L e e wa r d
Com m u ni t y
Col l e g e
Ka Mana‘o The Thought
Winter 2015
EnGAYged
Pg. 16
Red Light District
Pg. 22
Body Shaming Pg. 52
www.leeward.hawaii.edu/kamanao 1
THINK YOUR ENDS IN THE
EDUCATION
CLASSROOM?
KEEP DREAMING! (AND CHECK OUT THE THEATRE) The Leeward Theatre offers students unique entertainment experiences that Are Bold, Playful, and eXcItInG! This Spring, check out Merry Men A play the Whole Family can Enjoy! We also have some amazing Guitar work showcased by The Leeward Guitars Or maybe you’d enjoy a Fresh look at Shakespeare when we present Richard III in April. And right before Spring break, The Lullaby Project will debut new songs that are anything but sleepy! Plus all of the FREE Masterclasses we offer at Leeward. Find out more about what’s going on at:
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$5OFF!
student tickets To Any Main StaGe Production!
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Winter 2015
On This note, I say goodbye
Contents 08 11 38 48
Features
Health
Student Showcase
40
entertainment
56
06 Mixed Plate 08 Aloha Cuddle Company 11 STUDENT SHOWCASE 12 Free the Nipple 14 Gender & Sexuality 16 EnGayged 22 Red Light District 28 Potential Partners 28 DV Spirit Week 29 Campus Voices 30 The Sex Decision 34 Period Piece 38 Pole Dancing 40 Transgendedr Comedians 42 Finding Confidencein cosplay 44 Miss Vamp 46 There’s an app for that 47 Shakespeare in love 48 Fashion 56 Recipes
Online
www.leeward.hawaii.edu/kamanao
kamanaoleeward@gmail.com
Twitter/Instagram @ka_manao
/kamanao.leewardcc
Fashion
Recipes
It has been a fulfilling two years with Ka Mana’o. I joined on a whim, loving journalism and writing, getting a thumbs up from our adviser Stanley Lee, on an article I wrote for a tattoo magazine. That article was written in first person, something I have continually scolded my staff for writing. Ka Mana’o has helped me learned that college does not teach a person everything they need for the outside world, challenged my belief system and helped me grow not only as a writer but as an individual. I am forever grateful to Stan for seeing something in me that I did not see in myself. My only regret is never writing an article that discusses unicorns and how they might be real. One of the things I have been fighting for since becoming the editor-in-chief was a sex issue. I have argued in office meetings that sex is something that everyone needs to talk about, especially in an academic environment. It was not something I was taught about in middle school or high school, and, even today, some aspects of sex—such as gender identities or the plethora of sexualities—surprise me. One night, I, at 28 years of age, texted our copy editor to ask him what the difference between bisexual and pansexual was, and he, at 19, very
clearly explained it to me. This speaks to a lack of sexual education and sexual knowledge. As a survivor of rape, multiple times, I always thought I bore sort of beacon that said, “Yeah, I’m easy.” As I grow older, it has dawned on me that our inability to talk openly about sex—be it gender, sexuality, or body image — has led people to believe that consent can be worked around. Consensual sex is fantastic — no matter if it is on the top of a tree, in the backseat of a car on campus, with two or three or four people or in a pool of Jell-O. Kink or vanilla doesn’t matter, consent does. No matter if a person is in a relationship or not. With this sex issue as my swan song, I leave Ka Mana’o, and this island actually, knowing that Chance Nakazato is going to take it in directions I never thought of. I look forward to seeing what this magazine becomes and will read it for as long as it is still around. Keep doing cool shit.
on this note, I say hello I’ve seen some serious shit in the two years that I’ve been with Ka Mana‘o. From staffers wanting to burn flags to an entire issue about sex — which I was hesitant to even be a part of — each issue has taught me more than perhaps any college course I could ever take. Being a student-run publication, Ka Mana‘o allows staffers to fully exercise their first amendment rights by voicing their opinions, sharing their thoughts and challenging the status quo. When I first joined as a staff writer, it was just an activity to pass the time and get more involved. As the semesters drew on, though, I saw how invaluable working with the magazine was. Not only did I further develop my writing skills, I established connections in Student Life and, through that, the rest of the Leeward CC community. Eventually, I applied for the associate editor position and have since learned a great deal from my co-workers Editor-in-Chief Tyla Smith and adviser Stanley Lee. Not only did they teach me to be a better writer and editor, but they provided me with the tools and support to step out of my comfort zone and take on a larger role in the publication.
vision of publishing a sex issue, which contains articles about periods, gender and sexuality, cuddle companies and sex work. Although I was initially opposed to this idea, I now believe this to be Ka Mana‘o’s best issue yet — and the perfect send-off for Tyla. Stepping in as her successor, I look forward to taking Ka Mana‘oin new directions. I can only hope that the last couple of years have prepared me enough to step into Tyla’s iconic heels that will be hard to fill.
This semester, the staff fulfilled Tyla’s
4 Ka Mana’o
www.leeward.hawaii.edu/kamanao 5
intellectual sexuality
A COMPILATION OF RANDOM FACTS & OPINIONS
A BRIEF LOOK INTO DISABILITY
BY KA MANA’O STAFF ILLUSTRATIONS BY TRINA SISOMVANG
SEX myths WHAT YOU DIDN’T LEARN IN SEX ED It is hard to differ fact from fiction, especially when it comes to the “birds and the bees.” Despite efforts to push sex education in schools, only 22 states mandate it and out of those 22, 13 require it to be medically accurate. From these findings it is not hard to imagine why popular myths about sex still exist. Here are five sex myths that have been debunked.
Lizbians
Myth: The first time a woman has sex, her hymen will break which is known as “popping the cherry.” Fact: A woman’s hymen is not meant to fully cover the vaginal opening; more often, it’s a ring of tissue around the inside of the vagina shaped more like a doughnut. It can be torn or stretched during normal physical activity, prior to any form of sexual intercourse and does not ever go away.
REPRODUCTION IN NO MAN’S LAND Whiptail lizards — along with around 70 other vertebrates — are able to effectively “clone” themselves without any form of sexual intercourse. These lizards have been successful in completely eliminating males from their species. This is done through a process called parthenogenesis, which is reproduction without fertilization. According to the Quantum Biologist website, the genetic makeup of each daughter lizard is nearly identical to that of its mother. Often, female partnerships are made and lizards will take turns “role-playing” different gender roles. Behavior might include mounting, biting, and something similar to the courtship process of other closely related species. This behavior is believed to trigger some sort of hormonal change necessary for ovulation and egg laying. Basically, these lizards get a kick out of their foreplay and get offspring as a bonus in the deal. Although humans may never be able to undergo parthenogenesis as the whiptails do, the future does hold possibilities for same-sex couples that hope to have a child genetically related to each partner.
Hot, sexy Singles BUMP & GRIND (EXTENDED MIX) According to an article on thewire.com, SUNY Albany psychology professor Dawn R. Hobbs conducted a study measuring 18 sex themes in songs from the 2009 Billboard, Top 10 charts. The study found that the most common theme in R&B and pop songs was sex appeal. As for country, the most common theme was commitment. Hobbs concluded that songs with sexual themes are generally more successful on the charts than those without. Another article on elitedaily.com cited several studies to explain the relationship between music and sex and found that, in general, music elicits the production of dopamine. During sex, this can increase both sensitivity and stimulation for the couple. Music was also found to lessen the fatigue of strenuous physical activity — workouts and sex alike. Keeping these studies in mind, people propositioning others for sex had better have a banging playlist. Five Songs from 2009 Billboard, Top 10 charts • • • • •
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Poker Face, Lady Gaga Boom Boom Pow, Black Eyed Peas Best I Ever Had, Drake I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho), Pitbull Birthday Sex, Jeremih
Myth: Frequent sex can make a woman’s vagina become ‘loose.’ Fact: The vagina naturally contracts and resumes its normal size and shape, both after sexual intercourse as well as childbirth. Myth: Penis size can be determined by a person’s race or shoe size. Fact: Various studies have shown that there’s no evidence to support this claim. Myth: All STI’s come with obvious symptoms. Fact: STI’s, such as gonorrhea and chlamydia, typically show no symptoms in women or men. An HIV infection may occur with no symptoms for 10 years or more. Myth: In a homosexual relationship, one usually takes the male role and the other takes the female role. Fact: In a homosexual relationship, just as in a heterosexual relationship, there is no need to play out traditional male and female roles.
People with disabilities are often erased from society or have their disabilities sensationalized rather than being treated like people. When it comes to sexuality, it can get tricky since people with intellectual disabilities are often infantilized. People with disabilities still experience puberty and have the capacity for sexuality. Sweden has recently come out with books specifically for those with intellectual disabilities to provide information for teens on sex, masturbation and consent. In the United States, there is limited education on the matter but as far as the information that can be found, the stress is on attraction, then intercourse with highlights on consent. With the erasure of people with developmental disabilities comes a darker focus on sexual abuse. According to Sigler Johnson’s report “Forced Sexual Assault Among Intimates,” 83 percent of women and 37 percent of men with disabilities will suffer from sexual assault. Of those who experience sexual assault, 49 percent will experience 10 or more incidents according to “The Sexual Abuse Interview for Those With Disabilities.”
Truffle butter AN UNEXPECTED CONDIMENT
Source: advocatesforyouth.org, bustle.com, guttmacher.org, laweekly.com Truffle butter is a classy condiment used to make food more luxurious and is relatively simple to make. It requires quality unsalted butter at room temperature and the desired flavoring, which, in this case, is truffles. Traditional truffle butter is made with truffles that are washed finely chopped and added to the butter where the flavors can fuse. Since whole truffles can be expensive on their own, truffle oil is a far more affordable substitute. Truffle salt can also be used, although it will provide a weaker truffle flavor and a higher salt content.
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Feature
aloha cuddle company
Since Aloha Cuddle has no official location, sessions can be held anywhere on the island from public parks, beaches and even Magic Island. As Aloha Cuddle continues to grow and more professional cuddlers are hired, clients will be able to book multiple cuddlers for one session, with an increased fee. “(Cuddling) is about having someone there with you, to have that physical connection but also having someone to listen to you,” Miller said. “We’re there to listen, we’ll be your therapist for an hour — we can’t really give you psychological help or anything that you can get with a real therapist — but if you just need someone to listen to you, talk about your day, about your week, whatever you feel like you need a stranger for, we provide that, too.”
The Benefits
Whether it’s utilizing Aloha Cuddle’s services, going to a cuddle party or being with a friend, positive touch provides surprising benefits.
Embracing the ‘touchy-feely’
According to Poponi, numerous scientific studies support the claim that touch — or in this case cuddling — releases Oxytocin, aka the “Love hormone,” providing substantial psychological and biological health benefits. “Studies are showing that it lowers your risk of heart disease. They’re using it to treat arthritis — even PTSD and all sorts of things,” Poponi said. “Anxiety, stress, it helps you sleep better at night. … I can say that’s one of the reasons I’m excited to be offering the service because it does have a long list of benefits. But of course we can’t guarantee that (the benefits) in any way or promote it as such.” College students can reap substantial benefits from cuddling, especially during times of increased stress, like midterms and finals. As a recent college graduate, Miller revealed some possible benefits for current college students.
L
by Chance Nakazato
Lealyn Poponi is a professional cuddler. For $1 a minute and with sessions of 30 minutes to five hours, Aloha Cuddle will come to any O‘ahu location for a platonic cuddle session. Poponi, who previously worked at an early childhood education nonprofit in Kalihi, is an inherently affectionate individual. With no issues with physical contact and her active involvement in the cuddling community, many of her friends — including recently hired professional cuddler Tyler Miller — persuaded her to start Hawai‘i’s first cuddle company. “I just really want to be there for people who don’t live in the (cuddle) community that Tyler and I enjoy,” Poponi said. “We have friends that are constantly holding hands, we’re hav-
8 Ka Mana’o
photos by Almendro Fernandez
ing ‘cuddle puddles,’ we’re hugging each other. We have the type of friends that hug upon greeting each other, a kiss on the cheek, and are very affectionate. Not just physically but verbally with each other saying ‘I love you’ and ‘you’re awesome’ and ‘I care about you.’ A lot of people don’t have that.” Modeled after a successful Portland, Oregon, cuddle company called Cuddle Up To Me, Aloha Cuddle has numerous appointments under its belt as well as its own website, Facebook page and advertising.
The Service
Cuddling-for-hire is becoming a popular service. In places like Detroit, Houston, Oregon and even Japan, thousands of clients
book regular sessions. One cuddling session can consist of anything from talking story to watching a movie. Cuddle sessions are strictly platonic making massage, nudity, sex and any form of sexual contact impermissible. Potential clients are encouraged to book a free, initial screening appointment. Initial screenings are also effective to determine compatibility with a professional cuddler. “You shouldn’t make (a) decision before you’ve even met with us,” Poponi said. “Because your fears may be coming from a place of uncertainty, and there’s no hard feelings if you meet us and it’s not your thing. But you shouldn’t make up your mind before you’ve met with us and let us answer your questions.”
“As a person who just left college, it gets so real,” Miller said. “I would assume that it’s just as stressful in Hawai‘i as it is in Kentucky but sometimes you just want to cuddle up to somebody — I’m assuming guys feel that way too — but there were so many times where I was just like ‘I need someone to just hold me right now.’ So it would’ve been cool if I could just call someone up and (be) like ‘okay I’m having a nervous breakdown, come snuggle me for thirty minutes.’ College students can use it for that.” Poponi believes another benefit to Aloha Cuddle’s services is gaining experience in interactions with the opposite sex. Even if clients don’t receive direct feedback from sessions, the experience itself should prepare them for future interactions like dating, while also increasing comfortability and confidence.
