Feminist Forum Magazine Winter 2017: Women's Resource Center

Welcome to the Feminist Forum

COMING UP NEXT SEMESTER!

CONT 21

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DIRECTOR’S DESK 1

The Feminist Call Patricia Boyett

EQUALITY 9

The F-Word: What Does “Feminism” Even Mean?

Kiera Reeves & Challen Palmer

11 On Being Latinx: Diversity Under One Identity Michelle Estrada & Serena Hill

13 Feminism is for All of Us: Gender Fluidity in the Fourth Wave Trent Dardar

14 Why I Am a Feminist Mike Natale

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15 Dear My Haitian Mother, Marie Laure, and My Other

Feminist Teachers

Marjunique Louis

16 My Struggles as a Lesbian Feminist Ciara Rizzo

17 On the Spaces We Create Ourselves Rula Thabata

18 Loyola Men Tell Us Why They Are Feminists Emmaline Bouchillon

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EDUCATION 21 Loyola’s Feminist Foremothers, Part I: The Struggle To

Create Women’s Programs & Centers, 1975-1991

Grace Riddick

24 Women and Workplace Negotiations Hadori Bukle

25 Women in STEM: the Biases We Must Overcome Sarah Donaldson

28 Her Stories: A Feminist Book club Tess Rowland

29 Spillin’ The LGBTea Trent Dardar

30 Feminism in Music: Girl Groups

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Hannah Castillo & Victoria Williams

ENTS 31 Difret: Self-Defense or Murder?

Lauryn Langford

33 From Mother Nature Serena Hill

Limits

Deniz Sidi

34 I Am a Woman Ngan Nguyen

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35 Boys & Buying Liz Johnston

EMPOWERMENT 37 Exploring the Women’s March on Washington &

Sister Marches

38 Feminism in the Fourth Wave 40 A Jazz Funeral for Lady Liberty Particia Boyett

41 In Search of Intersectional Feminism: Loyola

Students & the Women’s March on New Orleans

Rachel Rivas

43 Why I Marched

Courtnie Praither

45 WRC Staff interview Prof. Rae Taylor

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47 Nasty Women: Generations of Feminists Dylan Walker

48 Profiles of Outstanding Feminists 60 Our Year in Review 67 Join the Conversation 70 Sources

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REFLECTIONS FROM THE DIRECTOR’S DESK

THE FEMINIST CALL Patricia Boyett

All my life I have felt the feminist call, though as a child I did not know how to name it. I understood that girls and women had equal value in this world even though they were not treated as equals. As I grew into a woman and learned of the gender binaries and of the connections between bigotry, racism, and sexism in the world, the call strengthened for me in intensity and breadth. In these recent years as America has experienced great journeys forward only to confront backlashes, the call of the rising fourth-wave movement digs deep into my bones, settles into a force in my mind, and revitalizes my spirit. That call has inspired me and my student staff at the Women’s Resource Center at Loyola University New Orleans to develop the Feminist Forum, a magazine designed to open a dialogue about feminism and to join forces with the rising fourth-wave movement in America. We navigate the roads paved for us by centuries of feminists ever grateful for their triumphs.

Nearly a quarter century ago, Rebecca Walker called on women to rise in a third-wave feminist movement. The Senate had just confirmed Clarence Thomas’s appointment to the Supreme Court despite allegations by Anita Hill that he had sexually harassed her. In her 1992 essay in Ms. Magazine, Walker asserted: “Let Thomas’ confirmation serve to remind you, as it did me, that the fight is far from over.

Let this dismissal of a woman’s experience move you to anger. Turn that outrage into political power. Do not vote for them unless they work for us. Do not have sex with them, do not break bread with them, do not nurture them if they don’t prioritize our freedom to control our bodies and our lives.” In her closing, she declared. “I am not a postfeminism feminist. I am the Third Wave.”

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Many feminists answered the call to join the third-wave, and yet nearly a quarter century later, the fight remains far from over. In the years following Anita Hill’s testimony, sexual harassment and abuse scandals swirled around President Bill Clinton; his lies about his sexual relationship with White House intern Monica Lewinsky led to his impeachment. But because President Clinton tended to support a feminist agenda, because First Lady Hillary Clinton campaigned for women’s rights, and because feminists feared that anti-feminist leaders would launch a political takeover and roll back gains for women, the feminist outcry against the President was muted.

Some two decades later, in October 2016, Maureen Dowd, a columnist for The New York Times, expressed her disappointment to Katie Couric on Yahoo News that the First Lady, along with other prominent feminists, supported her husband and condemned Lewinsky as well as women who had accused him of sexual harassment, including Jennifer Flowers and Paula Jones. Although Lewinsky insisted at the time and in her 2014 piece, “Shame and Survival” in Vanity Affair, that the relationship was consensual, the extreme power disparity between the leader of the free world and the intern certainly had an impact. Moreover, while President Clinton survived the impeachment, his mistreatment of his wife and his mistress, and accusations of harassment rather unscathed, many Americans of both parties branded Lewinsky with a figurative scarlet letter that perhaps only recently has begun to fade. Dowd argued that in the wake of the Clinton ordeal, “Feminism sort of died in that period.”

Feminism survived, but many feminists coming of age in that era, including me, felt betrayed by President Clin-

ton and by the pervasiveness of hypocrisy and gender oppression in Washington D.C. Later, stories broke that while the Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich led the impeachment process and condemned Clinton as immoral, he was having an affair with one of his staffers, which he admitted in March 2007 during an interview on ABC News. And then in 1999, a story broke in a Dateline NBC Interview that Juanita Brodderick had accused Bill Clinton of raping her in 1978. Clinton’s lawyers denied the accusation. Mistreatment, harassment, sexual abuse, and other forms of gender violence perpetrated by persons across the political spectrum continued in the 1990s. And the alienation of Anita Hill and Clinton’s accusers persisted.

All the while, many of us struggled to sustain an openness in which we could support women who chose to express themselves in various ways and pursue a variety of lifestyles.

We could wear stiletto heels or Birkenstocks; we could be modest or embrace our sexuality; we could be stay-at-home moms, working moms, single moms, married moms, or never become moms at all. And feminism struggled toward intersectionality. We achieved some changes, but we made our own mistakes. We also faced backlashes from anti-feminists like Rush Limbaugh who sought to turn feminism into a dirty word by calling us feminazis, a ridiculous misnomer considering we were fighting for the equality and justice of all people. Progress moved slowly.

But feminism persisted too. Significant feminist scholars and activists advanced the public’s understanding of the multiple oppressions women of color face. Kimberlė Crenshaw proved particularly influential with her seminal works on “intersectionality,” a term she coined in the 1980s to explain the struggle. Moreover, as a lawyer on the defense team for Anita Hill, as one of the founders of Critical Race Theory, and as a devoted activist and scholar, Crenshaw helped lay the foundations for intersectional feminism that guided us third-wave feminists to struggle toward full inclusivity of all woman. In addition, we embraced a broadened ideological perspective of feminism. As Claire Synder demonstrates in “What is Third Wave Feminism?” published in Signs in 2008, third-wave feminists developed a “multiperspectival,” “multivocal,” “intersectional,” and “an inclusive nonjudgmental approach that refuses to police the boundaries of the feminist political.” Third-wave feminists sought “coalition” over complete “unity” of thought.

In our contemporary era, despite extraordinary victories in the previous three waves of feminism, gender inequity endures. Men control political, financial, and cultural power centers, despite women’s population numbers and educational attainment. According to the Center for American Progress’s The Women’s Leadership Gap report in 2017, women are 50.8% of the U.S. population, earn nearly 60% of all undergraduate and master degrees, 47% of law degrees, and 48% of medical degrees; they represent 49% of the college educated workforce and 47% of the labor workforce. However, they represent only 6% of CEOs, 19% of the US Congress, 31% full professors, 17% college presidents, 16% of medical school deans, and 18% of equity and law partners. Women also lack power in Hollywood.

In the top-grossing American-made films in 2016, women comprised only 17% of directors, producers, editors, and cinematographers. Moreover, women of color represent a fraction of these percentages. Finally, as the American Association of University Women’s 2016 The Simple Truth About the Gender Pay Gap reports, unequal pay for equal work also persists, particularly for women of color.

Determined to dismantle the patriarchal power structure, many of us struggled to change the system from within the ranks. To that end, we pursued higher degrees, increased our numbers in powerful positions in the workforce, and struggled to break glass ceilings. And some of us pursued fields that would allow us to advance gender equality through various avenues, including the law, social work, scholarship, art, music, literature, film, media, and politics. Some of us dared to call out harassment in our workplaces; some launched gender discrimination lawsuits; some marched in the occasional protest; some fought for greater attention and funding for diseases that predominantly affect women like breast cancer; and many continued to work in the trenches in various ways for gender equity.

Some men seek to justify the underrepresentation of women by perpetuating myths of the intellectual inferiority of women. For example, a software engineer at Google, circulated an internal memo this past July in which he contended that men are superior in tech fields because he claimed males are more rational and emotionally stable. After the memo went viral, Google fired him. However, public condescension of women’s abilities to succeed in male-dominated fields continued. In early October, North Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton stated that he found it “funny” when a “female” sports reporter, Jourdan Rodrigue of the Charlotte Observer, asked him about passing routes

A WRC Panel on Fourth Wave Feminism: Intersectional, Intergenerational and Inclusive

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during the press conference. Recently, actor Alec Baldwin confessed to Mike Miller in an interview for People that he had “treated women in a very sexist way. . . . I’ve bullied women. I’ve overlooked women. I’ve underestimated women. Not as a rule [but] from time to time, I’ve done what a lot of men do . . . you don’t treat women the same way as you do men.” Baldwin insisted that he would like to change the way he treats women. Nevertheless, he reveals the depths of sexism that has persisted.

Women not only confront consistent discrimination in the workplace, they also face many forms of sexualized oppression in all facets of their lives. Stories broke in the decades following the Anita Hill case about political leaders, high school, college, and professional athletes, actors, rock stars, and business moguls sexually harassing women in the workforce, abusing their partners, and raping women. Few of them faced punishment. As Jezebel reported, over a twenty-year period, Charlie Sheen has been accused of beating several women and pled guilty to third-degree domestic violence charges after he held a knife to his wife’s throat and threatened to kill her. Despite the severity of his crimes, instead of prison, he was sent to an out-patient rehab program in Malibu. When an elevator camera caught on tape images of Baltimore Ravens football player, Ray Rice, punching his fiancé, Janay Palmer, so hard that he knocked her to the ground, the NFL responded with the #NOMore campaign. But more happened.

Gender violence, in the contemporary era, persists in every part of our nation as apparent in the shocking rates of sexual assaults, intimate partner abuse and homicides, and brutal and murderous attacks of transgender persons. Homophobia spurred a mass shooting in the Pulse nightclub in Orlando that left forty-nine people dead. Police brutality against women of color continues as well-documented by the African American Policy Forum’s #SayHerName movement founded by Kimberlé Crenshaw and Luke Harris. Injustices persists in sexual violence cases as the 2016 case of Brock Turner revealed: even after a jury convicted Turner of three felony accounts of sexual assault that included sexual penetration of an unconscious person, the judge only sentenced him to six months in prison.

According to RAINN’s analysis of the Department of Justice statistics, an average of 1 in 6 women and 1 in 33 men are victims of rape or attempted rape. And yet, only a fraction of accused rapists serve time in prison. Turner did not even serve his six months. He was released after three for good behavior.

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Hope springs, however, from the rising and persistent calls for justice. A decade ago, an African American woman, Tarana Burke, started a non-profit, Just Be Inc., to help survivors of sexual harassment and assault and initiated a movement that she coined “Me Too.” As The New York Times journalist Sandra E. Garcia reported, Burke labored in the trenches as she sought to give a voice to survivors, particularly survivors of color who are most often ignored.

In 2017, a series of events collided to catapult her Me Too movement to the forefront of America’s conscience.

2017 opened with the Women’s March on Washington where the ubiquitous pussy hat became a symbol of resistance against the inauguration of a president who had boasted about assaulting women. And then came a series of public denunciations of sexual abuse and harassment. In April of 2017, Fox News fired Bill O’Reilly, who had faced multiple allegations of sexual harassment and abuse for years and paid millions in settlements. Fox CEO and founder Roger Ailes resigned in July after Gretchen Carlson’s sexual harassment lawsuit against him became public.

After Uber engineer Susan Fowler exposed publicly that the human resources department ignored her complaints of sexual harassment and gender discrimination, which included a superior trying to have sexual relations with her, the company responded with an external investigation; by

June, CNN Tech reported that Uber fired 20 employees after the audit revealed 215 complaints that included “sexual harassment, discrimination, and bullying.” Allegations of sexual abuse against Bill Cosby in October 2014 and Harvey Weinstein in October 2017 led to a trial in Cosby’s case in 2017 that ended in a mistrial and have instigated investigations of Weinstein.

Once Jodi Cantor and Megan Twohey broke the Weinstein story in The New York Times, which included allegations of rape, the floodgates opened. Women leveled allegations of sexual harassment against a host of celebrities like Louis C. K., media personalities like Charlie Rose and Matt Lauer, and a celebrity chef John Besh in New Orleans. While the accusations mounted, actress Alyssa Milano called on women to use the tag #MeToo on social media to show the pervasiveness of sexual abuse that women confront. The

response proved massive as women across the nation and the world used the hashtag to share their stories. But Milano received criticism for failing to credit Tarana Burke’s movement. According to The New York Times piece by Garcia, Milano responded immediately that she had been unaware of Burke’s movement, apologized, and reached out to Burke. The #MeToo movement continues to flourish as Burke contended that the movement is “bigger than me and bigger than Alyssa Milano. . . . This is about survivors.” Men also spoke out about sexual harassment and sexual assault that they have suffered, which included allegations by men against actor Kevin Spacey.

The pervasiveness of sexual abuse has a long history and touches many industries. The EEOC’s Select Task Force on

the Study of Harassment in the Workforce (2016) found that roughly 30,000 out of the 90,000 workplace complaints in the 2015 fiscal year involved sexual harassment. Sexual abuse is often the most harmful in industries in which it receives the least attention. A nationwide survey conducted by Hart Research Associates in 2016 revealed that 40% of women in the fast food industry reported experiencing sexual harassment. The wave of publicity with the #MeToo movement has shed some light on this report, but it has become one among many. #MeToo has also exposed sexual abuse in higher education. The Chronicle of Higher Education reported in November that since the Weinstein scandal, “at least a half-dozen allegations against male faculty members have come to light or received renewed attention” that have spanned the gamut from sexual harassment to rape. And then #MeToo reached the top echelons of power. Again.

Capitol Hill, according to a recent article in The New York Times by Yamiche Alcindor and Katie Rogers, is a hotbed of “sexual aggression.” In the over 50 interviews the journalists conducted with lobbyists, lawyers, and former and current staffers, one common theme emerged: in the Washington D.C. political scene, “sexual harassment . . . is an occupational hazard.” Narratives included a congressman grabbing a woman’s behind; a political donor groping women; and a senior staffer trying to pull open a woman’s wrapped dress. In November and December, the #MeToo Movement swept into the political arena.

In mid-November, radio newscaster Leean Tweeden claimed that during a USO tour in 2006, two years before Al Franken became a senator, he forced her to kiss him during a performance rehearsal. She also produced a photograph that shows Franken groping her over her flak jacket while she slept on the flight home. Franken responded that he remembered the kissing incident differently, but he apologized about the photograph and requested that the Senate Ethics Committee investigate him. Over the next few weeks, more women accused Franken of harassment ranging from groping to forcible kissing. On December 7, The Washington Post reported that Senator Kirsten Gillibrand called on Franken to resign, stating: “We need to draw a line in the sand and say none of its okay.” Nearly two-thirds of Democrats, including Minority Leader Chuck Schumer followed Gillibrand’s lead. On December 7, Franken resigned.

Another Democrat is also facing accusations. On November 20, Buzzfeed broke a story soon picked up by New York Magazine and Politico, which revealed a woman had accused Democratic Congressman John Conyers in 2014 of repeatedly making sexual advances toward her and firing her after she refused to “succumb to [his] sexual advances.” In 2014, she reported her complaint to Congress’s Office of Compliance. Several other staffers signed affidavits stating they had witnessed Conyers harassing women. After she filed the report, the complainant stated that she was “blackballed” in the political scene. Consequently, in 2015, she decided that she had no choice but to accept $27,111.75 settlement in which Conyers would not admit guilt and she would remain silent. Several other woman have since come forward. Conyers denies all of the allegations. On November 30, the first complainant, Marion Brown, verified her account on the Today’s Show: “It was sexual harassment, violating my body, propositioning me . . . He invited me to his hotel room and he had undressed down to his underwear. . . . He pointed to his genitals and asked me to touch it. . . . I did tell him that I did not want to do that.” When Savannah Gutherie asked her why she stayed working with him for eleven years, she responded that she loved the work she did “serving the people.” In addition, she was a single mother raising four children: “I needed income so . . . I endured it.” On December 5, after pressure from Democratic leaders, Conyers resigned.

Meanwhile, the Washington Post broke a massive story of allegations against Roy Moore, the former Alabama Supreme Court Justice, running on the Republican ticket to

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fill Jeff Sessions’s seat in the US Senate. In the November 9 article, Stephanie McCrummen, Beth Reinhard, and Alice Crites reported that in 1979, when Moore was a 32-year-old district attorney in Gadsen, Alabama, he allegedly had sexually molested a 14-year-old girl, Leigh Corfman. Three other women alleged that Moore had tried to date them while they were teenagers. Further reporting by Jess Bigwood, Richard Faussett, and Campbell Robertson in The New York Times found a variety of witnesses, including a police officer who claimed that during that time, a mall in Gadsen had banned Judge Moore because he often trolled the mall to seduce teenage girls. Judge Moore vehemently denied the allegations and blamed it on a liberal conspiracy to deny him the Senate seat.

Initially, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and a host of Republicans declared that they believed Moore’s accusers and would seek to block him from taking his seat in the Senate should he win the election. McConnell and other Republicans also sought to back a write-in-candidate to prevent Moore from becoming a senator. President Trump refused to back McConnell’s strategy. On December 3, McConnell receded from his stance against Moore and asserted to George Stephanopoulos on ABC’s This Week that Alabamians must decide this race. The Republican National Committee began funding Moore’s campaign again.

Some Republicans continue to oppose the seating of Moore should he win. Senator Jeff Flake even dared to endorse Moore’s Democratic opponent Doug Jones. Flake tweeted a picture of a $100 check that he sent to Jones’s campaign with a notation in the memo box: “Country over Party.” In great contrast to Flake, Trump tweeted his endorsement of Judge Moore.

Speaking out is never easy, particularly against the powerful. The EEOC study found that 3 out of 4 persons experiencing harassment in 2015 never informed a supervisor because they feared disbelief, inaction, and/or retaliation.

Kate Harding’s Asking For It: The Alarming Rise of Rape Culture clearly demonstrates that victims of sexual assault fear to come forward as society often supports the accused over the survivor. Senior Editor at the Daily Beast Erin Gloria Ryan expressed in an editorial another fear that many women harbor: liars. She cautions that one “opportunist” could leave us trapped in a “world where men are the arbiters of morality, and if women aren’t lying, they must have been asking for it.”

