Feminists United @ Northeastern University by Moya Bailey

Featuring:

A Letter to BILL O’REILLY JAHAIRA’S DREAMS for a Seat at the Table; Insight to the Struggle of a Trans Woman

Question of the Year:

IS BEYONCE A FEMINIST? A Straight Man’s Guide to NON-Patriarchial Dating

Northeastern’s Day of Action:

CARRY THAT WEIGHT

Feminists United at Northeastern University A collection of stories, articles, and interviews addressing issues we may not see everyday on campus.

Table of Contents

Executive Staff

Sexuality

Asexuality 6 Interview with a Feminist 8 Guide to Non-Patriarchal Dating 10 Playlist 13 Macklemore’s ‘Same Love’ 14 A Well-Tailored Suit vs. Lingerie 16 Prudes, Sluts, and Monster-Vaginas 18 Pansexuality 20 Is Beyonce a Feminist? 22 Jaihara’s Dream for a Seat at the Table 24

Nolan Tesis Editor-In-Chief

Gender and Sex

Gender Roles 29 Strong Independent Princess’ 32 “Beauty”: Worth it? 34 *Trigger Warning: Eating Disorders Gender Bender Photo Spread 35 A Beginner’s Guide to Gender, Sex, and Sexuality 38 Gender Across Cultures 40 Interview with a Transgender Student 42 Intersex 46 With Not-So-Great Personification Comes 48 Great Responsibilities The Great Divide 50 Carry That Weight 52

Race and Ethnicty

Eric Helm

Section Editor

Astrid Crowley Section Editor

Rachel Tenenbaum Head of Advertising

The Disney Dilemma 55 No, you’re not going to get Ebola 56 Does Rap Music Marginalize Women? 57 Catwalk to Diversity 58 “Dear Bill O’Reilly” 60 The Search for Giovanni’s Room 62

Phil Zminda

Head of Layout and Design

Tessa Rose

Coordinator of Launch Party

Table of Contents

Executive Staff

Sexuality

Nolan Tesis Editor-In-Chief

Gender and Sex

Race and Ethnicty

Eric Helm

Section Editor

Astrid Crowley Section Editor

Rachel Tenenbaum Head of Advertising

The Disney Dilemma 55 No, you’re not going to get Ebola 56 Does Rap Music Marginalize Women? 57 Catwalk to Diversity 58 “Dear Bill O’Reilly” 60 The Search for Giovanni’s Room 62

Phil Zminda

Head of Layout and Design

Tessa Rose

Coordinator of Launch Party

This is what a group of feminists looks like.

Letter From The Editor FU@NU is more than a subversive attempt from privileged college students attempting to be radical and progressive. This magazine is a product of the genuine desire to interrogate, learn, and grow from the study of interesctonality of oppression that is a result of gender, sexuality, and race and ethnicity. This magazine is highly personal because the issues that are tackled impact the lives of everyone in society both directly and indirectly. As the magazine was created, the importance of inclusion and diversity was paramount. The struggles that provide the scope of the magazine are struggles old and anew. Some issues are burgeoning as new interest develop such as the struggle for Trans rights, but some are older recurring systems of oppression like women receiving significantly less pay in the workforce than men. When intersectionality is factored into the equation, the conversation of oppression becomes extremely complicated and nuanced. FU@ NU attempts to engage in these fervent conversations in hopes of being a voice of solidarity for the efforts of feminist and women, trans and cis-gendered around the world. FU@NU is a product of feminist schizophrenia. At times it is humorous and sometimes satirical while at others it is profound, grim, and at its most extreme ANGRY. The diverse range of emotion and output within the magazine blends together to form scattered yet cohesive attempt against the oppressions of our world. Liberation is a responsibility of everyone, and FU@NU is committed to contributing our share to the fight for justice., equality and true liberation.

This is what a group of feminists looks like.

Sexuality

Asexuality

By Tania Vieira & Regan Dvoskin

Sexuality

n the queer community, some sexualities tend to get more recognition than others. For example, the common acronym LGBTQ refers to the sexualities lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer, while leaving out some others. One of the sexualities it leaves out would be asexuality. Asexuality is another sexuality encompassed in the word queer that sadly receives little to no attention. What is it, you may ask? According to asexualawareness week.com, an asexual person is defined as “someone who does not experience sexual attraction. Most individuals find there are certain people they are not sexually attracted to. For asexuals, this includes everybody!” In our overly sexualized culture, it is no wonder many asexuals feel incredibly isolated and removed from society. Just like any of the other identities represented by the letters of the acronym LBGTQ, asexuality is not exempt from being seen as controversial. As noted in an online article in newser.com, “Theoretically the absence of sexual desire shouldn’t be a problem,” says one sex researcher. “But ours is a media which suggests hypersexuality is the norm. Potentially, asexuality has become a ‘problem’ as it became more visible, and in a sense it’s become the new stigma.” The question is, can a hypersexualized society become tolerant of people who who have a different standpoint? Courtney Ehrenhofler states in her online article “Being Asexual In A Heteronormative World”, “We aren’t asking for civil rights, we’re just asking for recognition and acceptance amid the sea of heterosexuality.” Although asexuals

do not experience sexual attraction, they can still experience relational and emotional needs. Above everything else, they are of still people who deserve respect, compassion, and inclusion. We are in desperate need of asexuals being included in the queer community. Asexuality needs safe space like any other sexuality and also representation. This could a be a an “A” added to the LGBTQ acronym, or just inclusion in queer spaces. As we continue to forward with the queer movement, it is our responsibility to keep it moving forward through awareness, acceptance, and open discussion. As part of our mission to create more visibility on asexuality, we interviewed an asexual student on campus to get an even deeper sense of the issues facing the asexual community. What are three common misconceptions that people have about asexuality, and would you be able to clear them up? “One misconception would be that people who are asexual never form romantic relationships with people, when in reality, romantic orientation and sexual orientation aren’t necessarily related. Another one is that being asexual is equated with being celibate, when in fact the two are unrelated. Someone can be celibate regardless of sexuality, and unlike celibacy, asexuality is not a choice. There are asexuals who have sex, and there are asexuals that do not have sex; one’s sex drive is independent from their sexuality. A third misconception is that people think that someone becomes asexual after some sort of abuse or trauma. Just like you can’t ‘turn someone gay,’ you don’t ‘turn someone asexual.’”

What are some of the challenges facing the asexual community today? “A shocking lack of recognition from the queer community. A lot of people are still confused as to what asexuality is. It’s often excluded from the acronym and a lot of queer resources. There’s not a lot of awareness about what asexuality is, so there are a lot of misconceptions and confusion about it. Many people grow up thinking there is something wrong with them if they are asexual, or thinking there is something wrong with people who are asexual.” What would you recommend to a person who thinks they might be asexual? “I would say ‘Know it’s a valid identity.’ While I have no personal experience with them, I would say AVEN, or the Asexual Visibility and Education Network have a lot of resources. They also have a strong online community that may be helpful. Beyond that, get involved with local queer groups, if they are available. Many people who are asexual find these groups accepting, and find they have shared experiences with many people in them.”

For more resources on asexuality, online websites like http://asexualawarenessweek.com/ , and http://www.asexuality.org/home/ can prove to be very helpful and informative. The Asexual Visibility and Education Network on asexuality.org serves two primary functions: fostering public acceptance of asexuality, and promoting growth of asexual communities.

Sexuality

Asexuality

By Tania Vieira & Regan Dvoskin

Sexuality

Interview with a

FEMINIST Interview By: Emily Barton

n western society we tend to misunderstand and miscategorize people based on what author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie calls “a single story”. Each day we’re bombarded with stereotypes and images that inform our perceptions of others. We’re inundated with labels and assumptions that we’ve learned from the media and picked up from our friends and families and we unconsciously apply these labels in every aspect of our lives.

or this reason, many people hear the word feminist and they imagine an angry, white, middle class woman. They imagine this woman as a man-hating lesbian. She’s bossy, masculine, bitchy, imposing, and prudish. This, for many, has become the single story of feminism.

arely do we visualize a feminist as effeminate or poor or a woman of color or Muslim. We never hear feminist and envision a man. We don’t imagine these people as feminists because mainstream media has painted a narrow and devastatingly incomplete picture of what it means to be a feminist thus limiting people’s understanding of what a feminist can be.

’m fortunate enough to have become acquainted with a diverse group of feminists during my time at Northeastern. One of the remarkable people I’ve met is a young woman whom I’ll refer to as A. An Arabic Muslim woman, A is sweet, fierce and vibrant. She agreed to do an interview with me in the hopes of beginning a conversation about what it truly means to be a feminist and as a way to start creating a counter narrative to combat the single story of feminism.

Q. What is your definition of feminism? A. Well, hmm. That’s a hard one actually because there’s like the basics where it means equality for everyone and it’s about empowering women and giving women control over their bodies. But I also think it’s really important that it be trans-inclusive. Like, trans-exclusionary feminism is not feminism to me. Transwomen need to feel safe and secure in their bodies and be able to be visible and express themselves in the world. Q. When did you first become aware of feminism and the feminist movement? A. My mom was always very open about, like if you asked her, she would tell you she was a feminist but we didn’t talk about it much. It was more that my parents always made sure to treat my brother and I the same way. If he had a certain curfew it was the same for me and they always stressed the importance of knowing your boundaries and holding people to them. They taught us to assert ourselves. Plus they encouraged me to play sports like t-ball and soccer but I also did things like gymnastics. I had dolls but I also played with Hot Wheels and Legos and I had a spider man action figure who’d marry my Barbie. My dad always wanted me to be an engineer. They didn’t place limits on what I could do. So I’d say I first started learning about feminism last semester and during last spring was when I sat and tried to reconcile everything. Like what I was thinking about feminism and my religious beliefs. Which wasn’t that hard actually. It was in one of my classes and we were talking about Anita Sarkeesian and I remember thinking, “This is ridiculous. It’s just

video games. Is this really what western women are complaining about when in other places women are having their feet bound?” But that was just from hearing my professor talking about it before I’d watched any of her Feminist Frequency videos. Then one day I decided to watch one and I was like, “Whoa! This is amazing. It’s like a real thing. It’s a serious issue.” At that point I still wasn’t calling myself a feminist it was just, “Okay, I agree with a lot of these ideas” but I didn’t use the word because of all the negative connotations. It wasn’t until I heard about Laci Green that I started to be like, “Yea I’m a feminist.” Now when my brother and I are talking about this kind of thing he’ll sometimes say, “Stop being such a Wellesley feminist” and I’m just like, “Was that meant to be an insult? Because I am a feminist and that’s an awesome school so thank you.” Q. Have you ever felt excluded from feminist circles or that you were left out of the conversation or ignored? A. Absolutely. It’s a very hostile environment for me. Like, Laci Green, I enjoy her videos and everything even though she’s like, a huge Islamophobe. I mean she’s an atheist which is totally fine until you start saying that other religions are ridiculous and don’t really make an effort to understand other people’s beliefs. She’s misquoted the Qur’an and talks about how Muslim women are oppressed because we’re forced to cover up. But I’m not oppressed. I choose to wear my headscarf because it’s my way of taking control. I’m saying you can’t objectify me and be like, “Oh she’s beautiful” or just judge me on my looks. You’re forced to get to know me and see me as a person, as a human being. But a lot of the time people say, “Well, she just doesn’t understand” or it’s dismissed like I’ve learned to love my chains and my opinion doesn’t really matter. I want to say, “Um…no. I’m not a child. This is what I think and if you want to have a debate or a conversation or criticize me that’s completely fine. Let’s talk about it.” When I talk to people about my headscarf or something I never go in trying to change anyone’s mind. I always look at it like I want to learn a different perspective. So I have a problem when other people try to change my beliefs or tell me I’m wrong. Question me, please. But don’t try to act like I don’t know or like I’m some victim or something. That’s the problem with a lot of feminism being white feminism. It talks about certain issues as though that’s all there is. I feel like it doesn’t represent me. It doesn’t talk about me. I’ll read something and I’ll have to think about how would my family or my community feel about this? How does this fit with my beliefs and my religion? A lot of the time it doesn’t talk about me at all. There was one time in a class when a girl said something about how she thought religion and science were opposites and how science has only been around for a few hundred years. And I was like, I’m sorry, maybe in the western world science has only

been around since like the 1600s but my religion pushed science along and actually we brought science to Europe and to a lot of places. Islam and science right now might be out of sync for a lot of reasons but it’s not Islam as a whole. You might be able to say Christianity and science are opposites and I’d agree there’s a good basis for that but there are lots of Muslims that believe in evolution and a very old earth and I don’t think my religion is in conflict with science. In classes I also notice that I feel like I’m not welcome because people think, by wearing the headscarf, I’m setting the feminist movement back but there’s no one right way to do feminism. It’s the same problem I have with people calling women “sluts” and saying that if you wear small dresses and heels you’re setting the feminist movement back. If that’s how she feels comfortable and in control we should all just support one another in our decisions. Don’t judge each other, that’s what’s setting us all back. Q. What advice do you have for other young women? A. Don’t compete! Don’t compete with other girls, don’t criticize other girls. Challenge each other of course. But in ways that matter. Don’t judge other girls for their looks or because a girl is promiscuous or because she doesn’t want to have sex. Support each other. If you want to wear bright orange lipstick go for it. And if you see someone wearing something or doing something that you know took a lot of guts to do make a point to say something to her and acknowledge her courage. Sometimes that little bit of validation can mean so much to someone. Don’t be like, “Well, that’s a bit bright don’t you think?” You don’t have to agree with their decisions but don’t tear them down for it. Know your boundaries and know that you have a right to control your body and make other people respect your boundaries.

