WOMAN photographed + curated by
she should be confident enough to attract the ma him she has to be submissive she has to be a she sh can't show emotion because if she does she is a bit to be happy all the time she has to be just outgoin unsavory rumors because if shes outgoing shes pr polite even when people arent polite to her she ha be boys and girls cant be girls or boys or anyone it she has to know how to cook and clean and do l responsibility she has to be loving but in a compas sexually responsible because if you didnt want to g know how to set a table because apparentlyshe ha one you use for desserts she has to have a secret o mysterious she has to be dieting because no one lik thats the way she was made she has to be hairless because it was just a compliment she has to look g has to look good all the time dont you know boys l be fashionable but if shes wearing tight clothes sh shes frumpy she has to know about sex but not f has to be pure but not a virgin because shes a prud ogether she has to depend on a man she has to be sma funny she has to want a family and a husband and suburbs she has to have a job but never make more wear pink wear feminine clothes wear a bra she ha you she has to make people smile she has to love ba shes married and secure she shouldnt complain ab women are just as free as men she has to always pl wants to see that she has to only wear a crop top o r be a size two she has to try harder she has to prove h
an she wants but demure and aloof enough to keep he has to be quiet she has to be ladylike always she tch and no one wants to be around a bitch she has ng enough to have friends but not to attract any robably sleeping with everyone right she has to be as to let men do what they want because boys will e she has to command attention only if she earned laundry and raise a family because thats just her ssionate way she has to be maternal she has to be get pregnant you shouldnt have had sex she has to as to know what fork you use for salads and which or at least act like it no one likes a lady thats not kes fat girls she has to be attracted to men because she has to be thin she has to be okay with catcalls good but if she takes too many selfies shes vain she like girls without makeup so much more she has to hes asking for it but if shes wearing baggy clothes from experience because no one wants a slut she de she has to be neat and tidy and emotionally put t art but not act like it she has to be funny but not too d two point five children with a picket fence in the e money than her husband she has to wear dresses as to compete with other girls theyre all out to get abies she has to want to have babies but only when bout womens rights the wage gap is a lie in america lease her man she has to suck in her stomach no one r bikini if shes below a size two and damn you better herself more she has to fall and get up and try again
“I will no longer be made to feel ashamed of existing. I will have my voice: Indian, Spanish, white. I will have my serpent’s tongue -my woman’s voice, my sexual voice, my poet’s voice. I will overcome the tradition of silence.” Gloria E. Anzaldua Borderlands/La Frontera
rachel maguire
SIAN Li
eileen may harvey
zenora saelua
cameron buck
marissa butler
sabrina singh
kate townsend
zaynab nasif
rimel mwamba
noaam zahavi
sara pequeno
zita voros
marge wright
nikita bisht
to those who participated in this zine, supported me, and/or opened your hearts and lives to me for a few hours-this is for you. thank you.
we are brave we are strong we dont have t grow and change and love as much as we wan have to be girls we dont have to wear makeup confident we can experience safe and cons another we can lift each other up we can cele successes and we can cry at our failures and we can have rewarding and beautiful friendsh love anyone we can be loud and take up space are scared of societal expectations of who w we need compassion we need to evaluate privil us we can be friends and lovers and mothers we want to we can receive love we can be sad a we dont owe anyone an explanation we can ha own physical choices we can run and jump and aside from that we can express ourselves ho be upfront and straightforward we do not o we can let it be known we deserve more we sisters of color and our LGBTQ friends we can can be joyful we can want families we can wa can tell off catcallers but we are afraid we collection of passion and stories and experie we can be in charge we can speak our minds and mess up we can be magnificent we can be chang we can be goddesses we can change the world not male but there is magic in it we deserve to
to conform to societal expectations we can nt or feel we dont have to be mothers we dont p but we can wear makeup if it makes us feel sensual romantic love we can support one ebrate each others triumphs and talents and d try again we can celebrate our differences hips we can love who we want we dont have to e and move and do what makes us feel good we we should be we need support we need change lege and elevate the oftsilenced voices among s and sisters and companions and partners if and angry and depressed and frustrated and ave autonomy over our body we can make our d be strong but we can be emotionally strong ow we want we can be outgoing or shy we can owe men anything we can fight for our rights deserve equality we deserve rights for our n make change we can make beautiful art we ant to be alone we can want what we want we e are beautiful and diverse and a magnificent ence we can raise our voices we can be bosses d say how we feel we can have good ideas we can ge makers we can make one another feel good d it is so scary to be a woman or femme or just o be heard and loved and appreciated and free
woman