Certainly, if we wish to sustain a representative democracy, victims and the accused must have the right to due process in their work places and in the courts. In addition, we must think critically when electing political officials. In a recent editorial in The New York Times, Bari Weiss points out that we cannot discount the possibility that someone could lie and that some people have lied; she cites the false report about the Duke lacrosse team; she also points out the alleged failed attempt by Project Veritas to peddle a false story to the Washington Post in hopes that the newspaper would print it and thus invalidate the credible accounts against Roy Moore. A lie today, she worries, would jeopardize the #MeToo movement.

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Of course, we must also prevent the swinging of the pendulum back to the patriarchal stranglehold in which victims are nearly always disbelieved and dismissed.

Consequently, it is also vital to acknowledge the research that shows that false reports are rare. According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, approximately 63 percent of sexual assaults are never reported, and false reporting falls between 2 and 10 percent. In an article in Quartz, Sandra Newman revealed that a false report rarely leads to an arrest. Moreover, Ken Armstrong and T. Christian Miller reported in The New York Times several stories in which police charged and prosecuted women for false reporting when later evidence revealed that they had been raped. The research suggests that false accusations are rare, and few false reports lead to charges, whereas unreported rapes are common, and even reported rapes rarely result in justice for the survivor.

Most women understand the difficult power dynamics designed to silence or dismiss us. After all, we witnessed Donald J. Trump, who boasted on a Hollywood Access taping that his wealth and fame allowed him to do anything he wished to women, including “grab them by the pussy,” win the presidency over Hillary Clinton. During the last presidential debate and via television appearances, Trump tried to deflect the negative publicity by focusing on Bill Clinton’s old sex scandals and Hillary Clinton’s support of her husband. However, over a dozen women had also accused Trump of harassment and sexual assault as reported by a variety of journalists, including Jia Tolentino’s article in The New Yorker on November 9. Trump denied all such allegations and claimed that his boasting was “just locker room talk,” a sentiment repeated by many of his supporters.

But as we have seen too often, it is not just talk. And even the talk perpetuates a sexist rape culture that teaches generation after generation to devalue and objectify girls and women. We still live and move in a patriarchal world. Certainly, many men are our allies and collaborating feminists. However, as demonstrated by all of the aforementioned studies, the outpouring of allegations, and the persistent disparaging of women’s abilities, women routinely face men who perceive women as either inferior beings whom they must dominate or as threatening menaces to their privilege whom they must disempower.

To prevent our disempowerment in the rising tide of the #MeToo Movement, we must not allow hyper-partisanship to silence victims and excuse predators. Harassers, rapists, and pedophiles span the political gamut and so do the survivors. Only when we refuse to tolerate sexual abuse and harassment from all persons and against all persons, might we diminish it. We must expect all of our leaders to foster environments free of sexual harassment and assault. And we must invite into the conversation persons who want to change the tide. It must include cis and trans women and gender non-conforming persons. It must include men who have long been our allies as well as men who have been bystanders who are suddenly realizing their privilege and their participation in patriarchal culture who want to change. It must also include women who have

internalized patriarchy and accepted and/or perpetuated sexism who are now awakening to their own oppression. It must include all of us who seek to eradicate sexist culture.

In addition, we must work against the historical racial divides within the feminist movement. For example, some white women throughout history and in the present focus solely on the advancement of white women and refuse to consider the intersectional struggle women of marginalized populations face. They are also often ignorant that women of color, from the pre-colonial age to the present, have stood at the forefront of feminism in America. Iconic feminist, Audre Lorde, articulated that women’s liberation depends on the unity of all women when she stated in 1961 at the National Women’s Studies Association Conference in Connecticut, “I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own. And I am not free as long as one person of Color remains chained.

Nor is anyone of you.”

Regrettably, some white women openly embrace the white supremacist patriarchal worldview rooted in our nation’s history and perpetuated in the most blatant forms by the white nationalist movements. Elle Reeve’s report in Vice’s episode, “Charlottesville: Race and Terror,” exposed the intricate relationship between patriarchy and prejudice. Chris Cantwell, host of Radical Agenda and one of the leaders of the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, told Reeves: “I am trying to make myself far more capable of violence. I am here to spread ideas, talk in the hopes that somebody more capable will come along and do that, somebody like Donald Trump, who does not give his daughter to a Jew. . . I am a lot more racist than Donald Trump. I don’t think you can feel about race the way I do and watch that Kushner bastard walk around with that beautiful girl.”

Clearly, Cantwell harbors anti-Semitic views; he considers Jewish people like Jared Kushner non-white and all nonwhites as inferior; he also insinuated that a man has the power to give his daughter to someone—that a woman cannot choose her life partner, and that all white woman belong to white Christian men. Such perspectives fuel the white supremacist male’s sense of entitlement and ownership and his rage when he perceives a loss of such power to men he seeks to oppress. But white male su premacist are only part of the problem. As Caroline Kitchner

New Orleans Takes Back the Night

reported in The Atlantic, white women also engage in the alt right/white nationalist movement, and most of them support traditional gender roles in which women belong in the domestic realm and men move in the public realm as breadwinners and protectors.

In my own reseach on race and gender, I have found that the protector role in the history of American white supremacy has taken on a militant manifestation in which white men justified the use of violence against persons of color to protect their women, and their women often supported such brutality. The Unite the Right rally reflected that reality as it became a hyper-masculine, racist, and hateful display of heavily armed white men and some white women marching the streets, shouting “Jews will not replace us,” “Our streets,” and the Nazi slogan “Blood and soil.” They clashed with anti-racist counter-protestors, which included 12 men brutally beating a black man, Deandre Harris, and a white nationalist allegedly purposefully plowing his vehicle into a crowd, injuring 19 people and killing a white woman, Heather Heyer.

President Trump failed to call the attacks terrorism, though he had been quick to do so when ISIS used the same modus operandi. Days later, during a press conference at Trump Tower, the President blamed both sides and asserted that some “very fine people” marched among the Klansmen and Nazis. David Duke, a former Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan in Louisiana, praised Trump’s response in a tweet. Many Americans critized Trump’s response.

Several Republicans sought to distance themselves from Trump’s words. Senator Orin Hatch tweeted: “My brother didn’t give his life fighting Hitler for Nazis to go unchallenged at home.”Yet few people could have been surprised

by Trump’s comments considering that he courted the alt right during the election and littered the campaign trail with bigoted and patriarchal rhetoric. The massive racial and gender backlash have made it obvious, had it not been obvious before: we still need feminism.

But we need intersectional feminism. And all of us must make engage in an internal journey in which we try to understand where we may have made missteps. We need to explore where we might have subconsciously normalized sexism, homophobia, transphobia, racism, prejudice or oppression in any form. We must examine where we might

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have embraced privilege knowingly or unknowingly and where we lost our way or our courage or our faith; and we must find new strength in our renewal and resilience. As we embrace intersectional feminism, we must look to the flourishing movements led by the brave and the bold.

Many groups across the nation have sounded the call for gender equality in recent years. Crenshaw and Harris launched #SayHerName; anti-rape activists instigated battles against the light sentencing of Brock Turner; LGBTQ+ groups initiated a variety of legal and direct-action struggles for equal rights in public and private spheres. And in the wake of the election of a man whose rhetoric signaled the rise of a mammoth sexist, racist, and bigoted backlash, many tides swelled toward each other and rose in a massive force with the Women’s March on Washington and its sister marches in all 50 states and on all 7 continents. And in this moment, tides are rising with the #MeToo movement that is exposing the culture of sexual harassment, abuse, and rape that persists in our nation.

All of these waves continue to rise as feminists organize, campaign, and protest and work toward creating a feminist culture that embraces gender equality.

With the Feminist Forum, my student staff and I rise with fourth-wave feminism. As a women’s center, our work focuses on uplifting, empowering, and equalizing women through the practice of intersectional feminism. We also understand that patriarchy intersects with prejudice to oppress men with marginalized identities as well as gender non-conforming persons, and we know that patriarchy even harms those who it privilidges. Only when all of us who believe in the equality of all people stand together, may we dismantle patriarchy. To that end, we stand in solidarity with all feminists and all freedom fighters. And we invite all allies and collaborators to join us in our struggle to build a more humane world. As we move forward through the complex maze of patriarchy, we are hopeful that our work will contribute to the modern movement and help guide

us toward a human landscape that values all persons of all genders equally.

In the path of the Ignatian mission at Loyola University New Orleans, our feminist community seeks to educate ourselves and others through critical analysis, endeavors to empower the oppressed through devotion to uplift and advocacy, and pursues equality through social justice. To broaden our imaginations of how to build the movement, we include articles, essays, and artistic expressions by our staff while also inviting all members of the Loyola community to join the conversation and to contribute to our magazine. Over time, we hope to expand our dialogue to include the larger feminist communities across the world. To cultivate feminist empowerment, we serve the movement as students, researchers, scholars, reporters, activists, advocates, allies, and collaborators in a nonviolent movement.

As we struggle toward equality, we work daily to contribute to the building of a feminist world where all of us escape the tangible and intangible cages of oppression, where we rise from the ashes after every battle like a phoenix, and where we soar to the heights of our dreams. We know that sometimes the obstacles will seem overwhelming and that we will sometimes clash in our efforts; but we are determined that when we falter, we will not grow weary; rather we will sustain our faith in our common purpose and find the courage to reach out and to rise again. As we rise, we carry with us our mission to embrace diversity, to practice intersectionality, to pursue education, to demand justice, to seek liberty, and to strive always toward gender equality.

Fourth-wave feminism has arrived, and we are answering the call.

Noelie Zeichik (left) and Tess Rowland (right) at Social Justice Movement

Elect Her Workshop - Running Start

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Feminist Fridays in the WRC

EQUALITY:

OUR FEMINIST JOURNEY

“COME CLOSER AND YOU WILL SEE: FEMINISM IS FOR EVERYBODY.” - bell hooks Art by Gabriella Hawkins

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FEMINIST WORLDS THE F-WORD:

WHAT DOES “FEMINISM” EVEN MEAN?

Kiera Reeves & Challen Palmer

Feminism is a huge concept; an umbrella term, encompassing hundreds of political and social issues. Defining it is difficult, overwhelming task. Personal, specified definitions of feminism are nuanced— like a political party or a religion, there are thousands of details to disagree upon within the movement.

Historian Claire Goldberg Moses explores the word feminism in her article, “What It’s a Name? On Writing The History of Feminism,” in Feminist Studies (Fall 2012).

The word, Moses notes, seems to have first emerged in the 1880s when French writers combined femme, the French term for women, with ism, the suffix that indicates political perspective.

However, the meaning of words change as people using them change. What does feminism mean today? Let’s start with some basic parameters.

Being “feminist” simply means that you hold the very basic belief that all genders are equal. Any definition of feminism revolves around the principle that gender should not limit a person. Feminism embraces the fact that all people are entitled to the same levels of freedom and liberty and justice, regardless of their gender. Though it may seem obvious, feminism, by its nature, extends this belief of equality to all people, and does not discriminate based on sexual orientation, identification, skin color, ethnicity, religion, culture, class, or lifestyle.

So, feminism is not about “women versus men” or “hating men” like many people seem to think. Feminism is actually not

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about men at all; it’s about a much larger idea of equality including all genders. Feminism is about allowing everyone the same quality of life, regardless of what parts they have, the color or size they are, or the culture in which they were born. Feminists — and all people who believe in civil equality— are dedicated to fighting the ignorance that claims that people are controlled by and limited to their anatomy. Just because biological sex designates our bodies certain reproductive functions, those biological elements should not dictate a person’s capabilities or rights.

Feminism is vaguely defined, which leaves room for disagreements and changing beliefs. For example, the word “equality” is easy to say but much harder to actually apply to the real world. And a lot of times, we can disagree on how the nuances of “equality” should work. So we asked some students at Loyola: What does feminism mean to you? All of their definitions fall within the guidelines above and agree on those basic points.

While reading these definitions, keep in mind your own thoughts on feminism, and, should you disagree with something printed (or strongly agree, who knows?), write the editor a letter!

Dialogue is key to progress in this movement...

LOYOLA STUDENTS TELL US

WHAT FEMINISM MEANS TO THEM Joann, Freshman, Biology

Julian, Freshman, Jazz Studies Kaylie, Freshman, English Literature

Chantè, Junior, Political Science Elyse, Senior, Psychology

Pablo, Junior, English Joseph, Junior, Music Industry

“Basically, [it means] having to fight against a double standard. I don’t think that women should have to hold up to a certain standard or a certain painted picture of themselves where they can’t do the same things men do or that they can’t have the same opportunities men have. It means fighting for the rights for women.”

“A woman’s view on what she believes to be right or wrong.”

“I think that the word has a lot of different meanings in individual context depending on who you’re talking to. But, I think that feminism as a broad [subject] is something that I definitely support. It basically just means advocacy and equality for women who are disadvantaged around the world. However, I think that a lot of people are scared of the word because it kind of takes on different meanings in different subcultures (internet subcultures or certain very liberal college campuses). I think that . . . feminism is kind of a ‘bad word’ for a lot of people because they hear from certain people about feminism and the people who are ‘advocating’ for feminism are not actually feminists; they are just people who are using this movement to advance themselves and . . . that’s why the word itself gets a bad name. I think that feminism, to me, means equality for women everywhere, not just advocacy for myself and my issues but women who are being mutilated in Africa or shot in the head for advocating for women to read books and women everywhere, because feminism does mean women everywhere. . . . A lot of people don’t get that, and I think that some people take that and use it for themselves. I think that feminism, as a whole, is a big deal and should be regarded as such.”

“To me, feminism just means that everyone deserves an equal chance.”

“Feminism means [believing] in the equality of genders. I think that is the true, simplest definition and that people try to assign other definitions to the word that just aren’t the case. I think feminism is simply believing in equal treatment and equal rights for all genders.”

“Equality among genders.”

“I believe that it is the equality and justice for all genders. To be more specific, I believe that it strives to balance the imbalances that are going on.”

WE NOW ASK YOU What is your definition? What is your experience with feminism? Compose an essay or a letter to the editor, and we just might include it in our “Feminist Worlds” section. We hope to hear from you to include your voice in this Feminist Forum. Submit to wrc@loyno.edu.

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WE ARE FOURTH-WAVE FEMINISM

ON BEING LATINX: Michelle Estrada

His·pan·ic Hispanic/ adjective 1. of or relating to the people, speech, or culture of Spain or of Spain and Portugal. noun 2. of, relating to, or being a person of Latin American descent living in the U.S.; especially : one of Cuban, Mexican, or Puerto Rican origin Mes·ti·za Məˈstēzə/ noun 1. (In Latin America) a woman of mixed blood; specifically : a person of mixed European and American Indian ancestry La·ti·no ləˈtēnō/ adjective 1. a native or inhabitant of Latin America 2. a person of Latin American origin living in the U.S.

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Spicy! Exotic! Adjectives we Latina and Hispanic women do not want to hear.

We are not some kind of dish, or sample platter that you can get a tasting of to see if you like.

Every Latinx is different. We are not the same. And we are not white. Growing up, I was judged because I didn’t have that thick Mexican accent my parents have when they attempt to speak English. The many times hearing, “You sound white,” makes me feel as if I am not entitled to speak the language of the land I grew up on. Or the occasional, “Oh, Michelle, you have a white name.”

I do, but no, I am not white. Though the melanin of my skin isn’t as pigmented as that of my ancestors, the only reason my skin is light is because of the Spanish who colonized the areas that we now know as Hispanic territories or countries, but I am not white. The now native tongue to these Hispanic places is Spanish, but once upon a time we spoke our own languages. They themselves were beautiful, exotic, and are now mostly dead.

I tell you that I am not white. That itself is true. But I will tell you what I am: I am Mexican-Guatemalan American, descendant of Aztec and Mayan culture as it still runs in my blood. Yo soy mestiza. My indigenous eyes mean something to me, but what others see is that I look different from what I’m “supposed to.”

Like I said, not all Latinos are the same. We are not all just one category. And though I myself am Mexican, not everyone is. Latina women are always compared to celebrities like J.Lo, Sofia Vergara, Salma Hayek, Shakira, but we are not the same. Every person is built differently.

Latinas are expected to have beautiful curves or, to be blunt, an ass, but also tan, pigmented skin, thick beautiful brows, long, dark, flowing hair, and an accent that makes your heart melt.

I grew up in the greater Los Angeles area. A small town called La Puente. The name itself will indicate the type of area it was. I didn’t see myself as a person of color. I knew I wasn’t white but with the diversity I experienced, I never had to think twice about my race.

DIVERSITY UNDER ONE IDENTITY Serena Hill

I have never visited the city where my Abuela grew up. I am not Cuban.

I speak Spanish with my family and my customs reflect a culture that has been handed down for generations. I am not American.

As a Cuban-American woman, I am caught between two worlds. My entire life has been a journey in finding where my identity lies. I have always felt this pressure to conform to the standards presented by one side or the other. I am neither.

Michelle Estrada

The problem is that I don’t fit into either category well enough to accommodate to whatever box society wishes to prescribe to me. How many times have I felt like I am intruding on a space that I don’t belong to because of my mixed identity? Am I fit to represent either group? After all, these two groups have never fully represented me.

This constant pull has made me feel excluded from both groups. I’m not white enough for the white kids, but I’m also not Cuban enough to feel totally accepted by the kids who can tell from the way that I speak that Spanish is not my first language.

Serena Hill

One thing that I have realized is that the boxes don’t matter. In fact, the boxes are useless. They were created by a system that was meant to keep Latinos and Americans separated. These boxes are the reason that my identity needs a hyphen to be considered valid. The hyphen represents something for me that neither group will ever understand: the idea that the two portions of my identity will never work in conjunction because they are just too different.

But are they really?

It is obvious to me that my existence defies the very constructs that I have attempted to conform to. My identity should not be a source of confusion. It should serve as a rock for me. My attitude has changed from, “I am neither,” to, “I am both.” I am deeply connected to both sides of myself, and that is remarkable. I am Cuban and American and everything in between. The two sides of my identity do not need to fight with each other so that one is victorious; they dance with each other in perfect synchronization.

Drawing by Serena Hill

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FEMINISM IS FOR ALL OF US: GENDER FLUIDITY IN THE FOURTH WAVE Trent Dardar

Until two years ago, I did not understand the purpose of feminism. I had heard the word feminism, but I wrongfully assumed it was a movement solely for women.

I never thought to look into the matter any further. Today, I write this as a proud, gender-fluid feminist who understands that the Feminist Movement today is intersectional—for the benefit of all genders, races, bodies, and sexual orientations. I want to live in a world where I can safely explore my gender identity, and feminism provides the means for this sort of world to exist.

During the beginning of my feminist journey, I got many strange looks from people when I would tell them that I was a feminist. The first thing people would ask is, “Why are you a feminist? Isn’t that for women?” At the time the concept of feminism was still very new to me. Though time and education, I have become better equipped to answer those questions when they arise. Feminism is for me. Feminism is for us. Not only am I marginalized because of my sexual orientation, but also because some people view my gender expression as deviant. Each person has multiple facets of their identity that make up who they are. Since feminism is open to everyone, it makes the movement better to face the collective injustices of our time.