“I’m not oppressed. I choose to wear my headscarf because it’s my way of taking control. I’m saying you can’t objectify me.”

Sexuality

Interview with a

FEMINIST Interview By: Emily Barton

“I’m not oppressed. I choose to wear my headscarf because it’s my way of taking control. I’m saying you can’t objectify me.”

Sexuality

The Straight Man’s Guide To

Non-Patriarchal

Dating

By Patrick Brewster

s men, we live in challenging times. The traditional understanding of masculinity has been gradually eroding for decades, but here’s the kicker: this good a thing. The fact of the matter is that life for the archetypical man, if he ever truly existed, was a tough lot. In retrospect we can see that the pressure of being the hard, mysterious and uncompromising conqueror of money, women, and lesser men ultimately led to some pretty terrible things. Domestic abuse, alcoholism, adultery, and all manners of self-destruction were not the expression of masculine traits, but the actions of men who broke under the pressures of expectation. The weight of living up to a pantheon of mythologized ‘great men,’ from Hercules, to Jesus, to George Washington, has destroyed generations of males; luckily the tide is turning. Even though we are freer to define our own masculinity than we have been in the past, there is still a ton of pressure to conform to traditional standards. One glaring recent example of this has been the response to AMC’s Mad Men. Enter Don Draper a character who is the personification of manliness and whose self-destructive life built on a stolen identity is an allegory for masculinity itself. Alas, Don has countless male and female fans, and has spawned resurgences of early 60’s hairstyles, clothes, and cocktails. Demand for old school patriarchs is alive and well, and, as the burgeoning pickup culture has taught us, posturing yourself as someone who can satisfy that demand is one of the most effective ways to meet women. Now I know that the ‘seduction community’ is the butt of many a joke, but the truth is that the stuff is far more effective and prevalent than you might think, particularly among the new breed of Internet savvy young adult males. If you don’t believe me, give Neil Strauss’s The Game a read. So what’s a social-justice conscious straight man to do? We want and enjoy the company of women and even though a vocal group is saying that we shouldn’t be James Bond, many girls that we encounter in the real world send a much different message. We want to have women

in our lives but we don’t want to contribute to a patriarchal dialogue that robs women of opportunity, and, ultimately, ourselves of happiness. How do we negotiate the quagmire of dating without writing a masculine check that we can’t cash? We need to realize that challenging our own notions of how we should act is the only way forward for all genders. We are often confused into believing that gender equality is the opportunity for individuals of any gender to embody masculine traits if they choose. This is a half step. Only by relinquishing our own internalized ideas of what a man should be will all other genders be free to do the same.

Prerequisites The first thing any guy needs to do before putting

himself out there is to honestly assess what he is looking for. Most straight relationships consist of a man and woman using each other to validate their sexuality and gender identities. For the man, a primary purpose of these relationships is to remind himself, his friends, and the rest of the world on a daily basis that he is, in fact, a straight man. This dynamic is harmful because it automatically dehumanizes the woman. She is no longer an individual - she is a signaling device. If you are looking for feminine attention because it makes you feel like more of man, you are in a bad place. You will be more likely to be controlling, jealous, and eventually abusive because to you a girlfriend’s actions directly affect your idea of yourself. Spend some time thinking about why exactly you want relationships with women. You should be comfortable enough with your own masculinity that you are not seeking to validate it. Fair relationships should not be about affirming or reaffirming the image you want to project to the world; it should be about affirming and reaffirming each other’s existence as human beings.

Set rules for whom you can talk to. You should probably only engage with people who show outward signs of wanting to speak to someone. You may want to set rules for yourself, for example, only talk to people in social settings who look or wave at you.

Meeting Girls

Don’t feel entitled. There is an annoying and unfair expectation that men should be the proactive party when it comes to the first meeting. Most of the dating advice you will hear puts an emphasis on assertive confidence and not showing neediness, in other words, to act as if you deserve the girl’s attention. This mindset confirms gender stereotypes right off the bat an often puts ladies in an uncomfortable position. Don’t ‘hit on’ people. I am just going to go ahead and say it, do not approach girls at random. In fact, never enter an interaction with the intention of ‘picking up’ a girl. She is not a princess waiting for prince charming to come and sweep her off her feet. Most importantly, and I don’t care who you are, you are not prince charming. You especially aren’t if you are entering a conversation with the intent of picking someone up.

Be a conversationalist, not a pick up artist. Just because you shouldn’t harass random women does not mean that you can’t talk to them. Feel free to have conversations with cool people and see what unfolds, but if at any point you and the other party’s goals misalign –say your goal is to get a phone number and hers is to just have a chat- you are being fundamentally deceptive.

Use Technology. Another option that technology has afforded us is a myriad of websites and apps that can help you meet the types of people that you are interested in. These tools give autonomy to both parties, which level the playing field a bit. Unfortunately many men are afraid to use these aids because the Internet is seen as the dating source for people who have been unsuccessful in ‘real life’ dating, in other words, failed men. If you are able to dissociate female attention with your own masculinity these options become a lot more palatable and are probably the best ways of arranging fair interactions.

Don’t use women for therapy. I understand that a lot of men have trouble interacting with women or in social settings in general and use random approaches almost as a means of cognitive therapy. If this is you, the important thing that you need to realize is that your behavior is directly affecting the lives of the people you are interacting with. It also inadvertently contributes to the propagation of behaviors that harm women, and ultimately men as well. As with all social exchanges, empathy is key. Understanding and acknowledging another human and their experience is crucial in your interactions with anybody. Often times dating gurus claim to teach social intelligence while really training men to behave as if they have this intellect but are choosing not to use it. If you are a person who struggles with women or these situations there are plenty of options for you to improve your social skills outside of harassing strangers.

Sexuality

The Straight Man’s Guide To

Non-Patriarchal

Dating

By Patrick Brewster

Prerequisites The first thing any guy needs to do before putting

Meeting Girls

Sexuality

Dating

Respect divisions of labor if they exist. You and your female partner are allowed to fill different roles in a relationship; the key is to value both roles equally. There is nothing wrong with a man holding open doors and women doing dishes so long as it is understood that these behaviors are not what makes one of you the man and the other the woman.

Call each other out on policing language. If a girlfriend ever calls you: submissive, lame, a loser, a pussy, a bitch, a sissy, cheesedick, etc. she is trying to use your ideas of masculinity to manipulate you into certain behaviors. It’s important that if this language does come up that you draw attention to it and what it is that she trying to do. Likewise don’t project masculine language at your partner in order to mold their behavior. *examples of policing language directed at women

Spend plenty of time just as a couple. Anybody who has spent a decent amount of time in a relationship knows that the dynamics shift in the presence of other people. Men in relationships often act more macho around other men in an attempt to prove that they’ve still got it. Personally, I know that I don’t like to go to parties people I am dating for that very reason. Be sure to spend plenty of time just as a couple so that you can really explore each other’s expressions of identity outside of group expectations.

“You should be comfortable enough with your own masculinity that you are not seeking to validate it.”

Breaking Up

This is not you taking back your masculinity. Why exactly do you want to break up with someone? For men, the reason is usually that they feel like they have emasculated in some way and by breaking up they are reclaiming their virility. Of course this fact is buried under layers of profound emotion, but, more often than not, is the case. People who feel this way probably shouldn’t be in a relationship until they come to grips with themselves, but the breakup itself will not solve their problem.

PLAYLIST “The cliché is that you’re a woman trapped in a man’s body, but it’s not that simple. It’s a feeling of detachment from your body and from yourself. And it’s shitty, man. It’s really fucking shitty.” – Laura Jane Grace

Do not reward feminine behavior, nor punish non-feminine behavior. People should be free to express themselves and their identity however they choose. Men often reward women for acting like one with affection and other positive reinforcement and neglect them when they feel as if their girlfriend’s behavior is out of line with what their idea of a woman should be. Whether we are aware of it or not these tendencies condition the people around us to associate good reactions with acting in accordance to gender stereotypes.

Be wary of certain topics. Certain topics are breeding grounds for insecurity about gender and sexual identity. On the top of this list is sexual history. Most guys are made very insecure when they are with a girl with more sexual experience than them. It makes us wonder if we really are man enough for the other person. The key to getting over this is coming to terms with your own masculinity and not resorting to slut shaming. The number of partners someone has had should have no bearing on their ‘success’ as a man or woman.

If the breakup is her decision, it is your job to respect that. It is not your job to win her back. If you feel that the reason you were dumped was because you weren’t ‘man enough’ you will hopefully realize that it is a relief to not be tied down to unrealistic social beliefs. This is intended to be a nuanced framework of thinking that will hopefully make it easier for men to date women free of gendered societal expectations. It will be hard. Many people, mostly other men but women too, will not understand why you can’t just ‘man up’ when it comes time to making choices in your relationships. What we need to remember is that by making rash, authoritative, ‘manly,’ decisions we are training ourselves to think impulsively, and, more often than not, selfishly. This invariably leads to disconnected and unhappy relationships that, if both parties are lazy, can last forever.

“While everyone’s experience of oppression is different and complicated and often overlapping, I really believe that if you have privilege, you need to learn as much as you can about the world beyond yourself.” – Kathleen Hanna

“Battle Cry” by Angel Haze ft. Sia Dirty Gold

“I’m Not Your Hero” by Tegan & Sara Heartthrob

“True Trans Soul Rebel” by Against Me! Transgender Dysphoria Blues

“School Friends” by Now, Now Threads

“F*cking Perfect” by P!nk F*cking Perfect

“Dirty Deeds” by Joan Jett The Hit List

“Feels Blind” by Bikini Kill Kill Rock Stars

8. 9.

10.

“Unpretty” by TLC Fanmail “She Keeps Me Warm” by Mary Lambert Welcome to the Age of My Body

“I want to be the hottest rapper, if unsigned or not, I want to be that and I don’t look at the female thing as a setback.” – Angel Haze

“We both have strong feelings for women, but we also have strong relationships with men.” – Tegan Quin

“I think people have always been able to stand up for what they believe in. But more people are willing to stand up now.” – Cacie Dalager

“I didn’t understand people’s reactions and why they thought it was so strange for women to play music.” – Joan Jett

“Me, Myself, and I” by Beyonce Dangerously In Love

Sexuality

Dating

“You should be comfortable enough with your own masculinity that you are not seeking to validate it.”

Breaking Up

“Battle Cry” by Angel Haze ft. Sia Dirty Gold

“I’m Not Your Hero” by Tegan & Sara Heartthrob

“True Trans Soul Rebel” by Against Me! Transgender Dysphoria Blues

“School Friends” by Now, Now Threads

“F*cking Perfect” by P!nk F*cking Perfect

“Dirty Deeds” by Joan Jett The Hit List

“Feels Blind” by Bikini Kill Kill Rock Stars

8. 9.

10.

“Unpretty” by TLC Fanmail “She Keeps Me Warm” by Mary Lambert Welcome to the Age of My Body

“I want to be the hottest rapper, if unsigned or not, I want to be that and I don’t look at the female thing as a setback.” – Angel Haze

“We both have strong feelings for women, but we also have strong relationships with men.” – Tegan Quin

“I think people have always been able to stand up for what they believe in. But more people are willing to stand up now.” – Cacie Dalager

“I didn’t understand people’s reactions and why they thought it was so strange for women to play music.” – Joan Jett

“Me, Myself, and I” by Beyonce Dangerously In Love

Sexuality

73x32

By: Scotty Blechman

Macklemore’s ‘Same Love’ “Being privileged is not about talking over

minorities, but rather amplifying their voices”

ave you ever wondered why those social justice activists get so up in arms about Macklemore’s “Same Love”? It’s just a progressive rap song supporting marriage equality, right? Unfortunately, nothing is ever that simple. When we consume media, it is important to interact with that media by critically analyzing it rather than just passively absorbing it. There seems to be a trend lately where sexual minorities are considered “chill” if they stay quiet, but they become “annoying activists” when they say something is offensive. But a true “ally” must constantly be listening to what minorities have to say - and they have a lot to say about “Same Love”. First of all, just looking at the big picture, we have three rich white people, two of whom are straight,

preaching about oppression. Being privileged is not about talking over minorities, but rather amplifying their voices. “Same Love” contains no voices other than Macklemore’s, Ryan Lewis’s, and Mary Lambert’s. Frankly, Mary Lambert barely gets a voice - she sings a generic “born this way” style line in the chorus, and that’s all she gets. The problem isn’t straight people supporting sexual minorities; the problem is straight people ignoring the very same people they claim to support. In the third verse of “Same Love”, Macklemore asserts, “A certificate on paper isn’t gonna solve it all, but it’s a damn good place to start.” This might initially sound like a lovely sentiment, but would starving homeless LGBT youth disowned by their parents agree that a certificate on paper is a good place to start?

