I was lucky enough to go to USC, and I was put into classes with people I clicked with. Going back to the Bay, I really had to seek out people and ask if they wanted to do projects with me, or approach people and not be afraid of rejection. There’s plenty of times where things go unread, or emails don’t get answered. It’s definitely pushed me to go out of my shell more, which is necessary for an industry like film because it’s all about networking and connections. It’s been a blessing to move back there but hopefully I get to come back LA and then utilize that even more so I can push myself in LA too. BTC: Finally, what’s an upcoming project that you’re excited about? PV: Aside from Depth Cues Magazine and its first issue coming out in a few weeks, I have a short horror film planned with my friend that I just recently made a connection with who lives in LA. I’m gonna be coming back and forth to LA every few months and we’re going to start working on putting that film together - something really eerie, not too much gore, but really cool at the same time. It’ll be a “horror art film” per se, but a fun project; something to lighten my work since I’ve been working on more serious stuff recently. Just something to fall in love with the process of making a film again, more on the cool production design side, as well as costuming and makeup. BTC: Thank you, Pamela! Photographer: Kenneth Jang
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Sex Positivity
Stigma Surrounding Sexually Liberated Women by Sydney Coleman
We are conditioned from a young age to treat our sexuality as a weapon; told our bodies carry a distinctive eroticism that we are so privileged to bear the burden of. Coated in a sticky syrup that is too sweet to resist, so we must do all that we can to protect ourselves from the gluttony of those who cannot keep their tongues in their mouths. We are constantly reminded that the autonomy of sexuality is shameful; sacrilege of the mind, body, and soul. This societal conditioning is important to acknowledge when deconstructing stigmas and negative connotations that come with sexually liberated women. From a young age, we are presented with this archetypal woman, poised and demure in nature, presenting herself in small, easily digestible portions so not to curb the appetite of the conventional patriarch. Women are taught that, in order to live honorably, we must adhere to what is “socially acceptable.� But this habitual conditioning of young women is not only harmful to self-image, but it perpetuates a system of patriarchal dominance that acts to restrict our self-government, fortifying the uneven distribution of societal power on the basis of gender. In being taught these notions of how women should operate in society, we are robbed of our autonomy, internalizing these very ideals that exist to keep us in positions of weakness.
Thus, when this pattern of internalized shame is broken, we are demonized for straying from the idea of a “socially acceptable woman,” assigned to a position of moral inferiority or a lack of self-respect. This vilification of sexually expressive women is especially visible in harmful dialogue surrounding victims of sexual assault, in which the responsibility for having caused an attack is placed on the victim by implying that they were somehow “asking for it,” rather than holding the assailant accountable for committing a heinous crime. It is common for followers of this narrative to target the victim’s choice of clothing and sexual history--simply, things that women have rightful jurisdiction over. Not only does this promote the misconception that sex-positive women have a lack of self-respect and dignity, but it insinuates that they are deserving of these attacks as repercussions for their “provocative” behavior. Understandably, this societal conditioning also carries over in discussions about sex education and awareness in young women as well, as there are many discrepancies in the way we are taught about sexual health in the US. One major contributor to the condemnation of sex-positive women is the history of “sexual risk avoidance education” or abstinenceonly sex education. Although the extent to which this form of sex education has been funded has drastically decreased since the 2000s (hitting its peak under George W. Bush’s administration, according to the Guttmacher Institute), many school districts across the country continue to implement these methods. In February of last year, the Bipartisan Budget Act was renewed in Congress to continue funding abstinence-only sex education for another two years at an annual budget of $75 million. This method of sex education, staining generations of those educated under it, not only contributes heavily to the demonization of sexually active and liberated women, but it is a major cause of the lack of knowledge regarding sexually transmitted infections and teen pregnancy. Additionally, the funding of abstinence-only education disproportionately impacts schools with predominantly students of color. Under Title V of the Social Security Act, abstinence-only sex education is to be implemented in low-income schools across the US. Thus, this type of education falls mostly on schools in inefficientlyfunded districts, heavily populated by Latinx and Black people, further increasing the likelihood of its negative implications among communities of color (including the development of unhealthy ideas regarding sex and sexual health in young people). Unsurprisingly, stigmas surrounding sex-positive women also directly translate into the violent criminalization and demonization of women involved in sex work, which disproportionately targets transgender women of color. Because trans women in particular are severely impacted by prejudice in transitioning into adulthood and independence, they are faced with endless obstacles in purchasing homes, getting jobs, and obtaining government aid and welfare. This often leads to the involvement in sex work for many trans women--particularly Black trans women. In the 2015 US Transgender Survey, 19 percent of participating trans women-- 47 percent of that 19 percent being Black women--reported taking part in some kind of sex work. Therefore because, under American legislation, prostitution and many other kinds of sex work are considered criminal offenses, trans women of color are considerably more likely to fall victim of incarceration due to the harmful stigmas around this field of work. This stigmatization of sexually liberated women comes down to the nature of a patriarchal society and how it functions to limit women to subordinate roles. This power structure is so deeply ingrained in Western society and has robbed countless generations of women of basic liberties, continuing to pervade modern society, but the fight for liberation is in full force. Violent oppression only breeds resistance, and the oppression has been centuries-long.