Despite the many misconceptions surrounding the feminist movement, it’s a movement I believe has the versatility to adapt to where the movement is needed. Now feminism stands for more than women’s rights, and because of feminism’s intersectional approach, I am a proud feminist.

Credit Photo: Tanner Abel

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WHY I AM A FEMINIST Mike Natale

The two strongest people in my life are my mother and my grandmother. For as long as I can remember my mother has been working either two or three jobs in order to make sure that my sister and I lived comfortably without worry. Until I went to high school, my mother, sister, and I lived with my grandparents.

When I was in middle school, my mother had finally saved up enough money to buy us our own house so we could move out. This house was far from perfect and needed many renovations. After coming home from a work day between eight and twelve hours, my mother would drive over to the house and renovate the entire thing by herself into the late hours of the night for months.

Being that my mother did so much for me in these areas, she couldn’t always be around when I needed something. That is where my grandmother filled in the gap. After my parents split up, she let us live with her for almost ten years. She is currently in her eighties and never takes a break to even sit. My grandmother was always there whenever I needed anything and my mother couldn’t be there. Not once have I heard her complain or not go to any length that she could to help wherever she could.

The strongest people in my life have been women. It is these women that have taught me that no matter what obstacles appear in my life, that I can work hard and overcome them. The idea that people make assumptions about women being inferior to men boggles my mind. These women are the foundation of who I am as a human being.

That is why I am a feminist.

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DEAR MY HAITIAN MOTHER, MARIE LAURE, AND

MY OTHER FEMINIST TEACHERS

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Marjunique Louis Dear Feminists: Feminism is empowering. It has helped with unifying and uplifting people. Feminism is paving the way for our little girls and boys. Truly, I believe feminism is the future. I’ve dedicated this letter to feminists who have inspired and motivated me to love myself unconditionally. If I didn’t have these leaders and representations, I wouldn’t be able to carry my head up high like I do now.

My experience as a woman doesn’t compare to yours or the next person. I am a Black woman in America with a family of immigrants. I am dark skin with full lips and coily hair. When anyone sees me or hears my name, they figure they know the whole story. But, they don’t.

As a Black woman living in America, I have opportunities and confront difficulties. According to my dad, this is the land of opportunity, and it shouldn’t be taken for granted.

But, what he doesn’t warn me about is the sexism, the racism, and bullying/teasing. He doesn’t warn me that in order to make it, I have to survive.

With that being said, I must give thanks to my fellow feminists who have made my survival possible. I would like to start with the feminist who has had the largest impact on my life, my mom, Marie Laure. She has taught me the ways of life through my experiences and mistakes. She has taught me to love myself no matter the flaws. Because of her Haitian background, I was raised with some of her culture and values. I must say that has shaped the person I am today. Some of the Western values I do not have instilled in me has helped with my survival. My mom has been able to censor the Eurocentric norms of beauty. This has helped with my self-love and self-acceptance. She is my representation of beauty and strength because she is beautiful and she is strong.

In addition to my mother, I give thanks to my former instructors who I believe were feminists. These individuals pushed for equality and a fair educational system no matter the color of my skin. When I was given any assignments or tests, I was challenged and pushed beyond my comfort zone because they believed in me. They have helped with my self-confidence and the overall person I am academically. They helped inculcate in me qualities like perseverance and integrity. I recall Ms. Feinberg, my former math teacher, telling me to lead by example and to always directly tackle challenges. And, Mr. Meinig, my former principal, would always give me an extra push. Then, I thought he was nagging, but now I realize it was because he expected the best from me.

Also, I must give thanks to the feminists in the media who use their voices and their image to foster change. I commend the feminists who are not afraid to speak up for individuals being discriminated against and unable to defend themselves, feminists like Rihanna and Amber Rose. They push to dismantle discriminatory social norms and move towards gender equality. Influential feminists are greatly appreciated. Pro-active feminists are greatly appreciated. Any feminist making an effort to help a cause, is appreciated.

This was not written to bash or exclude anyone. Its main purpose was to show the effectiveness of feminism. It was to show how each and every feminist has an impact on the individuals around them. No matter how great or small your deed, it does not go overlooked. Unknowingly, you could help reshape an individual’s life for the better.

Sincerely, Marji

MY STRUGGLES AS A LESBIAN FEMINIST

Ciara Rizzo

I am a queer feminist. The two words together seem to mesh well, but as a woman on the inside, I can say confidently and dishearteningly that they are not. Obviously, a feminist is not always queer but surprisingly enough, being a queer woman does not make you a feminist. I’ve seen queer woman who better exemplify being a misandrist (a person who believes women are better than men.) I’ve also seen lesbians who follow the patriarchal norm, often agreeing with men when they claim “women are crazy.” Yes, there is the argument that when women are crazy it means the men fear being yelled at while when men are crazy the women are scared of being murdered. However, women are just as capable of being violent as men are. Domestic violence in the lesbian community are rarely heard of, but as a person who has been in two abusive lesbian relationships, I can tell you they are real and just as terrifying.

The gender norms are just as potent in many two woman relationships as they are in any other relationship. The joke of “who’s the man?” is often more real than funny. The fem/dyke dichotomy comes with a price that favors the more masculine of the two. The fem belongs as the housewife, cooking and cleaning, staying home to take care of the kids while the butch plays the role of the man, bringing home the bacon. This needs to end. Gender roles are prevalent and just as toxic in queer couples. The heteronormative does not escape though the relationship itself is not heterosexual.

I am a feminist because I believe in the equality of the sexes. I am a feminist because I have seen both males and females be attacked by the patriarchy. Most importantly to me, I am a feminist because I am sick of women putting down other women. I hope and actively work towards dismantling the patriarchal structure because it has influence in places we never think to look, such as queer relationships.

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ON O N TTHH EE SS

LLVVEESS SSEE UURR

C R E EAT W S E EO C PA

Rula Thabata We often read pieces and hear statements about “a seat at the table.” The table is a metaphor for a space specifically reserved and welcomed. Women have historically fought for a seat at the table, whether it means at business meetings, in a class discussion, political discourse, town halls—in other words, in nearly every space. However, women who are not white have had to and continue to have to fight longer and harder. I am a feminist because I believe that liberation for all comes from the lens of intersectionality, the study of how different power structures of race, class, and gender interact in the lives of minorities and identities. The term was coined by civil rights activist, law professor, and academic, Kimberlé Crenshaw. Recently, she spoke about the importance of intersectional feminism at a panel at the Nation Conference in Atlanta.

As a Muslim American Palestinian woman, discussions of a seat at the table when it comes to gender are simply not enough.

Women are not a monolith. As we think about communities, it is important to understand that every community holds values or beliefs that others might not. One feminist might see a headscarf as oppressive, while another might not. The topic is not the headscarf itself here, the veil, it is the power in a woman to make that choice herself. There are spaces said to be for us with seats that were not ours. There are spaces where somebody had to make it ours. But there is power in the community, and with that community, we create a ladder for liberation; there is no liberation without community and support. Every identity group’s community serves a particular purpose and comfort. Muslim women are talked, spoken, written, and filmed about without being part of the conversation.

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Muslim women, like all women, already face an existing patriarchy. Patriarchy is not inherent to any particular culture as it comes in many forms. In Islamophobia, we are caught in the middle of a battle we did not want or create. Islamophobia is an extension of not only misogyny and the desire to control the Muslim women’s agency in all aspects of life with “liberation,” but racism against brown and black people. Navigating in this world as a woman alone requires a means of balance and self-care, but it goes well beyond endurance, strength and composure. Being a Muslim woman like any other identity is adding a layer to just that. To be a Muslim woman, is to find your sisters at the forefront for the liberation of everybody. The public often portray us

in one image when we are all different. I am a feminist because despite wearing a headscarf and being a practicing Muslim, I am more than my faith, and not a monolith.

We are not all one image, and our ways to make our communities better came with different focuses as well. With a political climate infused with Islamophobia rhetoric and fear mongering, 2016 was difficult. But I am a feminist because somebody who bragged about sexual assault in the most powerful office in the world and violence against women should not be acceptable. I am a feminist because there is a stigma against coming forward when it comes to sexual assault and violence. I am a feminist because at the height of the election, violence against Muslim women made headlines. Within 24 hours after the President-Elect was announced, hate crimes increased. Many would say it would have been easier to blend in, and go about the lives we live generally as Muslims in America avoiding politics. But that’s a privilege very little of us should stand to accept. For many in our communities to make such a decision is the best one for their circumstances.

I am a feminist because for many persons, such as myself, the reality stares at me that I cannot shed the features of my tan skin and dark eyebrows. My hijab was not going to be negotiable. I am a feminist because I believe in the right of all people to safety and security. I am a feminist because a lack of a college degree does not make people less regardless of the standards imposed by society. I am a feminist because women should have the right to education and be just as supported in fields such as science, technology, engineering and math. I am a feminist because the majority of fields are still male dominated. I am a feminist because feminism is not just for one group of people. I am a feminist because there are facts and narratives missing in our textbooks about women, such as the story of Fatima al-Fihri, the founder of the world’s first university in Fes, Morocco in 859. I am a feminist because equal pay should not be something to debate in 2017.

Recently, my little sister gave me a sticker created by New Orleans artist and curator Brandon Odums, which I added to my laptop. It reads “I am my ancestors wildest dreams.” To be my ancestor’s wildest dreams is the reason I am a feminist.

TELL US LOYOLA MEN

WHY THEY ARE FEMINISTS Emmaline Bouchillon

Thomas Cleary (aka Tommy; pictured left) and Daniel DeBarge (pictured right) are two Loyola students who really understand what inclusivity is all about. Tommy was born in Binghamton, New York and raised in Dallas, Texas. He is currently double majoring in Film and English, and would like to write and direct films. Tommy attends Feminist Fridays in the WRC whenever he can, contributing to the conversation and adding to the positive mood.

Daniel DeBarge is a sophomore at Loyola University and is majoring in Music Industry Studies. He is from Portland, Connecticut and has an older sister and a twin sister. He regards his grandmas as his role models and cherishes them both. Daniel is working on becoming a singer/songwriter, and is also improving as a musician through jazz piano. He has just been elected vice-president of the Multicultural Leadership Council. As a career, he wants to find ways to combine music with humanitarian work and is also considering starting a nonprofit.

Both Tommy and Daniel have really stood out to the Women’s Resource Center as exceptional people, so I picked their brain with a few questions to see what it was that made them so great.

Daniel: I started identifying as a feminist once I began observing the success of my sisters. My older sister was the salutatorian of her class, and my twin sister was the valedictorian of my class. Seeing all that they both accomplished inspired me to support the success of all women in their fields of study. I also consider myself a feminist because I want to help break down the patriarchy by supporting and advocating for women, specifically women of color, who face multiple oppressions. I think it is important to support their empowerment. So I hope to help advocate for women, particularly women of color, running for congressional, judicial, and executive positions in our government.

Q: Who are your strongest influences and why?

Q: Why do you think feminism is important?

Tommy: My mom and two sisters. Growing up with three strong females around the house had a large impact on the way I think.

Daniel: I don’t necessarily know yet why feminism is important to me, which is why I am constantly reading about feminism and its significance to others. What I do know is that I love the way feminism empowers men and women, and I love seeing men and women embrace themselves for who they are no matter what patriarchal norms are imposed on them. I truly believe that I, as a young man, like many other males, have the opportunity to re-shape what masculinity means in our society. Prominent author and activist, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie complements this perfectly: “Culture does not make people; people make culture”

Daniel: Both my grandmas are of high importance to me. My grandma, Madeleine, has taught me a lot about writing, and I get my love for writing poetry and compositions from her.

I live a lot closer to my other grandma, Theresa, so we had a more personal relationship. While spending time at my house, she would ask me to play and sing music for her and would always encourage me to pursue my dreams.

Q: Why do you consider yourself a feminist?

Tommy: I started to consider myself a feminist around my senior year of high school. I was in a pretty deep and dark depression and when I got out of it I realized that one my problems were minute compared to some other people and two that I wanted no one else to feel the way I felt. So I just try to make everybody I meet feel good. All people deserve to be respected so I try to do that.

Q: What is your definition of feminism?

Tommy: Correcting the wrongs that have been done to women throughout history but not by radical means, but by simply realizing that females deserve every human right that is guaranteed to men. Women should not have to work for human rights especially since men don’t have to do anything to earn theirs.

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EDUCATION:

Mapping Our Past & Present Journeys

ONE CHILD, ONE TEACHER, ONE BOOK, ONE PEN CAN CHANGE THE WORLD. Art by Gabriella Hawkins

- MALALA YOUSAFZAI 20

HISTORY: THE TIDES OF THE PAST LOYOLA’S FEMINIST FOREMOTHERS, PART I:

Original location of the Loyola WRC

The Women’s Liberation Movement was in full swing in 1975: President Gerald Ford endorsed the Equal Rights Amendment, giving hope to many feminists that its journey through the states would lead to ratification. In the landmark case, Taylor v. Louisiana, the Supreme Court Justices prohibited states from systematically excluding women from jury service. Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare Casper Weinberger issued guidelines for universities to implement Title IX’s stipulations that required equal opportunities in intercollegiate sports and declared, “Equal education opportunity for women is the law of the land and it will be enforced.” Across the nation, the feminist movement swelled.1

Fara Impasto

offerings. Some of the more popular courses included those that empowered women. Public speaking and creative writing courses encouraged women to have a voice in civic and cultural centers. Through financial planning, small business management, and auto maintenance courses, women learned skills that might further their self-reliance and encourage and advance their economic independence. The center also offered an assertiveness training course, which speaks volumes about the center’s determination to help women take control of their lives and meet their full potential. In the regular university curriculum, a nun, Sr. Fara Impasto, taught the first Women’s Studies course at Loyola, “Women in Christian These exciting national developments Tradition.”3 had a positive impact on the evolving feminist movement at Loyola. In March The center also became a hub of 1975, Loyola opened the state of Loui- feminism, hosting gatherings, semisiana’s first university woman’s center nars, and conferences. Its weekly open and named as its first director Carol house on Friday evenings from 5:00 to Mawson, a PhD Candidate at Harvard 8:00 PM became a popular event in the University and an assistant professor city. Women gathered over wine and at Loyola’s City College continuing cheese and had the opportunity to education program. Located in a meet special guests who were making shotgun house, where Monroe Library inroads for women in various indusnow stands, it not only served Loyola tries, including Angela Hill, a WWL TV women but became a gathering place news anchor. Determined to find a for the feminist community in the city path to equality, the Center partnered and a vehicle for the advancement of with E.R.A. Central for International New Orleanian women.2 Women’s Day on March 8, 1976. They hosted State Representative Tony MorWomen on campus and across the city rison and other special guests in the took advantage of its many course Audubon Room for a slide show

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Barbara C. Ewell

presentation of the Equal Rights Amendment and a discussion on how participants could support the passage of the amendment.4 The world seemed to be opening for women. The United Nations had declared 1975 the First International Women’s Year. In December of that year in hopes of advancing progress, the United Nations declared, 19761985 the “United Nations Decade for Women: Equality, Development and Peace” At the advent of 1980, the opportunities for advancing the Women’s Movement seemed endless. That year 90,000 women journeyed to Chicago’s Grant Park from every state in the nation to march in support of the Equal Rights Amendment; the U.S. Judicial Council ordered the nation’s federal courts to ensure equal opportunities for women and racial minorities; and Louisiana passed a new community property law that terminated the status of male Louisianans as “head and masters” of the home.5 But the backlash was on its way. The 1980s witnessed the rise of Phyllis Schlafly, known as “the First Lady of the Antifeminist Movement.” Schlafly called for women to return to the home and focus on raising children, and yet she worked as a lawyer and political activist and left her family often as she traversed the country lobbying for the defeat of the ERA. The rising anti-feminist movement rippled

Grace Riddick

THE STRUGGLE TO CREATE WOMEN’S PROGRAMS & CENTERS, 1975-1991

Constance L. Mui

across the country.6 At Loyola in 1980, Vice President of Academic Affairs closed the Women’s Center along with the continuing education program, citing budgetary reasons. The closing must have come as a shock to many at Loyola. The Center received its funding from the Louisiana Department for the Humanities and the Department of Health, Education and Welfare. Moreover, because of grants and fees for programs, it had posted a profit in 1979. Nevertheless, in 1980, the center closed and remained dormant for fifteen years. Two years after the Center’s closing in 1982, the Equal Rights Amendment died in Congress when it fell three states short of the required 38 states for ratification.

Throughout the rest of the decade anti-feminism soared to its heights in corporate media, Hollywood, and political centers.7

Nancy Anderson

the future for the dream of gender equity to be reborn in a new time. Thirty-five years later, New Orleans would hold a similar jazz funeral for the death of liberty in an election and its revival in a renewed women’s movement.8 In a constant struggle, the waves of feminism have rushed forward and receded upon the shores of patriarchy over the decades. The 1980s were troubling times for feminists at Loyola and across the nation, but they persisted in their quest to revive the movement for gender equality. At times, the pace proved slow and painstaking, but each effort inched the movement forward.

At Loyola, several professors increasingly inserted classes into the curriculum that focused on women, including Sr. Impasto and a young part-time history instructor, Nancy Fix Anderson.9

By 1987, Anderson, then a full-time assistant professor close to earning Some commentators insisted femitenure, was determined to weave nism was dead, but as Ms. Magazine feminism into the central fabric of the noted many years later, “the women’s university. Anderson invited Dr. Connie movement wasn’t dead, it was under Mui, a new assistant professor in the attack.” Feminists were not capitulatDepartment of Philosophy, to lunch ing, they were fighting back. Maybe to discuss establishing a Women’s they understood that best in New Studies program. The two had met at Orleans. In typical Big Easy fashion, the New Faculty seminar the previous supporters of the ERA held a jazz funer- week, and as Mui recalls, “as feminists, al for the amendment, which mourned we immediately connected.” Mui was its death; however, because a jazz thrilled about the idea of helping funeral symbolizes not only death and Anderson. And as Anderson explained, its sadness, but a rebirth and the hope while excitedly pulling out the bulletin of a new life, the mourners looked to and a list of hand-written courses from

Catherine Wessinger

her tote bag, they already had enough courses to justify a minor.

They just needed to establish a few foundational courses and convince their fellow faculty members, particularly senior members with tenure and clout, to support it.10 Anderson and Mui were sure that they could garner such support. As Mui recalled, “diversity was a hot topic in campus debate across the nation. On many college campuses, there was a push for recruitment of faculty and students from historically underrepresented groups, and, along with that, the introduction of courses on women and race.”