Would Cece McDonald, a transgender woman of color who had slurs hurled at her and a glass bottle slashed across her face, agree that a certificate on paper is a good place to start? Macklemore, as a straight person, does not have the required experience with oppression to understand how to properly prioritize LGBT rights issues. In addition to the straight privilege possessed by two out of the three artists, all of these artists are rich and white. While “Same Love” is not about racial or classbased oppression, it is a hip hop song. Hip hop is a genre that has roots in Caribbean countries such as Trinidad; it quickly spread to primarily black and African American neighborhoods of New York City. Hip hop is not just a music genre; hip hop is an entire marginalized subculture developed by racial and economic minorities as an outlet against gang culture, violence, and white supremacy. The misogyny and homophobia typical of modern-day hip hop is a relatively new development that didn’t begin until white artists first started appropriating the genre. Yet Macklemore recites lyrics such as, “If I was gay, I

would think hip hop hates me… a culture founded from oppression.” Macklemore takes a marginalized subculture and, ignorant of the history of hip hop, makes the outlandish claim that hip hop is naturally oppressive. Macklemore has so many opportunities to make up for his mistakes, but does not seize any of them. Macklemore, a rich straight white cisgender male, is exalted as the “savior” of hip hop and gay people. Of course, this is not his fault - no one can control what other people say about them. But Macklemore has never made even a small attempt to deny these allegations. Frankly, Macklemore has not done a single thing to fight LGBT oppression. He has never donated to LGBT rights organizations; he has never promoted LGBT artists struggling to make it in a homophobic culture; he has never even spoken about issues other than marriage. The full extent of Macklemore’s “activism” is creating a song for profit, capitalizing on the oppression of LGBT people. But there is one person that has done this song justice - a pansexual female rapper of color named Angel Haze. Angel Haze, as a real queer person with real experiences as a marginalized person, knows that marriage inequality is among some of the least important issues LGBT people face. Haze instead raps about children kicked out of their homes by homophobic parents; kids with horrible coming out experiences; people trying to “cure” homosexuality; and the awful intrapersonal thoughts running through an LGBT person’s head as they discover that according to society there is something fundamentally wrong with them. Angel Haze’s cover of “Same Love” can be found on SoundCloud, here: https://soundcloud.com/angelhazeym/same-loveangel-haze The most important thing to take away from this article is that critically analyzing media and celebrities is crucial to ending oppression. Everyone is capable of that, and so everyone can contribute to the dismantling of systematic oppression.

Sexuality

73x32

By: Scotty Blechman

Macklemore’s ‘Same Love’ “Being privileged is not about talking over

minorities, but rather amplifying their voices”

Sexuality

A Well-Tailored Suit is to Women What Lingerie is to Men By Victoria Kroeger

hat image comes to mind when you hear the word power? Power, as a word, could make you think of strength, intelligence, money. Now what do you think of when you hear the phrase “powerful individual?” For most people, the first image to pop into their mind is a white man, probably in his mid-30s or early-40s, wearing a crisp, tailored suit. In American society, this image of power can be seen anywhere. The man in the image could be a wealthy businessman on Wall Street, an influential politician on Capitol Hill, a rich lawyer in Los Angeles -- you get the picture. A suit is a formal ensemble to be worn in public and this outfit doesn’t come cheap. In order to be perceived as powerful, you must first be perceived to be affluent. And who wouldn’t want to have a full bank account at their disposal? With money comes power, but with both comes desirability. Desirability means that people want you; people find you attractive, beautiful, handsome, or sexy. Desirability is a relative term with each individual having their own ideas of what they find desirable, but what does society as a whole find desirable? The answer can be found using a quick internet search.

When you enter the phrase “handsome man” into Google Images, you’ll find a collage of men, mostly white, between the ages of 25 to 40, and most of them wearing that crisp, well-tailored suit. But wait, there’s even more that these men share in common: perfectly styled dark hair, a finely groomed five o’clock shadow, a strong jawline, and 90% of the photos are headshots -- after all, these men must be presented in the most respectable way possible. These are handsome, wealthy, powerful men; they deserve to be respected. Enter the phrase “beautiful women” into Google Images and what you find won’t exactly be described as the female equivalent of the handsome, wealthy, powerful men of the previous search. What you’ll find is a collage of women, mostly white, all in their 20s, wearing bikinis or lingerie, if anything at all. These women are mostly blonde, with long, softly curled hair, lightly sun-kissed skin, big eyes, thin waists, and curves in all the right places. It’s hard to miss those curves since about 90% of the photos are full-body shots. After seeing these pictures, one has to wonder why women aren’t shown in crisp, tailored suits and why their photos aren’t headshots like the men’s are? Is a woman in a sharp suit not beautiful? Is a woman wearing an outfit that gives the assumption of being wealthy, i.e., a suit, not beautiful? Is a woman not beautiful if you cannot see her body? Is a woman posed in a respectable manner not beautiful? But then, what about the men? Is a man in boxer briefs not handsome? Is a man posed in a sexual manner not handsome? Can a man only be handsome from the looks of his face? Would seeing him in a full-body shot negate his handsomeness? The answer is no. The man in his boxer briefs, sexually posed in a full-body shot is still handsome -- and he still has money and he still has power. But a woman in lingerie has no power; at least no power in public. According to English art critic John Berger, women posed in lingerie are like artistic nudes in the sense that they are “seen by others and yet not recognized as one’s self.” The woman’s purpose is to be sexual for the man, the handsome, wealthy, powerful man who can be respected in a suit. However, a woman can feel personally empowered in lingerie and feel as if she is taking control of her own sexuality and saying, “Hey, look at me. I’m sexy. (And you should find me sexy as well).” Yet, with this immense feeling of empowerment comes an even greater feeling of vulnerability, because lingerie must only be viewed in a private setting by only the woman who wears it and her partner (which society presumes to be male). And thus in our society, women must be vulnerable while men must be strong. Men in these photos are viewed as strong thanks to the history behind the business suit. Before the mid-17th century, royalty wore outfits adorned with extra frills and fabric to show off the wealth of the wearer. Commoners weren’t allowed to wear these outfits because they weren’t a part of the high-upper class. The outfits of kings then evolved into the military uniforms of the 18th and 19th centuries. You’ve probably seen paintings of those military

uniforms with their fancy buttons, collars, and cuffs. The royal costume is the ancestor of the military uniform, which is the ancestor of the modern suit. And what word corresponds with monarchy, the military, and the business suit of our time? (Hint: it’s “power.”) The woman is posed in these pictures to satisfy the man that we assume is in her life, and this is accomplished by forcing the viewer to be that man. The women in the photos are clad in lingerie and gazing longingly at the viewer; they are passive to the actions of the men who view them and are prepared to submit to whatever he wants. As a result, women in society can’t look at themselves in a mirror or in a photo without imagining what they look like through the eyes of men.

Sexuality

A Well-Tailored Suit is to Women What Lingerie is to Men By Victoria Kroeger

Sexuality

By: Helen Sharma

Prudes, Sluts, and Monster-Vaginas: Our Culture of Sexual Misinformation

“She wears short skirts/ I wear t-shirts/ She’s cheer captain and/ I’m on the bleachers/ Dreaming ‘bout the day/ When you wake up and find/ That what you’re looking for/ Has been here the whole time.” Ah, Taylor, how nice of you to show up and make my next point. We compare women by the way they present themselves in society, and we categorize them in two primary ways (both of which, I’d like to say up front, are incredible generalizations): The first woman is sweet and innocent. She may have had sex before, but she doesn’t offer it up right away. She has hobbies like baking, or knitting, or organizing canned goods for the homeless shelter. She wears lots of flat shoes and floral patterns. She gets social credit for being the kind of all-American, cherry pie sweetheart that we idolize, but she also gets mocked at school for being a “prude.” We call this woman the virgin. The second woman wears miniskirts and heels, and lots of makeup. Everyone in town knows the list of people she’s slept with. She says things like “hey, sailor” and gets hit on all the time. She’s always flirting with someone. This woman gets a lot of social credit for her confidence, but everyone knows that when all is said and done, she’ll be alone with her chlamydia, and she probably deserves it. We call this woman the whore.

21 x 30 “Hey!” My roommate, Angie (all names changed), grabs me by the elbow. “Hey. You’ll never believe who’s here.” I begin to ask what she’s talking about, but before I can I’m being dragged across the apartment to the other side of the party. “Sorry, sorry, sorry,” I mumble as I accidentally elbow the ribs and crush the toes of boisterous, tipsy partygoers. “Where are we going?” “Okay—wait, stop here.” Angie ducks around a corner, leaving only her head poking out. “Look. It’s Chris.” Chris is her ex-boyfriend, and he’s arrived at the party with—gasp—another girl. I am nonplussed. “Are they dating?” I ask. “Maybe he just, like… knows her from class or something.” We watch Chris’ arm snake around the new girl’s waist. Angie makes a disgusted noise, and I go into consolation mode. “You guys just broke up. What is he thinking?” My roommate’s eyes are starting to swim, so I talk faster. “And look at that dress. I can see her entire butt. And her boobs, my god. What a slut. He definitely downgraded.” “You think so?” Angie asks “Of course.” I guide her back out onto the patio,

where our friends are sitting around talking while a hippie with a guitar riffs on Dispatch songs. “Bitches like that have no self-respect. They just use their pushup bras and monster-vaginas to steal boys from funny, brilliant, beautiful girls like you.” “You’re right,” she sniffles. “That whore.” In retrospect, I have a couple of regrets about that conversation. Firstly, I regret telling Angie that girls like that “steal boys”: Obviously, you can’t steal a person, that’s not how relationships work and slavery is illegal. Secondly, and more importantly, I regret using words like “bitch,” “slut,” and “whore” to describe a woman based solely on her appearance. Words like that are words used primarily by women against other women, with the primary aim being to tear each other down as we’re manipulated by the Worldwide Axis of Dick. If a guy doesn’t like you, it’s probably because someone else’s dark pheromones entrapped him, but don’t worry, he’ll come back once he realizes she’s a psychosexual hell-beast. This was my mantra through many a lonely middle-school weekend, fueled by the Taylor Swift song “You Belong With Me.”

“You have to stop calling each other sluts and whores. It just makes it okay for guys to call you sluts and whores.” -Mean Girls

No, not every woman fits these exact descriptions. In fact, no woman fits these descriptions. They’re superficial caricatures based on stereotypes and worn-out tropes about female behavior. The problem is that American society in particular buys into these ideals, and no one wins. Even as women, we classify our peers by these two oversimplifications as a way to dehumanize them. In the end, we see other women as our enemies, not our allies. Slut-shaming is rough, and virgin-shaming is just as bad. Why is this, you might ask? I’ll spell it out for you. Virgin-shaming and slut-shaming are equally terrible because you never have the right to judge, criticize, or shame someone based on their level of sexual activity. Period. Are we all on the same page? Great. There’s no reason to keep talking about this. We as women cannot start expecting respect and equal treatment until we stop participating in the culture of sexuality-shaming and patriarchal oppression that holds all of us in its grasp, and instead actively work as a united front against it. I’m done falling into the virgin-whore dichotomy, and I’m done dragging other women down with me. It is, of course, important to note the integral role that race plays in this dualistic judgment of female behavior. While any categorization in this context is unfair, people of color are far more likely to be assigned the over-sexualized “whore” role, and fairer women—especially white women—are more frequently judged to be pure and “virginal.”

Sexuality

By: Helen Sharma

Prudes, Sluts, and Monster-Vaginas: Our Culture of Sexual Misinformation

“You have to stop calling each other sluts and whores. It just makes it okay for guys to call you sluts and whores.” -Mean Girls

Sexuality

This particular issue has many historical factors: the sexuality of women of color has been historically devalued, and their worth as objects ties into a pattern of exoticism which women of color are still working to combat. Meanwhile, white women’s sexuality has been locked away and treasured, leading to their position as society’s virgins, overall. The virgin-whore dichotomy is also used to police the way that non-binary folks—people whose gender identity does not conform to our societal expectations—express their sexuality in their dress and public behavior. By forcing non-binary people into stereotypical, harmful, heteronormative gender roles, we silently imply that their gender and their sexuality are invalid unless they conform to fit our preexisting parameters. Societal oppression is truth.