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SOMEBODY’S DAUGHTER by Lana Valdez
“That’s somebody’s daughter.” We are all, irregardless of roots and misplacings, somebody’s daughter. It’s like an invisible linking of arms, imagine that. And all my sisters and I can agree: that it is undeniably the most annoying thing on earth when people say, in an unpleasant tone, “That’s somebody’s daughter.” Read: that’s somebody’s daughter, who’s out there, probably having a good time, probably enjoying herself, whose parents should be simply ashamed. I just don’t understand the point of saying it. Sure, earth shattering word choice really doesn’t go hand in hand with slut shaming, but it’s just confusing. Perhaps it was invented as a way to not only shame young women for enjoying the time they deserve, but also their families too? Oh no. I’ve struck gold. Are these families the same as the families that raise young boys and girls on two opposite paths? It’s a simple question. Masculinity and femininity are journeys that start young; little girls are simultaneously warned to not be too flirty but to also present themselves as pretty, and unattainable. Boys are taught to “be men,” to not show too much of their emotions, and to not cry. Of course, it’s no guarantee that any given person is one of these two extremes; everyone’s a scale. And when it comes to parenting, it’s better to not lean to one side, because it can lead to things like growing up to think a woman just enjoying herself on a Friday night is somehow more wrong than a guy enjoying himself on a Friday night- that the drinks they carry are on different levels. But that’s not the case. These might seem like impeccably small details - calling a girl “someone’s daughter” in a scandalized way, thinking they should behave a certain way, dress as a certain kind of girl. But the truth is, these small things, over time, can lead to bigger things. It’s something people don’t want to acknowledge all the time, something people dub as “too sensitive,” but it’s the truth. Everything stems from language. If it becomes a habit for someone to shame a woman for her habits and not shame a man for the same ones, it will become a popularized habit. Especially in youth. Children are especially susceptible to “ideals” and “new waves” compared to any other generation, because they tend to follow each other’s habits, since everyone’s forming personal identities. Slut shaming isn’t an uncommon thing, unfortunately, and this is why. Not enough families are teaching their children love for everyone, a mutual love, instead of shaming. “She’s somebody’s daughter” is just a strange thing to say. There are plenty of other things you could say, like... “Wow, she looks great! It’s her night off from her job and I’m so happy for her!” or “Her and her friends look so cool! I want to be like them.” Or, better yet, maybe it’s just better to say nothing at all, because why is a girl having a good time any different from anyone else in that room having a good time?
SOUTH AFRICAN DESIGNERS ARE BRINGING BACK BODY POSITIVITY by Cassidy Bessa
Everyone battles with societal norms and what society thinks is acceptable in regards to body standards and gender constrictions. This is especially perinate in young people, as we all scroll through Instagram and see thin models that society sees as “perfection” and can’t help but compare ourselves to them. Recently, the very famous German designer, Karl Lagerfeld died. This shocked many people as he was an incredibly creative designer and had been in the industry for many years. Controversy was also sparked by his death as some of his truths came to attention. People started calling Lagerfeld out for encouraging anorexia in his models and idealising unhealthily thin women. This idealisation caused many young people to look down on their own bodies and many mental health issues among women were arose by this. Thankfully we are now seeing a change in this ‘traditional’ skinny model look and are embracing the “everyday women’s” body. Curves have never looked more beautiful. This positivity doesn’t only pertain to women’s bodies, as designers are now making more gender-neutral clothing. According to South African designer, Nicholas Coutts, says “gender-fluid garments are essential in our day and age”. Coutts isn’t the only South African designer who is embracing gender fluidity in fashion. Virtue SA’s new fall/winter 2019 collection shows the embracing of gender-fluidity that would not be considered high fashion a few years ago by traditional designers, like Karl Lagerfeld. South African designers have also embraced all body types and encouraged those who don’t have “iron board” skinny bodies to love themselves and to stop comparing themselves. Lucy-Rose Currie has encouraged women to love their bodies, and their images show beautiful women of all shapes, skin tones and sizes. Her fun and colourful illustrations show body positivity in a whole new light. The clothing brand Koeksuster, makes clothes to empower women and to encourage self-love with an edge of feminism. Not only are South African designers dealing with gender and body positivity, Asha Eleven is also dealing with the world’s sustainable clothing issue and trying to rid of one of our biggest problems - fast-fashion. This shows how South African designers are moving up and talking the right issues, instead of bending the same way as so many traditional fashion designers who starve their models for aesthetics. The more traditional fashion designers such as Karl Lagerfeld are no longer as fashionable as they were, and they have hopefully been replaced with more body positive companies. The only way to stay in the fashion game is to keep up with the times and new attitudes and promote body positivity. Not only are people embracing their curves, but the body positive movement also saw many people embracing what people saw as ‘imperfections’. For example, many people have posted pictures of their stretch marks with glitter over the marks to show something that what was seen as taboo, is now being shown as something beautiful. It is now something to be proud of. Body positivity has come a long way since the early 2000s and if you want to find a way to become a part of it. Let’s make this world a more positive and less soul-destroying place.
Via Instagram by Sarah Shakeel 28
Thank you for reading!
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