The Challenges
Starting a company in Hawai‘i can prove difficult, let alone a company whose main service involves prolonged physical interaction. When Poponi first began Aloha Cuddle, she had her doubts, but she also received support from friends and other professionals. “Ninety percent of people that I’ve talked to professionally, have been really positive,” Poponi said. “I’m just sort of waiting for someone to judge me and most people haven’t.” Poponi utilized a free University of Hawai‘i program for entrepreneurs and business start ups; where professionals and advisors walk aspiring owners through the process of starting a business. She also received encouragement from a lawyer who testified to the success cuddle companies around the world, and an advertising company who offered discounted services. One interaction was not as positive. When applying for a business credit card, Poponi
girls to touch each other, hold hands, play with each others hair and no one’s going to be like ‘you’re a lesbian, that’s gross,’ like some people might.”
Future Prospects
A year from now, Poponi hopes to have a larger staff — four to five additional cuddlers — and cuddle sessions booked daily. “Right now, it’s about every other week we have a cuddle — I just started in June — so we’ve had two clients and I’m happy with that,” Poponi said. “I mean I have two other jobs, and it’s not something I’m putting a whole lot of, it’s not a financial need right now for me to have cuddling I just want it because I want the business to happen and I want it to grow.” In terms of those who want to start their own company, or get involved in the cuddling scene, Poponi feels that there are certain criteria to fulfill. “As far as cuddling, no one can really train
“(Cuddling) is about having someone there with you, to have that physical connection with you but also having someone to listen to you.” — Tyler Miller met resistance from a bank associate who found her idea of a cuddling company, absurd. “When I called and asked for a business credit card, I had to fill out an application and this man called me back from the bank and said ‘we can’t give you a business credit card because we don’t give business credit cards to cuddling companies,’” Poponi said “I was like ‘well it’s a legit business. I have a tax ID, I’m registered with the state and I have a lawyer,’”
you to do that. You’re either into it or you’re not, so you shouldn’t be starting a cuddling business unless you love to touch people,” Poponi said. “I just started it in June and I’ve always put on events, I’ve always been a gatherer of people around cool ideas. So the cuddle puddle (and) the cuddle parties will be easy for me, I just need to do it.”
Miller revealed some of the challenges each of them have had to deal with from personal standpoints. “Before people understand what it means, it sounds like ‘okay you’re going to go and touch strangers and snuggle up to strangers… But that was challenging, to figure out how to explain this to my family because it’s not a really common thing.” Currently, there is a significantly smaller market for male cuddlers. Poponi reasoned that women are not surrounded by the same type of stigma as men. “There isn’t a market for male cuddlers because women touch each other more, so we’re not as touch deprived as guys are,” Poponi said “We don’t have to worry about that pressure to not look gay, like it’s socially acceptable for
www.leeward.hawaii.edu/kamanao 9
Contact
Meet the Cuddlers
Phone (808) 354-0561 Email lealyn@alohacuddlecompany.com 458 Keawe St Honolulu, HI 96813
Aloha Cuddle Company
showcase
Marcel Saragena
@x3babytam
@pinkprincesscosplay
Source: Alohacuddlecompany.com
» student
@coesnyder @melisme_
> I was born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky and moved to Honolulu, Hawaii 4 months ago. My favorite thing about island life is the laid back lifestyle and the aloha spirit. I can really feel the love here! When I’m not cuddling with clients, I work as a nanny. When I’m not working, I enjoy reading, meditating, spending time with loved ones, cooking, baby holding, and snuggling with friends and family.
Chance Nakazato
»
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tyler Miller
@lindsayjones0815
Lealyn Poponi
> Besides hugging and cuddling, I enjoy circus arts such as hula hooping, acro yoga and stilt walking. I also love to write articles on love for Elephant Journal. It’s important for me to stay healthy and strong so I make sure to eat a plant based diet and exercise every day. I have liberal views but I get along with everyone and I pass no judgement on people or their chosen path. I’m just happy to make a connection with any type of human as long as they are kind and open to receiving my love!
@cheesygoatgirl
Nate Jaramillo
#kamanaoleeward
www.leeward.hawaii.edu/kamanao 11 Mauna Burgess
Feature
FREE THE
NIPPLE
Women topless for a cause by Jessie McGeary photos by Marcel Saragena
A
group of strong-minded, topless New York women took to the streets to speak out against censorship and gender inequality. The “Free the Nipple” campaign has grown to be an international movement as people protest public nudity laws with walks, speeches, social media campaigns and bold demonstrations. The motives and feelings behind the entire campaign have been expressed through women across the country. Mothers who have been punished for breastfeeding in public, girls who feel that their bodies should not be sexualized or considered indecent, and women who feel that they should have the same luxuries and freedoms as men. Supporters of the movement include many topless women in the streets, holding signs and pleading for the right to bare their chests. In New York, where female toplessness is legal, these protesters still struggle with wrongful arrests and interference from the local police force. There are currently 35 states that offer “top freedom” and 12 others hold ambiguous stances. Some cities within these states have developed their own ordinances that allow arrest under the crimes of “disorderly conduct” and “public indecency” for women being topless in public. Leeward CC student Cassidy Ross is one supporter of the campaign that agrees
12 Ka Mana’o
and feels that breasts deserve much more acceptance that is currently offered by the general public. “We want equality in the workplace, the education system, in all aspects of our life. We don’t want to be above men but treated equally,” Ross said. “The fact that men are allowed to be topless but women are not isn’t right. The female body, specifically our breasts, have been oversexualized to the point that it is shameful to talk about them or show them outside of a bedroom setting. We should have the right to show our bodies if we so desire, just like men.” On a larger scale, the movement has spread to other countries including Taiwan, Sweden, Scotland, Iceland and more. Photos from different groups have been shared via the Instagram profile @FreeTheNipple and have allowed supporters to connect. The campaign has also attracted high-profile supporters like Miley Cyrus, Cara Delevingne and Rihanna. Actress, producer and activist Lina Esco has played a big part in the organization and movement. She produced and acted in the “Free the Nipple” film currently available on Netflix. Through the film, Esco and her team hope to start a conversation about oppression and discrimination against women, and ultimately have an impact on restrictive public nudity laws. The production also references former laws,
abolished in 1936, that restricted male nudity. The campaign’s social media component has drawn attention to the testimonies of breastfeeding mothers who experience backlash for posting “inappropriate content.” Some stories have gone viral with users questioning why breastfeeding is considered too offensive to be shared through social media sources, often comparing it to the excessive amounts of violence circulating on those same sites. This past March, Facebook clarified what photos containing nudity would be acceptable and permissible on their site. The announcement explained that policies were put into place to ensure Facebook maintained a safe and positive community for its users.
removing any photos containing female breasts. They followed closely behind Facebook in modifying their guidelines to allow post-mastectomy scarring and photos of women actively breastfeeding — including sculptures and paintings. Despite these improvements, sites still ban photos of female toplessness. This includes photos at beaches, public demonstrations and even professional modeling. “Free the Nipple” has gained traction in Hawaii. Free Your Coconuts Hawaii is a group that celebrates the annual “Go Topless Day” by gathering on the beach and going topless or showing support for equality with events throughout the year that encourage equality and awareness.
Major restrictions include exposed private areas, female breasts, if they include the nipple, and displays of nudity and sexual activity. With these restrictions, however, come exceptions. Facebook will allow photos of breastfeeding and postmastectomy scarring as well as photos of art depicting nude figures. In response to the change, the site erupted with many more mothers posting breastfeeding selfies under #brelfies. Instagram has also been criticized for
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Feature
CIS NONBINARY TRANS DEMI GENDERFLUID AGENDER MULTIGENDER
G
personal gender identity aligns with gender assigned at birth personal gender identity does is neither male nor female (binary genders) (some cultures have more than two genders) personal gender identity does not align with gender assigned at birth one’s personal gender identity is only partially of another gender identity (falls under nonbinary) personal gender identity is not static people who don’t identify with any gender personal gender identity is that of two or more genders
ender is a social construct. Rooted in white colonialism, the male-female gender binary has become the standard, excluding cultural third genders, intersex people, and people who are gender-nonconforming.
Gender expression is closer to personality than it is to gender identity. Typically, it’s defined through traditional masculine and feminine traits. There is nothing about a body that makes it “biologically” a certain gender. Many languages don’t even have gendered pronouns; though there are words for “man” and “woman,” there are no words that directly translate to the English “he” and “she.”
GENDER SEXUALITY by Nate Jaramillo | illustration by Ryan Nash
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S
exual orientation or preference is defined by attraction to a gender more or less in relation to one’s own gender. Contemporary media is largely heteronormative, meaning that straight people get the most representation. This is a reflection of everyday social heteronormativity, the assumption that everyone is straight. Asexuality is a sexual orientation for people who do not experience any sexual attraction. It’s both an identity and an umbrella; it’s a spectrum within something that isn’t exactly a spectrum.
STRAIGHT GAY LESBIAN BI PAN ASEXUAL MULTIGENDER
people attracted to gender opposite theirs
people who identify as men and are attracted to men; umbrella term people who identify as women and are attracted to women people who are attracted to men and women; some are more comfortable identifying as hetero/homoflexible people who are attracted to all genders people who do not experience sexual attraction personal gender identity is that of two or more genders
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Feature
E n g a y g e d Marriage Equality in Hawai‘i By Chance Nakazato Photos by Sarah Sniffen and Nate Jaramillo
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www.leeward.hawaii.edu/kamanao 17
T
he fight for Hawai‘i marriage equality began 25 years ago when two women applied for a marriage license and were rejected. Following their appeal, several court cases and a 1993 Supreme Court ruling acknowledged a gross violation to the women’s right to marry—giving birth to a movement still alive today.
Two years after Hawai‘i legalized same-sex marriage, thousands of same-sex couples, local and out-of-state, have wasted no time in tying the knot. According to the Hawai‘i Department of Health, state totals for same-sex marriages have exceeded just over 4,000 in the two-year span from 2013 to 2015. Despite this upsurge in nuptials, same-sex marriage still holds radically antagonistic views in the community. Hawai‘i Representative Bob McDermott is one individual who strongly opposed the legalization of same-sex marriage, and other controversial topics like sex education in Hawai‘i public schools. Nevertheless, community groups, organizations like Gay Straight Alliances and companies throughout the state continue to support the shift towards marriage equality.
Alphabet Soup
For those unfamiliar with the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender or L For those unfamiliar with the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender or LGBT community, an ever-growing number of sexual and gender orientations prompts the use of an equally dynamic acronym: LGBTQIA+. LGBTQIA+, or Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Queer Intersex and Asexual, was coined to help individuals identify with subgroups in their respective communities. Supporters of the LGBT community and
its movement often refer to the acronym as a spectrum built around a diversified and unique culture. With so many sexual and gender orientations — not all identified via LGBTQIA+ — members of the LGBT community are often labeled or stigmatized according to the most commonly used or well known designations. For this reason, organizations like Gay Straight Alliance’s and Gay Straight Diversity Alliance’s were created to help educate the general public, and create camaraderie within the LGBT community — both crucial to removing the stigmas surrounding the LGBTQIA+.
Leeward GSDA
This past semester a group of Leeward students, aided by Student Life Coordinator Lexer Chou and Director of International Programs Steve Jacques, established the Gender and Sexuality Diversity Alliance or GSDA on campus to support the local LGBT community. Justin Menina, founder and co-director of Leeward’s GSDA, recognized the organization’s potential to bring together like-minded students who may or may not identify with the LGBT community. “Originally, I had the idea that it would provide more of a social avenue for LGBT students since there was no avenue for them previously,” Menina said. “But as we began developing the club, it became apparent that we needed more of a support group instead. Eventually down the road we’re going to try to be a little bit more of a social atmosphere but having a support group is invaluable.” In line with the group’s goal to create a comprehensive support
“While my sexuality is a part of me, it doesn’t define me. What defines me is my actions, what I do.” system, Leeward’s GSDA is already reaching out to organizations like Mental Health America and the campus mental health counselor, Amy Humphrey. Leeward GSDA co-director and creative director Jenna Manglallan hopes the GSDA will work with Humphrey to provide their members mental health services. “Basically covering any means of safe spaces and resources that we can provide for the students here, we want to be able to cover that.” Once the group accumulates a larger membership base, Menina expressed a strong interest in reaching out to local high schools, working with fellow GSDA’s and providing early support for future college students—especially those who look to attend Leeward.
A Long Campaign
Even after Senate Bill 1, Hawai‘i’s Marriage Equality Act, was passed, countless members of the LGBTQ community felt it was long overdue, considering same-sex marriage wasn’t illegal to begin with. The legalization of same-sex marriage symbolizes a step in the right direction, regardless of the time it took. For Manglallan, it granted a sense of accomplishment and responsibility to fight for her beliefs. “What a great honor and privilege that I was a part of history. I’m being a part of this ongoing mission for my rights, and for recognition of something sacred and important to me…” Manglallan said. “I think it’s a positive thing that I’m able to, in such a critical time for my community, give back and really get involved. We’re making history step-by-step and that’s a positive.” Maintaining LGBTQ rights will be an ongoing battle, and there are other issues that members of the community feel need to be addressed. For example, LGBTQ youth are more likely to be homeless and discriminated against in the workplace. “There are pros and cons to the bill that passed and obviously this is something that was necessary and needed for the community, but also in the sense that now we need to turn and look at the other issues that need our attention.” Manglallan said.