An entire book could be written about the racial and non-binary gender implications of sexuality-shaming. For now, it would benefit readers to critically analyze their own privilege and oppression when considering how each of us falls into this pattern of shame. So let’s recap: Some people have lots of sex. Some people don’t have any. Lots and lots of people fall somewhere in the middle. All of these people also place themselves somewhere along the vast spectrums of racial and gender identity. None of their dress of behavior is necessarily indicative of their sexual activity. Neither you nor I, nor even Tina Fey, has the right to make anyone else feel bad about their sexual activity. It’s none of our business. And honestly, why do we even care?

Pansexuality

By Emily Barton

n the recent years awareness, advocacy and acceptance of the LGBT movement has been on the rise. There are Gay Straight Alliance organizations in over 280 of Massachusetts’ middle and high schools. In 2010, San Francisco declared Prop 8 unconstitutional and the United States Senate voted by a distinct majority to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”. Today thirty-two states have legalized same sex marriage and a simple Google search can reveal a wealth of knowledge about the movement, opening up a whole new world to folks who choose to look. Yet in our quest for a more open, accepting society we often miss the bigger picture. While it is important to recognize the achievements that have been made, there is still so much work to be done. Trans and bisexual individuals are continuously left out of the conversation in mainstream media as are discussions with those who are gender nonconforming, queer, questioning and numerous others. A more inclusive acronym would look something like: LGBTQQIAP. A bit much? You’re probably unfamiliar with the last few letters and what they refer to. They signify queer, questioning, intersex, asexual, and pansexual. While room ought to be made to address each of these often ignored, though completely valid, forms of identification, pansexuality seems to be one of the least known. So what is it? Pansexuality is defined as the ability to be attracted to individuals regardless of gender identity or biological sex. Derived from the Greek word “pan” meaning “all”, a loose translation would be “attraction to all”. This does not mean that pansexuals are attracted to everyone. It simply means they don’t base their attraction on a particular gender or physical sex. So how is that different from bisexuality? A bisexual person has the capacity to be attracted to both males and females, meaning that their range of attraction stays within what our society recognizes as the gender binary (if you’re going to mention the gender binary, you should change “males and females” to “men and women”). A pansexual, on the other hand, might find themselves attracted to people anywhere on the gender spectrum. It is important to recognize that there is no “right” way to be pansexual. Sexuality, be it heterosexuality, homosexuality or anything else, is incredibly varied. Hair color, eye color, physique, height,

personality and a plethora of other characteristics combine to influence what each unique person finds appealing in others. For some, gender and biological sex play a deterministic part in that attraction. For pansexuals, this might not be the case. It is also possible for pansexuals to feel a range of attraction. Some might tend to be more romantically attracted to women and more sexually attracted to men. A pansexual person may never have dated a man, but feel that if the right person came along, they could. Sexual orientation, regardless of how you identify, is based on how you feel. There is no check list or criteria that determines who can or can’t identify as bisexual, pansexual or asexual. In the end, if we hope to establish a truly inclusive, revolutionary movement towards universal acceptance, we need to be driven by recognition of a much broader range of sexual and gender variation than that which is currently being discussed.

Sexuality This particular issue has many historical factors: the sexuality of women of color has been historically devalued, and their worth as objects ties into a pattern of exoticism which women of color are still working to combat. Meanwhile, white women’s sexuality has been locked away and treasured, leading to their position as society’s virgins, overall. The virgin-whore dichotomy is also used to police the way that non-binary folks—people whose gender identity does not conform to our societal expectations—express their sexuality in their dress and public behavior. By forcing non-binary people into stereotypical, harmful, heteronormative gender roles, we silently imply that their gender and their sexuality are invalid unless they conform to fit our preexisting parameters. Societal oppression is

truth. An entire book could be written about the racial and non-binary gender implications of sexuality-shaming. For now, it would benefit readers to critically analyze their own privilege and oppression when considering how each of us falls into this pattern of shame. So let’s recap: Some people have lots of sex. Some people don’t have any. Lots and lots of people fall somewhere in the middle. All of these people also place themselves somewhere along the vast spectrums of racial and gender identity. None of their dress of behavior is necessarily indicative of their sexual activity. Neither you nor I, nor even Tina Fey, has the right to make anyone else feel bad about their sexual activity. It’s none of our business. And

Pansexuality By Regan Dvoskin and Emily Barton

n the recent years awareness, advocacy and acceptance of the LGBT movement has been on the rise. There are Gay Straight Alliance organizations in over 280 of Massachusetts’ middle and high schools. In 2010, San Francisco declared Prop 8 unconstitutional and the United States Senate voted by a distinct majority to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”. Today thirty-two states have legalized same sex marriage and a simple Google search can reveal a wealth of knowledge about the movement, opening up a whole new world to folks who choose to look. Yet in our quest for a more open, accepting society we often miss the bigger picture. While it is important to recognize the achievements that have been made, there is still so much work to be done. Trans and bisexual individuals are continuously left out of the conversation in mainstream media as are discussions with those who are gender nonconforming, queer, questioning and numerous others. A more inclusive acronym would look something like: LGBTQQIAP. A bit much? You’re probably unfamiliar with the last few letters and what they refer to. They signify queer, questioning, intersex, asexual, and pansexual. While room ought to be made to address each of these often ignored, though completely valid, forms of identification, pansexuality seems to be one of the least known. So what is it? Pansexuality is defined as the ability to be attracted to individuals regardless of gender identity or biological sex. “ing “all”, a loose translation would be traction to all”. This does not mean that pansexuals are attracted to everyone. It simply means they don’t base their attraction on a particular gender or physical sex. So how is that different from bisexuality? A bisexual person has the capacity to be attracted to both males and females, meaning that their range of attraction stays within what our society recognizes as the gender binary (if you’re going to mention the gender binary, you should change “males and females” to “men and women”). A pansexual, on the other hand, might find themselves attracted to people anywhere on the gender spectrum. It is important to recognize that there is no “right” way to be pansexual. Sexuality, be it heterosexuality, homosexuality or anything else, is incredibly varied. Hair color, eye color, physique, height, personality and a plethora of other characteristics combine to influence

what each unique person finds appealing in others. For some, gender and biological sex play a deterministic part in that attraction. For pansexuals, this might not be the case. It is also possible for pansexuals to feel a range of attraction. Some might tend to be more romantically attracted to women and more sexually attracted to men. A pansexual person may never have dated a man, but feel that if the right person came along, they could. Sexual orientation, regardless of how you identify, is based on how you feel. There is no check list or criteria that determines who can or can’t identify as bisexual, pansexual or asexual. In the end, if we hope to establish a truly inclusive, revolutionary movement towards universal acceptance, we need to be driven by recognition of a much broader range of sexual and gender variation than that which is currently being discussed.

Sexuality

? By Astrid Crowley

his past year the international community has been blown away by Beyoncé’s fifth, self-titled studio album. The audio-visual medium was released to the public in 2013, demonstrating the artist in an array of lights, from vulnerable to seductive, strong, heart-melted, empowered, and everything in between. The album signifies Beyoncé’s spectacular comeback to the music scene after giving birth to her daughter in 2012, empowering women to rise above the obstacles of motherhood while pursuing their passions. Undoubtedly, Queen B is radiating feminism with this release, only to be reinforced with her release of the album’s fifth single, ’Flawless’. The single features a short excerpt from a TED talk by Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, titled ”We Should All Be Feminists”. This inspirational speech, in combination with Beyoncé’s lyrical advocacy of self-love, merge to create a profitable product of the media by an international sensation, which mutually seeps feminism and empowerment into popular culture. Considering the fact that Beyoncé is one of the few in the public eye with the platform to promote this message, there have been controversial attitudes in regards to whether she does the movement justice. On November 9th, Northeastern’s Feminist Student Organization, Social Justice Resource Center, Asian American Center and various other student bodies merged to host ’Is Beyoncé a Feminist?’. The panel’s variety of gender, ethnicity, background, age and opinion, gave the colourful discussion a range of perspectives. Miguel Montalva, a Northeastern PhD student with a concentration in race, class and gender , opened by quoting bell hooks’ definition of feminism as ’a movement to end sexism, sexist exploitation and oppression’. Kenyora Johnson, the program manager of Northeastern’s ’Strong Women, Strong Girls’, kickstarted the discussion, highlighting the conflicting messages of Beyoncé’s productions. She points out that this ’banner of feminism’ is challenging for anyone to carry, due to intersectionality creating a unique experience of feminism for everyone. Furthermore, she touched on the impacts of derogatory references, such as the line ’eat the cake, Anna Mae’, referring to an instance of physical abuse Tina Turner had faced in a previous relationship. These references are implemented into material that is sold into pop culture and moulded into another line in a catchy song, thus ridding it of its severity. Eesha Ramanujam, a sophomore panelist, added that these songs are listened to and accessed by a young generation, who idolize stars such as Beyoncé. Regardless, the artist radiates strength and independence, leading

Ramanujam to express how she considers Beyoncé a feminist, but a flawed one. Although she may not have the platform to be the representative figure of feminism, she identifies as one in shows viewed by millions around the world. This promotes the image of feminism in a unique and non stereotypical manner, demonstrating to the public that a feminist can indeed take the form of a woman unusual to the assumption. The panel referred to Beyoncé in this light as a ’gateway feminist’, opening the door to feminism, and hopefully compelling her audience to take the initiative to research into the movement and its significance. However, NU’s Institutional Diversity and Inclusion’s Janet Bergeron reiterated that the rare platform she does hold should be used to its full potential. Nonetheless, the program coordinator promoted the artist’s gateway feminism, believing ’If someone opens up a book on bell hooks because they looked up feminism on Wikipedia after watching the VMAs then she’s done her work’. In sync with Johnson’s stance, she felt Beyoncé cannot be expected to carry the banner for all women, but rather displays her personal journey to finding feminism in her life, leading other females to search for theirs. Although she is unrepresentative of feminism in its entirety, Montalva observed that it was ultimately Beyoncé’s feminism that had drawn the dense crowd to NU’s event on a Sunday evening of all days. He added that this might not have been the case had it been an alternative feminist who is not as prominent in the public eye. In regards to the artist’s strong presence, the terms ‘empowered’ and ‘feminist’ are casually thrown around in altercation. Montalva distinguishes the terms, emphasizing that the difference goes into practice. While empowerment is viewed as making advancements within the social structure, and thus reinforcing it, feminism alternately recognizes the systematic injustices and attempts to dismantle this societal formation. Empowerment is an appreciable method of gateway feminism, as Ramanujam accentuates, nonetheless, empowered women may not realize

how the patriarchal structure is the root cause of that initial disempowerment. Feminism is an impact that individuals can make through actions within the structure to create change for themselves and others around them, as Bergeron stressed. Intersectionality causes feminist experiences to be distinctive, making Beyoncé’s expression of her journey unrelatable for some populations. ‘Everyone’s gendered experience is dependent on and reconstituted by all the other thing that they are’, Bergeron indicated. Being a woman of color has conflicted Johnson’s discovery of a true definition of feminism. As various systems of oppression come into play, it is harder for women of color to be a part of that conversation. She refers to the first wave of feminism, where Seneca Falls and Sojourner Truth exemplify the inapplicability of the first wave to women of color. This demonstrates how systems of oppression work together to form an exclusive identity, requiring all systems to be addressed at once. Ramanujam agreed with the notion of racism heavily impacting sexism as well, using a recent viral video as an example. The New York-based social experiment entailed a girl walking around the city for 10 hours and being continuously harassed. The director of this production later admitted to having edited out a majority of white men, subconsciously painting men of color as aggressors. While many viewers disregard the severity of the catcalling, Montalva saw this superficial mannerism being ‘rooted somewhere, and requires us to talk to something that’s been institutionalized’. An audience member questioned whether Beyoncé is seen as a terrorist to feminism, leading the panel to wrap up their thoughts. Regardless of the generally positive and accepting attitude towards the singer demonstrating feminism in accordance to her personal life, Beyoncé choosing to voluntarily display herself in this way stirs conflict. Montalva pinpoints how women of color are hypersexualized, and to continue to portray oneself in this way is counterproductive to the movement. Furthermore, the images she produces are rooted in white supremacist ideals of beauty, blocking intersectionality from coming forth to the stage in her platform. The panel’s general consensus towards Beyoncé being the key figure of today’s feminism chanted an acceptance of her identification as a feminist, but demanded room for improvement with how she utilizes her platform, and her being labeled as a holistic representation.