To their great disappointment, the first several senior faculty members whom they approached refused to help them. Undeterred, Mui and Anderson persisted and soon found wonderful collaborators and supporters. Sr. Impasto was one of their most ardent supporters, and she remained a source of inspiration and encouragement as Mui and Anderson searched for allies.11 When Mui learned about Barbara Ewell (Associate Professor of English), she was sure the effort to establish the Women’s Studies minor would succeed. Ewell had come to Loyola in 1984 from the University of Mississippi where she was one of the founders of the Sara Isom Center for Women, among the first women’s

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centers and women’s studies programs in Mississippi. Since Ewell’s arrival at Loyola, she had been seeking “allies” in her College of Arts and Sciences and managed to add to the curriculum her “Women in Literature” course. Ewell was delighted to join with Mui and Anderson and several other recruits, such as Catherine Wessinger (Associate Professor in Religious Studies) in the first work group. Soon, the women won the support of several male faculty, even garnering exceptional advocacy from two male chairs, Rev. Alvin Holloway, S.J., (Chair of the Department of Philosophy) and Dr. David Moore (Chair of the Department of History).12 However, they also confronted significant resistance. Mui noted that traditionalists in academia across the nation perceived pluralism and diversity programs “as an assault on college curricula and, more generally, on Western civilization. Movements against pluralism and diversity (what was perceived as ‘liberal bias’) in higher education” gained ground “with the founding of Accuracy in Academia in 1985 and the National Association of Scholars in 1987.” And to the frustration of Mui and Anderson, they faced resistance from traditionalists at Loyola.

Mui recalls that some colleagues and students responded with suspicion “to anything with ‘women’ on the label. . . .

First, they considered women’s studies to be more about political activism and therefore lacking in academic rigor. Second, they held fast to the false assumption of ideological neutrality in traditional courses (such as Philosophy of Man and World Civilization), and argued that women’s studies courses, being feminist and therefore ideological in nature, violated basic academic norms of objectivity and balance.”13 In addition, the workgroup confronted resistance from others on campus. As Mui recalls, these detractors argued, “that ‘Women’s Studies’ would inevitably exclude men. It was suggested that we change the name of the program to ‘Gender Studies’ to include men, which showed a lack of understanding of the need to have a women’s studies program in the first place.” The work

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group persisted in its efforts. Mui declared: “We felt strongly that such a program was needed at our university, in keeping with the Jesuit mission to the education of the whole person, and in consideration of the fact that we are Catholic and we are situated in a conservative state in the Deep South.”

And Sr. Impasto remained a vital supporter to the point that Anderson called her the “Mother” of the program.14 In 1988, the workgroup submitted their proposal for the Women’s Studies minor, and in 1989, the curriculum committee approved it, making it the first interdisciplinary minor at Loyola.

Mui noted, “It is historically significant that Loyola’s Women’s Studies Program was established in the midst” of the “ideological divide” between traditionalists and academics supporting diversity and pluralism. Immediately, the Women’s Studies minor drew students, and it offered some of the most popular courses on campus. In 1991, Noelle St. Germain was the first student to graduate with a Women’s Studies minor at Loyola.15 Since that time, Women’s Studies has remained a popular minor and a vital part of the Jesuit mission to empower the oppressed because it helps impart knowledge and gives a voice to

marginalized populations. Loyola Jesuits so admired the program that it became a model for the interdisciplinary Catholic minor established in the early 1980s, a fact that then Loyola President Father Carter made often. The effort to empower women advanced steadily at Loyola and led to the reestablishment of a women’s center—the Women’s Resource Center in 1995.16 But that road, which began in the early 1990s at the onset of the third wave of feminism, was not an easy one. The foremothers of the Women’s Studies program confronted old forms of resistance. Several of the male counterparts insisted that if Loyola opened a Women’s Center, it must open a Men’s Center. As Catherine Wessinger recalled, “They could not see why women were being singled out for special attention in courses and for support on campus.” They did not understand the patriarchal world in which women lived. Of course, Loyola’s feminist foremothers were well-versed by then in confronting resistance to the empowerment of women, and they found support from Jesuits on campus who perceived feminism as a medium for uplifting the oppressed. And so, they and their allies gathered and prepared for a new crusade for women’s equality at Loyola.17

To continue reading about the journey of Loyola’s feminist foremothers, see our next issue!

WOMEN IN THE WORKFORCE: SPREADING OUR WINGS

WOMEN AND WORKPLACE NEGOTIATIONS Hadori Bukle It’s finally that time… Your hands are sweaty, and your heart is beating fast. You have thought about this over and over again. You even figured out a script for this conversation. Thoughts flood your mind when you ask yourself, “Should I do this?” “Will I come off as too assertive or too passive?”, “What if I do not get what I want?” You might even thing: “Maybe I should reschedule a time to do this later on in my career.” These thoughts run constantly through your mind in the five minutes it takes to reach your boss’s office to negotiate your hopes for your career.

Before you step into that office, there are few more things you may want to consider. According to Harvard Business Review, 47 percent of women make up the workforce but only one-eighth negotiate job offers. However, half of the male workforce negotiate their offers. These job offers may consist of negotiating salaries, benefits, and position in the company. Out of the small percentage of people who do make negotiations, LinkedIn reported that 80 percent obtained successful offers.

When women do negotiate, two major factors influence the outcome. The first factor is her level of confidence. Confidence can adjust the way you look at the situation and reflects self-worth. Women tend to feel defeated before saying one word to their boss. They assume the worst possible outcome. Why do women tend to lack confidence? In 2017, the American Association of University Women reported a significant gender gap in the median annual earnings of men and women. On average women earn 80% of white male earnings. The percentage varies according to race and gender: Asian-American women earn an average of 90% of white males; white women 76%, African American women 62%, Pacific Island women 60%, Indigenous Americans 58% and Latinos/Hispanics 54%. Louisiana is second only to Wyoming in the wage gap by state. The second factor is level of expectation. Usually, women approach their boss with low expectations.

You may wonder the factors that determine an excellent negotiation as opposed to one that is partially fulfilled. One vital aspect of negotiating is knowing your career worth and applying it to job positions and/or salaries. To determine a fair salary and the position you should hold, you should research average salaries based on your experience, workload, and time with the company. If possible, compare yourself to other co-workers who have similar roles to you.

Are you earning a comparable salary and carrying a similar workload?

Another aspect of negotiating is confidence. If you arm yourself with substantial research to prove why you should be promoted and earn the salary you are requesting, you will have the confidence you need during the negotiation.

When women successfully negotiate salaries or promotions with their supervisor, they build their sense of self and increase their confidence and will likely continue to succeed in future negotiations.

The final aspect of negotiating is expectations. Having higher expectations can assure that everyone has an equivalent pay based on their ranking. Women who face discrimination based on dual or multiple intersections of marginalized identities often confront greater challenges in negotiations.

It is important that they are aware of that discrimination and the research showing its persistence. When women negotiate for promotions and salaries, they may need to be prepared to show their supervisors their research on discrimination and to reach out to community advocacy groups for assistance. When women dare to demand that they deserve fair pay and promotions, they will advance the process of closing the gender gap and embolden younger generations to follow their lead.

Now that you have acquired these aspects of negotiating, you are ready to take a deep breath and step into your boss’s office…

Victoria Williams

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WOMEN IN STEM: THE BIAS Sarah Donaldson

Recent scientific studies demonstrate that the gap between performance in math and science among boys and girls has greatly narrowed and that girls are earning slightly higher grades than boys in these courses. Yet the myth that biology rather than environment or bias leads to underrepresentation of women in STEM fields persists.

Recently, it led to a fiery debate after an internal memo at Google perpetuating that myth and exposed by Gizmodo went viral.

Holly Brockwell, a freelance tech journalist, rejects Damore’s argument in her article “Sorry, Google Memo Man” published in The Guardian. Brockwell points out that Ada Lovelace developed the first computer algorithm, Katherine Johnson figured out the trajectories that landed astronauts on the moon for the first time, and “Margaret Hamilton . . . led the development of the onboard flight software for the Apollo missions and coined the term software engineering.”

The author of the memo, James Damore, who at the time worked at Google as an engineer, opened his memo by stating, “I value diversity and inclusion, am not denying that sexism exists, and don’t endorse using stereotypes.”

However, he proceeded to rely on stereotypes, myths, and the twisting of scientific studies to support his main argument: “I’m simply stating that the distribution of preferences and abilities of men and women differ in part due to biological causes and that these differences may explain why we don’t see equal representation of women in tech and leadership.”

Dana Varinksy, the science and innovation editor at Business Insider, exposed Damore’s weak sources on the topic. For example, he often used Wikipedia as a source.

She also pointed out his misunderstandings of studies in the field. Damore cited a 2010 study in the Journal of Social and Personality Psychology Compass to support his argument of biological determinism, but he ignores the conclusion of the study, which notes, “Although most biologic scientists accept that sexual selection has led to sex differences in physical traits such as height, musculature, and fat distributions, many social scientists are skeptical about the role of sexual selection in generating psychological gender differences.” Varinksy also notes that ten studies exploring empathy and gender found that no biological differences led to different levels of empathy. Rather the researchers found that differences in empathetic response only occurred when the participants were “aware that they are being evaluated on an empathy-relevant dimension” or in which “empathy-relevant gender-role expectations or obligations are made salient.” The study suggests that environment and society’s expectations rather than biology influenced behavior.

Damore declared that women “have a stronger interest in people rather than things, relative to men (also interpreted as empathizing vs. systemizing).” Based on that claim, he argued that “. . . women relatively prefer jobs in social or artistic areas. More men may like coding because it requires systemizing.” He stated that women are gregarious rather than assertive, which makes it more difficult for them in “negotiating salary, asking for raises, speaking up, and leading.” He also insisted that more women suffered from “Neuroticism (higher anxiety, lower stress tolerance),” which he suggested could explain why fewer women chose “high-stress jobs.” Finally, he argued that society tends to judge men by their status, which encourages men to seek higher paying jobs. The need for status, he claimed, also led “men to take undesirable and dangerous jobs like coal mining, garbage collection, and firefighting, and suffer 93% of work-related deaths.”

Damore’s memo opened a public debate about biological determinism, which itself revealed the persistent biases. It is surprising that this form of pseudoscience is supported by anyone. Many professionals in the field provided copious evidence debunking Damore’s claims.

In addition, they pointed out that women, who had less opportunities than men because of gender biases, have been involved in tech since the revolution began.

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Many other scientists, as Brian Feldman found in his research for his article in New York Magazine, debunked Damore’s simplistic claims about the brains of men and women. For example, evolutionary biologist, Suzanne Sadedin contends that “neurological traits develop over time under the simultaneous influence of epigenetic, genetic, and environmental influences.” Lise Eliot, an Associate Professor in the Department of Neuroscience at Chicago Medical School found “little solid evidence of sex differences in children’s brains.” Cynthia Lee, a Ph.D. in computer science contends, “Regardless of whether biological differences exist, there is no shortage of glaring evidence, in individual stories and in scientific studies, that women in tech experience bias and a general lack of a welcoming environment, as do underrepresented minorities.”

SES WE MUST OVERCOME Moreover, much of the data available shows that when we correct biases in the environment, girls do excel on an equal basis with boys. A 2010 study, Why So few: Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math by Catherine Hill, Christianne Corbett, and Andresse St. Rose demonstrate that females are earning slightly higher grades and earning slightly more credits in mathematics and science, but men are testing slightly higher on “high stakes math tests” like the SAT. However, the gap has greatly narrowed. The Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth found that the ratio differentiation of boys and girls in middle school who score over 700 on the SAT math section has narrowed from 13:1 to 3:1. The study illustrates that environmental shifts have begun to teach girls that they have equal innate abilities to boys to flourish in STEM; girls also have increased opportunities to take STEM courses. These shifts in the environment have narrowed the achievement gap. Thus, the more society decreases biases and provide equal opportunities, the more the gap will narrow.

These studies also show that gender does not influence a person’s understanding of the scientific studies. However, at an early age, children are taught that there is a difference of brain power when it comes to certain subjects.

Biases such as these have no substantial evidence.

Society has claimed for many years that men perform better in math, science, and engineering. Biases affect the way girls judge themselves academically, especially in the STEM subjects. Studies show that girls will assess themselves more harshly in the STEM subject than their male peers and often view themselves as unable to reach their preferred goals. Conversely, a male peer who receives a lower grade will feel confident in his abilities. Such harsh gender stereotypes render it difficult for women to pursue careers in these fields and often discourage women from even trying to pursue a career in STEM. Certainly, the biases against men in other fields affect them.

Another study, Barriers and Opportunities for 2-Year and 4-Year Stem Degrees, edited by Shirley Malcolm and Michael Feder, reveals that cultural conditions often discourage girls and women from pursuing STEM fields.

Moreover, when women decide to pursue a career in STEM, environmental biases often influence their decisions in choosing the type of STEM field that they will pursue in college. Although it is true that most women choose to pursue a career as a teacher or a nurse, those

decisions are often based on their social training. When society perpetuates the myth that men are biologically superior in STEM fields, it encourages women, both consciously and unconsciously, to pursue fields where women dominate and excel. Consequently, the environment has exceptional influence. As the environment changes, the decisions for career paths change.

The number of women attending college with a scientific major has grown exponentially over the years. However, women remain drastically underrepresented in some STEM fields. According to the U.S. Census Bureau of Economics, the percentage of women in computer science and mathematics in the past years have been about 26% while women in health, technician, and practitioner fields have been 70-75%. The data illustrates that more women fall into careers that focus on natural, physical, and social science because they are discouraged from entering careers that are centered on mathematics and engineering.

According to the Barriers and Opportunities study, many younger women are not allowing stereotypes to influence them. As the study notes, “In 1971, 62 percent of men and 38 percent of women aspired to a STEM degree; in 2012 the percentages were 48 percent and 52 percent respectively.”

However, if a woman does decide to pursue a career in STEM, the barriers and biases persist. In the Education Reporter, Lauren Camera interviewed a variety of scientists and found women in STEM must produce more work to publish and receive recognition than their male counterparts. Sara Richardson, a postdoctoral fellow in synthetic biology at University California-Berkley, told Camera that once she added names of male colleagues to her research and grant applications, she started publishing more and receiving more grants. In a recent article in Wired, Alison Coil cites a study that showed that “women had to be 2.5 more times productive than men” to be considered equally competent. In addition, she cites a study which shows that male STEM faculty rated research projects labeled as completed by male scientists as higher than research projects identified as conducted by female scientists. Unbeknownst to the faculty, the male’s research was faked; the female’s research was real.

Another study demonstrated that even when science faculty members received resumes by males and females of equal worth, they were more likely to hire male lab managers. They were also more likely to pay them better.

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and mentor them. Discrimination indeed persists in STEM. And some women are willing to resist it. In July 2017, three senior researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla filed lawsuits claiming that women lack access to equal funding for research and promotions.

The women likely have a strong case as the gender wage gap exists in STEM fields: “An AAUW analysis of the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2013 American Community Survey data found that overall, women in computer and mathematical occupations were paid 87 percent of what their male counterparts were paid. In engineering and architecture, women were typically paid 82 percent of what their male counterparts were paid.” The Why So Few study found that in 2009 the standard starting salary for a person with a bachelor’s degree in marketing was just over $42,000 a year. In comparison, starting salaries for bachelor’s degree holders in computer science averaged around $61,500, and average starting salaries neared $66,000 for persons holding bachelor’s degrees in chemical engineering. Consequently by discouraging women from entering STEM fields, the wage gap is perpetuated. However, men in the field still tend to receive higher salaries.

As we contemplate the persistent struggles and biases women face, we need to consider how we might overcome them. And we must consider the struggles in our own environments. Loyola University, I am happy to report, is excelling in attracting women; in fact, the majority of students at Loyola are women. A higher female population does not always mean that more women would pursue STEM fields.

At Loyola it does. For example, according to IPEDS Completion Reports (2010), 175 female students graduated with a major in STEM. That same year, only 111 male students graduated with majors focusing on STEM. According to the most recent data, Loyola University had 307 students enrolled in STEM fields; 196 of those students are female.

Thus, women are pursuing STEM fields at Loyola consistent with their overall population numbers. As women are graduating with STEM majors as well at Loyola, it suggests that women generally feel welcome in STEM courses and in the

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STEM environment. Moreover, the chemistry department at present has more female professors than male professors.

Loyola is a bright example of departments in STEM attracting women and could serve as a model. Society needs to continue to make major changes to eliminate biases within STEM so that all genders have an opportunity to thrive. Perhaps scientific studies of gender binaries, which are showing that gender is more of spectrum, will help break down the biases in the future. For now, as biases clearly persist, society must work towards encouraging young women to pursue the career they desire. It must combat biological determinist arguments by demonstrating the research that clearly shows that when given equal opportunities and when the environment socializes girls and women to understand that they can flourish in the field, they do. Moreover, the studies that reveal that girls are earning slightly higher grades in math and science classes than boys demonstrate the impotence of the biological argument. Thus, if we continue to remove biases and debunk stereotypes, girls and women will continue to increase their representation in STEM. It certainly behooves all STEM related institutions and companies to encourage persons who represent half of the population to pursue STEM fields, for think of all the genius they are losing when the myths deter brilliant minds from pursuing STEM degrees and careers. These changes cannot happen overnight, but they can happen over time. Loyola University represents a place where women thrive in STEM subjects. Universities like Loyola must try to reach out to young women and inspire them to pursue careers they want, and female STEM graduates from Loyola University and others like it must try to act as mentors for those young women. Universities that serve as an example could go a long way in encouraging the next generation of female students and produce the next generation of female STEM employees.

FEMINIST CULTURE:

ACROSS THE SHORES OF PATRIARCHY

HER STORIES: FEMINIST BOOK CLUB Tess Rowland Welcome to Her Stories: A Feminist Book Club inspired

by Emma Watson’s Our Shared Shelf. Emma Watson is one of my favorite feminists because she has used her great talent and success as an actress and her education at Brown University to become a significant feminist advocate on a global stage. In July 2014, the United Nations Women appointed Watson a Goodwill Ambassador and charged her with the mission of “empowering young women” and serving as an advocate in the HeForShe campaign. HeForShe is dedicated to encouraging persons of all genders to support feminism and to understand that feminism is a “human rights issue.” To encourage global awareness of gender struggles and feminism, Watson initiated a feminist book club to share with her fans and feminists the wonderful books she studies in her work in the HeForShe campaign.

We are calling our book club “Her Stories” as we will explore narratives in which person who identify as girls and women are the main protagonists. We are focusing on girls and women because so much of our national and global culture focuses on the study of boys and men; the male focus helps sustain male dominance in our institutional structures. Our hope is that this book club will contribute to the creation of a culture that honors and appreciates all genders equally.

understanding of experiences and meanings for girls and women living in a world controlled predominantly by men. May we develop a profound appreciation for how they navigate patriarchy and seek to change it to create a more equal and just world.

Our first book is a graphic novel, Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi, which has been assigned to the freshmen class via the First Year Experience at Loyola University New Orleans. We also plan to host a few book club meetings each semester and will update you on those forums.

In the meantime, as we begin reading Persepolis, let us consider the changing sociopolitical and military currents in Iran and its relations with the West, how Marjanne and her family struggle to resist various forms of national and global oppression, and the different responses of girls and women to gender subjugation.

I look forward to engaging in a dialogue with you about this fascinating book.

Happy reading!

Through this column, I seek to engage in an enlightening dialogue with those of you who join the book club by exploring feminist stories, all diverse and different.