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www.leeward.hawaii.edu/kamanao 19
The Wedding Industry
The rise in both heterosexual and same-sex couple’s nuptials has led to several changes within the wedding industry. June Dillinger, the founder and owner of O‘ahu-based wedding companies, I Do Hawaiian Weddings and Gay Marriage In Paradise, is one industry professional whose learned to adapt to the changes. When Dillinger started out, she maintained I Do Hawaiian Weddings and Gay Marriage In Paradise from a single website, hoping to sidestep unnecessary discrimination. “I sort of was like, ‘forget about the hetero-people. If they can’t love the same-sex people that’s their problem,’” Dillinger said “But as the industry has grown and changed, I have wanted to nurture both relationships.” Having two independent sites grants uniformity in each companies’ services. In terms of clientele, approximately sixty percent of Dillinger’s business consists of local and out-of-state same-sex couples of both genders. Throughout the years, this demographic has grown to include places like Australia and Japan where same-sex marriage is illegal. Perhaps the most difficult adjustments deal with communication — specifically vocabulary during ceremonial procedures. Often times, clients will make contact through Yelp or another outside source, leading to complications in identifying heterosexual versus same-sex couples. This prompts a more
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sensitive approach to setting up ceremonies and when it comes to vows, the couple is given priority. “Totally being conscious of the words that we’re using and respecting people for who they are, no matter what their choices for partnership,” Dillinger said “It’s not a different level of kindness, it’s a different choice of words in order to make sure that everybody is served the same.
“As the years go by, you can close your eyes and come back together and remember what the sand felt like beneath your feet, the gentle tradewinds or the scent of your flower lei. Or sometimes, the feeling of the pressure of each other’s hands so that it brings them to the present, ‘now’ moment.”
In some cases, couples have a strong preference as to how they are identified in each other’s vows. “I had this one gal, she asked me to please call her partner: ‘husbutch and wife,’ which shocked me but you know what, that kind of communication is one step further in letting them know that they’re loved,” Dillinger said. The degree of flexibility contributes to the clients’ comfort level and openness before and during ceremonial proceedings. “I always say ‘this is your day, this is your benchmark moment,’” Dillinger said “As the years go by, you can close your eyes and come back together and remember what the sand felt like beneath your feet, the gentle tradewinds or the scent of your flower lei. Or sometimes the
feeling of the pressure of each other’s hand so that it brings them to the present, now moment.”
The Next Step
Lucy Boland, an intern for both of Dillinger’s companies, acknowledged that despite the legalization, the overall diversity of the U.S. can still create a lack of communal tolerance and strong opinions— positive and negative—regarding gender and sexual orientations. An extreme example of this sort of resistance involves religion, and how radically different views can and in some cases, forced upon individuals. “I know friends that have lived in various areas,” Boland recalled “They can go to catholic schools and they can be taught, actually told, that it’s not okay to be gay or (to) be who you are, even if they don’t mention being gay,” To surpass the differences that culture and religion might unveil, both Boland and Dillinger believe that education should be top priority. “In America, I think they’re going to have to keep cleaning it up,” Dillinger stated. “There’s always going to be people who think it should be overturned, and that has to be taught: learning how to love.” Equal rights for citizens, no matter their orientation, is still an ongoing battle. Sexuality and gender are important to an individual’s identity, but it shouldn’t be the defining factor of what makes that person unique. “While my sexuality is a part of me, it doesn’t define me. What defines me is my actions, what I do.” Menina said.
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Feature
h | photo by Tyla smit
S
ex has always had strict laws attached to it.
When it comes to sex work images of women and children kept in houses where man after man enters—where they are forced to please so they will not be beat. Or women walking the streets willing to do anything for a few bucks to support their addiction to crack, or so their pimp will not bruise their face.
“
Only in prostitution is it ethical to abolish the industry. This is a clear indication that this is a moral crusade. It is simply using rhetoric about human trafficking to go after all sorts of people who have nothing to do with human trafficking.
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“Like anything, it is complicated,” Leeward Community College Sociology and Women’s Studies professor Jayne Bopp said. “Nothing is unequivocally evil and nothing is unequivocally good. What I feel is that, for me, ultimately anyone who thinks that sex work is terrible and evil and that women need to be saved from it, they are not acknowledging the agency of women, they are not acknowledging that women have agency, that in and of itself is patronizing, condescending and misogynistic.” Bopp worked for 12 years with the Waikiki Health Center where she conducted HIV/ AIDS prevention work with male, female and transgender prostitutes. Her understanding of prostitution evolved from the work she did with the group. Mainly working with sex workers who are often called “streetwalkers,” she saw a lot of children, a lot of abuse by pimps and heard horrifying stories that give her PTSD to this day. “I was only meeting a small fraction of prostitutes — a very particular kind of sex work and they don’t represent all sex workers,” Bopp said. “I got more involved with more women and met women who had not been pimp controlled, who willingly went into prostitution, who won’t coerced into it, who chose it. For them, that’s a good option.”
y McAngus
s by Melan
Tracy Ryan got into helping sex workers when she got tired of watching her friends get arrested and has worked with sex workers since the 1980s. “In Hawai’i, it’s really interesting. I think we do have a disproportionate number of sex workers in Hawai’i compared to many other states because our industry is military and tourism,” Bopp said.
Sex Trafficking
In her article “The War on Trafficking is the New War on Drugs,” writer Elizabeth Nolan Brown offered up some interesting numbers when it comes to the war on sex work. From 2000 to 2002, the State Department claimed that 50,000 people were trafficked into the United States every year, and that number reduced by 71 percent in less than five years. “Trafficking, in and of itself, is a lie and a myth,” Bopp said. “All of this trafficking hoopla was based on a report written by Richard Estes (The Commercial Exploitation of Children in the U.S. Canada and Mexico). … A federal report in which I’m quoted. He said that theoretically there is a number but the truth is they couldn’t even find 300 people in the U.S. who had been actually trafficked.” As Brown points out in her article, the numbers for what the media and politicians are saying about people, particularly children, being trafficked and forced into the prostitution do not add up. A new number that pops up; there are 300,000 children forced to have sex with clients at least 10 times a day, as advocates will say. That number suggests 1.1 commercial child rapes per day, and 8 million Americans with a “robust ongoing rape habit,” as Brown wrote.
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“What has happened now is that — along with conservatives and along with xenophobia, which is this whole thing with immigration — trafficking has become this buzz word to be able to control. Most people who are ‘trafficked’ are men who are laborers,” Bopp said.
the garment industry, abolish farm labor or abolish domestic servants. Only in prostitution is it ethical to abolish the industry. This is a clear indication that this is a moral crusade. It is simply using rhetoric about human trafficking to go after all sorts of people who have nothing to do with human trafficking,” Ryan said.
Bopp has found that people who are ‘trafficked’ to come to the U.S. are willing to come here. “Most of them come to be laborers, not sex workers and even if they do come to be sex workers, so what?” Bopp said.
In a 2014 survey of 200 current and former sex workers by IMUAlliance, an O’ahu-based non-profit organization, statistics confirm at least 1,500 to 2,500 victims each year. Over 54 percent of the victims are underage, and 97 percent reported being physically assaulted. The founder of IMUAlliance was not available for comment.
In July, Governor David Ige vetoed Senate Bill 265, a bill directly related to sex trafficking, on account of the language being “sloppy.” He was worried it would make it harder to prosecute pimps. Other advocacy groups state they wanted more of a victim-centered approach. Ryan is glad that the bill was shot down. “We think that it’s still good that they’re thinking about what they should do,” Ryan said. “And I think what they should do is very different so right now we are working with a group of people to try and convince them not to pass something that is like that. The principle problem with those bills — and a number of bills, which have been passed, and a number of policies that law enforcement has adopted — is they are attempting to create a two-tiered standard for people who have committed the same crime.” According to Ryan, the problem with the two-tier system lies in the fact that anyone can claim they have been trafficked to receive extra benefits that other sex workers do not. On the other hand, sex workers who don’t tell a victim-based story automatically go to jail. Trafficking victims will also get their criminal record cleared, to which Ryan agrees, but an independent agency would be the arbiter of who was trafficked or not. A check would be given to the agency and people would be cleared of their crimes, something Ryan explains is another form of exploitation. “The whole purpose behind the people behind this law is to try and make people pretend they’re trafficking victims. To generate more emphasis to crack down on prostitution and generate more income for their nonprofits. We think that everyone who is working in prostitution should be free from arrest and abuse. If they are victim, they should feel free to come to the police because they know they’re not going to get arrested. Because they’re not operating illegal. And if you look at, if you look at areas of human trafficking most human trafficking is labor trafficking, it is not sex trafficking. A lot of trafficking occurs in Asian sweatshops or in farm labor in Western countries a lot of it is in domestic service, and it is a serious problem that everybody is concerned about. But the fact is no one is saying that we should abolish
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“The people who are working on the antitrafficking stuff are putting out that 50 percent of all prostitutes are underage,” Ryan said. “It’s a flat lie. A flat, unambiguous lie. Complete nonsense. The arrest records in Honolulu show that number of underage arrested for prostitution is 1 percent of all the arrests.” A study done in New York City of 500 sex workers was conducted and found that the ones who were underage were doing it as a way to survive. According to Ryan, about 10 percent were being controlled by a pimp and about half of them were boys. Ryan knows plenty of people who began before the age of 15, but the ones she knew were not pimp controlled. “Women and children who are being trafficked for sex is so minuscule it is not a problem, that’s just made up. Now, if you want to call trafficking how the federal report put it, it is any time you’re crossing state line so yes, most of the prostitutes in Waikiki,” Bopp said. According to Bopp and Ryan, a circuit of sex workers crossing state lines can be viewed as trafficking. Bopp states that having a pimp is similar to an abusive relationship in that the girls are isolated and controlled. Ryan highlights that women could move from state to state for a number of reasons — one of them being to avoid the law. “If you ask any of the women — we worked with hundreds of prostitutes — they said that they were willingly to doing it, that they chose it and that they loved their man,” Bopp said. “It’s not how the media portrays it — these poor, innocent immigrant women who are kidnapped. None of that is true. Of course, it happens but I’m just saying that is a complete myth, it is totally exaggerated and it’s propaganda to promote other agendas.” Streetwalkers make up less than 10 percent of the sex trade industry. Most sex work solicitation now takes place online, which is often overlooked in mainstream media. “Among women who are street walkers, the percentage of them with pimps is pretty high but among underage and among male
the numbers is zero,” Ryan said. “So when you get to the number of people who have pimps overall you’re looking at maybe five percent of all the people, and the number in which the pimp could be considered the now definition of trafficker is even smaller than that. I would say if you’re a 25 year old and guy and you’ve got three 15 year old girls working for you you’re a trafficker. And that exists but it attracts notoriety. For example about four or five years ago there was a pimp in Waikiki who had notably underage girls and all the other pimps came down on him and tried to chase him away. Because they thought he is going to bring the law down on everybody. he was bad for business he had these underage girls and they didn’t want them down there and it wasn’t part of the industry. So it was all like oh yeah! way to go! No that wasn’t the attitude at all. Completely opposite of what the antitrafficking people were saying. The fact that it is completely opposite of what they’re saying to begin with and they don’t even care. It does it exist, yes. Do we want to stop it? Yes. Do we need laws against it? Yes. Do we have the right set of laws to stop it? No. Do we have adequate social services to deal with it? Absolutely not.” Documentaries on sex trafficking often follow similar threads, where voiceover narration explains the opposite of what is happening on the screen. Whenever a girl admits she does not mind the job she does, the narrator will say she has to do this because of a controlling pimp. Reporters who speak with sex workers, even high-end workers who make $25,000 a night, will continually berate interviewees with questions on how awful their situation is — “seeking out the negative instead of the positive,” as Ryan put it. “That’s their narrative,” Ryan said. “Occam’s razor says you just got hustled. … As long as she thought she was going to jail and soon as you told her she wouldn’t go to jail, she just said something completely different and walked out your door without any charges. And you’re interpreting that as something that is a jump in logic.”
Legalization vs. Decriminalization There are stark differences between legalization and decriminalization when it comes to sex work. Legalization would be similar to the brothels in Nevada, where sex work is regulated. Decriminalization would mean removing all the existing laws. “I don’t think prostitution should be legalized but I think it should be decriminalized. Those are two very different things,” Bopp said. “I think that when only women are targeted, when only the prostitutes themselves are targeted, instead of the people who purchase sex from them
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Harm Reduction vs. Coercion
There are two approaches to helping sex workers: coercion and harm reduction. Ryan favors harm reduction, which is where the social activist walks with the person they’re helping, making it safer. For sex workers, they’re giving out free condoms. “Over time, you build up the trust.” Ryan said. “Then, you have to ask them what they feel, what they need, how can you help them, how can you walk with them, and be a helper and friend and develop a relationship rather than being seen by them as an enemy they don’t trust.” The coercion paradigm involves sex workers who are given the options of jail or a rescue organization, which according to Ryan, are usually faith based. Both facilities are locked down, and the rescue organization attempts to bring in as many people as possible. Once the person says the right things, they are free to go.
and instead of the pimps or the people who are operating this, then I think that is discriminatory.” Since prostitution is illegal, those who have been raped or physically abused can’t seek help from the police. It also goes on their criminal record when they are arrested, making it difficult for them to get out — a cycle in which the only way a sex worker can pay their bills or legal fees is through the act that got them there in the first place. “What message is that sending to people who are leaving prostitution? … Why wouldn’t we just let them get rid of these convictions and get on with their lives? Because then the victim industry wouldn’t have that power over them, which is what they want — power to control them, to make them be victims, to make money off them,” Ryan said.
