by hoot
spring 2017
Ally Lozada, Alyssa Gengos, Anderson Peguero, Anisa Tavangar, Aria Hansen, Ariel Fishman, Ariel Rissm
It is not preaching any rules the world wants, but love and action. -Shoghi Effendi
Follow Hoot on Instagram @hootmag Like Hoot Magazine on Facebook Send Hoot an email at hootmag@barnard.edu For more Hoot Magazine, visit hootmag.org/blog elle Wilbun, Sloane A. Gustafson, Stephanie Jin, Sukanya Pusey, William Jess Laird, Wilson Greaton
e, Jacquelyn Klein, Joud Al Shdaifat, Kaeli Streeter, Kai Purnell, Karina Buhler, Kris Ahn, Krishana Raghubeer, Maria Adjetunji, Maria G. Alvarez, Marie Li, Nina
man, Braxton Gunter, Caroline Wallis, Chloe Morris, Francesca Levethan, Ginger Mayo, Hannah Moniz
Gonzalez Silas, Paloma Raines, Paris Parker-Loan, Pascale Bell, Phoebe Jones, Rebecca Siquieros, Roc
worn
ph otogr aph er Caroline Wallis stylist Anisa Tavangar mod els Jacquelyn Kl ein, Rochelle Wilbun assistants Mar ia Adetuji, Kr is Ahn, Mar Alvar lez,
Ar iel Fishman, Ally Lozada
Shir ts handmade by Hoot.
pussy ≠ power
by paris parker-loan
This winter’s trendiest accessory is a pink cat-eared knit beanie. They’ve been seen on the runway in Milan at Missoni FW17, in the streets at the Women’s Marches, and across college campuses nationwide. On March 8, the Pussyhat Project will embark upon its Global Vir tual March in honor of International Women’s Day. Perhaps the most ubiquitous symbol of the pussy-centric protest language which characterized the January marches, Pussyhats continue to equate ideal womanhood with the possession of cer tain genitalia and flesh tone. How radical can a statement be if it reinforces stereotypes about other marginalized identities? I’m not the first to call out the Pussyhat Project as the latest trendy iteration of trans-exclusionary radical feminism (TERF), but as the movement picks up steam on social media, I think it’s a statement wor th repeating. The project’s founders, Krista Suh and Jayna Zweiman, have previously responded to similar concerns by reminding critics that their stated mission is to “provide women’s rights supporters a way to come together to represent themselves.” This ignores the fact that many women rightfully do not identify with or feel represented by the image of a pale pink vulva. The Pussyhat website’s FAQ reassures potential buyers that “it does not matter if you have a vulva or what color your vulva may be.” But at the Missoni show-which also opened with Gigi Hadid walking to Gil Scott Heron’s 1970 Black Power anthem “The Revolution Will Not be Televised”, so take this for what you will--even the darkest-skinned models wore pussyhats in the same uniform shade of hot pink. I wonder if a more anatomically-accurate darker brown or purplish hat would even be recognizable as part of the same brand and movement. The project’s site also reminds us that “people with any genital anatomy can be feminists and wear pussyhats.” Of course they can. But do they want to? How can we expect them to when the most visible symbol of this movement, which declares itself radical, seeks to advance one marginalized identity at the exclusion and thereby expense of another? In a Janurary 24 ar ticle titled “The Problem with ‘Pussy’”, New Republic staff writer Josephine Livingstone explores the implications of using the word pussy as a metonymy for womanhood. “Synecdoche, by its nature, reduces,” she writes, problematizing the simplification of the complex concept that is womanhood to its base unit of genitalia. This is not to suggest that biology has no place in
Trump-era feminism--regulations on birth control and abortion are immensely impor tant issues--but let’s not forget that people with vaginas who do not identify as women will also be susceptible to this legislation, and to perhaps an even more dangerous degree. When woman becomes synonymous with pussy, and vice versa, we lose sight of the broader meaning of the term. And it’s about more than just semantics. This matters because asserting a collective presence is an effor t towards necessary sociopolitical resistance, and these marginalized groups cannot be left behind when it is time to take action. When trans rights activist Janet Mock delivered her keynote speech at the Women’s March on Washington on January 21, she called for more conscientious collective action. “Our approach to freedom need not be identical, but it must be intersectional and inclusive,” she told the crowd of 500,000.“It must extend beyond ourselves.” So keep your pink Pussyhat. Wear it if it makes you feel productive and progressive. But push yourself to question the implications, and more impor tantly the effects, of centering a movement around an oversimplification of the intricacies of womanhood. If the Pussyhat Project and the trans-exclusionary white feminism it currently stands for intend to affect actual authentic social progress over the next four years, it must invite the strengths of all women to the table.
in the deep ph oto gr aph e r Ar iel Rissman makeu p Anisa Tavangar stylist Fr ancesca Levethan mod e l Hannah Monize assist an ts J o u d A l Sh d a i f a t , Phoebe Jones
fake love, real stories by ginger mayo
After an arduous and ultimately abusive relationship that ended in a treacherous fashion last semester, I needed to find productivity in my heartbreak. It felt right, and a little radical, to reclaim what had been taken from me. Dignity, I suppose; passion, too--elements that once made up our relationship--were still abundant, but now lacked direction. So I turned to a medium with a rich history of radical self-expression: zines provide a platform for marginalized voices to not only speak, but yell out whatever it is they haven’t been allowed to say. Zines are ubiquitous at Barnard, so I put out a call for submissions on the topic of ‘Fake Love’ and accepted all applicants who didn’t identify as straight, white, cisgendered males. At the launch, one student told the heartbreaking, then healing, tale of being outed on social media at the tender age of 13 by her older partner. Another paid tribute to her revolutionary great-grandmother in Nicaragua who essentially played every dictator in Latin America in order to advance her radical agenda. The third shared a story of high school romance turned into deep, meaningful platonic love. Finally, I spoke about my ex’s gaslighting and abuse. It was so powerful to see folks from every segment of the Barnard community come under one little roof showered in pink light, and listen intently to each other’s stories of intense hurt and the growth that follows from it. Storytelling is how our histories, our identities, and our cultures are preserved. Being honest and open about trauma is difficult, but it can have a meaningful impact for others who are unable to speak out and have their voices heard. So document everything - down to how you feel on the days when you are most vulnerable. When you’ve been indoctrinated to believe that your experiences are not worth paying attention to, remembrance can be the most radical act of all.
scrape
directo r Chloe Mor r is ph otogr aph er William Jess Laird ph oto as s is tan t Wilson Greaton stylist Sloane A. Gustafson makeu p, s ty lin g as s is t Anisa Tavangar makeu p as s is t Pascale Bell assistant Paloma Raines mod els Kar ina Buhler, Br axton
Gunter,Ar ia Hansen, Stephanie Jin, Ander son Peguero, Kai Pur nell, Sukanya Pusey,Kr ishana Raghubeer, Nina Gonzalez Silas
Clothing by Br ujas, Venomiss, and Sloane AdroguĂŠ Gustafson Designs