Although the female characters take different paths, engage in varied experiences, and develop diverse worldviews, they are all seeking liberation and equality. As we explore each of their lives, I hope that we develop an

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SPILLIN'

THE LGBTea Tea

Trent Dardar Hey, beautiful people! My name is Trent, and I’m here to provide all the LGBTea you need. Today, I’ll be covering two topics that are near and dear to my heart: fashion and gender fluidity. In the past few years, gender fluid models and clothing have become more widely accepted and accessible than ever before. While this is a great thing for the non-binaries of the world, myself included, it is important to keep in mind that gender fluidity is more than a trend.

Dear Vogue, Gigi Hadid and Zane Malik are not gender-fluid, nor are they the pioneers of a gender-bending generation. On July 13, Vogue issued their monthly magazine, only this time, it was allegedly making history by including gender-fluid models on the cover. The only problem—Hadid and Malik are not gender-fluid. As we all are aware of, it is not new for Vogue to appropriate a culture when it is in style purely to make sales. After reading about the controversy, I decided to look at the article myself and try and understand what the hell Vogue was thinking. As it turns out, Vogue must not have looked up what gender-fluid meant at all. Big surprise.

Gender-fluidity is a gender identity; it’s not a fashion trend! Just because a female celebrity wears a “men’s” blazer on the cover of a magazine does NOT make her gender-fluid. Like all gender identities, it is what’s on the inside that counts. When Vogue named Hadid and Malik as the poster-children for the new gender-bending gen-

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Photography by Trent Dardar

eration, they essentially are telling those who actually identify as non-binary that they still are not accepted by society at large because they had to get a cis-gendered, heterosexual couple to represent their identity. Once again, Vogue is telling its readers that it’s cool to dress like you’re from a different culture, as long as you actually aren’t from that culture.

How many times in history has pop culture stolen trends directly from the LGBTQIA+ community without giving proper credit? Too many! It’s not even just the gay community either. The fashion industry has stolen from so many cultures, and rarely gives credit where it’s due.

While those acts are unforgiveable, I will say that I think that now more than ever, people worldwide have been introduced to the concept of gender-fluidity. Vogue recieved so much hate for this article. Countless articles were published to correct Vogue’s wrongdoing. In the future, Vogue, get a true gender-fluid representative to wear your Gucci blazers. Believe me, there’s plenty of beauties out there ready to show you how to really “Vogue.”

Hopefully Vogue has learned the difference between people who wear clothes of the opposite sex for money and a true gender-fluid identifying person, which, I repeat, is not merely a fashion trend! Unlike fashion trends, non-binary folks are going to be around forever, so get used to it. *sips LGBTea*

For this month, we decided to take you through time to 1966 and start with “You Can’t Hurry Love” by The Supremes. The song is a memory of a mother’s encouraging words, reminding you to not be afraid to wait for love. It reminds us that we don’t always need a man, and it is better to wait and be on our own at times. Being a single independent woman has shown its advantages time and time again.

We move forward to the British Invasion with the English pop girl group, Spice Girls, singing “Wannabe” in 1996. It just so happens that the biggest girl group’s debut hit single is the most ultimate girl jam to ever exist. Ginger Spice raps about the value of female friendship over a relationship, which is a good reminder that your friends are so much better than being with some boy. There’s nothing better than telling a boy he has to work hard and prove himself worthy to you and that is exactly what this song is about. So ladies, when you hear this song just remember you are so worth it.

Hannah Castillo & Victoria Williams

FEMINISM IN MUSIC: GIRL GROUPS

They say go big or go home so we are starting this magazine off with girl groups. Girl groups have been around since the 1920’s, but they didn’t reach their height of popularity until the 1950s. They first began singing doo-wop hits for live radio stations but have evolved over time singing genres from R&B and rap to dance pop.

Keeping it moving, we head down to the rise of R&B girl groups with “Independent Woman pt.1” by Destiny’s Child, recorded in 2001. I think we’ve all heard our fair share of girl power songs by Beyonce, but let's not forget that Beyonce was surrounded by other powerful females long before she went solo. Destiny’s Child was one of the top girl groups at their time.

This song was originally produced for the soundtrack for Charlie’s Angels, but out of its growing popularity, the group decided to release it on their Survivor album as well. Till this day, this song is still considered one of Destiny’s Child’s number one songs. This sensational hit is about the “50/50” dynamic that relationships should have. Neither partner should rely wholeheartedly on the other. Beyonce doesn’t need her man to buy her everything, as she is well enough to do that on her own; this applies to men as well. Both men and women can be independent, even whilst in a relationship. Who knew?

We’ve made our way back to the present (and boy is this a present for you) with “Salute” by Little Mix off of their sophomore album recorded in 2013. The winners of season eight of the XFactor UK know a thing or two about girl power. Their high energy songs are good for any occasion. This song is for all of the girls out there. When they say “representing all the women,” they mean the punks, girly girls, tomboys, artistic girls, and anybody else in between. You are also called to “get your killer heels, sneakers, pumps, or lace up your boots” and support them by listening to their new album, “Glory Days,” which they just released November 18, 2016.

That just about wraps up our thoughts on our favorite girl groups! So, take a stroll down memory lane and listen to some badass songs. Feel free to send us any song suggestions you think would be great for our next playlist! Thanks for reading... or listening.

Lauryn Langford, Sarah Donaldson, Victoria Williams, Hannah Castillo, Tess Rowland, and Kiera Reeves

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DIFRET: SELF-DEFENSE OR MURDER? Lauryn Langford

Marriage by abduction or bride kidnapping is an act in which a man abducts the woman he intends to marry.

In most countries, bride kidnapping is considered a sex crime, but in others it is still a common practice. In the country of Ethiopia, bride kidnapping, known as “telefa” is considered a traditional practice and makes up the majority of marriages. In most cases, young girls are abducted on horseback and are then hidden and raped until they become pregnant. Their abductors can then legitimize the marriage and negotiate a bride price with the village elders.

This is exactly what happened to Aberash Bekele at the young age of 14. Her abductor along with six other men kidnapped her one evening after leaving school. She was then raped and brutally beaten. Fortunately, Bekele was able to escape her captors by shooting and killing her would-be husband with his own gun. Bekele was arrested shortly after and faced the death penalty for killing a man.

Meaza Ashenafi, a female lawyer, came to Bekele’s aid, and for two long years they worked together to fight the charge of murder. Aberash Bekele was eventually set free on the basis of self-defense, and “telefa” was deemed illegal in the country of Ethiopia.

The film Difret directed by Zeresenay Berhane Mehari recounts this true story. One evening after being promoted to the fifth grade, 14-year-old Hirut Assefa (based on Bekele) is faced with the death penalty after shooting her abductor dead. With the legal aid of Meaza Ashenafi and the Ethiopian Women Lawyer’s Association, Difret tells the story of how two women challenged a cultural practice.

Mehari’s film is important because it presents to viewers the socio-structural issue of gender based violence and its deep roots in many cultural traditions. Difret creates a dialogue to discuss many issues such as violence against women, sexism, and the ways we can change harmful cultural traditions.

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Drawings by Erika Torres

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Serena Hill

FROM MOTHER NATURE

Feel the humidity caress your face And let the wind kiss your Cupid's bow.

Fill your hands with blackberries and Allow the juice to stain your fingers.

Imagine what you would be like if you Chose to revel in the imperfection That you encounter.

Drawing by Lance Taylor

Give everything you have to fly To Pamplona So you can hold hands with the trees there.

Picture this A sky the color of raspberries and blushing cheeks A sky created to love you The way that I choose to love you.

Lick your lips and Taste the words you've spoken today.

Anticipate the changes that make you feel smaller Being small is a gift Granted by humanity It's not meant to belittle you It's meant to make you understand how hummingbirds feel.

Get close to the faces of people you love So that you can practice not kissing them for the times that they're away Let that overwhelm you.

It's supposed to feel like that.

Drawing by Erika Torres

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Drawing by Serena Hill

Deniz Sidi

LIMITS

What would you do if you weren’t afraid?

Imagine.

A fearless you Who would that be?

Other than fear what changed?

Nothing.

Then why?

Why do you keep limiting yourself?

Why build walls when you can break them?

Be free.

An independent fearless you Is how your story begins.

Walk a path you choose Climb up the mountains Explore the world Make your life a story worth telling

I AM

A

WOMAN Ngan Nguyen

“My name is Ngan Nguyen. I was born in Vietnam. My family moved to America when I was nine hoping that I can have a rigorous education in a free country. I became interested in feminism, for it was against the laws for me to have a voice in my homeland; here, I take every opportunity I could to gain back what I was forced not to be. I write poems to express my opinions. Although both of my parents were born in Vietnam, in a patriarchal culture, I continue to thank them for always valuing their daughter’s education.”

Ngan Nguyen, a student at Sci Academy High School in New Orleans, presented her poem during Loyola’s Ninth Annual Peace Conference in April 2017. We heard her beautiful work and asked to include it in our magazine. To our great joy, she agreed. Here is her poem:

I am a woman I was born under the judgment of this society as being known for only my weakness but not my strength.

My skin is too soft, my hair is too long; I wear dresses and run too slow.

It doesn’t matter what I can accomplished because my gender will define who I am.

I have a powerful voice but the world disagree, He pushed me down and shut my mouth and treated me like a statue with no feeling, He laughed and whistled at how my body look.

Oh what a life, when I wear certain clothes, it means I am asking him to insult and rape me.

It doesn’t matter how hard I worked, I don’t deserve the same rights as men.

And where is my respect when men have theirs?

So I asked him why and this what He replied “From history to literature and science to math, men take the lead, what have women done?”

When I raised my voice and shouted at him, He mocked and called me a feminist who anti-man.

Then He encouraged me to stop my smart mouth and accept life as it is, for it is life.

He said that I needed to learn my position, for the only great thing I could do is carry a child.

Oh, I am so sorry because I am not a man, for I am a daughter, a sister, a mother of that man.

Like water, I give life and nurture this earth and without me there won’t be a life.

Yes it is me, the water that carve its way to stone to create a new path that men take years to discover.

What would He does without my existing without my determination and optimistic in life.

But all I am asking for is the same respect because, like any human, I can climb mountains and reach for those stars.

Yes I am a woman, and I am proud like that.

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AWARD:

We are proud to include this powerful poem, “Boys & Buying” by Liz Johnston, which won the 2016-2017 Women’s Studies Creative Writing Award

BOYS & BUYING

He stands outside of near campus clubs and local bars screaming, “Hell yeah, bro,” in his khaki board shorts and bright polo shirt, powder in pockets.

He rides in red convertibles with no regard for the legal alcohol level and he’s “too cool” for speed limits.

He fucks his girlfriend (and her friends) on the regular and she knows, but she won’t leave because every time she cries to her mother, she’s told to trade her self-worth for his net worth She’ll marry him in three years because he buys her fancy shit that poor folk never heard of and couldn’t pronounce even if they tried.

Love will be more foreign to her than any apology diamond he could ever buy her.

But he’ll meet girls who will say “no,” but no is subjective to him and those cases won’t make it to court because he’ll just Buy pass those charges because when daddy’s daddy’s daddy died he left money, not worth, ethic, or regard for human rights.

He’ll graduate, just barely, and when the time is right, he will inherit the business that his blood, but not his labor built and pull the same shit—work un-ethic. and some poor girl can’t call him on it because she “needs the raise.” because her student loans are unforgiving because her degree is considered useless without a dick because bills need to be paid because her father needs medicine and she won’t let her sister drop out of high school to become a maid. so she’ll laugh and smile when he gives her ass a look, then a stare, then a pat, then a smack, then a squeeze and each time she’ll swallow her pride when he tries to come inside because she needed that raise,

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She’ll feel sick but she doesn’t thinks he can quit quit.

God knows she needed that raise.

And then he’ll take his pick, governor, house, or the senate And he’ll pay off that poor girl and every poor girl who has ever “needed a raise.” he’ll try to pay off every poor girl who has ever had to carry the burden of his entitlement, of his needs, of his bastard babies.

10 years later, he’ll run for president with a strict conservative platform based on family values. he’ll start fucking some intern who was told all her life that you must “give head to get ahead” his pro-life views do not extend to interns, nannies, and “the help.” and for his son, (not the bastards, but the one he claims) he’ll be sent to the same university And he’ll stand outside the same clubs And the same bars, screaming, “Hell yeah, bro!”

Because when little boys push down little girls or break their Barbies despite their no’s we just make excuses.

We tell them that “boys will be boys,” because we don’t teach girls to love themselves we don’t teach girls to demand respect that the only systems of measurement for a girl’s worth are ass, tits, men, and the things that men have bought them.

We don’t call them priceless, We teach them how to buy and be bought.

EMPOWERMENT: Building an Intersectional, Intergenerational, & Inclusive Feminist Movement

OUR APPROACH TO FREEDOM NEED NOT BE IDENTICAL BUT IT MUST BE INTERSECTIONAL AND INCLUSIVE.

- JANET MOCK

Art by Gabriella Hawkins

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OPINIONS ON ACTIVISM:

EXPLORING THE WOMEN'S MARCH ON WASHINGTON & SISTER MARCHES If you attended the Women’s March locally or nationally please consider donating your digital images, signs, and other ephemeral materials to Loyola University New Orleans’ Special Collections & Archives as we are participating in the Women’s March Archives Project, a project that was initiated by the SAA Women Archivists Section. Contact us at archives@loyno.edu for more information.

Photographs by Courtnie Praither, Dylan Walker, Rae Taylor, and Patricia Boyett

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FEMINISM

IN THE FOURTH-WAVE

Fourth-wave feminism has rolled onto our shores in America, and we are among those rising with the tide.

We imagine that scholars and activists will debate this wave’s precise origins for years to come as many diverse currents gathered to create it. Tides rose in #SayHerName; in the battles for LGBTQ+ rights; in the reaction to the Stanford sexual assault case; they rose in the struggles for women’s access to healthcare, equal pay, and the right to serve in combat positions in the military; they rose against the massive violence against transgender person; they rose to make visible all the injustices marginalized persons confront; they rose in ways too numerous to name here. The election in 2016 fomented a storm of outrage among progressives that instigated a seismic swell in the gathering fourth wave of feminism. That surge grew rapidly into a powerful rising tide in the Women’s March on Washington Movement that rolled across America and the world.

We are opening our empowerment section with the onset of 2017 as feminists from Loyola University New Orleans joined feminists across the city for a Mock Jazz Funeral for Lady Liberty on January 20 and for the Women’s March in Washington D.C. and one of its Sister Marches in New Orleans on January 21. We realize that the march also came with its own controversies and challenges that opened the long conflicts living in the heart of the four waves of feminism. Journalist Jenée Desmond-Harris wrote an extraordinary article in Vox, “Doubts about inclusive feminism,” that explores the historical failures of the feminist movement to practice intersectionality and how the march itself started from those failings but became a “model of intersectionality.”

Tensions and divisions surrounded the marches, but so did love and hope. According to the Women’s March on Washington website, the Washington March and its Sister Marches on January 21, 2017 marked one of the most significant protests in global history as an estimated 4,964,422 people marched in nearly 500 American cities and in at least 200 cities across the globe. Sister marches occurred in all 50 American states and on all 7 continents.

Images across media outlets of the march highlighted the complex and intersecting strands of the feminist struggle. The largest crowd arrived in Washington D.C. Hundreds of thousands of folks flooded the city, congesting the highways, airports, trains, and subways, and spilling out into the streets, packed tightly and yet moving harmoniously together. Knitted-pink pussy hats adorned so many heads, it looked like an orchestrated performance of swaying flushed dancers from the skies. Children moved alongside Generation Zs, Millennials, Generation Xers, Baby Boomers, and Traditionalists; men alongside women and folks of all genders; the marchers represented an array of different races, ethnicities, cultures, and religions.

Hope found its voice again in the words of feminist speakers and in the exchanges among the marchers. As our essays on the march demonstrate, many feminists gathered to show that they believe in the equality of all people. Many experienced both a sense of sisterhood in the revival of a Women’s Movement as well as a perception of a larger connection of all genders in a broader Feminist Movement. Still, as Desmond-Harris notes in her article, some marchers lacked an understanding of intersectionality and inclusion. And some feminists did not attend the March on Washington or the Sister Marches because they doubted that these marches and this emerging movement would be inclusive.

But a movement is a malleable, imperfect struggle that has the capacity to change and grow when nurtured. In the days since the marches, feminists have nurtured the hope. The feminist struggle continues to rise.

Our feminist community at Loyola New Orleans is rising with it, for intersectional feminism is integral to our social justice mission to free the oppressed and create a more just world. Fourth-wave feminism has rolled upon our shores. May it draw us into the deep heart of hope and carry us toward the creation of a feminist world.

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“Inclusive and intersectional feminism . . . calls upon all of us to join the resistance to racism, to Islamophobia, to anti-Semitism, to capitalist exploitation.”

Angela Davis

“This is an outpouring of energy and true democracy that I have never seen in my very long life. It is wide in age, it is deep in diversity and remember the constitution does not begin with ‘I the president’, it begins with ‘We the people.”

“We won't build walls and we won't see the worst in each other, and we won't turn our backs on the more than 750,000 young immigrants in this country currently protected by DACA. They are hardworking, upstanding, courageous individuals who refuse to live in the shadow of fear and isolation. . . . Today we march with and for them.”

Gloria Steinem

America Ferrera

“By being here you are making a commitment to this work. Together we are creating a resounding statement, a statement that stakes a claim on our lives and our loves, our bodies and our babies, our identities and our ideals. But a movement – a movement is so much more than a march. A movement is that difficult space between our reality and our vision. Our liberation depends on all of us, all of us returning to our homes and using this experience and all the experiences that have shaped us to act, to organize, to resist.”

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Janet Mock

A JAZZ FUNERAL FOR LADY LIBERTY

Credit Photo: Gustavo Escanelle

Patricia Boyett On the late morning of January 20, 2017, I gathered with my fellow New Orleanian mourners bedecked in black veils, hats, dresses, and dark suits at the gates of Louis Armstrong Park to witness the burial of Lady Liberty. A local group, the Next Right Thing, had organized the “Mock Jazz Funeral for Lady Liberty” and received support from a variety of other progressive organizations, including a newly formed group that I had joined in the wake of the election, New Orleans Women, Living Our Values Everyday (NOW, LOVE). We surrounded a nine-foot replica of the Statue of Liberty, our numbers growing by the second as folks, donning an array of elaborate costumes, joined. At precisely 11:00 AM, while Donald J. Trump was preparing to take the presidential oath in Washington DC, Lady Liberty’s “torch-bearing arm fell to her side.” Pall bearers lowered Lady Liberty into a red-lined black coffin on wheels.

Us bereaved, it seemed to me, did not mourn the loss of a perfect America, for America had a long history of struggles against oppression; rather it seemed we grieved for the death of progress toward Lady Liberty’s promise—progress in civil rights; LGBTQ+ rights; environmental protections; healthcare reform; immigration reform; prison reform; protection for survivors of gender violence; advancements toward equal pay; successes in breaking glass ceilings. Many of us progressives feared for the survival of important movements like Black Lives Matter, #SayHerName, #Fightfor15, #LoveWins; we feared for the fate of the Dreamers, women’s health, and the environment. We feared the rise of the so-called alt-right, a fancy name for white supremacists.1

And we feared for the future of feminism, which was intricately tied to all other equal rights movements. In the wake of the election, anti-feminists were certain that feminism had died.