The Blame Game
Bopp feels that discrimination against women, sexual abuse of women, and sexual abuse of children are all problem. “I think Americans’ attitudes around sex and sexuality in general are pretty warped. I think that all of those are a problem, and those things in and of (themselves) make sex work a problem,” Bopp said. Two adults consenting to have sex in an
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exchange for something else is not a problem for Bopp. Capitalism then becomes a problem, as she cites the way legal prostitution in Nevada is working. The laborer there are being exploited for money, according to Bopp. “Attitudes about women who engage in sex work is very negative and derogatory and that’s harmful. Every time we put down a group of people for something, that becomes harmful in and of itself,” Bopp said. In Sweden, sex work is legal but buying it is illegal. The system has not worked out well and women who are in the business have to take on shadier clients. The Swedish government agrees that they have made it difficult for women in prostitution—in hopes they will leave the industry. “It is a form of punishment for the women. And anyone who can argue that attacking someone’s source of income is not an attack on that person is ridiculous,” Ryan said. “It doesn’t matter what the woman says,” Ryan said. “She can’t say that it is consensual because a woman can’t consent to be raped in this context. In other words, adult women in Sweden are treated the same way as minors are for statutory rape. They can’t consent, they’re not capable of agreeing, to consent to have sex for money.” Bopp believes the focus should be on men since they make up the majority of the clientele who purchases sex. Conversely, Ryan
mentioned that a lot of the “johns,” men who purchase sex, are not bad people. There is no archetype for a john or sex worker, since they are all individuals who do what they do for a variety of reasons. Studies have been done to try and prove that men who purchase sex do it only to humiliate women. “If you listen to organizations who are part of this group, this rescue industry, they will spend a lot of time bashing johns. … And every prostitute I’ve ever talked to in my life who is not a certified victim talking to the advocate groups says that the men are good and nice to them. They like the johns, except for a handful who are abusive or beat them up or rape them. … Most of these guys are really concerned, they want to know how (the sex workers are) doing, they want to treat them well, they want to have a relationship with them. Even when the woman just wants to get the money and leave, they want to talk and feel comfortable that she’s okay. … This is coming from an offshoot of mainstream feminism called radical feminism which deals with the concept that sex is a bad thing that men do to women. That’s the basic concept of radical feminism. It’s a Victorian concept, and it has been very much picked up by a lot of church groups … because their morals and the radical feminist ideas meet in terms of pornography, stripping, prostitution — all these things (that) radical feminists are trying to abolish and conservative Christian groups are trying to abolish,” Ryan said.
“What we found is that very few of these interventions work because the people aren’t ready for them,” Ryan said. “They’re basically another form of harm and exploitation. So we call this victim pimping. Where the person who may have been victimized by a pimp in the past now they are being revictimized by a rescue organization, whose principal mission is to generate a large amount of people moving through the organization, generating a lot of funding for the organization and not really doing long-term follow up to see how these people are harmed by what they are doing. … If you really think that someone needs to be helped, you don’t start by arresting them and coercing them into listening to your message.”
Trans Sex Workers
Ryan is openly transgender and it was when all of her friends, who were also transgender sex workers, kept getting arrested that she became an advocate. Today, there are a lot more options for transgender women, but in the past, the only work available was sex work. Transgender women never have pimps, according to Ryan, and it wasn’t until laws cracked down on drug use that they became drug addicts. “When I worked with (transgender) folks, a lot of them go into prostitution, even the ones who didn’t would often go hang out on the street with prostitutes,” Bopp said. “There weren’t a lot of other options for (transgender sex workers) to make money, but for them, it was a choice and more importantly, it was a validation of their gender (identity). If they had been growing up been accepted that they were female, if they had been validated as being beautiful women, they wouldn’t need to get that validation on the street because there are straight men that pay money to have sex with them and that is the ultimate validation of their gender identity.” Transgender sex workers often receive twice the amount of discrimination. When they are trying to get out of sex work through an agency or to get off drugs, they are told to cut their hair, stop wearing makeup, and give up their gender identity. Ryan has a friend who was the executive director of an agency that helped transwomen in Honolulu battle addiction and get out of prison but did not have a college degree, which makes writing grants difficult. She planned to go to Honolulu Community College but, because 20 years prior, she had been convicted of prostitution, her financial aid was denied.
Male Sex Worker
“When I worked with men who were prostitutes. Most of them were gay. Not all of them, but most of them were gay men, and they had a highly sexualized lifestyle anyways,” Bopp said. “They figured they might as well make money for it. That’s the experience for men.” Oftentimes, gay men are stereotyped for being hypersexualized, but it is important to note that is not always the case. When it comes to male sex workers, Ryan stated that they often enter the business at around the age of 15 because no other work is available. There is also an insufficient amount of social services to help keep them fed and clothed. Women do buy sex, but at much lower frequency than males. According to Bopp, even if the male sex worker is straight, the majority of his clientele will be male. “Many of the prostitutes I knew were lesbians and they had sex with thousands of men because mostly men buy sex,” Bopp said. People having to discard their sexuality in order to work is dehumanizing. With the current legislation, if sex workers have ever been arrested for sex work, the chances of them bettering their lives are slim. As with any group of people, no story is exactly the same. Sex work doesn’t define character. “It is this weird line to walk,” Bopp said. “I don’t think that prostitution, in any way whatsoever, is glamorous and at the same time, though, I think everyone has the right to choose that as a profession if they wanted; they should be treated with dignity and respect. It wouldn’t be problematic if we didn’t have misogyny, it wouldn’t be problematic if we didn’t have Puritan morals or values.”
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THE SEX DECISION Educating others before getting under the covers by Tyla Smith photos by Melany McAngus
I
can remember my father getting outraged with me when I was a teenager researching how a woman was supposed to masturbate. He took away my computer privileges, berated me, and I felt like a pervert. I stole books from the library that talked about sex, hid them under my bed, and read them when my parents were asleep. I wanted to learn and understand, but I was too intimidated to ask them any questions. My parents loved me, but I believe they had a fear that if I knew about sex, I would go out there and have it. In 1996, Bill Clinton signed a law into the Welfare Reform Act, also known as Title V, which awards money to states who commit to teaching abstinence-only education. A 2007 study called “The Impacts of Four Title V, Section 510 Abstinence Education Programs” by the Mathematica Policy Research Inc. found that abstinence-only programs did not stop teens from having sex. Instead, results found that teens knew little about the risk of unprotected sex beyond possible pregnancy. There was no unanimous curriculum when it came to what the schools were teaching, and it remains the same today. “When this report came out, (fewer) states actually wanted to take the money, but still, today, a majority of states still accept these federal funds,” University of Hawai‘i at Manoa women’s studies professor Lisa Vallin said. “Hawai‘i has been doing it, too, for a long time.” According to Vallin, one fear that parents have is that if children are given sex education in middle school and high school, they are more likely to have sex before marriage. The 2007 study showed the opposite — kids who were educated delayed sex. I was 16 when I had sex with a woman. I was 19 when I had sex with a man. I took the abstinence pledge in fifth grade, which formed a belief that sex should happen after marriage but changed my mind the older I got, likely due to falling in love with another wom-
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an. Same-sex marriage was not legal, not even up for discussion. That meant I was never going to get married; if she was my forever, there was no reason to wait. “Abstinence education means that you teach that sex doesn’t happen until after marriage,” Vallin said. “That’s already like heterosexist, right? … We assume everyone wants to get married, and so we don’t really teach about sex before at all.” Heterosexism is the idea that everyone is heterosexual and intends to have children. Vallin explained that one problem with abstinence-only sex education is that this is not always the case.
Make an informed decision, but do not hate on others for theirs Valin teaches “Sex Differences and the Life Cycles,” a course that covers the biological, cultural and societal aspects of gender and sexuality. She says that it is troubling that sex is often framed negatively, keeping middle and high school students from making informed decisions. “We can teach about the importance of consent, the importance of making sure you feel good in your body, empowering your body, and then we talk about sexual behaviors,” Vallin said. Vallin says that there is nothing wrong with people learning about something they might enjoy. Sex should not be shamed. Consent and sexual agency should not be deemed immoral.
Enforcing “No Sex”
There is nothing wrong with waiting to have sex until after marriage. As long as the decision comes from one’s own volition, instead of being imposed by an outside force. Forcing someone to abstain from sex is harmful to one’s sense of self. “When my mother found out I wasn’t a virgin, it temporarily destroyed my relationship with her and I moved in with my dad until I finished high school,” UH Manoa graduate and preschool teacher Mary Reuter said. “Now, we’re great and she’s the biggest supporter, kindest mother and best Nana to my daughter ever, but there is still a little tenderness, I think, looking back at that period of time. I also felt like I was treated differently by doctors and nurses because I was pregnant and not mar-
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“I believe it’s entirely possible to go quite a long time without meeting someone you want to have sex with and still be a normal person, so perhaps you get to that time and you want to get married and you just happened to be a virgin — then so be it. Either way, none of it is wrong to me,” Reuter said.
Sex without marriage should not equal regret
I was never taught the meaning of consent. It wasn’t until my mid-twenties that I realized it was okay to refuse someone I was in a relationship. My decision to have sex with both my first partners was out of love, but I’ve had sex outside of a committed relationship. “I’ve found that one can be judged even more harshly for having sex outside of a com-
ried. Sometimes, they rushed through things like they thought I was stupid, or completely (ignored) my preferences on my birth plan or they asked my mother if they could talk to her about my daughter’s jaundice, instead of talking to me, her 23-year-old mother.” Reuter made the decision to have sex with her boyfriend, who she was in love with, at the age of 16. Nothing hurt, and, to her, it felt perfect. He was 19 at the time, and when her parents found out, they were intent on pressing charges for statutory rape. There is an assumption, Reuter says, that women always feel pressured to have sex — and that does happen — but not all the time. “I had the awkward task of assuring them that I was not manipulated,” Reuter said. “I decided to do this because I wanted to, and I loved him, and I was curious. They walked out of the house when I said that and drove away somewhere because I don’t think they were ready to hear that.”
ries of various partners,” Okraszewski said. “I grew up learning that sex equals love, and, at first, I think I confused feelings of attraction with feelings of love. Over time, I’ve come to believe that sex equals sex — at least for me — and that love may or may not be involved. Whether or not one is married should not de-
Leah Okraszewski made the decision to have sex at the age of 18, something that she says was a natural decision. Growing up in a Catholic family put a large emphasis on premarital abstinence. Like Reuter, she felt judged for her decision to not wait.
Reuter is currently unmarried but lives with her daughter’s father. They made the decision not to get married because they view marriage as an unnecessary institution. “Sure, it’s very romantic, but like any institution it’s what the two people engaging in it make of it. It’s not the end-all or be-all of a meaningful relationship.”
“I became a little judgy of people who didn’t have sex before marriage at that point, possibly because I felt horribly judged by those who would ask and then hear my sto-
Okraszewski has been married for two years. She refers to her husband as a “sexequals-love person” who also engaged in sexual activity prior to marriage. Their relation-
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Okraszewski is a survivor of rape and has struggled with body image and with shame of her sexuality. “I have felt like I’m trapped in an alien form … completely detached from my sexual self,” she said. That, perhaps, has been one of the most painful parts to heal because healing it — again, for me — requires talking about it. … It’s perfectly fine for me to sit in (my therapist’s) office and talk about the horrors of my past experiences, but the second a thought comes up about my sex life, I clam up. I can’t speak because (of ) shame.” Men and women are raised differently when it comes to sex. Men are often pushed to do it, while women are seen as dirty if they do.
“Since my husband is more introverted than I am, he has had less experience, and I feel like my experiences have helped us have these
very open, honest conversations about who we are both within and outside of our sexual identities,” Okraszewski said. “This openness puts us on equal ground, and everything we do then (becomes) consensual. I have no fear about telling him “no,” and same goes with him. We are able to communicate our needs with each other because I have learned the hard way how that does and does not happen with a sexual partner.” Whatever decision someone else makes, as long as it does not hurt anyone else, should not be judged. Abstaining is great, as long as the person is informed, and sex before marriage is great, as long as the person is informed.
to respect a person’s decision — especially about their own bodies. Leeward CC students Randall Galius Jr. and Kirstyn Trombetta have been together for about five years and have made the decision to wait until marriage to have sex. Both of them are Christian. “So sometimes it’s discouraging when people act negatively toward my decision but, I guess, from a Christian perspective, I look at it — I feel like this is a good thing because I’m not being consumed by the flesh,” Trombetta said. “I’m not focusing on my body, you know, so I think it’s a good thing even though I might get discouraged sometimes by people because society — it’s all about sex.” Sex is a big decision. It should be consensual, safe and at the right pace for everyone. Today’s world is hyper-sexualized without the undertones of what sex for people is. Some are able to have one-night stands — others are not. “I’ve had people kind of question that too and it doesn’t bother me a whole lot because there are actually people out there that applaud the fact that we are gonna wait until marriage,” Galius said. “Even for people who don’t applaud it I mean they can believe what they want to believe as were all entitled to but that’s just something that I would rather wait for.”
ship is monogamous, and despite her having been with more partners than him, he did not turn away from her.
“I grew up learning that sex equals love, and at first, I think I confused feelings of attraction with feelings of love. Over time, I’ve come to believe that sex equals sex — at least for me — and that love may or may not be involved.” - Leah Okraszewski termine if you can do it, but rather your understanding of what sex is and how to do it safely and with the consent of all parties.”
was anything wrong with it. I assume people who do believe there is something wrong with sex might feel regret,” Reuter said.