Sexuality

? By Astrid Crowley

Race and Ethnicity

Jahaira’s Dream for a Interview with Jahaira DeAlto By Nolan Tesis and Eric Helm Thank you Jahaira, we love you

Near the day of this year’s TDOR (Trans Day of Remembrance), I had the privilege to attend a presentation given by Janet Mock, author of Redefining Realness and a transactivist. She truly served me and my university on my very own privilege 0platter. I was challenged to not applaud myself for sitting through a lecture and then forgetting about the struggle faced by transwomen, and especially transwomen of color, for the next 364 days of the year. The night of this self-reflective serving, my friend Nolan introduced me via Skype to his friend, mentor, and life partner Jahaira, who I soon learned is also a transwoman of color. Chain smoking Newport Pleasures and drinking Diet Pepsi straight from the 2 Liter, Jahaira had a charisma which was simply palpable even through the thousand mile distance from our home in Boston to her home in Kentucky. Hilarious, compassionate, wise, raunchy, cynical and frustrate, Jahaira stayed up with us well past the honesty hour of four in the morning. TDOR and Janet Mock’s “reading for filth” heavy on our minds, Nolan and I asked Jahaira if we could conduct an interview for our class magazine. The wonderful woman that she is, she agreed, and several attempts later, this is our final product. Her words are magic, I hope you can take away as much from the dialogue as we did. The Human Experience is unique – simultaneously fragile as a flickering flame yet resilient as stone, No Body’s experience should ever be forgotten.

Letters from the Authors:

Who are you?

Seat at the Table

“It was an

Eric Helm, section editor, and myself decided to sit down and have a conversation with a woman named Jahaira DeAlto. I met Jahaira when I was in high school, and seventeen years old. Upon meeting her I had no idea, that she would occupy such a space in my life. Jahaira is one of the most loving individuals I have encountered. Her love and support outmuscles, pretty much, the love from all my friends, and even family, endures the test of time, outguns any competition all the while remaining unconditional. Her presence is so powerful it has compelled

How did that experience affect you?

It is very difficult to try to explain to somebody what life is like when people said that I acted too feminine. From what I know now, and what they know now, but what I couldn’t necessary articulate then was that I wasn’t acting. When you’re an adolescent, secure in the knowledge and a bit mystified by the knowledge that being who you are will get you into trouble and there are negative repercussions that come with behaving as your truest self, you learn to give people what they want to see. I never fully succeeded as being as masculine as what they would have liked, but I was a bit less demonstrative and guarded towards sharing my authenticity with the masses.

every-day

- Eric Helm

after school kind-of

thing all in the effort

My name is Jahaira DeAlto. I have been a presence in the Trans community for over half of my lifetime. I have close to twenty years under my belt. Through my YouTube channel and various speaking engagements, I continue to be a voice and a presence for those who are apart of the trans spectrum.

to masculinize me”

2014 has been a dream. For the Transgender community, this year has marked a year of opportunity, possibility, and most importantly visibility. The American Dream is undergoing a transition of its own because now transmen and transwomen can dream of their lives unfolding in ways unimagined before. This year Orange is the New Black Actress, Laverne Cox shattered barriers by becoming the first transgender person to grace the cover of Time Magazine, and the first openly transgender person to garner an Emmy nomination. Janet Mock’s Redefining Realness made room for itself on the NY Times’ Best Seller list. While many transgender people are experiencing unheard of success, the majority of community’s experience is not akin to theirs. America’s sudden interest of people of the trans spectrum seems trendy, and at times somewhat of a sensational fetish. Nuanced conversations of the issues that really impact the trans community have yet to be acknowledged on a national level. Transphobia is still heavily rampant in both America and the world. According to transrespect-transphobia. org, from the October 2013 to September 2014, there have been a total of two hundred and twenty six reported murders of transgender people around the world. Although that number is staggering, it only reflects the murders that have been reported.

cousins, who are related by marriage, and there were five girls in that family. They all had this cascading really deep black hair that fell to their waist. I remember very vividly thinking I can’t wait till I get to the age when I get to have long dark hair cascading to my waist. There was never a question in my mind that eventually I would grow up a beautiful girl they way they were beautiful girls, and we would have that shared experience. That was my first real conviction. That was my first solid awareness of who I was, and it never waivered. So many people see the binary in terms of ‘you started one thing and ended up another’. In my own experience, there was no one thing. This is why I don’t personalize the idea of being born a boy. I never knew what it was to be a boy. I never knew the mentality that went along with it. I was thoroughly convinced that I was a girl and would grow up to be a girl, but a lot of money was spent on trying to remove that conviction from me. I entered therapy for the first time at five years old, and eventually going up towards thirteen years old was spending up to four days a week in therapy. It was an every day after school kind of thing all in the effort to masculinize me.

What is your favorite food? me to get all seven letters of her name etched onto my wrist. To me she is simple Jahaira, but to many others she is a social media savvy, chain-smoking, avid reading, hilarious openly full figured visible transwoman. So it was only natural to want to know more about her lived experience. While sharing her own unique journey, Jahaira’s interview illuminates the ever present struggles of transgender community that will continue to exist until America is truly ready to engage with the unique issues a community of it’s citizens face. Jahaira’s words really capture the resilient, beautiful, and humane spirit of the transcommunity. It is time for America to envision new dreams that are inclusive of the dynamic trans-community that are part of the fabric of America’s identity.

-Nolan Tesis

My favorite food is lobster. I’ll take lobster however I can get it, but when given a choice, I love baked stuffed lobster. If we are talking Boston specific, the baked stuffed lobster at Grill 23 remains my absolute favorite.

What is your favorite book?

God help me! That’s kind of like asking me what my favorite sunrise is because I’m a bit of a book whore. My favorite book of all time is probably Bridget Jones’ Diary because it’s one of the few books I ever read that has actually had me physically wiping tears of laughter from my eyes

Favorite cigarette?

Newport 100s. My rule is, I don’t put anything short in my mouth. (laughs)

What was growing up like as a person of trans experience?

My very first memory was of my third birthday party. My parents and extended family had taken me to a local pizza joint that some Bostonians would remember as Papa Gino’s. I had these

From reading Janet Mock’s Redefining Realness, there is always a strange aspect of love coming from the concern. In spending the money to sending you to therapy four to five days a week that doesn’t seem to be a labor of hate. How did it affect you that your parents may have been actively oppressing you, but it was coming from a place of love?

I will be honest with you. I don’t necessarily know, well I know it wasn’t coming from a place of hate, but I continue to question, knowing what I know about my familial structure, how much love was really involved in it versus how much the need to present this united front as the idealistic nuclear family was. My father is a prominent surgeon in Massachusetts. He was the chief of general surgery in a major hospital, and my mother has been a registered nurse since the 60’s. The desire to be perceived as something far more stable than I actually witnessed was real. I am adopted. The belief that is instilled in most adopted children is that they were chosen. The decision to have me in such intense therapy, and the decision that was made to place me in a school that was designed for all boys led my young finite understanding of myself to fear that my father may have regretted that choice. Living with that on a daily basis was a challenge to say the least.

Race and Ethnicity

Jahaira’s Dream for a Interview with Jahaira DeAlto By Nolan Tesis and Eric Helm Thank you Jahaira, we love you

Letters from the Authors:

Who are you?

Seat at the Table

“It was an

How did that experience affect you?

every-day

- Eric Helm

after school kind-of

thing all in the effort

to masculinize me”

-Nolan Tesis

What is your favorite book?

Favorite cigarette?

Newport 100s. My rule is, I don’t put anything short in my mouth. (laughs)

What was growing up like as a person of trans experience?

My very first memory was of my third birthday party. My parents and extended family had taken me to a local pizza joint that some Bostonians would remember as Papa Gino’s. I had these

How do you feel about gender non-conforming identity burgeoning as a new form of trans identity?

I will be the first to admit that the unique issues specific to the gender non- conforming community are not something that I am particularity familiar with. I thoroughly support the inherent right of everyone to self-identify and live in their truth. I look forward to one day learning about their experiences as I hope that they would be open to learning about mine. I think that gender is such broad spectrum and anyone who feels a tug on their heartstrings or a pull on their lives to transcend traditional binary or gender-based stereotypes is worthy of admiration. I’m looking forward to see what the new year might teach me in that department.

What does visibility mean to you?

Well, that’s an interesting question. I am in possession of what our community refers to as passing privilege. The instances in which I am perceived as something other than a cisgender woman are pretty rare. I am able to move through this world generally unread, or “unclockable” as we say in our vernacular. I applaud the efforts of Janet Mock, Laverne Cox, Monica Roberts, and all of those phenomenal women who have made the decision to stand in their truth and their trans identities even though they don’t necessarily have to. We are your teachers, your doctors, your students your nieces, we are ever present in all facets of the human experience and the lady that you may run into getting groceries at the market may very well belong to this community. I applaud all women, and our men, of course (I’ll never forget them, she exclaims) who make the decision to stay tethered to a trans identity. Because there was a time, especially in my era, where assimilating into cisgender society was the goal.

A lot of times parents have expectations of how children should be, how did your identity affect your parent’s expectations of you?

That’s a great question. I mean it was very clear early on that despite my father’s best efforts, I was never going to be the kid that you could throw the football around with. Though I did have a propensity for baseball, go figure. I was just a really good catcher! (giggles) I will say that the first vestiges of identity other than the one I had internalized myself took place in the 3rd grade. In 3rd grade we put on our first school play, that was actually a musical. Theater became one of the great loves of my life because in that moment I was getting applauded for not being what anyone expected me to be. I was just being a character and this play was absolutely ridiculous, but those two lines and the song I had really drastically affected my perception of how I could be in the world. It’s a beautiful thing when you discover something that you’re good at, and I was good, relatively speaking. I loved it and I felt like it loved me back and the applause that you receive at the end of the performance, you can’t imagine how gratifying or how affirming that felt to little me. I will say that when my parents came and saw me perform, which was pretty life changing cause again it was a school for just boys and I got the part of a girl. I was Mary in Tom Sawyer, but my parents applauded. Once they saw how much I loved it they really did support my theater aspirations and that’s when I started going on weekend trips to New York and saw a crap ton of Broadway shows. So that was really the first, in that sense, my identity was affirmed by them once they realized this was something I could do and do well and wasn’t getting into trouble.

“I applaud all women, and our men of course, I’ll never forget them who make the decision to stay tethered cause there was a time, especially in my era, in which I grew up where assimilating into cisgenderThis year alone 226 transgender people have been murder does society was the goal.” Trans Days of Remembrance

How do you think the goal has changed if at all?

I mean insofar that this is the world we have to live in it has not changed. In terms of the way that we live in it and the fact that we can live in our truth, and kind of find space between those two circles. There’s a place for that now because there’s a dialogue going on now that is very new. In 2004, I don’t think these issues were as on the floor as they are now. And certainly not when I began my transition in 1996

mean to you?

The day of remembrance was created in response to the gross misgendering by the media in response to a murder of a Massachusetts resident named Rita Hester. Rita Hester was my sister. She was really more of a mentor to me. I remember being a young trans girl and in the first year of my transition, and without trying to sound melodramatic, in a lot of ways you are reborn, you are experiencing the world as your authentic self for the very first time where your visage is in alignment to your internal truth. So it can be a very kind of down the rabbit hole, opening the door to Oz, the world is finally in Technicolor kind of experience. And Rita was an incredibly giving soul, she took time out for everybody, she had a very nurturing quality about her and just a genuine desire to assist younger girls with navigating through a very new experience. At the same time, she was relatable and personable, she wasn’t aloof, she was approachable. In the wake of her murder Gwen Smith organized the first day of remembrance in Boston and simultaneously in San Francisco, and now it has become a worldwide, globally accepted event that started with someone I loved incredibly dearly and miss daily.

With the high amount of transgender murders how do you or the community how do you cope with dealing with such recurring loss?

“There is still the perception that we are I don’t know that I’m equipped to speak for the entire community; it’s a personal issue. It would really depend on how largely drag entertainers, long you’ve been a part of the community, how invested you are. Generally speaking, it’s always disheartening, it’s never the kind largely sex workers, of thing that I feel apathy towards, and for me its always about what the next step is going to be. If this was a murder, will it be largely Jerry Springer guests, another murder that goes unprosecuted? Will someone even be apprehended? On November 28, it will be 15 years since Rita’s and that we don’t contribute murder. No one has ever been arrested. There’s obviously been no prosecution. The case has gone cold. Every couple of years I will enough to the fabric of get a phone call form a sergeant trying to dig up new information, but we still have nobody. Those are the kinds of things you pray society to create don’t happen when you find out someone else has been killed. a sense of outrage Because, I am not closer to an answer to why my sister had to die at 35 years old than I was at 20 when it happened. And that really when our lives are hurts. So it’s always personal. It’s always tragic. So if there is some silver lining to be found, it is in that some kind for justice can be snatched away from us.” served. But for many trans women of color, it typically isn’t. When you hear about stories of girls like Angie Zapata and Tyra Hunter and Gwen Araujo, the fact that justice was served at least in some approximation shouldn’t be a reason to celebrate, but for us it is, because at least there is that. It should be a given, but its not for us.