Again. Thirty-five years earlier, New Orleanians held a jazz funeral for the Equal Rights Amendment when it fell three states short of ratification in 1982. Yet feminism has suffered many pronounced deaths only to rise from the ashes.2 Perhaps there is no better place to represent rebirth than New Orleans. Jazz funerals combine mourning for the loss that death brings with celebration for the hope of a glorious new life to come. In honor of that tradition, the Mahogany Brass Band struck up “Just a Closer Walk with Thee” and led the funeral procession down the streets of Rampart and Canal and onto the Moon Walk bordering the Mississippi River. When we passed the dock of the Natchez River Boat, we placed flowers in the coffin as a sign of respect to Lady Liberty and then resurrected her in the Resistance.3 Feminism, I thought, as we rebirthed Lady Liberty, never really dies. It is like a Phoenix—no fire may destroy it; the external and internal infernos reshape it, change it, strengthen it, and resurrect it in a new wave of life. Our procession now became a celebration of our resistance as we followed Lady Liberty, dancing and singing through the streets of the French Quarter and the Marigny and concluding our festivities at d. b. a., a favorite local tavern on Frenchmen Street, where we raised a glass to hope.

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IN SEARCH OF INTERSECTIONAL FEMINISM: “A woman’s place is in the resistance.” “Which one are you? A: Feminist, B: Misogynist, C: (There is no ‘C’).” “When you’re accustomed to privilege, equality feels like oppression.” These are just a few signs I saw at the Women’s March in New Orleans, which took place on January 21, the day after Donald Trump was inaugurated.

The parade was in many ways a seamless continuation of the “Mock Jazz Funeral for Lady Liberty” organized by The Next Right Thing the previous day. Protest mixed with festivity and music again as the band led the thousands of demonstrators, many of them singing and dancing from Washington Park through the French Quarter and the Central Business District to Duncan Plaza. As The New Orleans Advocate noted, this march, organized by the Women’s March New Orleans group, Millennials March for Revolution, and again in true New Orleans fashion, an ensemble called “Jazz Funeral for Democracy,” drew an estimated 10,000 to 15,000 marchers.

According to the Women’s March on Washington website and reporting in The New Orleans Advocate, all of the women’s marches aimed to unite and empower women of all races, sexualities, religions, and socioeconomic statuses, and gender identifications. The New Orleans Women’s March featured a diverse group of speakers, including two state senators J.P. Morrell and Karen Carter Peterson, Louisiana Congresswomen Helena Moreno, and Councilwoman LaToya Cantrell. Still, to some students at Loyola, both marches fell a little short of its goals. A senior at Loyola, Nydia Araya, said “Although the Women’s March nationwide was established on the platform of intersectionality, I was disappointed by the lack of women of color at the march.”

I too was skeptical towards the Women’s Marches. I was not sure if all attendees were marching for the same reasons. I was unsure of the common goal. Were we marching for our rights? Were we protesting Trump? Did we all understand intersectional feminism? I arrived to a crowded Frenchmen Street, which was a sea of pink filled with people of all ages wearing “Nasty Woman” shirts and creative, unapologetic signs. It was liberating. I no longer needed to understand why each woman was there. My doubts dissipated once I saw the community of women supporting one another in ways I hadn't seen before. Our mutual feelings of despair, anguish, and fury combined to create an atmosphere of hope. And many students at Loyola felt as I did.

Tasia Gabriel, a sophomore at Loyola, felt “a new sense of hope and energy” because she was “surrounded by thousands of people who feel the same.” It was more than just marching for women’s rights. We were marching to end all inequalities.

To show the new administration that although it may have won a campaign by marginalizing a large majority, we would not stand for it.

“I saw diversity within feminism at the march, from radical to professional. The full spectrum united to highlight the underlying misogyny in America and of this new administration,” said Loyola freshman Tess Rowland.

Marchers from across the globe posted their photos on social media. It was not only empowering; it was electric. I realized the impact we had made was more than just within our communities or within our own nations. We had called attention to global inequalities that people have accepted for too many years, and our message would endure.

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LOYOLA STUDENTS & THE WOMEN’S MARCH ON NEW ORLEANS Rachel Rivas

I came to the same conclusion as most of my student peers, the Women’s March is evidence of progress. Let me leave you with some of their thoughts; “The march was empowering. A myriad of different causes were represented, and moving forward we all need to support one another’s fights.” Athena Merida (Loyola freshman) “It was inspiring to see people of all different genders and sexualities come together for one important cause. I believe the march was just a glimpse of what is to come.” - Victoria Williams (Loyola freshman) Nydia Araya concluded, “There is a lot of work still to be done in connection with intersectional feminism, but we have to start somewhere, and progress is progress.” - Nydia Araya (Loyola senior)

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WHY I MA

Courtnie Praither

I marched in the Women’s March on Washington because I felt this need to "do" something in reaction to the polarization of the country during the presidential race and the election of Donald Trump. I too was one of those people that took this election cycle pretty hard. Not just because of the election... what I saw on the news, read in the paper or on social media, comments from co-workers and friends...even random strangers. It felt like there was a constant state of tension all around me and I was powerless to do anything about it.

The fact is...I had no intention on attending the WMW. My partner and I already had plans to be in the D.C. area because she was taking a weekend class for her master's program at Maryland University for Integrated Health. By then, feelings about the result of the election had subsided and we planned to take a few extra days to tour D.C. We had no idea it was the same weekend as the presidential inauguration. Once we realized the timing of our trip, we made an agreement that I would not participate in any demonstrations or marches because tensions were high, and I didn't want to find myself in the middle of a protest gone wrong...or worse.

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The day of our flight into BWI (Baltimore, eve of Inauguration Day), I felt an enormous amount of tension and anxiety about traveling to the area. We both were. We'd seen the coverage on the news and didn't want have to face a situation with an "angry Trump-voter" that didn't approve of our interracial,

lesbian partnership. Early that morning, on the train to the departure terminal, seven white men boarded the train at the next pickup station. We could hear them laughing and talking as they boarded, but they immediately went silent after they saw my partner and I (she was resting on my shoulder). Eventually, one of the men stated, "Y'all ready to 'Make America Great Again' today?" The men started laughing and said, "Hell, we're gonna be more like Russia, and that ain't such a bad thing." More laughing...my heart just sank.

We finally boarded our plane, which was the first leg of a connection flight to Boston. The majority of the passengers were Trump supporters dressed in pro-Trump garb and infamous red hats. The mood on the plane was "heavy." I was nervous. I didn't know when someone was going to say something derogatory toward me or my partner. Luckily, we got to our first destination without incident and proceeded to our next departure gate.

During the layover, we discussed what we observed/experienced during the day so far. I was disgusted, angry, and scared. As we stood in line to board the second leg of our flight to Baltimore, we noticed the energy around us changed. There were more women...lots more! All colors, shapes and sizes. Everyone looked so happy. People were laughing and talking. It was a completely different vibe than

the first flight. As I stepped into the plane, all I saw was pink.

Pink hats, shirts, pants, shoes....pink everywhere. My partner and I looked at each other with excitement. "We just found the Women's March plane!" I said. When we sat in our seats, my partner said, "Babe, you gotta go to the march, you need this." Initially I said no, stating all the reasons we'd discussed before. But there was something inside me that wouldn't let me rest. So I got up from my seat, introduced myself to a passenger (Emileigh from 7D) and told her I wanted to go but didn't want to go alone. We exchanged phone numbers, she told me about the WMW app, and gave me directions on where to meet her.

Once we got to the hotel, I immediately started doing my research on the march and train stations for transportation.

The next day, my partner dropped me off at the station before her class, and I was experiencing the adventure of my first march. And immediately I knew that the march was life-changing! I couldn't believe how many people, from all over the world, came to participate. Such positive energy. Well-organized...as best as they could, considering they didn’t expect half a million people. Peaceful. Educational.

Reinvigorating. POWERFUL!!!

And it was inclusive. I saw women (and men) of all ethnicities, ages, sexual identities, capabilities, religious affiliations, origins. You name it, they represented. I was also impressed

Photographs by: Courtnie Praither

ARCHED

by the inclusivity of the organizers. I read and heard a lot about the Women’s Movement of the ‘60s & ‘70s being only beneficial to white women. It felt as if this generation learned from the mistakes of the past and made sure that inclusivity was their philosophic backbone.

So where do we go from here? Well, as the kids say, "Stay woke!" I believe our society's cultural pendulum swung way right...now it's time to swing back to the left, making it more centralist and inclusive for all. So far, it seems more people are taking an interest in politics, history, but most importantly, activism. My hope is that the activist momentum will continue to grow, and the younger generation will become more involved and stay involved with government at the local levels to create and effect real change.

The march started that change. And I needed that march like so many others needed it. Why did I need it? Why did I march? Therapy. I needed therapy. I just needed to know the what, when, why, and how people were feeling. Was I alone? Was I only seeing the world through my own little bubble, or were there others seeing the same? Going to the march was a resounding "YES!" Yes, we see you...yes, we hear you...yes, you matter. Being surrounded by over half a million "yeses," many who did not share similar demographics, was absolutely therapeutic. Not only was I not alone...but WE outnumber THEM!

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A PLACE IN THE Interview of Dr. Rae Taylor, Chair Department of

WRC Staff: Why did you attend the Women's March on Washington?

Dr. Taylor: After the election, I felt devastated and hopeless for weeks and could not pull myself out of it. When I saw the announcement for the march, for the first time in weeks, I smiled, felt energized and resolved. It took me about 10 seconds from seeing the announcement to deciding to go. I booked my flight a few minutes later.

WRC Staff: What were your impressions of the march?

Dr. Taylor: I went with my best friend, my aunt and cousin, and a couple of new friends. When we walked up in our pink knitted hats (compliments of wonderful Loyola colleagues), the folks from the Pussyhat Project had just arrived and were in the process of unloading dozens and dozens of garbage bags full of pussyhats kitted and sent in by people all over the world. They asked if we wanted to help hand them out, and we did — for two hours. Then we walked around and found our spot among the hundreds of thousands of women, men, and children of every age, race, ethnicity, sex, and gender, almost all wearing their pink hats. It was so incredibly crowded, the people covering every inch of space for as far as you could see in every direction, but everyone was so kind and accommodating of each other as they moved through the crowd. I must have cried a hundred times that day, through smiles and chants. The size of the crowd, many times more than was expected, the signs, the solidarity, the speakers, the people — it was never lost on me for a moment that we were making history. I felt the magnitude of that on the day of the march, and I still do every day. It was powerful, it was moving, and it was effective.

WRC Staff: Did you think it was an inclusive march?

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Dr. Taylor: I believe the organizers certainly wanted it to be inclusive. Their daily correspondence indicated as much, but there were definitely more white people than people of color and more women than men. Given the cost involved in traveling to Washington D.C., there is an obvious class bias in terms of who could travel from out of town, but there were also the marches in hundreds of cities around the world.

That said, there were many, many people of every race and ethnicity; women, men, and trans-people; people who identify as Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Hindu, atheist, and so on; people in wheelchairs and with other accommodations; women with their breast pumps wearing their babies; and elderly people with signs indicating frustration with "having to march again." There were veterans, clergy, off-duty law enforcement, fire fighters, and medical personnel marching; and those are just some of the people I saw.

REVOLUTION

Criminology and Justice, Loyola University New Orleans

WRC Staff: What do you think the results are and will be from the march?

Dr. Taylor: I think the immediate result was a staggering show of solidarity among people who oppose bigotry and violence against women and other minorities, two of the things that were flagrantly celebrated during Trump's campaign, but I am sure we will be measuring the effects for years to come.

Unfortunately, this administration does not seem to care about equality, safety, justice, or science, but fortunately, this enormous, diverse group of passionate people are going to persist in our protests and demands for equality, truth, and justice.

WRC Staff: Is there anything else you wish to share with us about the march or feminism in general?

Dr. Taylor: I grew up in a place and in a family where bigotry was tolerated, even encouraged. On the day of the march, I felt the power of good in those hundreds of thousands of people around me in D.C., and I felt, for the first time in a long time, hope. Revolutions have never been easy or fast, but I believe we are in the midst of one, and I'm so thankful I was there to help push it forward. It was one of the most important days of my life.

Photographs by: Rae Taylor

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NASTY WOMEN: GENARATIONS OF FEMINISTS

Dylan Walker

After the outcome of the November election, I was stunned, deeply saddened, and most of all I was fired up to do my part to fight back. I genuinely believe that most liberal-leaning American people in the year leading up to the election just simply expected that Hillary would win. No one took the idea of Trump becoming president seriously and what implications that would have for the rights of many American people.

I was one of those people. I did my small part by voting and sharing liberal articles on Facebook, but honesty I never gave a lot of thought about the dire possibility of Trump actually taking office. Now that I reflect back, there where endless ways I could have contributed to the Democratic Party’s presidential campaign. After the election I made a mental decision to never be complacent and unaware when it comes to the importance of American politics.

I was raised to be a powerful woman and to always stand up for what I believe in. I considered myself to be an intersectional feminist. My mom, back in Seattle, found out about the Women's March on Washington first and called me. She was happiest I had heard her since the election outcomes. When I answered the phone, she told she had booked me a ticket to Washington D.C. and that she was pulling my little sister out of school to meet me. I was at a house party when she called, and I started to cry from utter happiness.

I was extraordinarily privileged to have had the opportunity to attend and yell in my loudest, most powerful female voice. I wanted to attend for every her, him, and them in the world who deserves equality and human rights. I wanted to attend for all those who couldn’t. I wanted to attend to fight for my reproductive rights.

I wanted to attend to be part of the movement that is crucial for America to pay attention to. I wanted to attend because I am a nasty woman, and I just want to show my nasty ways. I wanted to attend to show that pussy does grab back, and it fights back with 500,000 people saying we will not stand for this.

My first impression of the march was: beautiful. The first step I took out of subway, I was engulfed in a sea of different shades of pink and protest signs. The city was alive with an indescribable amount of emotions.

This safe space and immense community gave a place for all groups to voice their views and express their frustrations with the current system. I saw protest signs about Planned Parenthood, Standing Rock, Black Lives Matter, immigration issues, global warming, LBGTQ issues, and so many other important topics. Yes, it was labeled the Women’s March but it was also a collective coming together of all the issues that are important and arising. I was in awe the whole time I was marching. The mass amount of people was inspiring.

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Many times feminist protests or gatherings become dominated by white privileged women who are not

aware of what it means to be an intersectional feminist. But one of the most special aspects of the Women's March on Washington was seeing EVERY walk of life joining together for what they fully believe is right.

Every age, ethnicity, gender, and class demographic was covered. There were 80-year-old women in wheelchairs wearing pussy hats who had lived through many feminist movements to two-month-old babies and 7-year-olds.

Everywhere you looked there were embraces, empowering voices, strangers meeting all to collectively march in peace. Enough time had passed after the election to have people really ready to talk about what the next steps were going to be. It started a conversation that has been ignored for too long.

There is a lot of criticism on what actual useful outcomes can come out of peaceful protesting. Critics claim that they are just waste of time or go eventually unnoticed.

Peaceful protests enable people to scream their pent up frustrations, to get motivated, to continue the fight, and to meet other similar thinkers who are all standing together to represent a collective movement. The Women’s March on Washington is likely the largest recorded single-day protest in US history and spread not only nationwide but worldwide. On January 21, 2017, around the world, every person who participated in the Women’s March made history. This shows the Trump administration that we have power too; we have the people; we have passion to not stand by and watch women’s and human rights be exploited. I think that the results from the march will be stronger than originally expected. From the sheer turn-out, it is a known fact on how much support this movement has. The women who organized the march have grown a large women’s activist community online that supports many national gender issues. The march will not be the last you hear from us.

I define feminism as the advocacy of women's rights on the basis of the equality of the sexes. It is about equality of all sexes and genders. NOT ABOUT FEMALE SUPERIORITY. Just wanted to remind anyone who forgot.

P.S. Pussy grabs back.

FOURTH-WAVE FEMINISM

OUTSTANDING FEMINISTS

PROFILES OF

ON THE RISE AT LOYOLA Every year, the Feminist Forum will recognize outstanding feminists in the following categories: Outstanding Faculty Dr. Valerie Goertzen

Outstanding Staff

Ms. Erin Shapiro & Ms. Asia Wong

Learn more about the selections for 2017’s Outstanding Feminists by reading the profiles of each of our selections.

Outstanding Community Partner Ms. Margaret Reynolds

Outstanding Alumna Ms. Lauren Poiroux

To all of our Outstanding Feminists, we honor you and thank you for your exceptional work advancing gender equality!

Outstanding Women’s Studies Seniors Ms. Madison Barbor & Ms. Ruth Infante

Outstanding Feminist Writer Ms. Liz Johnston

Outstanding Service to the Women’s Resource Center Ms. Hadori Bukle and Ms. Deniz Sidi

Outstanding Feminist in WRC Community Ms. Jackie La Fleur

Outstanding Feminist Leader Ms. Lucia Vives

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FEMINIST FACULTY MEMBER OF THE YEAR The Women’s Resource Center staff has selected Dr. Valerie Goertzen as our outstanding feminist faculty member of the year. For the past two years, Dr. Goertzen has served as a co-chair of the Women’s Studies Program. For the majority of her two-and-half-year service, she served in that role without a fellow co-chair because of sabbaticals and appointments of fellow co-chairs to other positions in the university. She took on chair leadership with great enthusiasm and skill, reformulated the Women’s Studies Committee structure, and quickly recruited a new crop of faculty and staff to join the Women’s Studies Committee and participate in gender programming. In addition, she chaired the search committee for a permanent director of the Women’s Resource Center and has proved an outstanding mentor to Patricia Boyett who assumed the position of Director of the Women’s Resource Center in the fall of 2015.

Dr. Goertzen received her Masters in Music and Ph.D. in Musicology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she focused on both musicology and ethnomusicology. She is a beloved professor who teaches Introduction to Music Literature, History of Western Art Music II (1750-present), Orchestral Literature, Topics in Music History 1850-present, Introduction to Graduate Studies (for Masters students in performance), and Women in Music. She is also a musician in her own right and plays piano and percussion instruments in the Northshore Orchestra Dr. Goertzen is also an impressive scholar. Her research has focused on the creative worlds of composer Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) and others in his circle, including pianist-composer Clara Wieck Schumann and violinist-composer Joseph Joachim. Her publications include two book-length volumes for the new critical edition of works of Johannes Brahms. These volumes contain edited scores of Brahms's arrangements for piano of works of other composers, along with historical introductions and formal descriptions of manuscript and print sources. In addition, she has published essays on Brahms's arrangements included in several published volumes, articles on the art of improvising introductions to piano pieces in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and articles on Clara Schumann's improvised preludes, exercises, and fugues as part of the set, Women Composers: Music through the Ages. She has achieved many grants, most notably from the Fulbright Foundation, German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Loyola University Marquette Fellowship.