To think that people who are waiting to have sex after marriage are non-sexual beings is another problem that they face. mitted relationship, not necessarily requiring marriage. This is where I feel most of the slut shaming has happened in my life. It seems as though, again, straight men are allowed one-night-stands with women, but women and LGBTQ folks are slapped with a scarlet letter if they do the same, which is painfully hypocritical if you ask me. The truth is, some of those brief “friends with benefits” and “one night stands” were much healthier and more respectful than the committed relationships. I think I also made the decision to have sex before marriage because it was forbidden, and it was one way in which I could rebel against my strict Catholic upbringing,” Okraszewski said. My husband was a “friend with benefits.” We met up in tacky one-hour hotels in the Philippines, and had a two week dating period and two week engagement. We have been happily married for five years now. While two of my prior relationships, where I was courted in a more traditional sense, were mentally, physically and sexually abusive. I’m sure there are a lot of outsiders throughout my life who have looked at me and assumed that I had regrets about sex, but I don’t. I think that’s just the assumption about women but not the truth. … I’ve never felt there
No one should be coerced into abstinence before marriage and no one should be coerced into having unwanted sex. “Women have historically (been) blamed for all evils of sexuality. Everything from like diseases, pregnancies, being promiscuous. ... I think it is lesser today,” Valin said. “Just look at media, we sexualize and objectify women far more than we do men. ... We have a greater understanding of male sexuality, or toleration of sexual behaviors, then we do for women. And then you add religion on top of that and it is a delicious mix.”
Abstinence
There are multiple reasons people might choose not to have sex before marriage. I have a friend who abstains from sex for religious purposes, and has educated herself on sex. We can laugh and joke about ridiculous advice Cosmopolitan gives to the women that gobble up their magazine. She’s a lovely woman, and I respect her decision, even though it is not a choice I would make myself. What bothers me is others’ attitude towards her when they discover she is a “virgin.” For example, three different men have suggested they could take her “virginity” for her. It should be common sense
“I’m not going to lie and say that it is not hard and not tempting because we love each other and we want to have that connection,” Trombetta said. For me, I have been in a sexually abusive relationship with a man I was engaged to. If I had not had sex with him, and just married him, it would have been harder for me to get out. There are even cases of women being allergic to the sperm of their partners. However, if a person decides to wait or even if they have multiple sexual partners they should not be judged. If what a person is doing does not violate or harm another human being there should be no reason to voice an opinion about their lifestyle. Whatever one’s sexuality may be, refrain from insulting.
www.leeward.hawaii.edu/kamanao 31
Potential Partners Q&A what college students look for in a significant other by Megan Ridings & Ryan Sims
Illustration by Kaeli Giron
College can be a time of rediscovery and reinvention but it doesn’t have to be done alone. Considering how much time most students spend on campus, it’s not uncommon for some to get together.
are very close. that’s my idea, I want to be with my best friend.
what do you look for in a potential partner?
MINA LEE: I know that they actually love me for who I am. I can feel that he’s genuine and he doesn’t just care about the physical stuff. He’s a really good person, he has good morals and he wants to be abstinent. ROBERT GUMAPAC: The first step is communication. If you cannot communicate, there is no point going to the second step.
TRISTYN WIEHL: In a potential mate, I guess I’d look for somebody who’s caring and caring about me and about themselves. Somebody who’s respectful of me and of themselves. I think that self-love is just as important as loving other people so somebody who’s secure in who they are. DANIEL OROYAN: In a way I want to be a relationship with my best friend. It’s a promise that you can’t break either way because you
what quality do you value the most?
not someone just by looks. I mean man if you got the looks and the personality, it’s good but other than that looks is nothing to me. JEREMY IMOSE: To an extent yes but not entirely. I don’t want to have an Instagram model as a girlfriend because I’m never going to be able to leave the house.
DO LOOKS MATTER? AIKA-MAE MUNOZ: Negative, no. You know as long as you have a good personality and a good heart, that’s someone you need to love,
by Kaitlyn Lankford
According to a survey by the Association of American Universities, 23 percent of women on college campuses reportedly fall victim to sexual violence. DV Spirit Week was organized for the protection of the students and faculty. Events like Walk a Mile in THEIR Shoes, superhero spirit day, and DV workshops were held to spread awareness of domestic and sexual violence. The week unified students in the fight against DV. Students took part in the events coordinated by Love Pono, learning the reality of sexual assault and domestic violence. “As of right now I feel like our society doesn’t really talk about these kinds of things (domestic violence),” Tolentino said. “By having these workshops, it’s gonna break down that stigma.”
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Tolentino arranged a spirit day to wear the color that embodies Domestic Violence Awareness Month: purple. Throughout the week there were workshops covering unhealthy relationships, cultural aspects and warning signs of domestic violence. The viewing of the film “The Hunting Ground” encouraged healthy discussion about sexual assault and violence on college campuses. The Walk a Mile in THEIR Shoes event had mostly men donning a pair of high heels and strutting around campus. The symbolism in the heels was to convey the survivor’s discomfort and embarrassment over what happened to them. While the walk may have been uncomfortable, it was only a brief glimpse into what survivors of DV or sexual assault have had to face. The spirit week concluded with students dressed in superhero costumes to take a stand against domestic violence. “It got really intimate and people shared personal experiences … and how this ties into their own lives,” Tolentino said.
“I’ve noticed that many people around here think it just should happen and they don’t care. It just keeps going around so I feel like a lot of people think that it’s a necessity when really it’s not, you shouldn’t do it just because you have to.” - TAYLOR STOKES
“I mean I think everyone likes sex but I would want a real relationship, not just based on what I have to do and what she has to do, obligations, just something where you guys can grow together and nothing is obligated.” - JACE WATASE
CAMPUS VOICES
Domestic Violence Awareness Spirit Week
For the first time at Leeward Community College, a domestic violence (DV) spirit week, organized by Love Pono student representative Kalani Tolentino, was held to educate the Leeward community and raise awareness.
“I think that it equals marriage but the problem is most people don’t see it that way. If everyone saw it that way they would not be so quick to cheat because they are already married to someone so as soon as you get into the act of sex you’ve made that choice, that’s marriage, done.” - MARION TIMBERLAKE
Head of Love Pono Lexer Chou, Tolentino and other staff intend to make DV Spirit Week an annual event, changing up the themes and creating more events. There is already talk of plans for Valentine’s day and the “Red Flag Campaign.”
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT SEX?
“We like to do the Red Flag Campaign, which is a national campaign where we take red flags and we have different students write on the flags a red flag of an unhealthy relationship. We actually want to expand our resources a little more for LGBTQ students,” Chou said. DV Spirit Week was meant to start a conversation about relationships — what are healthy and unhealthy relationships between family, friends or partners. “We hope that the week of events sparked an interest for others to get involved and above all else, to be the ones to live ‘pono’ and advocate for a violence-free community,” Chou said.
“My ideal relationship would be someone who respects me emotionally and physically, someone who’s open minded as well with those kinds of things, whose caring and who listens as well. For example, if I’m not liking something, they’ll understand and they’ll stop right away.” - FAITH KANOELANI PEPE HENRY
“I’ve had an experience that taught me that if you don’t care about the person, it’s really not a good thing, it just kind of sucks. If you don’t actually care about this person or have feelings for this person, I would suggest just not doing it, just because it’s not a good experience but if you do care about this person, it can one of the best things that you and that other person can share together.” - ALEXANDER NIMS
“I think really, there should be love and commitment before there’s sex, just because you’re giving a part of you to somebody else so the more commitment there is, the better it is.” - PROF. ANN BERNER
www.leeward.hawaii.edu/kamanao 33
Feature
d o i r Pe e c e Pi nd noSwmith | photos by Ryan Nash
en a h t n o i t a u r Menst
Two college girls casually sit opposite of each other. One whispers to the other that she needs a tampon. The other rummages through her bag and, slips it under the table as if it were an illegal bag of cocaine. People with vaginas menstruate. For some it happens every month for seven days, and for others it happens for an entire month. There are cases — usually with the help of birth control — of them not getting their period at all. Through the centuries, specifically with “old world” or Western mindsets, this act has marked women as dirty. “If I can make you feel ashamed of your body and you, that is something you have been taught since you were (a) very young girl: it is something you don’t talk about. You don’t tell anybody, you don’t express it,” University of Hawai’i at Manoa professor Shirley Buchanan said. “Everything has to be hidden. It is going to be easier for me to control you if you’re already not feeling worthy because it’s something you have to hide from society.”
34 Ka Mana’o
by Tyla
eties have dealt with menstruation in various ways. It wasn’t until the 1970s that sanitary napkins with an adhesive liner became a mainstream use for dealing with period blood, and in some countries today these products are not available to women. Without having access to tampons or pads women are unable to attend school or work. Dawn of Time When humans were hunter-gatherers, it made sense to sequester women when they were menstruating. According to many anthropologists and writer Rosalind Miles in her academic article “The Women’s History of the World” women did not rely on men as hunters, even though they did the majority of it. “Although generally unsung — indeed unmentioned — female monthly menstruation was the evolutionary adaptation that preserved the human species from extinction and ensured its survival and success,” Miles wrote.
Buchanan teaches the history of gender, sex and sexuality in the women’s studies department.
Since other primates rarely menstruate, they will only produce offspring once every five to six years. Since human menstruation is at a higher level can become pregnant and give birth at a higher frequency.
Throughout the centuries, different soci-
“In the beginning, if you go back to gath-
erer-hunter societies, where women were the main food source because they gathered most of the food, you also had fear of predation,” Buchanan said. You had predator animals around so there may have been a reason to sequester women based on protection. Even now, when people go backpacking into the glacier national park or some place, they tell the women, you know, be careful because women on a menstrual cycle will attract grizzly bears or other wild animals.” Women’s menstrual cycles also tend to link up with each other, which made more biological sense when human lifespans were much shorter. Pheromones released by women helped link up their cycles. UH Manoa women’s studies professor Lisa Vallin, who teaches sex differences in the life cycle, argues that the reproductive perspective is a heterosexist point of view. Still, if taking that argument, animals such as deer, dogs or cats all have a seasonal fertility so there is a greater chance of impregnating as many mates as possible. “There are going to (be) a lot of people who are never interested in heterosex to begin with,” Vallin said. “There are going to be a lot of people who practice heterosex but don’t want
www.leeward.hawaii.edu/kamanao 35
ovulate it is like a mystery.” Vallin explains that figuring out when a person is going to ovulate is rather easy, and for the 48 hours is when a person with a vagina is most likely to get pregnant. She stresses that one of the basic rules of biology is that there are always exception to the rule. “There is a lot of this unnecessary fear you know, this uncomfort that happens around the cycle,” Vallin said. “Oh god my period is a little bit late I’m pregnant, well did you have sex last month? No. Then why would you be pregnant?” Not educating on periods, and the fear around them, could be used as a way for controlling women. Though since the 1970s, and second wave feminism, more positive advertisements of tampons have popped up. Tampax has been running “Like a girl” ads which highlight how being a “like a girl” is often thought of in a negative way. “How we talk about menstruation has changed we have certainly become more open about it,” Buchanan said. “It’s still not a conversation we are comfortable with. Even in my classes, they are women’s studies classes, eventually we are going to have a conversation about this. Still, I can feel the class itself doesn’t really want to — you feel a little bit of an edge. … Yet this is like something half to have a pregnancy, so I always like to put it in that context. I don’t like to assume or take a perspective that women’s cycles link up because we are heterosexual beings, or because we are going to reproduce. It is one school of thought. It was dominant thought before. We often think less of same-sex behaviors.”
Judeo-Christian
Generally, Western civilization and how they dealt with menstruation is what is looked at — especially in the United States. Most of these views come out of the Hebrew scriptures, which also helped shape Christianity. “When a woman has a discharge, and the discharge in her body is blood, she shall be in her menstrual impurity for seven days, and whoever touches her shall be unclean until the evening. … 24 And sif any man lies with her and her menstrual impurity comes upon him, he shall be unclean seven days, and every bed on which he lies shall be unclean,” According to Leviticus 15:19-24.
to be purified after the birth of a child,” Buchanan said. Women were no longer sequestered for safety’s sake, but because they were deemed unclean. Even after the week of bleeding — if it went on longer than that they were certainly not fit — they had to endure another seven to achieve pureness. Buchanan spoke of how spirituality was linked to purity, but women were only able to attain purity for a short time. She offered the example of the Virgin Mary, where the virgin birth is only spoken of in Luke and some historians have interpreted it as a metaphor for purity. “Everything gets bundled in and kind of conflated, so that menstrual cycle gets associated with ‘dirty,’ ‘soiled,’ — the things of sexuality,” Buchanan said.
The Split in Views
Other cultures dealt with menstrual blood in different ways.
During the time of Adam & Eve, according to Judeo-Christian texts, Eve ate the fruit of knowledge, convinced Adam to eat, and, thus, sin was born. For women, the only way they could become close to God was to birth children.
“There are so many different traditions about it, I mean there are different traditions in Africa versus North America versus Polynesia and how these things are viewed,” Buchanan said. “It is kind of interesting that the only one the we seem to pay attention to is the one that comes out of the Hebrew scriptures.”
“(With) that (comes) these ideas of needing to be purified after a menstrual cycle, needing
Mayans, who were around during ancient
36 Ka Mana’o
of our human race is experiencing at any one moment.”
uretrite is ready to slosh off the blood rich lining so it is associated with cramping to get the lining to slush off.”
PMS, Myth or No?
During menstruation, progesterone levels increase and estrogen levels decrease, which can cause moodiness or discomfort. Vallin explained that as estrogen levels continue to increase, people may be more interested in sex or feel more confident.
Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) happens before the bleeding. Its validity is debated, but according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, it can be diagnosed as a mental illness. The criteria for what they call extreme PMS is premenstrual dysphoric disorder, and the criteria for having it follow what some people complain about: lethargy, anger, insomnia, and breast tenderness.
PMS is not reported happening in other countries. Vallin says this could be because other cultures are more restrictive and female sexuality is not talked about. She says a similar phenomenon occurs with menopause.
“In the Western culture, we tend to add onto these things, this idea of PMS — women are grumpy, women go crazy,” Vallin said. “When you listen to politics, some of them say we can’t have a female president because what is going to happens when she (experiences PMS), the country is going to go up in flames. So we add, socially and culturally, a lot of emphasis to this supposed ‘PMS.’ … We have established that as an okay reason to blame sort of bad mood on.”
“PMS is one of those things I feel really strongly about,” Vallin said. “We are all moody for various reasons. … It is really hard to pinpoint, but I don’t want to take away from people who really do experience severe premenstrual (symptoms).’” People with vaginas will continue to bleed. The only thing that can change are people’s perceptions. “I wish we would do a better job of naturalizing the menstrual cycle, making it more available and less magical — magical in the sense (that there are) uncomfortable fears around it,” Valin said.
Vallin does stress that women may feel symptoms of discomfort for a number of reason before, during and after menstruation. She also admits to having a bias, believing it exist and that she is. “Sometimes you experience increased cramping, you think about the
Hebrew times, felt that blood was a necessity for the birth of anything and a sign of fertility. Currently anthropologists are still trying to decipher all of the hieroglyphs and decide what they mean — but blood was part of many rituals Mayans did. Including blood sacrifice. Ancient Hawaiians sequestered women but not out of shame. Sexuality was celebrated among the Hawaiians, and Marsh notes that after a woman finished her menstrual cycle and left the “hale pe’a,” they were desired by the men. “In Native Hawaiian history and stories, women’s genitalia is glorified. Mountains are named after it, songs are written about it — it is not something to hide or punish,” Buchanan said.
Fast Forward
Menstruation is still viewed as something nasty. It is easy to ask for toilet paper but a pad or a tampon is a secret exchange. Humans in general might not even understand how the menstrual cycle actually works — it’s just a mysterious thing that bleed. “One thing that surprises me every semester when we talk about menstruation, is how few of my students really know about the menstrual cycle,” Vallin said. “And are just having questions about — when can I get pregnant? Because they don’t know when they
Ancient
1890s
1920s
1970s
2015
Tampons from wood wrapped in lint (Greece), softened papyrus (Egypt), tightly wound wool (Rome) and ferns (Hawaiians).
Disposable pads became available, but had to be held in place by a belt or strap. Reusable pads were being used as well.
Women encouraged to ‘douche’ to get rid of the perceived smell of menstruation.
Pads with adhesive strip invented so people could attach to underwear. “Deodorant” tampons began to be marketed.
THINX develops reusable period panties, which absorb menstrual blood for up to 12 hours.
1800s
1914-18 World War I
Most people did not wear anything for menstruation, though some had homemade pads. Menstruation was a lot less frequent due to high birth rate and earlier menopause.
French nurses realized disposable cellulose bandages worked well for menstruation blood. Sanitary napkins were made, Kotex was born. Only affordable to the wealthy.
1930s Dr. Earle Cleveland Haas obtained first tampon patent. Tampons not widely used, misconstrued as too “sexual.” Tampons were manufactured and sold under Tampax brand.
1980s Modern menstrual cups were created.
www.leeward.hawaii.edu/kamanao 37
Health
Strength, Beauty, by Jessie McGeary
and Grace Fit For a Goddess Studio
photos by Marcel Saragena
“H
ello Beautiful” — the two words gracing the doorway in a room full of neon lights and reflections of towering poles. This is the Fit For a Goddess (FFG) dance studio, where women can express themselves and build their self-identity through one of the most modern and unique fitness activities: pole dancing. The studio was founded 11 years ago by Dr. Ilana Fernandez aka “Mama Goddess,” as a way to “renew and enliven the essential and authentic feminine in women today.” Current owner Gina Ogitani is actively building upon Fernandez’s vision and values, and is thankful for the satisfaction she herself has found. She started managing the studio in 2008 after falling in love with pole fitness a few years before. “There’s something so powerful about the movement that comes along with the fitness,” Ogitani said. She explains that FFG provides a supportive and nurturing environment and a “sisterhood” among dancers. The workouts and activities they do are meant to strengthen, empower and bring confidence to women in an exciting and expressive way. “It’s okay to be strong, beautiful and graceful here,” she said. Many of Ogitani’s students and staff have professional careers or families to care for. Her students vary greatly in age, height, weight, and fitness background or experience. The studio embraces the diversity and works with each student to encourage creative expression and confidence.
38 Ka Mana’o
FFG offers eight class levels, as well as introductory classes and an elite “Superstars” group. The Superstars are women who have completed all eight levels of training and begin to take on many of the complex movements, tricks and styles that are seen in competitions and by professionals. From start to finish, routines done at this level may be done completely on the pole without ever touching the ground. “When we take you in, everyone’s all at the same level, so you get taught from the fundamentals and the basics and go up,” Ogitani said. “We actually strengthen you with idea and goal of pole fitness,” Given some of pole dancing’s associations, it’s no surprise that critics misunderstand or completely rule it out as a legitimate workout. Many people still believe that it is exclusive to strip clubs or provocative dancing, which is not the case. “Society is trained to think that way,” Ogitani said. “We battle it by being very vocal and explaining what we’re about.” Ogitani emphasizes empowerment in the work that they do. By way of creative expression, women can release negative feelings or simply receive the benefits of an engaging exercise routine while having fun.
ments and routines can be quite rigorous while requiring careful control of body motion and placement. “We focus on strength, flexibility, toning, range of motion, and there’s a cardio aspect as well,” Ogitani explained. “It’s kind of like acrobatics on a vertical apparatus.” As people become more attuned to their physical health and well-being, more alternative fitness programs are being introduced, such as aerial yoga and hula hooping. These, along with pole dancing fitness, offer new venues for improving health. Although Ogitani has traveled and trained on the mainland, she recognizes that not all women have the time or resources to do the same. For this reason, FFG has previously brought in world-class professionals and iconic figures like Symone Dolai, Michelle Shimmy and Sergia Louise Anderson, to lead workshops and share knowledge. These dancers are among the rest of tremendous athletes who compete nationally and internationally. Recently, the studio has undergone renovation. With plans for the future, Ogitani is currently trying to branch out with special events like bachelorette parties, girls’ nights out, team bonding opportunities and private parties. She is also hoping to expand and open a bigger studio to accommodate more students.
From a physical fitness standpoint, pole dancing is extremely effective. Some of the move-
www.leeward.hawaii.edu/kamanao 39
Entertainment
Brandi Morgan Legs and laughs for miles Brandi Morgan takes the stage in a mini-skirt, killer heels and a lowcut top. This local comedian has been in the scene for about two and half years, making people laugh with a canny ability to poke fun at herself. “(Comedy) is one of those things I always wanted to do but never did,” Morgan said. “When you’re transitioning, you spend so much time either denying it or kind of covering it up. … It’s kind of a revelation because you spend all that time worrying about how people are going to think, or worried about getting caught or whatever. Now that I have been doing it, people have actually responded very positively. So that gave me a little more confidence to try some more things, to put myself out there a little more.”
Robin Tran Wrestling with stereotypes by Tyla Smith | Photos by Marcel Saragena Reminding audiences she is a triple minority — trans, lesbian and Asian American — Californian comedian Robin Tran has plenty of material to choose from. “If I start talking to someone and I’m saying something that makes them laugh really hard, I know I’ve got something, because it’s hard for me to impress myself,” Tran said. ”I used to just talk about my day and my feelings, but I’ve found that those stories lacked endings and punchlines. I won’t tell a joke onstage anymore until I’ve at least got a direction it’s heading in.” Tran used comedy to get through some of the hardest times in her life. Chris Rock’s “Bigger and Blacker” inspired the first genuine laugh of her childhood. “Comedy was the only thing that kept me alive when I was suicidal and depressed as a child,” Tran said. “As I got older, I understood the concept more and loved the idea of communication through laughter, and I think getting paid to make people laugh at your opinions is the coolest thing in the world.” Tran is aware and open about the hardships she has gone through. She is confident, stirring the audience into a frenzy of laughs over her observations of life — like coming out to her Vietnamese mother.
Part of Tran’s talent is taking the emotionally difficult and transforming it into an experience she can share in a positive manner. Comedy has brought many positive things to Tran like her girlfriend and fellow comedian Cate Gary. She met Gary at Starlight Theatre during an open mic performance. Gary has always been supportive of Tran, dating her prior to her transition. Tran has written about her experiences transitioning, along with her comedy and political views, which can be found on xojane.com.
Morgan began performing in local drag shows as a lip singer, where she claims the girls were just humoring her. After performing one song, they allowed her to start doing comedy, which gave her even more confidence to step outside the box and try it at Hula’s Grill in Waikiki. “I got progressively better at it, and that gave me the confidence to try it at the straight places,” Morgan said. “I wasn’t sure how a straight audience would respond to it but they actually responded to it really, really well.” Morgan only found more success. From hosting to being featured, she now headlines shows around the island, along with a show in Las Vegas. “I’ve never ever been really heckled,” Morgan said. “All the other comedians are mainly male and they all respond to me really well, too. They have all been really supportive and they treat me like a girl, which is kind of cool.” As a comedian, Morgan pulls from her life, what she sees on the news, or what is trending on Facebook. With over an hour of material, she hopes to put out a CD soon.
When it comes to being trans, Tran says that she wishes she could answer everyone’s questions, and appreciates patience. Sometimes, Tran says, it is really hard for her and that she has earned her bad days.
“Frankly, there is a lot of sexual stuff involved in my comedy. I guess that’s how I can really explain what I think is funny,” Morgan said.
“I don’t think people know how often I get dirty looks from people. … It’s taken me a long time to be easier on myself,” Tran said.
When Morgan first came onto the scene, there was only one or two shows a week, but now patrons looking for laughs can catch something every night of the week. Morgan can be found doing comedy at least two nights a week.
Tran and Gary both came to Hawai‘i to perform at the Wahine Comedy Festival, an all-female comedy performance. “I love my life now,” Tran said. “I wish for all comics to focus on being happy before becoming successful. I want all comics to realize that comedy is great but your life is more important. I wish for everyone to be a better friend to themselves.”
“I don’t want to dwell on my past and stuff. I just want to make people laugh and have fun,” Morgan said.
“Coming out to my mom was probably the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do emotionally,” Tran said. “I was terrified, but I just happened to feel more miserable not telling her, so I chose which felt less worse, even though they both felt awful. I’m kinda lucky. I can’t leave things unsaid too long or I feel dishonest. It’s less about courage and more about the inability to sit with guilt for too long.”
40 Ka Mana’o
www.leeward.hawaii.edu/kamanao 41
Doomkitty has personally stated via Facebook that she has zero tolerance for any type of body shaming. “I’ve been through that hell and I’ll tell you right now: It’s not funny. These people are your peers. How do you know that they are thinking of cosplaying but are afraid to because they don’t want to have to deal with people like the ones that posted rude and degrading comments?” Doomkitty posted. This was only a portion of a post regarding the negativity she saw on her Facebook comments.
e c n e d i f n o C Finding Cosplay in sta | photos
Bauti by Jasmine
Very often, there are stories about bullying from inside and outside the cosplay community. These hurtful comments — usually dealing with body-shaming — can put people off from cosplaying and damage self-esteem. To conquer this, cosplayers are working together to encourage body positivity in cosplay.
things where I did not want to deal with being fat-shamed again,” Doomkitty said. “I didn’t want to have to deal with the ridicule and name calling.”
Ivy Doomkitty, a California-based international cosplayer with over 300,000 Facebook followers, is one cosplayer seeking to make a more positive atmosphere. Growing up, Doomkitty was victim to fat-shaming by her peers. This ended up taking a toll on her selfesteem that even prevented her from wanting to cosplay for years.
“In school, I got teased for being underweight,” Megan said. “Through high school, I really struggled trying to put on weight so I could at least be normal. For my height, I couldn’t even join the military if I wanted to, you know? And it was hard.”
“I want to dress up as my favorite characters, but, at the same time, it was one of those
42 Ka Mana’o
Like Doomkitty, local cosplayer Uncanny Megan struggled with body issues, prior to cosplay.
Although Megan has been cosplaying since 2008, she admitted that she had her doubts.
by Marcel S
uchi ugust Harag aragena & A
“The more I started doing it, I’d get to a point where ‘All these girls are so much prettier than me. All these girls are so much bustier than me.’ And it would really drag me down and make me feel bad,” Megan said. Being active on social media, Megan has dealt with body shaming. “I get a lot of ‘you don’t have the boobs for that character,’” Megan said. “Most of the time, men on the Internet like curvy women. I’m not a curvy woman.” Megan has cosplayed several female characters from “X-Men” such as Rogue, Jean Grey, and Kitty Pryde, Harley Quinn “Batman”, and Bulma from “Dragonball Z.” She even won multiple costuming awards throughout the US.
“There’s some underlying problem, and, hopefully, they can get the help that they need or build self-confidence because, unfortunately, I think they’re lifting themselves up by shaming others,” Doomkitty said. “Hopefully, they can do something to change that mentality. At the end of the day, I just feel bad for them.”