Why do you think there isn’t an outcry among the LGBT community? Why do you think there is not enough unity when these tragedies occur?

Because I think the unfortunate and misguided perception of transwomen in general, and transwomen of color in particular, is that we are expendable. The term “disposable people” came across my desk one day, and it struck me. There is still the perception that we are largely drag entertainers, largely sex workers, largely Jerry Springer guests, and that we don’t contribute enough to the fabric of society to create a sense of outrage when our lives are snatched away from us. And it’s devastating. And again I don’t ever want to be accused of making sweeping generalizations here, because I’m sitting in front of two cisgender males who have no first-hand account of the transgender experience to speak of and yet are invested and wish to gain a deeper understanding. I’m very conscious of that and I’m very grateful for it, but speaking as a whole here, only been very recently that the unique needs of the trans community have begun to resound as overlooked by the LGBT community at large, and I believe that they’re beginning to own that, and I’m hoping that a change will come. But to date, Matthew Shepard got murdered, may he rest, in the same span of time that Rita Hester did. President Bill Clinton spoke about it, there was a national conversation had, hate crime laws were implemented. Someone like Rita dies, we get maybe 250 people to a rally, and we call that a good outcome. Why is one more newsworthy than another? Is it because Matthew was a white, quiet, cis-gender male with a reasonable trajectory to his journey, or the reasonable expectation of a successful life ahead of him? And Rita was a black trans woman who was incredibly well traveled and would routinely show up to bars wearing a toga because of her trips to Greece, but didn’t necessarily incite the kind of empathy and sympathy that looking at a white teenage young man would? Or is just the luck of the draw? I guess I’ll let your audience draw their own conclusions.

If you could look back and tell your self anything what would you say?

Pre-transition, I could look back and say, you were right. Everyone was wrong, and you were right. There is a name for who you are, and there is a community based on who you are, and that thing that you agonized over that and lost yourself in day after day for the first sixteen years was valid and affirmable. It matters and you matter, and the next sixteen years are going to be worlds better knowing you were right. My twenties were a lot less deep than that. It would probably be, just dump him. He ain’t shit, he aint ever gonna be shit, and just dump him. You were just lonely as hell. (laughing)

What do you want for the end of this year and for 2015?

I am really excited to see my community, my sisters, my brothers, and apparently my others come closer to the table. Come closer to the table of frank and open understanding. And being open to sharing lived experience. I believe that at our best work we are both student and teachers. I have so much to teach and so much to learn, and therein lies the crux of my excitement. We are now beginning to see that door open up. I’m ready to sit and participate in the American conversation.

How do you feel about gender non-conforming identity burgeoning as a new form of trans identity?

What does visibility mean to you?

A lot of times parents have expectations of how children should be, how did your identity affect your parent’s expectations of you?

How do you think the goal has changed if at all?

mean to you?

With the high amount of transgender murders how do you or the community how do you cope with dealing with such recurring loss?

Why do you think there isn’t an outcry among the LGBT community? Why do you think there is not enough unity when these tragedies occur?

If you could look back and tell your self anything what would you say?

What do you want for the end of this year and for 2015?

Gender and Sex

GENDER

[___] just want to have fun. [___] don’t cry. By Celene Chen & Samantha Schloeman

he muscular, financially successful, overtly sexual and to the point man exists with his counterpoint; the slim, aesthetically pleasing, supportive, passive, caring woman. As children, these ideas are compounded by parents’ gender policing. Boys are socialized into being aggressive, sexual, and emotionally repressive when parents and adults say “Boys don’t cry” and “Don’t be a sissy” and stress the importance of contact sports. Girls are socialized into being the opposite with phrases such as “Don’t get your dress dirty playing with those boys” and “Stop being bossy”. Males are assumed to take the male gender role and therefore be attracted to women. Females are assumed to the take the female gender role and therefore be attracted to men. The few who recognize any deviation from this structure simply add homosexuality as another opposite to heterosexuality. Malefemale. Man-woman. Heterosexual-homosexual. Our society is built on simple dichotomies and stereotypes leaving no room for fluidity or those in between. These are the gender roles which are endemic to American culture. A gender role is a “Set of social and behavioral norms that are widely considered to be socially appropriate for members of a specific sex” (Princeton.edu). In American culture, we hold onto these stereotypes so strongly that many see them as the “natural way of things.” In fact, these gender roles even influence the ways in which we raise our children and build our own lives.

The Function of Gender Roles in America

SEX 28

It is proven that children as young as three can properly identify girls from boys given visual cues only. For example, a male toddler sees another child with long hair and automatically assumes that child is a girl. The boy knows, from such a young age, what is meant for girls and what is meant for boys. The development of a gender dichotomy is a testament to the strict adherence the average American parent keeps with gender roles. This explains the observation, “66 percent of fourth grade girls say they like science and math, but only 18 percent of all college engineering majors are female “ (National Foundation of Science), as children grow into adulthood, many former dreams and aspirations fade due in part to the pressure of staying within one’s assigned gender role. In our culture, gender expression (the clothes we wear, the haircut we have, and the activities we take part in) is inextricably linked to biological sex. From the instant a baby is born in America, that child is labeled and assigned a gender role. There is no room for

fluidity or middle ground. This ruthless adherence to the gender binary serves as a detriment for many individuals who do not fulfill all the attributes of their prescribed role. Those of us who refuse the gender role given are misunderstood, shamed, and marginalized. Western gender roles serve as the base for gender inequality; “Gender inequality refers to unequal treatment or perceptions of individuals based on their gender,” logically, when one gender is raised in a culture which shames individual strength or assertiveness (as with females) or vulnerability (as with males) a construct begins to form in which the male is viewed as superior, while the female fades into the background. This system is problematic, for it lays the groundwork for the social issues we are now facing including the gender pay gap, objectification of women’s bodies, and rape culture. But let us continue on with the dictionary definition of a gender role. It is also true that, “Socially accepted gender roles differ widely between different cultures” (Princeton.edu). These differences show how Western notions of sex and gender expression are not universal; which leads to the conclusion that gender can be expressed in whichever way the individual feels most comfortable. One of the most radical examples of difference occurred in Western Native American tribes.

Gender In Western Native American Tribes Prior to the colonization of the American West, many Native American tribes shared an egalitarian mode of production between the sexes (Blackwood Sexuality and Gender in Native American Tribescopy). The Kaska of the Yukon Territory, the Klamath of southern Oregon, the Mohave, Mariscopa, and Cocopa of the Colorado River and Southwest all defied Western concepts of gender and dominance. In these societies, males and females took part in different jobs to maintain the wellbeing of the tribe. However, no role was considered more important or dominant over the other. This resulted in gender asymmetry, where different tasks are assigned to different genders without those genders being unequal. Each individual of the tribe was autonomous. Women of the tribes “owned and distributed the articles they produced” (Blackwood) and they had equal voices in issues of the family and community. Individuals of both sexes achieved positions of leadership through their skill, wisdom, and spiritual power. So while the spheres of activity differed between the sexes, no one sex had an inferior or

Gender and Sex

GENDER

[___] just want to have fun. [___] don’t cry. By Celene Chen & Samantha Schloeman

The Function of Gender Roles in America

SEX 28

dominant role in the community. Since there was no patriarchal hierarchy to uphold, a system of gender fluidity was accepted. In these tribes, biological sex was not seen as necessarily correlating with gender expression. Therefore, cross-gender males and females were widely accepted and respected in these societies. The cross-gender individuals “acted, sat, dressed, talked like, and did the work of the other sex” (Blackwood). As children, the cross-gender members of the tribe would show a natural inclination towards the role of the opposite gender. Adults would acknowledge the child’s interests and teach them the tasks they desired to learn. Once the crossgender individual reached adulthood, they would be allowed to marry and establish a household. In the case of the cross-gender females (biological females whose gender expression was of a man) would enter the marriage market for a wife. The cross gender females would perform the “Duties of the male gender role. Their tasks included hunting, trapping, cultivating crops, and fighting in battles” (Blackwood).

that precluded colonization. Instead, the general lack of support towards people who transgress prescribed gender roles today demonstrates the continuing negative effects of colonization in perpetuating binding Western values surrounding gender. Andrea Smith speaks of three pillars supporting white supremacy, a major one being Genocide/Colonialism. The genocide of Native Americans stretches beyond the familiar tale of King Philip’s War, biological warfare, and smallpox infected blankets. The loss of cultural values- such as that of gender equality and fluidity allowing for cross-gender females to simply exist- lies within the boundaries of genocide as erasing entire cultures. The idea that gender fluidity is relatively new, and/or an idea spearheaded by rebellious whites in modern day society is not only false but also contributes to erasure of Native American history. Western taking of Native American land, culture, and life is seen in the everyday acceptance of a capitalist society with a heavy basis on rigid gender roles where transgender or gender-nonconforming people rarely find safe spaces.

So What Can Be Done Here?

Rigid gender roles, which are forced on an individual since the moment of birth, are used to keep patriarchal societies firmly in place. These ingrained expectations lead to the assumption that male dominance is simply due to human nature. However, Western culture is not universal and the equality-driven societies of the Western Native American Tribes suggest that gender inequality is not natural. Every individual must allow themselves the freedom to express their gender in whichever way yields the most happiness and fulfillment, regardless of biological sex or societal pressures. The understanding we have of ourselves must orient our dreams and aspirations; not the people that others tell us we must be. Gender is a complex spectrum; gender roles should also be allowed fluidity to each individual.

The Demise of the Native Cross-Gender The demise of the cross-gender role was a result of the adoption of the dominant Western ideology of gender. As colonization took place in the tribes’ territories, white culture encouraged Native Americans to reject the cross-gender role and “Invoke notions of ‘proper’ sexuality that supported men’s possession of sexual rights to women” (Blackwood). However, the Western influence on the social structure of the Native American tribes doesn’t invalidate the centuries of gender equality 30

So What Can Be Done Here?

Gender and Sex

Strong Independent Princess Who Don’t Need No Prince By: Laura Goetz

fter cleaning out my attic, a majority of my childhood had condensed into old diaries or old art projects that my parents forced me to sort through and throw away. I blew the dust off cover after cover of my very early diaries and was surprised to find that the writing was extremely limited (most likely due to my inability to spell anything) and was instead filled with very detailed drawings of weddings and boys that I thought were cute in my kindergarten class. I even went so far as to draw the mole on the cheek of the boy I fancied the most. It didn’t stop there. There were drawings of me getting chased by these boys and playfully flirting with many boys at once. I only portrayed myself as anything besides a flirtatious kindergartener once; I had drawn myself as a scientist who created an anti-boogerball serum (to compete with the boys I guess?) with the help of my many imaginary animals. Otherwise, I only focused on the aspect of myself that fantasized about my marriage and male attention. I was absolutely appalled. I remembered being boy crazy but there were so many other parts of my early self that I didn’t think were important enough to document, incidentally the parts of me that lasted into adulthood. Clearly my visual diary of early sexuality showed my highinterest in the arts, but I also loved animals and I loved to read. As I searched my mind for an explanation while continuing

to clean out my attic, I found an answer: piles of classic Disney VHS tapes. We had well worn copies of all the princess movies, but the most watched were The Little Mermaid and Snow White. The Little Mermaid was my favorite movie when I was younger, I loved it enough that my sister and I constantly fought over who could “declare themselves” as Ariel for the movie viewing session, forcing the other sister to be stuck with Flounder (the ugliest fish I have ever seen). The Little Mermaid has a ton of issues now that I think about it more- specifically the part when Ursula convinces Ariel to sell her most defining talent, her beautiful singing voice in exchange for the opportunity to pursue a man. How many of us former little girls grew up believing it is appropriate to choose a man over our distinguishing skills? If only Ariel had a mother or one of her sisters to step in and tell her the truth about real relationships so Ariel could make an informed decision. Snow White, the first Disney princess, spends most of the movie as a damsel in distress who is hiding from the evil queen in the house of seven dwarves. She cleans and cooks in exchange for room and board. She is the first princess who uses a full crew of animals to do work for her because she is so sweet and nurturing that animals forget their wild instincts and instead find cleaning a tiny cottage a suitable activity. Besides teaching children that wild forest animals are safe to play with and that it is acceptable

to enter other people’s houses and sleep in their beds, Snow White also taught us the importance of waiting for a handsome prince to sweep you off your feet. Snow White attracted me as a child because she was beautiful and, kind, and men chased after her even though all she did was sing and clean. She was dead and still managed to get married. I thought she had it made. It now bothers me that this princess I looked up to had zero personality. She was simply a damsel in distress and that was it. Ariel at the very least was rebellious and strong-willed but Snow White was simply a scared, lost princess who knew how to run a household. Disney movies teach girls a variety of unacceptable messages: beauty is the one of the most important thing for a woman, along with being white, straight and love from a man.These messages have contributed to many difficult issues for girls as they become women, among these issues such as body shame, eating disorders, dumbing themselves down, fear of not conforming to heterosexual norms and fear of rejection from men and peers. One of the most prominent discussions about Disney princesses revolves around the whitewashed color of the Disney princesses. Cinderella, Snow White, Belle, Ariel and Sleeping Beauty are all white women. Sometimes Jasmine is thrown into the mix but how her character is drawn is problematic. She is constantly sexualized and exoticized through the movie, which keeps her otherwise decent personality from shining through. We all remember Jasmine dressed in little sexy red number to seduce Jafar as his slave. None of the other Disney Princesses were ever forced into sexual slavery.