Her service in her field is impressive. She serves as Vice-President of the American Brahms Society and is the Co-editor, with Professor William Horne, of the American Brahms Society Newsletter. She has given talks at universities and conferences in Europe and the U.S. She served as the co-organizer of Joseph Joachim at 185: International Conference in Boston in June 2016, with speakers from Austria, Germany, Switzerland, the U. K., Australia, and Japan. She earned a scholar in residence in the Brahms-Studio in Baden-Baden, Germany and lived in a house where Brahms rented rooms during summers in the 1860s-70s, up the hill from Clara Schumann’s house.

In addition, Dr. Goertzen is active in the Women’s Movement. She took part in the Women’s March in New Orleans and is, as she notes, a “knitter of pussy-hats” and has given them to staff, students, and faculty. Her passion for social justice and service is also part of her personal life. Her husband of thirty-seven years, Chris Goerzen, ethnomusicologist and Professor at the University of Southern Mississippi, joined her in the Women’s March in New Orleans, and their daughters, Kate and Ellen, live, as Dr. Goertzen proudly declares, “lives of joy and service.”

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DR. VALERIE GOERTZEN Dr. Goertzen’s service to the mission of Women’s Studies moves far beyond Loyola. While at the helm of the Women’s Studies Committee, she brought Dr. Joanna Staskiewicz to Loyola as a visiting scholar in the Spring 2016. Dr. Staskiewicz’s research focuses on the struggling feminist movement in the Catholic Church in Poland. She quickly became a beloved scholar on campus, and with Dr. Goertzen’s help, fostered deeper relationships between the International Studies program, Women’s Studies, and the Women’s Resource Center. In addition, Dr. Goertzen engaged in important outreach in New Orleans. She connected the Women’s Studies Committee and the Women’s Resource Center to a program at De La Sall High School to celebrate Malala Day. Finally, through her tireless work in publicity and recruiting, Dr. Goertzen has increased the visibility of Women's Studies.

It is our great pleasure to recognize Dr. Valerie Goertzen as our Outstanding Feminist Faculty member of the Year.

Because of her kind and modest nature, she expressed surprise that she was chosen. But we were certain that she was our ideal selection. Her consistent, persistent, magnificent, but ever so humble service, epitomizes Loyola’s Ignatius calling and has greatly advanced the feminist mission at Loyola and far beyond.

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We chose Asia Wong and Erin Shapiro as our Outstanding Feminist Staff Members of the Year. Both have served as co-chairs with Patricia Boyett at our annual Take Back the Night events in October and collaborated with the Women’s Resource Center on Love Your Body Week in February and Sexual Violence Awareness Month in April. In addition, they have coordinated the advocates program that trains Loyola student, staff, and faculty to advocate for survivors. Finally, they provide an invaluable service to the Loyola community by counseling Loyola students. It has been a great honor and privilege to work with them.

Erin Shapiro Masters Education LPC, NCC Staff Counselor

Ms. Shapiro is a licensed professional counselor, sexual assault advocate, and co-chair of Take Back the Night. She began her career as a volunteer for a student helpline at Texas A&M where she found a passion for social justice and helping others. She earned her Master’s degree in 2008 from the University of New Orleans and began a career in higher education as a college counselor. Through her work, she strives to support, educate, and assist individuals to navigate their lives and personal struggles.

When we asked Ms. Shapiro why she is a feminist, she responded: “I am a feminist because I believe that differences should be celebrated and not used as a reason to discriminate. All humans deserve equality and to have their experiences validated. My work as both a therapist and an advocate helps to empower others which is an important part of feminism.”

Erin Shapiro

Asia Wong

MSW, Social Work Licensed Clinical Social Worker Associate Director of Loyola’s University Counseling Center

Ms. Wong earned her Masters of Social Work at Tulane, and her Bachelor of Arts at Brown University. In her clinical practice, she has expertise working with clients from a wide variety of socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds, including first generation and non-traditional college students. Her work is informed by narrative therapy, and she utilizes an extensive range of techniques and approaches including compassion focused therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy and forgiveness therapy to best meet her clients’ needs. Ms. Wong also serves as a clinical supervisor for social work masters students completing their internships at Loyola.

Asia Wong

When we asked her why she is a feminist, she responded: “Why isn’t everyone?” She considers feminism vital to her work because systems resist change without “personal change” and because “living on either side of oppression is painful, lonely and alienating.”

OUTSTANDING FEMINIST STAFF MEMBERS OF THE YEAR

MS. ERIN SHAPIRO & MS. ASIA WONG 51

OUTSTANDING COMMUNITY PARTNER

MS. MARGARET REYNOLDS

MEET MS. REYNOLDS

We chose Margaret Reynolds as our Outstanding Community Partner because she has worked tirelessly and enthusiastically to assist and advocate for survivors of gender violence across New Orleans. In addition, she has served Loyola particularly well by serving on panels and engaging in dialogue with our students. Her deep knowledge of the legal processes involving sexual assault and how to help survivors navigate through such difficult processes as well as her generous and compassionate spirit make her an ideal community partner. We are so grateful for the opportunity to partner with Ms. Reynolds.

A Gulf Coast native, Margaret Reynolds now lives in New Orleans, Louisiana. She spent her childhood traveling and reading. Ms. Reynolds graduated with her B.A. in English from Tulane University in 2011. Following undergrad, she worked in both the DC area and Montreal. In 2012, she returned to New Orleans to complete her Master in Public Administration with a focus in nonprofit management. During her academic tenure, she focused on both the individual antecedents to collaboration and the long-term effects of sexual violence. Among other things, Ms. Reynolds is a current fellow of the HIVE Leadership Development Program, a member of the NOLA Cherry Bombs, and is actively involved with the Emerging Philanthropists of New Orleans.

According to her friends, family and coworkers (she asked), Ms. Reynolds is full of life, engaged, effective, and considerate. She leads an examined life and is inclined to quickly trust others. She is humored by life and passionate about activism on the local, state, and national levels.

Ms. Reynolds served as STAR’s Greater New Orleans Regional Director from 2015 to 2017. Currently, she serves as a case manager in the office of Case Management and Victim Support Services at Tulane University.

WHY IS MARGARET REYNOLDS A FEMINIST? I’m a feminist because I believe in the economic, social, and political equality of genders. Among other things, achieving a feminist state would mean that sexual education is holistic, sex-positive, age-appropriate, and available to all children and adults. It would mean that women have access to confidential, excellent, and safe reproductive healthcare. It would mean that all humans are treated as unique, complex individuals with multiple identities. And it would mean that allies use their privilege to equalize power imbalances and systems ensure that the public is educated on the intersectional nature of oppression and the most effective ways to remove systematic barriers.

If we can achieve gender equity, true and intersectional feminism, then inherently our world would no longer perpetuate systematic oppression. In other words, I’m a feminist because our humanity is important to me.

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Lauren Poiroux grew up in Theodore, Alabama, which she characterizes as “a small farming town outside of Mobile.” She graduated from Loyola in May of 2016 with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and a minor in Women’s Studies. She was involved in a variety of social justice activities and programs. She founded Feminist Fridays at Loyola and served as one of the moderators for two years. In addition, she supported and attended many events hosted by the Women’s Resource Center, including Take Back the Night and seminars and discussions on domestic abuse. She also developed her own activities on campus. In 2016, she co-produced Vagina Monologues with Sian Hairston and performed several of the monologues beautifully.

Ms. Poiroux also stood out in the Women’s Studies minor. In 2016, she won both the Women’s Studies creative writing contest and the Sr. Fara Impastato Award, O.P., Award for Outstanding Senior in Women’s Studies. She credits the mentoring of professors at Loyola and the “diverse curriculum” for helping her find her “life’s work and passion: advocating for survivors of gender based violence.” As Ms. Poiroux notes, “Domestic violence knows no race, gender, age, or sexuality: it is an equal opportunity crime committed by individuals who are supposed to love and respect their partner but instead exert power and control over them.”

After graduation, Ms. Poiroux became a court advocate at Penelope House, the first shelter for victims of intimate partner violence ever opened in Alabama, and the fifth shelter opened in the United States. After receiving significant training in local and federal statutes on domestic violence, she took on the role as an advocate and serves clients in four Alabama counties. Her work includes helping clients understand their rights and options, assisting them in filing police reports, signing warrants, and filing for Protection from Abuse orders. In addition, she constantly works to “combat misunderstanding and preconceptions about domestic violence survivors by working closely with law enforcement in my community as well as prosecutors and judges by attending court in two municipal courts.”

We selected Ms. Poiroux as our Outstanding Feminist Alumnae from the Women’s Resource Center because she has continued to exemplify the feminist mission of social justice by dedicating her life to helping survivors of domestic abuse obtain legal protection and rights. She is a model of our three pillars at the center: education, empowerment, and equality. By educating her community about the myths of domestic violence, by empowering survivors to rebuild their lives, and by constantly resisting patriarchal structures that perpetuate violence, she is advancing the struggle for gender equality. Thank you Ms. Poiroux for laboring daily to make the world a more just and feminist place.

OUTSTANDING FEMINIST ALUMNA 53

MS. LAUREN POIROUX

OUTSTANDING WOMEN’S STUDIES SENIORS

SR. FARA IMPASTO AWARD MS. MADISON BARBOR & MS. RUTH INFANTE The Women’s Studies Committee selected Madison Barbor and Ruth Infante for the 2016-2017 Sr. Fara Impastato, O.P., Award, given annually to an outstanding senior in Women's Studies. The award is given in honor of Sr. Fara Impastato, a Dominican Sister of Peace, who taught at Loyola University New Orleans for twenty-four years and who served as one of the founding members of Loyola’s Women’s Studies program.

Ms. Barbor and Ms. Infante both excelled in the Women’s Studies minor and are paving exceptional career paths that will advance social justice. It is our privilege to honor them in our first issue of the Feminist Forum.

Ruth Infante

She was born in Guantanamo, Cuba and moved to Miami, Florida when she was 8-years-old. She is graduating Loyola with two majors: psychology and English writing and a minor in women’s studies. Since she graduated from Loyola, she has been working at a Neurobehavioral Clinic and administers tests. She is also preparing to attend graduate school to complete a Ph.D. in clinical psychology. She defines herself as “a Catholic, a perfectionist, and a chocaholic.” When we asked her why she is a feminist, she responded, “because my father once told me that my purpose in life was to get married and have children; I want to show him otherwise.”

Ruth Infante

Madison Barbor

She hails from Bluffton, South Carolina. She is completing her psychology major and women's studies in the fall of 2017. After graduation, she plans to become a sexual assault victims' advocate and pursue a Master's in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Upon graduation, she will work at Via Link 2-1-1, a nonprofit information referral, suicide prevention, and crisis intervention hotline until she begins graduate school the following fall. Ms. Barbor is a feminist because “she believes every person — regardless of their gender identity, race, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status — deserves to share their life experiences and have their voices heard."

Madison Barbor

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We chose Hardori Bukle and Deniz Sidi for the Women’s Resource Center’s Distinguished Service Award because both women went far beyond their duties at the center to develop projects, help other students, and ensure the success of the WRC.

MS. HADORI BUKLE Ms. Bukle is a sophomore, Business Management and Marketing double major from Phoenix, Arizona. Her passion for equal rights led her to work in the Women's Resource Center in early 2016. Ms. Bukle considers herself a feminist because she believes that all genders should be equal, regardless of race, class, and sexual orientation. Eventually she would like to coordinate her passion with her major by encouraging an environment in which all genders have an equal playing field in a workplace, such as equal pay and rights. In addition to her work at the center, Ms. Bukle is a member of a national business fraternity, Delta Sigma Pi (Delta Nu chapter). A brilliant scholar who has earned a 3.7 GPA, she is also the recipient of the Student Investment Fund Scholarship for 2017 from the College of Business.

Ms. Bukle is a consummate professional. She is mature far beyond her young years and carries herself with a sophisticated decorum. Ms. Bukle never misses work and never arrives late. She completes every project with meticulousness and dedication and is a model employee. Her knowledge of business and marketing has served the WRC well. Ms. Bukle has been central to the planning and execution of workshops and networking luncheons designed to help women excel in the workforce. She so impressed a CEO at a networking luncheon that she was invited to coffee to discuss her future career prospects. She currently serves in the role as student director of programming and management at the WRC and contributes a column on women in business in our Feminist Forum.

In addition, Ms. Bukle has served as a wonderful role model and has helped many students reorganize their lives, focus on their studies, and move as professional and confident women in the world.

DISTINGUISHED SERVICE TO THE WRC 55

MS. DENIZ SIDI Ms. Sidi is beginning her senior year at Loyola University New Orleans. A proud Turkish/Italian woman, she finished middle school at Gelisim Koleji in Izmir, then moved to Genova, Italy and studied at the International School in Genoa (ISG) where she earned an International Baccalaureate Diploma. At ISG, Deniz became a member of the Model United Nations club, and she participated in the 2011 and 2012 Hague International Model United Nations (THIMUN) conferences, the 2011 and 2012 Genoa Model United Nations (GeMUN) conference as a delegate and a judge respectively, and the 2011 Amman Model United Nations (AMMUN) conference as a judge. In AMMUN, she was awarded with the Most Dedicated and Attentive Judge award.

Ms. Sidi was initially exploring Biology as a major and thus in 2011, she attended Summer Discovery's program at Northeastern University in Boston, which allowed her to enroll in a college credit course and volunteer in various places, such as a nursing home for people with Alzheimer’s, and cancer home care. She also packaged food for HIV patients and homeless people around the Boston area. In July 2012, she interned at Charing Cross NHS Hospital in London, England and had the opportunity to meet with the patients, work on their medical records, observe multiple surgeries, and follow pre-ups and post-ups procedures. During the summer 2014 and fall 2014, Ms. Sidi interned at Dokuz Eylul University’s Anatomy Department where she worked with the professors, helped with future publications, and assisted them during labs and data collection for studies.

Although she is still fascinated by science, Ms. Sidi changed her major to English after many of her professors praised her incredible talent for writing and the arts. In addition, during the spring 2016, she completed a service learning project at the Orleans Public Defenders Office and served as a volunteer for the Women’s Resource Center. In the fall of 2016, she became an intern for the Women’s Resource Center where she primarily specializes in graphic design and social media. She currently works as the student creative director of the WRC’s Feminist Forum magazine. She also recently became an LGBTQIA Advocate through Loyola’s Q-Advocate training program and an advocate for survivors of gender violence. Ms. Sidi is one of the staff members that students seek out in times of need. Her compassionate nature and her devotion to equity has motivated her to devote herself to helping others in every possible way that she is able. She has produced work far beyond expectations and is an exceptionally talented woman.

MS. HADORI BUKLE & MS. DENIZ SIDI 56

OUTSTANDING FEMINIST

MS. JACKIE LA FLEUR We selected Jackie La Fleur as the Outstanding Woman of the Year in our Women’s Resource Center community.

Ms. La Fleur works as custodian with WFF Services and is in charge of Marquette Hall where the WRC offices and living room are located. Ms. La Fleur is an integral part of our community. Director of the WRC, Patricia Boyett, notes, that Ms. La Fleur “is the first person I see every morning. She is one of the hardest working people I know, and she sets an exemplary model of compassion, tenacity, integrity, and introspection for me and my student staff.”

Born in 1964 on a farm in New Iberia, Louisiana, Ms. La Fleur was raised with her sister and two brothers by her mother, Gladys La Fleur, who worked as a housekeeper and later as a cook at a hotel. Ms. La Fleur’s grandparents also helped raise her; they worked as sharecroppers on a sugar cane plantation. She recalls that she had a long line of strong women in her family and was particularly close to her grandmother, Almeta Charles. Among her favorite memories are spending Sundays in the kitchen with her grandmother, “making blackberry jam, the smell of it; her making biscuits, blackberry dumplings” and listening to her grandmother’s advice about womanhood.

She learned from her grandmother that, “Women are just strong creatures. Even when you knock women down, they pull up their big girl drawers and move on. You can’t just stand still and let the powers that be act; you have to let your opinion be heard.” That advice guided Ms. La Fleur’s life. When she graduated high school, she received a chorale scholarship to Xavier University New Orleans. Instead with a child on the way, she decided to focus on her family and find work to support them.

Ms. La Fleur worked as a custodian at the Fairmont Hotel and then at Tulane University before coming to Loyola in 2005. She is deeply proud of her four children. Her oldest daughter, Damita, is a hair stylist. Her son, Brandon, is studying business at Delgado University while working as a floor technician. And her two youngest daughters are in the United States Military: Diandra is a U.S. Army Staff Sergeant stationed in Poland, and Diaydra is in the Air Force and stationed in South Korea. Ms. La Fleur considers her strength as the most valuable gift that she gave to her children. She recalls that when her daughter Deandra was child, she chose her for her school project as her favorite person and noted it was because: “I am mom and I get up and go get it.”

Ms. La Fleur’s grandmother and her own mother influenced her respect for all women: “I believe women have just as much right to anything in life as men do because your mother is the first person that you see; that is the one who teaches you your values unless you lose your mom when you’re young. Mothers are the one who nurture.” Her faith and her experience inform her perspective of women: “There were women in the Bible who were extremely strong. They were in charge of counties. . . . There is a bunch of smart women in the Bible. We were not meant to sit back and just let men have their way in the world; we have a voice and we make it heard. Sometimes softly. We get a lot done.” She notes that men have not always respected women in history; and some men still fail to see the value of women. “Men thought women were just there to make babies and raise them; women did not hold a high place society; and we have often been perceived that way; we have to be the woman that stands behind the man instead of standing beside him.” She also notes the problems that racism continues to play in the world. “It all boils down that race is still a huge factor in the world, even today. It shouldn’t be, but it is.”

Ms. La Fleur notes that every time that America makes great strides toward progress, it regresses again. When discussing some changes since her childhood days, she marvels at the rise of African Americans to positions of power in politics, film, and the media as well as the grassroots struggles that led to the removal of Confederate statues in New Orleans. She reflects: “Who would have thought that we would be able to voice our opinion? Who would have thought that people would make movies about slavery and remove statues? I never thought that it would happen in my lifetime.” Yet she also expresses some disappointments. Although she was thrilled to witness Barack Obama

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FROM THE WRC COMMUNITY

become America’s first black president, she was frustrated with how he was often treated. “He was not the president for black America; he was not the president for people of color America; he was the president for all America. But I don’t think he got treated fairly when he was in office; they viewed the man by the color of his skin, not by his character. The more we progress, the more we go backward. That need for supremacy; it is hard for some to let it go.” Ms. La Fleur sought to educate her children about equality of all people so that they would never accept discrimination in any form. She taught her children to always respect the work each person brings to the world. And she reflects those beliefs in her work at Loyola. As she notes, “Everybody has their own thing in life that they’re going to be because we can’t all be scholars, doctors, lawyers, but we need to respect what everyone brings. We all bring something. I am the first person to come into the building in the morning; I bring what you all need for the rest of the day.” Her respect for each human life is deeply connected to her Christian faith: “God brings us all to live his way . . . to treat each like brothers and sisters regardless of race, creed, and money. I think that if we were better educated; if people actually saw each other as equal, then everything else would fall into place; then we could all sit together at the same table and work together.”