Sexy Cosplay
Body shaming happens to those we least expect. Certain cosplayers can receive backlash for wearing sexy costumes — usually identified as wearing revealing clothing that exhibit certain body parts. Overall, some people consider this style of cosplay as tasteless and inaccurate in relation to the original character. Jessica Nigri, a renowned cosplayer with over three million fans, first became known for her portrayal of a sexy Pikachu. The costume consisted of a yellow bustier top, mini skirt, fingerless black gloves, thigh highs, black heels, and Pikachu’s ears and tail. Leah Rose is a local cosplayer from Mililani and is one of many who doesn’t prefer sexy cosplay. Despite that, she respects the different cosplaying styles people adopt. “It took me a while to come to terms with this,” Rose said. “I personally don’t really like sexy versions of characters. Their sexy cosplays do not affect me in any way, shape or form. The whole thing with the sexy cosplays
is as long as they are having fun, nothing else matters.” In some cases, sexy cosplay can be unintentional. Sometimes it happens to be the way the artist originally drew the costume itself or that people have different body types. Doomkitty has done both sexy and conservative cosplays, “I don’t look at it as ‘Okay, I want to show boobs. I want to show butt,’” Doomkitty said. “I look at the character and say, ‘What can I do to keep the element of that character true to them so I can recognize that character but how I can I alter this design so it’s my own?’” The only thing Doomkitty recommends is to be mindful of where to wear the costume and who’s going to be around. “If you have little children walking around, little strings aren’t going to necessarily be the best thing to wear around a family-oriented convention,” Doomkitty said. “Just take the audience that you’re going to be around into consideration when you are designing a costume or when you’re wearing that costume.”
Finding Confidence
From an outsider’s perspective, cosplay could be the equivalent of putting on a costume for Halloween. To a dedicated fan, it’s more than that. Cosplay is recognized as an artform and a way to pay tribute to a beloved character. “Wearing the bodysuit of Rogue (“XMen”), I don’t feel like I’m Leah in a costume,” Rose said. “I feel like I’m Rogue. ‘I am woman. Hear me roar.’ It’s so empowering to be able to be these characters that are literally everything I’ve strived to become … minus her issues about her power.” In addition to Rogue, Rose has cosplayed several other characters such as Daenerys Targaryen from “Game of Thrones,” Zelda from “The Legend of Zelda” and Shiro from “Deadman Wonderland.”
Doomkitty can still recall the day she went to her first convention where she saw the costumes of Rogue and Storm from “X-Men,” a series she grew up with. It was in that moment that she knew cosplay and her was meant to be. What she didn’t expect to find was her confidence. “If it wasn’t for cosplay, there’s no way I would have the level of confidence that I have now or the level I have of self-esteem that I have. And cosplay gave me that.” Doomkitty said. Doomkitty hopes to prevent bullying by sharing her story through her “Body Confidence and Positivity in Cosplay” panel that she holds at different conventions.
Have Fun
The term, “cosplay” literally combines the words “costume” and “play” together. Most cosplayers can agree: the number one rule of cosplaying is to have fun. “You’re cosplaying because you’re passionate,” Rose said. “And you’re cosplaying because you love what you love. And your body type, your gender, your expression — nothing about (physicality) has anything to do with what you love and what makes you happy. Who cares? Have fun. Play dress up.” Different artists have many interpretations of the characters we love. Each of them draws what appeals to them, whether it’s changing their body type or their gender. Doomkitty says everyone has a representation of their character which is exactly what cosplay is. “You might go through a phase where you do feel like you can’t do this. But just remember, if you’re enjoying it, that’s all that matters. It took me a while to get into that mindset but once I did, I really started enjoying cosplay.” Megan said. “We’re hanging out here together because we’re a bunch of passionate, enthusiastic nerds that love the things that are in pop culture right now. So what’s the point of tearing each other down? Rose said.
www.leeward.hawaii.edu/kamanao 43
A BI TING TIME M i s s Va m p : A n A l t e r n a t i v e B e a u t y Pa g e a n t by Tyla Smith | photos by Marcel Saragena Six months pregnant and fangs shining in the artificial moonlight, Michelle Poppler, aka Mabsy, accepted the 2015 Miss Vamp Hawai’i crown of ageless beauty. “It was a beautiful experience,” Mabsy said. “…Being around like-minded women who were weird, quirky and just different, you know? It’s an alternative beauty pageant and it’s an alternative crowd. These alternative women — they’re not your stereotypical women. It’s different. It celebrates difference and that’s what is so amazing,” Producers of Miss Vamp, Lana Saladina and DJ Nocturna, wanted to bring a unique experience to Hawai’i that that did not exclude women due to look, age, shape, or size. “I don’t feel that a woman’s purpose stops at age 26 or 27 whatever the age limit in many of the beauty pageants that I ran in when I was younger,” Saldania said. Saldania was part of many beauty pageants growing up, and found there are many limitations to who can be a part of it—including being a married woman. The purpose behind Miss Vamp is to show a contestants loved ones and community that when a woman walks on stage it is about her essence, energy, and what they can bring to society.
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The average age for participants of beauty pageants is 26 years old, and very minimal studies have been done with adult women on if they suffer self-esteem issues for competing. One study, titled “Beauty is as beauty does”, by Thompson SH and Hammond K from Coastal Carolina University interviewed 131 contestants and found that one-fourth of the contestants had either been diagnosed or told they have an eating disorder, while half of them wished to be thinner. They did note further study needed to be done to see if there is a connection between eating-disorders and pageant goers. “The core of it (that pageant over the year) all has stayed the same, a celebration of beauty, talent and brains regardless of age, size, marital status, race or sexual orientation,” contestant Xylena Strange said. Strange has been part of the pageant since it started in 2010. “Beauty that goes beyond the cheerleader next door and includes the girl with the bright hair, tattoos and pierced face.” According to the National Institute of Mental Health one in five women will suffer from an eating disorder or disordered eating, with 8 million U.S. citizens suffering and 10 to 15 percent of them being male. With an unattainable format of what the media portrays as ‘beauty’ (a body type that only 5 percent of the world
can actually attain) it is heartening to see a pageant that celebrates the alternative. “Not a single woman looked similar to the other, yet every single one was applauded and loved,” contestant and crowned Miss Photogenic Amber Skye Robertson said. “And it was fantastic. I have undoubtedly made six lifelong vampire sisters, and I love each and every one of them for their uniqueness. This is one of the only pageants—or, well, outlet, in general—where you have no guidelines. No specificity. No discrimination. No boundaries.” Vampiric Sisters The contestants all form a strong bond when it comes to putting on Miss Vamp. An everlasting friendship that was a common thread in all the ladies said—uplifting one another. Contestant Desiree Rivers, a 37-year old single mother of two children, and active duty Navy member found camaraderie amongst the pageant women something not easily found within her field. “It’s not about being the one over there winning, even though that would be awesome, but it is definitely being here with everybody else and having fun. A lot of fun,” Rivers said.
Xylena Strange has been competing with Miss Vamp since it began in 2010, and will not be competing next year, but hopes that more girls will join in. “This really is different than any other pageant and the bond that forms between everyone who has ever done it is incredible. We truly form a sisterhood. There were downs to the show as changeovers through elaborate costumes can take time. An issue with sound equipment left contestant Xylena Strange without a mic during her song and dance routine, but her voice was still audible throughout the theatre. Strange found the most difficult part about the show being the time commitment it took to compete. This will be her last year performing as she has been a part of the competition since 2010, when she was the second runner-up. “Preparing costumes and talent is a big commitment and you want to really give the audience a good show. Finding the time to plan and rehearse everything — along with promoting the show at events — can be very time consuming but so worth it,” Strange said. Instead of glitter and gore, the vampires of Miss Vamp wowed the crowd with dance, gymnastics, song and comedy. Mabsy came on stage dressed as the Virgin of Guadalupe and broke into a sensual dance where the robes were removed to reveal exotic red garb beneath, proudly showing off the baby bump. The act was inspired by her grandmother who passed away in May, shortly after she discovered she was pregnant.
“What I was going with was that the Virgin of Guadalupe, the temple, the church that houses it is in Mexico City is actually built right on top of the temple of an Aztec goddess Tonantzin. But she’s goddess of childbirth, so she was a virginal-type wife. ... So when the Catholics came — and this is a sacred site — what they normally did was appropriate goddesses and gods and they would say, ‘this is just like such and such saint.’ So they said (Tonantzin) is like the Virgin. … So the virgin is kind of an iconic thing in my family and I wanted to honor my grandmother, and also honor the history of the origins of the Virgin of Guadalupe, the goddess that sits underneath the darkness, the darkness that sits underneath the Virgin of Guadalupe. And the history, the transformation, to kind of maybe bring her back,” Mabsy said. There was much praise to go around from the contestants to pageant creators Lana Saldania and DJ Nocturna, who personally asked some of the ladies to participate and created this pageant. Mabsy noted that she had never heard of a vampire pageant show before, while Robertson, who is leaving the island, hopes that the next place she moves to will have something similar. “It’s really about getting out there and doing something you’re not used to doing,” contestant Desiree Rivers said. “Do something different. Meet new people. It’s not about being the one over there winning — even though that would be awesome — but it is definitely being here with everybody else and having fun.”
Another highlight to the event was the infamous renaissance musician Aurelio Voltaire, who serenaded the audience and contestants with ballads on bats, zombies and brains. Turning his performance into a drinking game, he took a swig of Bacardi rum for every forgotten lyric. By the end of his performance, the bottle was empty and part of the audience was on stage singing their souls away to Beelzebub. “I’ve lost my goth card,” Voltaire said in reference to his new tan. Voltaire and local singer Tzana Saldania set the tone for the evening, while the chorus went to the seven vampires. Strange hopes that next year more women will sign up to be a part of the competition. “You can never predict the Queen because every woman competing is a queen in her own right,” Robertson said. “The one who wears the crown is just a product of performance on the night of the pageant, but every woman who gets on that stage is a winner.” After the show, contestants and attendees retreated to an afterparty at Bar 35 for glasses of immortality — cocktails, wine and beer. Voltaire also made a brief appearance to mingle with fans and sign autographs. “The show was everything I have come to expect,” Strange said. “Exciting and nerve wrecking. Beautiful and stressful. I hope everyone in the audience enjoyed the experience as much as I have,”
www.leeward.hawaii.edu/kamanao 45
W
There’s An App For That Review of online dating apps
by Jericho Juan
Starting a new life, getting married, first anniversaries — it all starts with the first date. Dating has gone from face-to-face to screen-to-screen, and as dating websites and mobile apps have emerged, our dating habits have transformed as well.
OkCupid — 4.3/5 The dating app that’s actually about dating. Apply for free and, if done right, people can find real relationships. After the app is opened, it asks for sexuality, five questions about personality and social skills. Using location services, OkCupid searches for the nearest possible matches. It provides a list of names and faces along with their location, age and a compatibility estimate. Clicking on a person’s profile prompts a set of personal and common dating questions answered by the user as well as their height, age and body type.
Match — 3.8/5 Imagine Facebook without the posts. To start, the app asks for gender and sexual preference. It then formats a list from basic information like username, age, location, last period of activity and a “match” percentage. Clicking on a picture opens a profile with relevant information. It then falls to each user to send a wink, email, or make them a favorite. Although Match is very user friendly, it doesn’t really set itself apart from the competition.
eHarmony — 3.8/5 eHarmony features a more personalized approach. When local singles sign on, they are asked questions related to personality, values and other preferences. Once the survey is completed, it demands a monthly subscription fee of $16.95 per month. This one offers more flexibility, allowing individuals to identify as gay.
Zoosk — 3.5/5 With a wink and a message, Zooskers can let others know if the attraction is mutual. If not, they keep swiping. Scrolling down displays a user’s basic info like height, birthday, their kids and it can also state what their “perfect match” is. Zoosk coins can be used to send winks and while a limited number of free coins are given, additional coins can be purchased with real money.
Tinder — 3.5/5 The hook-up app for one-night stands. If luck plays out, Tinder users can turn simple flings into real relationships. The app is connected to Facebook and compiles interests and photos into a Tinder profile. If both users like each other’s profiles, a match is made and messaging can begin.
Lovoo — 2.8/5 Like a younger Instagram of love—Lovoo runs on social media. Users can upload photos and talk to possible matches. Tapping the radial tab lets users see and message nearby people as well as their most recent photo. This app doesn’t succeed as a dating app and it seems to function as a hook-up app only. 46 Ka Mana’o
e r a e p s e k a h S in Love Rating: 3.5/4 Stars by Alex Sabalburo
“Shakespeare In Love,” set during the Elizabethan age, features a young William Shakespeare (Joseph Fiennes) who is out of ideas and short on cash. Searching for inspiration, he falls in love with Viola De Lesseps (Gwyneth Paltrow) and through this relationship, he creates his most renowned play “Romeo & Juliet.” At the 1998 Academy Awards, the selection of “Shakespeare In Love” over Steven Spielberg’s WWII epic “Saving Private Ryan” for “Best Picture” garnered considerable controversy. Many critics and audiences agreed that while the film’s screenplay was creative and deserved the Oscar, it was not worthy to be called “Best Picture.” To begin, writers Tom Stoppard and Marc Norman, produce a screenplay that is not only original but creative. With educational and historical components, it generates a play within a play feel, while adopting a highly Shakespearean style. As Shakespeare and Viola’s relationship develops, viewers will detect several winks and nods to Shakespeare’s original “Romeo & Juliet” such as the famous balcony scene. Although little is known about Shakespeare’s love life, the film provides a unique perspective to what it could’ve been as well as his creative processes. The mixture of slapstick comedy and romance can be related to several of Shakespeare’s other works. In terms of acting, Fiennes and Paltrow respectively both give outstanding performances, but there is one actor — considered dull and unworthy of the part — Ben Affleck who gives a rather lackluster performance. Affleck’s role as Ned Alleyn left many viewers wondering why he even got the part. His accent — a melding of American and British — is too cliche, unconvincing and takes away from the film’s time period setting. Set direction and costume design is another element which takes audiences back in time to the Elizabethan age. The Rose Theatre’s interior accurately captures the time period and the costuming — something out of Shakespeare’s plays — brought bright, vivid colors to the screen. At the 1998 Academy Awards, the selection of “Shakespeare In Love” over Steven Spielberg’s WWII epic “Saving Private Ryan” for “Best Picture” garnered considerable controversy. Many critics and audiences agreed that while the film’s screenplay was creative and deserved the Oscar, it was not worthy to be called “Best Picture.” “Shakespeare in Love” is creative, doubles as an educational film, and its screenplay and performance by Joseph Fiennes would make William Shakespeare proud.
www.leeward.hawaii.edu/kamanao 47
Fashion
y x e S
n o i t a c i hist
Sop
A Lookbook for Girls on the Go by Melany McAngus
Business fashion screams confidence. It makes women look classy and composed. The best kind of office attire is appropriate for the workplace, yet cute enough for a night out. The trick, though, is to find apparel that mixes sexiness with sophistication. Here are some trendy outfits that can be worn at work, out for drinks or just a casual day in the city.