Disney recently created Tiana, the first black Disney princess. Tiana has a rich character. She values work, and she pursues her dreams. She learns to fall in love with a man that respects her and treats her well. She looks like many girls that never had a princess to look up to. On paper, Tiana is an awesome and well needed addition to the princess crew. Unfortunately, Tiana spends a majority of the movie with green skin that encourages osmosis and a long tongue to catch unsuspecting flies. She was created to represent women of color but Tiana was only a woman of color for the beginning and end of the movie. What message does it send to girls when Disney finds it acceptable to portray one of the very limited diverse characters as a frog? The saddest part of this Disney princess phenomenon that affects all girls is that girls are taught the love from a man is enough validation to satisfy her for a lifetime. Even as young women balance love, friends, family, work and college classes, it is very difficult to deal with the romantic ups and downs. Countless hours of my college life have been spent counseling someone through rejection, confusion about feelings and especially with loneliness as a single girl wanting to be in love. Even though the women in my life feel silly for bringing up the loneliness they feel, they still feel it and it still hurts them. We are taught to believe that we are not good enough unless a man has deemed us as worthy and without this validation, emptiness envelops the heart. A relationship can validate a woman by showing the world that she is worthy of respect, but this rule only applies for strictly prince and princess relationships. Only a man can validate a woman, another woman cannot validate another woman. We are taught to believe that relationships and friendships have a hierarchy that most values heterosexual relationships. Ariel places her fantasies about a man over her relationships with her family and friends from home. Snow White leaves the dwarves to ride off into the sunset with a prince she has never spoken to before. Even when people are single, happy and still surrounded by people who love them and care about them, they do not have the same status as someone in a relationship. Without the stamp of approval from a man, it is hard for some women to feel complete. The most kind, funny, smart and brave women that I count as my closest friends have disclosed to me at some point that without a boyfriend, they feel incomplete (I am guilty of this as well). So many journeys that women have to go through involve becoming satisfied with the relationships and friendships that you have and not obsessing over singledom. Women learn to move on from believing that her life starts once she meets her prince to living every second of her life to the fullest. This is the effect that Disney movies have on us when we are growing girls. We see these beautiful princesses give up everything for the love of a man and it works out for them. They fall head over heels in love and they get married and all of their troubles dissolve because it is easy to be happy when you are only a love interest and someone chooses you. After cleaning out my attic, two beautiful things happened: the first was that my mom finally stopped nagging me to clean out the attic. The second was that I truly appreciated the positive influences in my life. I was lucky. I was raised by loving parents, who supported me in my princess craze but also supported my love for animals, my tendency to ignore them with my nose in a book, and also my journey in creating close, supportive friends. Thanks to the environment I grew up in, I quickly grew out of my boy craze and instead learned to focus on academics,

Gender and Sex

Strong Independent Princess Who Don’t Need No Prince By: Laura Goetz

Gender and Sex friends and family. With their support I learned to value myself and create strong friendships. I am not saying that Disney princess movies solely cause these emotional and societal problems because obviously, there are a variety of different ways that sexism and gender conformity manifest themselves in our culture. Just think twice next time before you call a girl “pink little princess” instead of “world expert in the science of boogerballs.”

post-modernsociety (which began with the rise of globalization in the late 20th century). One of the pillars of post-modernism is the development of deviant identities, which is precisely what anorexics and bulimics do. People with eating disorders behave divergently each time they purge, exercise obsessively, or starve themselves. They are also often met with criticism and disgust when and if they choose to disclose their habits, resulting in stigmatization and further deviance from the mainstream. Eating disorders also demonstrate the post-modern age’s theme of ironic pleasure. Anorexia nervosa and bulimia cause extreme pain, dehydration, loss of bone density, reduced heart rate, muscle loss, fatigue, hair loss, and the deterioration of internal organs (such as the gallbladder, small and large intestines, stomach, and pancreas). Bulimia also results in high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and destruction of the throat and esophagus. Through such masochism, people with eating disorders find ironic pleasure not necessarily through results (bulimics more often gain weight or suffer severe weight fluctuations due the constant, rapid expansion and contraction of their stomachs) but through the idea that if this behavior continues, the desired results will materialize. People with eating disorders often know the aforementioned consequences. However, it is more desirable—for anyone—to live a life in which one can like oneself and look in the mirror without feeling repulsed. Eating disorders are both a means to physical beauty as society sees it and a manner of self-therapy. Relapses often occur during times of stress and uncertainty, and are a method of expelling anxiety, not just body mass. It is difficult to explain such a mindset to those who have never had an eating disorder or known anyone open about having one. Society tells females that they can only be socially successful if they are attractive, and that they can only be attractive if they adhere to an unrealistic, narrow-minded idea of

“Beauty”: Worth It? By: Gabrielle Ulubay

Little-Known Fact #1: Approximately 10 to 20% of college students admit to having had an eating disorder. Little-Known Fact #2: Only 48% realized they had one at the time. I’m only a sophomore, but already I’ve met several students who have had an eating disorder. Most of them still have one, and most only admit this when I say I once did. For two years, I struggled with bulimia. This habit, often coupled with anorexia nervosa, uses purging to expel body mass considered aesthetically undesirable. Purging can include intentional vomiting, excessive exercising, or over-usage of laxatives. Little-Known Fact #3: Eating disorders can be triggered by personal anxiety, hardship, and, most often, by hatred of one’s body. Consider that Jennifer Lawrence is regarded as plus-sized; pick up the first fashion magazine you find. It’s clear that society considers one body type normal, condemning larger ones “physically and morally unhealthy.” Most people know this, yet as a society we continue to encourage the media’s narrow-minded idea of how females should look. Even women with naturally narrow waists are photo-shopped to appear smaller, sending women the message that they will never be thin enough. Academically speaking, bulimia and anorexia nervosa epitomize

beauty. We live in a world where all that is not thin is reviled, and those confident in their nonconformity to this standard are considered unusual exceptions. These disorders are not limited to one “type” of person. They permeate all age groups, races, ethnicities, and religions. Eating disorders do not discriminate on the basis of upbringing, sexuality, or geographic location. They are not exclusively white, young, straight, modern, or Western, and are certainly not mere phases. These diseases are instances of mental illness, and often continue to be struggles long after recovery. People often dismiss eating disorders as cries for attention, even as bulimia is called a “campus epidemic,” 1, 2 even as eating disorders have the highest death rate among mental illnesses. This is not an exposé but a challenge to every member of society’s standards of beauty. How important is it for our women to conform to these standards? Is it important enough that women are starving themselves to attain it? Is it important enough that 10 to 20% of college students are losing muscle mass every day, and can’t focus on their studies because of how sick their disorders are making them? Is it important enough that kneeling on a bathroom floor and vomiting five times a day is preferable to accepting one’s body type? Ask the girls with eating disorders. Ask the girls who replace meals with coffee or cigarettes, the girls who go to bed hungry and wake up faint, the girls who bruise easily because of the damage they’re doing to their bodies, the girls who continue vomiting even when they want more than anything to stop (but their bodies won’t let them). Ask the girls who weigh 92 pounds and can’t hold open the door to the library even though they stopped months ago. If you ask whether this masochism is worth the attainment of society’s beauty standards, you will not be startled by society’s answer. Because society will be speechless, having taught these girls to consider this question and immediately respond “yes.”

Gender Bender

Pictured: Eric Helm, Regan Dvoskin, and Haley Lyons Photographer: Cole Hanna

“Beauty”: Worth It? By: Gabrielle Ulubay

Gender Bender

Pictured: Eric Helm, Regan Dvoskin, and Haley Lyons Photographer: Cole Hanna

Gender and Sex

Pictured: Regan Dvoskin, Celene Chen, Astrid Crowley, Adriana De Lucio. Photographer: Cole Hanna.

Pictured: Haley Lyons, Eric Helm, Celene Chen, Astrid Crowley, Adriana De Lucio. Photographer: Cole Hanna.

Gender and Sex

Pictured: Regan Dvoskin, Celene Chen, Astrid Crowley, Adriana De Lucio. Photographer: Cole Hanna.

Pictured: Haley Lyons, Eric Helm, Celene Chen, Astrid Crowley, Adriana De Lucio. Photographer: Cole Hanna.

Gender and Sex

The Beginner’s Guide to:

Sex, Gender, and Sexuality By Amy Stahl, Rachel Tenenbaum, and Maggie Walsh

rom a young age, we are taught that the basics of gender, sex, and sexuality are very limited: there is male/female, man/woman, and heterosexual/homosexual. As we grow up, we tend to think of sex, gender, and sexuality as a black-and-white, one-or-the-other kind of situation. This is referred to as the ‘Western binary’, which was an influence of white, European, religious settlers, and thus is deeply rooted in our country’s history. However, as we’ve become more aware of LGBTQA people and their issues, we’ve learned that gender, sex, and sexuality identities stretch far beyond these binaries, making this societal norm problematic. Binaries are harmful because they exclude the marginalized portion of the human population who do not identify according to the standards of binaries. Many people who do not identify within our society’s constructed binaries face discrimination, hatred, and violence as a result of our culture’s labeling. We know that there’s some gray area in that spectrum of sex, and we definitely have come to realize that there’s more than one way to be a man or a woman, and we certainly know there’s a whole wide world of different sexualities, even under the umbrella of ‘heterosexual’. By eliminating the binaries and creating new ways of organizing possible identities, our society may be able to better prevent the oppression and exclusion of people who do not fit within our strictly constructed standards. Sex, gender and sexuality are all spectrums, not binaries, so let’s articulate them as such. Let’s present them as the roughly infinite options that they are. Many people are calling for this change, and a few have even designed their own methods for visually indicating what has traditionally been represented, or not, by words. While there have been many models constructed to represent a spectrum view of identity, we have chosen to focus on a model affectionately known as the Genderbread Person. This simple model highlights each category we will discuss, including potential options within them and their definitions. The first spectrum of the Genderbread person addresses gender identities that help to explain how we express ourselves within society. Beyond the traditional man and woman, there are identities such as two-spirit, transgender, genderqueer, genderless, and gender non-conforming. Twospirit is a term derived from the Native American language Ojibwe, and refers to someone who simultaneously possesses a masculine and feminine spirit. It is important to note that non-