When asked about her perspective of the Women’s Resource Center, she said that she sees the center as a “sanctuary” for women and transgender students. “I look at [the WRC living] room as a place where they can go to rest from the world.”

And when discussing the students who come to the center, she said, “I hope they view me as a person who has purpose, that when they see what I do, my work comes off as valued; that I am just not here doing a service; I could give a service and motivate you at the same time.”

We chose Ms. La Fleur as our WRC community woman of the year because she has taught us all so much about dignity, introspection, respect and social justice. As Patricia Boyett notes, “I am always moved by her strength; when some terrible tragedy happens in the news or when those of us in the center feel defeated by a political turn oppressing women or when we are trying to help someone who has been hurt, she always has wise and inspiring words about surviving, moving forward, and gaining strength from the experience. I have the upmost respect for her and am so grateful that she is part of our community. She is a role model for all of us.”

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FEMINIST LEADERSHIP AWARD

MS. LUCIA VIVES We have chosen Lucia Vives for our annual WRC Feminist Leadership Award. Ms. Vives is a Women’s Studies minor and has volunteered for the Women’s Resource Center for the past two years. She is one of the lead moderators of Feminist Fridays and always brings a deep philosophical perspective to the dialogue. She also makes everyone feel welcome and comfortable with her generous and compassionate soul and free spirit. In addition, she has been a constant presence in WRC programming. A few highlights include her performance of her exceptional spoken word/essay about her life as a feminist Latina on our International Women’s Day panel in 2016 and her brilliant vocal performance with her band during our Feminist Festival Concert in 2017. In addition, she constantly brings friends and community members to WRC events. She is a unique and brilliant woman who instills such joy, hope, compassion, and intensity into her feminist work. We are proud to report that Ms. Vives is taking a leave from Loyola to volunteer for the hurricane recovery of her beloved Puerto Rico. She honors Loyola’s social justice mission. We look forward to welcoming her back to Loyola next year. As we wanted you all to have a deeper sense of Ms. Vives, we asked her to tell us about herself and why she is a feminist.

MEET MS. LUCIA VIVES My name is Lucia Vives Gomez, age 21, born in San German, Puerto Rico, and educated in an all-girl Sacred Heart school in Miami. I am a human and artist, philosophy major and women’s studies minor and work as a volunteer at the WRC as a moderator for Feminist Fridays.

I suppose I am a semi-international public figure for freedom of female expression and overall activism of education through modeling in South America; accompanying my works with various articles on topics such as ‘Women and sexuality’, ‘Women in the media’, and, overall, equality of the body and its potential amongst all genders. Staying close to the media and maintaining control of my independence and holding onto my resistance to the common, poisonous discourse is challenging. But at a time where social media has become an unfortunately large source of public education, we must attempt to merge the two.

I try to act on my feminist activism as often as possible: I traveled to Washington, D.C. for the inauguration and had the privilege to witness, experience and attend the Women’s March alongside exceptionally revered male and female feminist activists and beautiful citizens demonstrating truly peaceful democracy.

I affiliated myself with an old classmate from Sacred Heart who had a plus one invitation to a sit-in at the UN women’s conference. Although I was only there briefly and couldn’t indulge in the experience wholly, the mere ambience of empowering women working, all congregated, dissecting the social inequalities that are faced by the genders and working towards that common end was more than enough to leave me craving more.

More conversations, more involvement, more progress, more discussions, more work to be done, more wonderful people to join you in this wave that never calmed. I’ve been affiliating myself with as many non-profit organizations in my communities since, in hopes to give at least this portion of my life in this political global climate, when it is most necessary to dedicate my health, privilege and opportunity to service.

Civil rights and activism are trending now... and though that has its advantages, I don’t want to let activism be trending unless it’s accompanied by action.

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OUR YEAR IN

REVIEW:

SOME HIGHLIGHTS OVERVIEW

In 2017, America witnessed the historic rising of fourth-wave feminism, and we aspired at the WRC to contribute our voices and our spirits to the emerging intersectional movement. The year began with the Women’s March on Washington and its sister marches in all 50 states and on all 7 continents and involved some 5 million people. Many of us took part in those phenomenal marches, and all of us have sought to advance the struggle toward gender equality each day. The enthusiasm for feminism led our student staff to grow to 36, which allowed us to expand our presence on campus, increase our programming, and develop the WRC’s first magazine, Feminist Forum. We are so grateful for all the students, staff, faculty, and community members who collaborated and participated with us on our programming and projects. It is a great inspiration to walk with you on the journey to advance the historic struggle for gender equality. As 2017 draws to a close, we invite you to celebrate with us as we remember some of the highlights, and we hope you will join us as we move onward toward the creation of a feminist world.

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PROGRAMMING HIGHLIGHTS SPRING 2017 Social Justice Movement and Movement Mondays The social justice movement met regularly beginning in January. It emerged on November 9, after the Women’s Resource Center hosted a screening of Equal Means Equal directed by Kamala Lopez. After the screening, the WRC director and staff led a discussion of the historic campaign of Hillary Clinton and her loss to Donald J. Trump.

We discussed how to move forward to advance gender equity in the new political climate. We began meeting every other Monday to work toward projects and programming designed to advance equality and justice for women and for all persons of all genders.

Love Your Body Week During the first week of February, the WRC collaborated with the University Counseling Center, Health Advocates, and the Vagina Monologues cast and crew to celebrate Love Your Body Week. The week opened with two exceptional performances of Vagina Monologues directed by Ciarra Rizzo and Madelyene Perault. The cast donated all proceeds to one of Loyola’s best community partners, Sexual Trauma Awareness and Response (STAR). As the week progressed, to encourage healthy bodies, the Head Personal Trainer Megan Byas hosted Women on Weights. On February 6 and 14, Assistant Director of Leadership and Social Justice Moira Phippen and student intern Katya Agamy presented Q-Advocates, a workshop that trains attendees how to advocate for the LGBTQIA community. Throughout the week, the WRC collaborated with Health Advocates, the University Counseling Center, and the Vagina Monologues cast and crew to encourage positive body images.

Feminist Festival (March 7-18) Our signature program of the year, our second annual Feminist Festival, spanned 11 days and included panels, research talks, an exhibition, workshops to help women advance in their careers and run for political office, Melange Dance Company’s performance of HerStory, a two-day women’s film fest, a concert featuring Loyola artists and Tank and the Bangas, and a closing reception—our Feminist Happy Hour.

We were so proud that the Feminist Festival received exciting coverage by The Gambit, WDSU, and WBOK (see page 63 for details).

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Sexual Violence Awareness Month Throughout April, the Women’s Resource Center, the University Counseling Center, Student Conduct, and Health Advocates hosted Sexual Assault Awareness Month. In early April, we called on our community to declare themselves advocates for survivors by taking photographs in One Loyola with signs expressing their support. Title IX Deputy Alexandria Kelch-Brickner and Women’s Resource Center Director Patricia Boyett met with fraternities for discussions and training on sexual assault awareness and prevention. And Head Personal Trainer Megan Byas hosted a self-defense class for women.

During the last week of April, the Women’s Resource Center, the University Counseling Center, Student Conduct, Health Advocates, Interfraternity Council, and STAR collaborated on a series of programming for Denim Day. Decades ago, Italian Supreme Court Justices overturned the conviction of a rapist because they claimed the victim’s jeans were so tight that she must have removed them, thus implying consent. In protest, the women members of the Italian Parliament wore jeans the following day and created a global movement. Annually, supporters demonstrate their support and solidarity with survivors by wearing denim and collecting funds for survivor organizations. The WRC in conjunction with Phi Kappa Psi held Denim Day at Loyola in which we encouraged our community to wear denim on April 26, held a workshop/discussion of gender violence led by Sexual Trauma Awareness and Response (STAR), University Counseling Center, and the Women’s Resource Center, and raised money for STAR. Closing Party On April 28, the Women’s Studies Committee and the Women’s Resource Center hosted our End of the Year Party at which we honored winners of the Women’s Studies and Women’s Resource Center awards and celebrated our exciting year.

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FALL 2017 Feminist Fridays (All Year) The Women’s Resource Center hosted Feminist Fridays weekly in the WRC living room.

Feminist Fair & Forum (September) The WRC collaborated with the Women’s Resource Center to provide attendees information about the WRC’s programming and advocacy; the Women’s Studies minor; and the six gender organizations at Loyola, including Feminist Fridays, Living Our Vision Everyday (LOVE), Plus (formally Spectrum), Student Advocates for Gender Equality (SAGE), Students Against Sexual Assault (SASA), and Women in Politics.

Take Back the Night (October) In October Loyola honored its 25th Take Back the Night in collaboration with five other universities, Tulane, Dillard, University of New Orleans, Xavier, and Holy Cross, and several community partners, including STAR, LaFASA, Metro, Forensic Nurses, and Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America.

Between October 18 and 24, we canvassed the Loyola community to sign postcards supporting the continued funding of the Office on Violence Against Women that works to reduce gender violence, to seek justice for survivors, and to increase and improve services to survivors. On October 24, many members of the Loyola community participated in Dillard University’s annual poetry slam in which students, staff, and faculty share original works that speak to gender violence. Loyola senior, Tabitha Richardson, served as master of ceremonies.

The final event, Take Back the Night, opened at Loyola in the horseshoe lawn in front of Marquette Hall. Co-Chair Patricia Boyett opened the annual ceremony in which she noted, “On this night, we always rise publicly in solidarity with survivors to call on our institutions and our community to respect the human rights of all persons. . . . This night also reflects the work we toil in all year as we struggle toward the creation of a world that respects all genders equally, a world that is just, a world that is peaceful.” Several student speakers from several universities spoke about the persistent need for these events and others. The keynote speaker from Dillard University shared her struggle to leave an abusive relationship and called on communities to support survivors. Co-chair of Take Back the Night, Erin Shapiro (University Counseling Center) closed the ceremony with the annual lighting of candles. The 750-person crowd proceed to march across uptown on St. Charles, through Tulane, and returned to the Qatar Ballroom on Tulane’s campus for a speak-out in which survivors of gender violence rose again and again to share their stories of struggle and survival.

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Elect Her Workshop (November) Loyola University New Orleans’s Women’s Resource Center and student organizations, Women in Politics and Loyola Society for Civic Engagement, collaborated for a second year with Tulane University’s Newcomb College Institute and Tulane’s Women in Politics to bring Elect Her to New Orleans. The workshop is designed to close the gender gap in American political leadership by teaching women how to run successfully for leadership roles and student government.

Loyola hosted the event on November 11 in the Audubon Room. The national organization, Running Start, sent the fabulous Jessica Kelly to facilitate the workshop. Through a variety of exercises, attendees learned how to build a campaign, how to network, and how to develop an elevator speech. Loyola’s Rose Wagner, a freshman, won the elevator pitch presentation.

Ms. Kelly also facilitated a student panel that featured Loyola student leaders, Accacia Grant, Amy Watkins, and Armani Eady, and Tulane student leader, Lauryn Gaines. In addition, Ms. Kelly facilitated a panel of elected political leaders, Judge Tiffany Chase who was recently elected to the fourth circuit court of appeals in New Orleans and Councilwoman Carla Buccholz, a two-term councilwoman in Mandeville, Louisiana.

Sexual Assault Survivor Advocacy Training (November) The WRC sponsored STAR’s “Responding to Disclosures” advocacy training, which taught student employees at the WRC, several Women’s Studies professors, and leaders of a variety of gender organizations at Loyola how to respond and how to advocate for survivors.

Hookup Culture and Rape Culture (December) The WRC sponsered a program led by the Inter-Fraternity Council that explored hookup culture and rape culture. The all-student panel included Tess Rowland, Hannah Castillo, Gabriella Rodriguez, Zachary Dionne, Joseph Sweet, Raven Evans, Robert Krieter, Chante Barre, and Autumn White. The WRC, the University Counseling Center, and Student Conduct moderated the panel.

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JOIN THE CONVERSATION Dear Readers: Thank you for reading Feminist Forum published by the Women’s Resource Center at Loyola University New Orleans. We hope you continue to join us in our feminist journey by reading our magazine and participating in our events. We also hope you might be interested in taking an active role by contributing your works to our magazine.

If you wish to contribute to our magazine, please send us your letters to comment on any of the contents; submit for consideration for publication essays, spoken word, art, and photography. We hope to make this forum a space where diverse feminist voices engage in respectful dialogue and debate. Thus, we welcome your voices.

To propose an inclusion of your art, photography, or writings, please email your submission along with a letter noting that you give us permission to include your work, to wrcloyola@gmail.com. We look forward to reading your work and engaging in a constant dialogue about feminism and its future.

Sincerely, WRC Staff

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THANK YOU! Patricia Boyett Editor in Chief/Director

Hadori Bukle

Deniz Sidi

Director of Programing & Co-Director of Management

Hannah Castillo

Lauryn Langford

Public Relations & Marketing Coordinator

Andie Slein

Creative Director & Artistic Manager

Public Relations & Marketing Coordinator

Managing Editor & Co-Director of Management

Emmaline Bouchillion Visual Editor

Jessica White Visual Editor

STAFF WRITERS, ARTISTS, EDITORS, RESEARCHERS, REPORTERS, COLUMNISTS Stephanie Adams

Rachel Barnack

Emmaline Bouchillon

Cereyna Bougouneau

Hannah Castillo

Trent Dardar

Olivia Dadoun

Daniel DeBarge

Sarah Donaldson

Amber DuPuis

Isabella Garry

Tasia Gabriel

Ragine Green

Ava Harold

Sequoya La Joy

Gabriella Hawkins

Elizabeth Hebert

Serena Hill

Katy Kemp

Lauryn Langford

Marji Lewis

Athena Merida

Sidney Parish

Brailey Penny

Grace Riddick

Rachel Rivas

Tess Rowland

Lance Taylor

Rula Thabata

Grace Trapani

Erika Torres

Victoria Williams

Noelie Zeichik

Jessica White

CONTRIBUTORS Liz Johnston Courtnie Praither

Mike Natale Kiera Reeves

Ngan Nyugen Ciara Rizzo

Challen Palmer

Rae Taylor

Dylan Walker 68

LOYOLA UNIVERSITY NEW ORLEANS

WOMEN’S STUDIES MINOR http://interdisciplinary.loyno.edu/womensstudies/ Our Mission

An Interdisciplinary Minor

To minor in Women’s Studies

Women’s Studies is an interdisciplinary and Students are required to take: multidisciplinary program that seeks to provide • Women’s Studies Foundation course: students and the university community with PHIL U241, “Philosophical Perspectives educational frameworks and strategies for on Women,” intellectual and personal growth, positive SOCI A250, “Sociology of Gender,” or social change, and political awareness that HIST Q268 “Gender and Nation” informs active participation in public affairs.

It prepares students to gain an awareness of plus women’s issues, to understand how social • 6 Women’s Studies elective courses constructions of gender and sexuality affect and in three or more disciplines have shaped daily experience, broader social Many courses also count towards the structures, institutions, social relations, and Loyola Core requirements cultural and aesthetic production. By its very definition, attention to gender necessitates an approach that examines gender across race, class, sexuality, age, Student opportunities and nationality.

• Sister Fara Impastato Award for Outstanding Women’s Studies Minor • Nancy Fix Anderson Women’s Studies Essay Contest • Women’s Studies Creative Writing Contest • Extensive programming through the Women’s Resource Center • Interaction with faculty, staff, and students interested in women’s topics

Women’s Studies Courses CMMN A453 American Women Journalists

HIST Q230 Oppression and Resistance

SOCI A250 Sociology of Gender

CMMN A455 Media & Gender

MUGN O204 Women in Music

SOCI A255 Sociology of Sexualities

CRIM C280 Domestic Violence

PHIL A493 Seminar: Simone de Beauvoir

SOCI A260 Women in Latin America

CRIM C410 Women & Crime

PHIL U222 Philosophy & Feminism

SOCI A321 Body, Society, Health

ENGL A385 Women Writers

PHIL U241 Philosophical Perspectives on Women

SOCI X305 Social/Political Inequality

ENGL A410 Writing Gender

PHIL U254 Postmodernism and Feminism

VISA A285 Cinematic Representations of Cross-Gender Performance

ENGL A461 Contemporary Women’s Literature

POLS A235 Gender & Global Politics

VISA O236 Women in Art

ENGL A466 Southern Women Writers

PSYC A327 Studies in Psychology of Women

WMST A100 Women, Culture, and Society

ENGL H295 Renaissance Home Economics

RELS A417 Women, Religion, Culture

WMST T121 Women’s Studies First-year Seminar

HIST A352 Women in African History

RELS V281 Women in World Religions

HIST P240 Women in the Middle Ages

RELS S343 Women in Christianity

HIST Q268 Gender & Nation

SOCI A240 Sociology of the Family

For more information, contact the Co-Chairs of Women’s Studies: Dr. Valerie Goertzen Monroe Hall 302 504 865-2207 goertzen@loyno.edu Dr. Jaita Talukdar Monroe Hall 239 504 865-2128 jtalukda@loyno.edu

SOURCES EQ UAL I TY On Being Latinx: Under One Identity “Hispanic.” Merriam-Webster, 21 Nov. 2017, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Hispanic “Mestizo.” Merriam-Webster, 21 Nov. 2017, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mestizo “Latino.” Merriam-Webster, 21 Nov. 2017, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Latino

ED U C AT I O N Spillin’ the LGBTea http://www.vogue.com/article/gigi-hadid-zayn-malik-august-2017-vogue-cover-breaking-gender-codes

EM PO W E R M E N T A Jazz Funeral for Lady Liberty & the Rising of Feminism 1 Quotation David Lohr, “‘New Orleans Hosts ‘Mock Jazz Funeral’ for Liberty on Inauguration Day,” Huffington Post, Janu

ary 20, 2017, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/new-orelns-mock-jazz-funeral-inauguration_us_58829809e4b

07d8cac29ec5 (accessed January 30, 2017). For photographs of signs and costimes that demonstrate the types

of issues the marchers were protesting, see Gustave Escanelle, “The Traditional Jazz Funeral for Lady Liberty,”

Where Y’at, n.d., http://whereyat.com/the-traditional-jazz-funeral-for-lady-liberty and Kat Stromquist, “At First

Inaugaration Day protest and ‘jazz funeral’ festive atmosphere conceals worry,” Gambit, January 20, 2017, http://

www.bestofneworleans.com/gambit/jazz-funeral-for-lady-liberty-anti-inaugurtion-protest/Slide

show/3095586/3095599 (accessed February 5, 2017). Observations by Patricia Boyett who attended the jazz funer al.

For jazz funeral for the Equal Rights Amendment, see Laine Kaplan Levinson, “The Women Who Fought For and Against the ERA: Part I,” New Orleans Public Radio, April 20, 2017, http://wwno.org/post/women-who-fought-and-againstera-part-i (accessed April 30, 2017).

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Lohr, “New Orleans Hosts,” Huffington Post; Doug MacCash, “Mock Jazz Funeral for Lady Liberty’ protests President

Trump,” The Times Picayune, January 20, 2017, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/new-orleans-mock-jazz-fu

neral-inauguration_us_58829809e4b070d8cad29ec5 (accessed January 25, 2017). Observations by Boyett.

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