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Striped top: Forever 21 Purple skirt: Charlotte Russe Heels: Steve Madden Bright colors and bold patterns really catch a person’s eye. Mixing a solid colored and printed fabrics in one outfit will attract attention and give off a fun-loving energy.
www.leeward.hawaii.edu/kamanao 49
Orange blouse: Forever 21 White pants and belt: Forever 21 Ballet flats: Macy’s Watch: Nixon Rings: H&M Don’t be afraid to play with accessories. A statement piece, such as a watch or necklace, and a nice pair of shoes can take an ordinary outfit to the next level.
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Green wrap dress: Macy’s Heels: Coach Dresses are an easy way to look dolled up with little effort. Adding an extra layer, such as a belted cardigan or blazer, can make a ready-to-wear dress more business appropriate.
Blue printed blouse: Macy’s Navy pencil skirt: H&M Statement necklace: H&M Go for structured articles of clothing that compliment your shape. A well-made pencil skirt will accentuate a woman’s curves while still being an appropriate length for sitting at a desk.
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g n i c a r b m E f l e s r u Yo g n i m a h S y d o B r e u q n o C s t n e d Leeward Stu
by Echo Canday | photos by Melany McAngus
B
dy positivity is often rooted in and shaped by childhood experiences.
Leeward student Randall Galius Jr.’s own experience with negativity began in middle school, affecting his self-esteem and driving him to cope in harmful ways. “I wasn’t liked because of how I looked or my weight,” Galius said. “Girls would always want the skinny guy. Even guys — because I wasn’t athletic — they wouldn’t really want to hang out with me.” thank you for having a male’s perspective on this topic Galius found that he easily gains unwanted weight, a point of negativity for him. “If I’m not working out for a period of time or if I’m not running or anything like that, I can actually gain a lot of negative weight and I think that’s one of the main things I’ve gotten.” During this time, he suffered isolation and depression. Struggling with weight is something Galius shares with Salem Sipes. Sipes suffers from hyperthyroidism, imposing lethargy and a heavy regimen of vitamins on her for most of her life. She often meets people who idealize her condition.
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“I tried really hard to gain weight and that in itself is frustrating ‘cause everyone’s like, ‘It’s great. It’s just a thing that makes you skinny,’ but it doesn’t. It makes you tired, it makes you really emotional, it makes your hair fall out, it makes your nails break super easily, it makes your skin bad and that’s kind of frustrating, when people say they want it,” Sipes said. “I don’t think anyone should want a disease.”
Sipes has experienced her share of body shaming. She is frequently told her physicality makes her look anorexic, sick and even “slutty.” Strangers have recommended she eat an “emergency hamburger” and she has been told that she looks “like a stick.” There was a time when even her family believed she had an eating disorder. Her response to this negativity is humour. “I laugh about being skinny because … I’m confident with that situation and I’m going to work to fix it, but right now, I need to be okay with it,” Sipes said. Like Sipes, Lucina has encountered body shaming. The word “fat” traditionally carries a negative connotation, but Lucina responds to this by reclaiming the word. “People who aren’t necessarily fat go, ‘No, no, no, you’re not fat, you’re curvy,’” Lucina said. “I’m fat. It’s a fact. I’m not skinny. … I choose not to associate it with (negativity).” Juvy Lucina also experienced bullying in her early years. She believes that bullying may keep children growing into their own. Unlike Galius, Lucina sought out friendship during this time. “I was fat and just (had) very low self-esteem because I was fat and I was really kind of clingy with friends. … I had maybe one or two good friends and if they weren’t friends with me, I had no friends,” Lucina said. A 5-foot-9 freshman in high school, Danielle Zalopany struggled with confidence. “I’ve even gone through my ups and downs with weight, so ‘curvy’ used to (have) a negative connotation to me.” w Through sports and support from her friends, she www.leeward.hawaii.edu/kamanao 53
“If you love yourself, it emanates out.” learned to love her height, the strength of her legs and the length of her arms, but it took time for her to accept the shape of her body. With connections through her theatre involvement, Zalopany gained a new appreciation for her shape when one of her friends encouraged her to embrace her curves.
who you are. Own it. Represent the fat community. I took it as I’m waving a freaking flag for fat girls everywhere that you can go out there and wear heels and be in fishnets and do a sexy number. … You can go out there and you can perform.” Lucina learned that she did not have to change herself. She, instead, found the confidence to accept herself.
For Zalopany, participation in theatre was a major player in her journey to self-confidence. Shows like “A Dinosaur Play” and “Ghosts in the Plague Year” have taught her to tame her insecurities through the unflattering costumes in both productions. “The show is going to go on whether or not you’re comfortable. You have to find a way to suck it up and go. … It becomes so second nature because you’ve done it for so long that it carries over into your outside life,” Zalopany said.
Even people who are confident sometimes want to change things about themselves or their appearance. Lucina focuses on health and self-acceptance rather than fitting the mold.
Lucina also gained a lot of confidence from performing. She was in last year’s burlesque, “The Clockwork Cutie Revue.” Lucina watched a burlesque in class the year before she performed in “Clockwork,” and, at that time, she had no plans to take part in anything similar. “It’s not like I was judging them. It’s more like I could never imagine myself being up there … I was like, ‘I couldn’t wear that.’” The burlesque was a major turning point for Lucina, instilling confidence in her as a performer. Contrary to her expectations, the reception to her performance was largely positive. “It was just having confidence and surrounding myself with people who believe in me,” Lucina said. “You can’t lose 20 pounds suddenly. This is
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“I have an idea of what I want to look like,” Lucina said. “There’s nothing wrong with aspiring to be something, but you shouldn’t harm yourself getting there. … If you love yourself, it emanates out.” Galius also has experience with wanting to change himself. His mother told him that he should never change because of another person’s actions or opinions, to only change for himself.
tance instead. She believes beauty is subjective, that what is attractive to one person may not be the same as what another person might find beautiful. “Maybe you want to get somewhere physically that you’re not, but even if you’re not there yet, if you’re confident with what you’ve got, people are going to see past that,” Sipes said. Experiences of insecurity and low self-confidence can be worsened when people participate in bullying or body shaming. However, it is possible to move past these low points to achieve confidence and positivity. “If you really have to be there in that insecurity, allow yourself that for a moment, but don’t let yourself stay there because you only have one body,” Zalopany said. “You should love and appreciate it.”
“If you do it for yourself, then you ultimately win,” Galius said. “If you do it for someone else because they pissed you off or because they took you down into a dark circle, then you let them win because you’re pleasing them, you’re not pleasi n g yourself.” Like Lucina and Galius, Sipes believes that the focus should not be on adhering to conventional beauty standards but by on self-accep-
www.leeward.hawaii.edu/kamanao 55
Recipes
French Onion Soup Ingredients
Directions
Servings: Approximately 6 to 8 cups Start to finish: approx. 1 hour 50 minutes
In a large pot over medium-high heat, melt butter and layer onions, adding salt and pepper between layers.
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter • 6 pounds large yellow onions, julienned • 2 large shallots, finely chopped • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped • Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper • 1/2 cup white wine • ¼ cup apple cider vinegar • 2 sprigs fresh parsley, minced • 2 sprigs thyme, minced • 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth • Loaf of french bread or baguette, 1/4”-thick slices, toasted • 8 ounces Gruyère cheese, shredded • parsley for garnish, minced
Let onions cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon to prevent burning the bottom. If browning occurs at the base of the pot, be sure to stir and scrape it from the bottom before it burns. Cook onions until they are completely caramelized.
Actual Factual In the 18th century of France, chefs began putting toasted seasoned bread and melted cheese on French onion soup. The best cheese for French onion soup is gruyere because it is nutty, flavorful and it melts well.
When onions are caramelized, add the white wine, apple cider vinegar, broth, thyme and parsley . Increase heat and bring to boil. Reduce heat and let simmer for approximately 45 minutes or until reduced and flavorful. Stir occasionally. In an oven-safe bowl or ramekin, ladle in soup and top with toast and cheese. Leave enough room to prevent overflowing and spillage. Place bowls on a sheet pan and heat under broiler until cheese is golden brown. Garnish with minced parsley. Serve immediately.
by Coe Snyder photos by Marcel Saragena
Truffles Ingredients Active time: 1 hour Total time: approx. 13 hours Servings: 35-50 pieces • 12 ounces of quality (60% cocoa) or white chocolate, roughly chopped • 1 cup heavy cream • 4 ounces unsalted butter • ¼ cup liqueur like Kahlua, rum, cognac, or Grand Marnier (optional)
Directions Bring the cream to a boil and immediately remove from heat. Pour the heated cream over the chocolate in the mixing bowl and let sit approximately 30 seconds without disturbing. With a rubber spatula, stir the the cream chocolate together until it is smooth and completely incorporated. Cover in plastic wrap and let sit 8 to 12 hours at room temperature to allow the flavors to develop and the mixture to set.
Actual Factual
Let the butter reach room temperature and whip it with a whisk to incorporate air and make it light.
If the ingredients are not of a particularly high quality they do not melt in the mouth and leave a craving for another bite. Instead, they leave a film on the teeth. Chocolate truffles need at least 10% butter to enable it to melt on the tongue. More butter can be used for a richer taste.
Using the spatula, fold the butter into the chocolate until smooth, glossy and thoroughly combined. If alcohol is being used, slowly add it to the mixture, stirring constantly as you gradually add the alcohol. Place in refrigerator until firm. Using a melon baller or teaspoon, scoop the chocolate into balls. If the chocolate is too stiff, heat briefly in microwave or over simmering water. Roll the truffles by hand. Coat in tempered or melted chocolate. Let the excess chocolate drip off the truffles. Roll in cocoa powder, chopped nuts, sprinkles, or any other desired toppings. Let sit for 30 seconds before removing to allow the chocolate and toppings to set. Store at a cool temperature. Uncoated truffles should be refrigerated and eaten within 3 days. Coated truffles should be eaten within 2 weeks.
by Coe Snyder photos by Marcel Saragena
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www.leeward.hawaii.edu/kamanao 57
Ka Mana‘o IS...
Staff
the student publication of Leeward Community College. It is published quarterly, funded by student fees and advertising, and administered by the Board of Student Communications. Editorial content reflects views only of staff. Ka Mana’o welcomes students interested in being staff members, as well as submissions of creative works. Ka
Mana’o reserves the right to edit for length and content, and publication is not guaranteed. All content published in Ka Mana’o and its website may not be reprinted or republished in any form without permission. Copies of Ka Mana’o are available at newsstands throughout campus. Copyright 2015 Board of Student Communications
Adviser
Writers
Stanley Lee
Editor-in-Chief Tyla Smith
Associate Editors Chance Nakazato Nate Jaramillo
Features Editor Ryan Sims
Layout Editor Jasmine Bautista
Photo Editors Marcel Saragena Melany McAngus
Echo Canaday Alex Sabalburo Coe Snyder Gerick-Cj Banga Jericho Juan Kaitlyn Lankford
Photographers August Haraguchi Vito Higa Sarah Sniffen Almendro Fernandez
Designers
Joel Gaspar Ryan Nash Michelle Beugelsdyk Megan Ridings
Illustrators Russell Tolentino Kaeli Giron Trina Sisomvang
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www.leeward.hawaii.edu/kamanao 59
Your teaching career path happens to go right through town. Your next big move could be right here in Hawaii. At University of Phoenix, we shape our curriculum around the skills employers are actively seeking, so your studies can prepare you for a brighter future. Get started at our local campus and see how far you can go.
Visit phoenix.edu/hawaii or call us at 808.536.2686
University of Phoenix is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (http://hlcommission.org). For more information about University of Phoenix accreditations and licensures, please visit http://www.phoenix.edu/about_us/accreditation.html. The University’s Central Administration is located at 1625 W. Fountainhead Pkwy., Tempe, AZ 85282. Online Campus: 3157 E. Elwood St., Phoenix, AZ 85034. College credit granted by University of Phoenix. Transferability of credit is at the discretion of the receiving institution. It is the student’s responsibility to confirm whether or not credits earned at University of Phoenix will be accepted by another institution of the student’s choice. © 2015 University of Phoenix, Inc. All rights reserved. | COE-4689
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