Native American people identifying as two-spirit is considered appropriation of their culture. Transgender is a term used to describe people whose gender expression, behavior, and identity is different from those typically associated with their assigned sex at birth. Genderqueer identifying folks do not subscribe to conventional gender distinctions and can express elements of various gender identities. Gender non-conforming refers to people who do not follow society’s ideas of how they should look or act. Finally, genderless (or agender) means that a person does not identify as any gender, or may consider themselves gender neutral. Secondly, our model looks at gender expression, which is how we externally manifest masculinity or femininity in our clothing, physical appearance, mannerisms, etc. The spectrum ranges from masculine to feminine, with the ability to fall anywhere along either spectrum. Butch or hyper-masculine refer to people who exhibit predominantly masculine traits and encompass a masculine gender expression, while femme refers to someone who exhibits predominantly feminine traits. Androgynous or genderneutral means that someone exhibits both masculine and feminine traits at the same time. Next, the Genderbread person explains biological sex. The sex spectrum explains the different types of sexual organs that someone can be born with. These types include typically female (which is associated with a vagina, ovaries, etc.), typically male male (which is associated with a penis, testicles, etc.), and intersex. Intersex is an umbrella term for various conditions that impact the growth and sexual development of one in 2000 children. People who are born intersex are part of a marginalized population who

often feel extremely alienated when sex is discussed as being either male or female. Finally, the sexuality spectrum highlights some wellknown and lesser known sexuality identities. It shows the identifications of heterosexual (attraction to the opposite sex) and homosexual (attraction to the same sex). Although we love to focus on these two categories in society (homosexuality still being a fairly new topic), there are more layers to the discussion of sexuality. Bisexual describes a person who is sexually and emotionally attracted towards people of the same gender and other gender(s). Asexuality describes a person who does not experience sexual attraction. Pansexuality or polysexuality is attraction to people of any gender or sex identity, including those outside the binaries. There are many different applications that these spectrums can be applied to, and while they should be applied in every way possible, one that many college students have experience with is dating apps. Dating apps and websites all use different ways of asking the same questions: who are you and, who are you looking for? OkCupid.com is a pretty common site for twenty-somethings to browse for hookups, dates, or just shits and giggles. It is known for being a little more liberal in its options than, say, the much-advertised Match.com. OkCupid does indeed offer seemingly plenty of options when it comes to the sexuality of who you’re looking for (e.g. Women who like women, Gay women only, Men who like women), but like Match, it still asks you to identify yourself along the typical Western gender binary: man or woman, with no in between. One site that is making steps towards embracing the spectrum views is LGBTQutie.com, which allows users to choose from six options when identifying their “Gender/Sex”: Female, Male, Trans-Man, Trans-Woman, Intersex, and NonBinary. Their “Orientation” menu provides options beyond the norm of straight and gay, as well. I applaud LGBTQutie’s progressiveness, but we can do better. We can get closer to allencompassing gender identification without ruining dating websites’ abilities to match up their users, based on similarities in profiles. We want to emphasize that we don’t need to completely eliminate these categories and rely solely on profile pictures and lengthy, awkward, and often confusing self-descriptions; there are better, feasible options. By including these other identities and eliminating categories based on the Western binary, we can help make marginalized people feel more comfortable, not just on dating websites, but in all aspects of life. Hopefully this spectrum model has opened your eyes to a more inclusive view of sex, gender, and sexuality. However, we must mention that the Genderbread model includes the identities that are most commonly recognized -- it doesn’t include every type of identity and orientation available to people. Identity is a very individual feeling - as a society, we cannot and are not trying to represent every single option because it’s just not possible. It is especially hard to bring every identity to light when we first need to make steps to move past the binary view in the first place. But what if we moved beyond linear thinking? What if it’s not so one-dimensional after all? We acknowledge that our designs still utilize dichotomies to an extent. However, they place the gender, sex, and sexuality identities in dialogue with each other in such a way that creates opportunities for both increased specificity and multiplicity. You can be more specific about how you interpret

yourself to be and what and who you like. What if, when describing “Who You’re Looking For”, you could select more than one category? What if we created one that combined the sexuality spectrums between homo- and heterosexual, and BDSM and vanilla sex? Those with specific or atypical sexual interests shouldn’t be relegated to alternative, smaller websites to find what they’re looking for, particularly if they’re interested in more than one kind of partner, people should be able to express themselves without being limited to a handful of terms, when our life experiences are so much richer than that.

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Tips for Embracing the Spectrum View:

Ask for someone’s preferred gender pronouns if you don’t know -he, him, his -she, her, hers -they, them, theirs -etc • Don’t assume someone’s identity - there are clearly a number of things it could be! • Keep an open mind; however, don’t ask invasive questions

Gender and Sex

The Beginner’s Guide to:

Sex, Gender, and Sexuality By Amy Stahl, Rachel Tenenbaum, and Maggie Walsh

•

Tips for Embracing the Spectrum View:

Gender and Sex

By Sarah Anderson

Gender Across Time and Cultures

“It is important that as we move toward seeing gender as a spectrum, we understand that this is not a new concept.”

n Western society, there is a prevailing idea that male and female are the only genders. You may have noticed (even just through reading this magazine) that we, as a society, are slowly beginning to unlearn this notion. Unfortunately, as westerners, we have this weird tendency to hijack movements and ideas and claim them as our own. It’s no coincidence that the societies with the longest and cruelest histories of colonialism also love to erase the histories of other cultures and substitute their own narrative. We have to keep this in mind when discussing gender because although we’re starting to see that gender is not binary, some cultures have always understood this and have had diverse concepts of gender identity. It is important that as we move toward seeing gender as a spectrum, we understand that this is not a new concept. Our binary language makes addressing this issue tricky. In this article, I’m going to explore different concepts of gender and the history of these identities. I will be using terms such as “assigned male at birth” or “assigned female at birth” because it is my understanding that this is the preferred terminology of the trans and nonbinary community in our society. I will even use these terms when describing genders that exist in locations where

“assigned male/female at birth” is meaningless or inappropriate because these cultures understand gender in a totally different way. You may be thinking, “Hey, aren’t you imposing your Western understanding of gender on people who would identify themselves quite differently? Weren’t you just saying that we have a tendency ‘erase the histories of other cultures and substitute [our] own narrative?” Yes and yes. Unfortunately, I am writing this article in English and explaining these identities using the words I’ve been given and the proper words from other cultures and languages do not necessarily translate into our binary language. Let’s start off with some definitions of the more general terms for minority gender identities so that we’re all on the same page. According to nonbinary.org:

“Transgender individuals identify with the umbrella term covering all gender identities or expressions that transgress or transcend (go beyond the limits of) society’s rules and concepts of gender”.

“Genderqueer means non-normative or queer gender while nonbinary means gender that falls outside the gender binary model. Both of these terms are extremely similar in scope, however in practice their connotations are significantly different”. Terms such as “nonbinary” and “genderqueer” became necessary when transgender was often assumed to refer to people who fit inside the gender binary (for example: a man who identifies as male and was assigned female at birth). Nonbinary more explicitly refers to people who do not fit within the male-female binary. Nonbinary.org further clarifies the difference between the two terms: genderqueer has a similar meaning, but is inherently political and subversive. These more general terms are super helpful: now when you’re speaking about gender issues, you can be as inclusive as possible and refer to people in the way that they prefer. If you don’t know how someone would like you to speak to or about them, just ask! Now that we have those basic definitions down, let’s talk about the history of some different queer identities. Stonewall was awesome, but if you try to think of queer folks in the United States, it’s hard to conjure any images prior to the 1960s, which, of course, is an inaccurate reflection of history. Even in the West, there are records of transgender individuals prior to the current mainstream LGBTQ movement. For example, according to a page on a blog called “Transgriot” edited by Roberts, the first genital reconstruction surgery in Germany was performed in 1930 on Lili

Elbe. It is important to note that this does not mean that there were not any transgender people in Germany prior to 1930. Trans and nonbinary people have existed around the world since long before 1930, and amazingly diverse gender identities have been constructed across different cultures. Among the varied cultures of the world, there are multiple interpretations of gender and many cultures allowed for identities beyond the male-female binary. The examples of gender identities that I will be discussing all come from a social justice-oriented blog called The People’s Record. In South Asia, there are people who were assigned male at birth but instead identify as females, known as Hijras. Hijras often live in separate all-Hijra communities. Within the Nandi people in Western Kenya, there are women who identify as female husbands. This means that they take on the role of a man in their society. Among many indigenous North American tribes, people commonly identify as Two-Spirit. “The term usually indicates a person whose body simultaneously manifests both a masculine and a feminine spirit”. In South America, specifically in Brazil, there are people who identify as travesti. This means that they were assigned male at birth and identify as females. Travestis are often sexually attracted to more masculine men. According to anthropologist Don Kulick, there is a different gender binary: male : not-male. “Males include: men who have sex with women, men who have sex with travestis but are never on the receiving end of anal sex, men who have sex with men but are never on the receiving end of anal sex. Not-males include: women, men who receive anal sex from ‘male’ gay men or from travestis”. In Samoa, there is a third gender called fa’afafine. These people are assigned male at birth and identify with both male and female gender characteristics. In Indonesia, there is a third gender role called waria. Also, in the Bugis culture of one Indonesian island, there are three sexes: male, female, and intersex and five genders. In the historic Kingdom of Israel, there were six genders: “zachar: male, nekeveh: female, androgynos: both male and female, tumtum: gender neutral/without definite gender, aylonit: femaleto-male transgender people, saris: male-to-female transgender people”. In Thailand, “the term ‘kathoey’ was used in pre-modern times to refer to intersexual people, and that usage changed in the middle of the twentieth century to cover cross-dressing males.” Also in Thailand, there are three different gender identities for people assigned female at birth: Tom, Dee, and heterosexual woman. I realize I just threw a lot of information at you. It’s a lot to take in. These are several diverse examples of cultures that understand gender differently than the male-female binary that exists in the West today. Once you begin to see gender as a social construct, it logically follows that different societies would construct it in different ways. There is incredible variance across cultures regarding clothing, art, food, music, and way of life. I find it helpful to understand gender identities as an extension of this variance. It is great to see more people in the West become open to the idea of gender identities other than male and female, or of identifying with a gender other than the one assigned at birth. However, as I’ve explained, it is important to remember that these are not new concepts and they did not originate in our society. There are a multitude of societies that have had this understanding for thousands of years.

Gender and Sex

By Sarah Anderson

Gender Across Time and Cultures

“It is important that as we move toward seeing gender as a spectrum, we understand that this is not a new concept.”

Rachel: Describe your coming out experience.

An Interview with

Amila Cooray

Northeastern Student and Transgender Man

Interview By: Rachel Tenenbaum Written By: Adriana de Lucio

“Have you seen Zoboomafoo? I’m Zoboomafoo. He’s kind of funny, but he’s sweet and there for you... I think it accurately represents me... They’re generally chipper animals.” Meet Amila Cooray. Along with his belief that if he were any animal he’d be a ring-tailed lemur, he is a class of 2016 fourth year Mechanical Engineering student at Northeastern University. He’s a big fan of Thai iced tea and October Sky, the “sad, but really great” movie “about guys building rockets in the middle of nowhere.” His top five dog breeds are “Golden retrievers, Corgis, Huskies, Burmese mountain dogs, and just mutts in general.” In his free time, he enjoys watching TV shows like Veronica Mars, Chuck, Burn Notice, Bleach, and White Collar; playing board games in the LGBTQ resource center; and exploring Boston. If you were asked some of these quirky questions, I guarantee you would have an answer that would attest to your personality as well. In a strange way, your answers to these questions make up your personality--a part of your identity. So, similarly, your answer to a question about your gender, sex, or sexuality would be a part of your identity too, right? Have you ever been asked about your gender identity? Would you have an answer to that question? If so, what would it be? Many Northeastern students don’t ponder questions like this because most of our world has blended gender and sex together or follows the Western Gender Binary System too closely. The Western Gender Binary System assumes that there are two biological sexes that correspond with two genders and two types of sexuality (Male/ Female, Man/ Woman, Heterosexual/Homosexual). It is vital to understand that sex, sexuality, and gender are different aspects of a person’s core being; but, one must also understand the people who fall in between these identifiers. Where does the bisexual community fall under the sexuality aspect? What about the intersex community in regards to the sex or gender aspect? Amila is a transgender male student here at Northeastern. Where does Amila fit in the Western Binary System? The following interview between Amila and Rachel Tenenbaum is about Amila’s experience as a South Asian transgender male living hrough the Western Gender Binary System at Northeastern University and in everyday life.

Amila: Well, it started with my friends, for sure. I was just like “hey guys, I’ve been thinking about this...” and my closest friends knew I was thinking about it for a while. At some point, I was just like “just use masculine pronouns, everyone. This is me.” And the easiest way to do that with everyone I knew was on Facebook, so I told people I knew in person first and then I just put it up on Facebook. I decided to tell my parents shortly after that, because I didn’t want someone I know on Facebook telling my parents, so I told them about a week later. I waited until they were in town to do it, and it was my entire family, so one of my sisters knew and I sort of prepped her beforehand, and told her I was going to do it sometime soon. My other sister and my parents didn’t know. When I told them, they definitely sort of saw it coming, they were like “yeah...we sort of knew that this might happen.” They were just...it was good. They were very concerned health-wise and what it meant for my life and my job and how it’s a life-altering decision and I shouldn’t make it lightly. In general, it was received well, and my parents have been been trying to be supportive, but I honestly don’t know how much they’re using masculine pronouns and things like that because they’re not around and I’m not there to correct them. The same with my sister, I actually got the most resistance from her, the one I didn’t tell, because she’s planning her wedding and I’m a bridesmaid, and there’s a lot of awkward tension with that since she has this perfect wedding idea and I’m messing it up. R: How do you think that your ethnicity and your race

affected your coming out process or your discovery process as someone who’s transgender, if it did at all?

A: I don’t know a lot of trans people in general, and I don’t know a lot of trans people of color. But, I think the way it affected me the most wasn’t really about me specifically, but how I thought my family would handle it. Culturally, Sri Lankans are...well, my family is Catholic, and it’s not something that’s open in Sri Lankan culture. Gay rights is a very budding movement currently. I was worried that they don’t know anyone who’s trans. When I came out to them as gay, they sort of knew what was up because it was in the media and they had friends, or friends whose children were gay, but with the whole trans thing they were like “we don’t know

anything about this or anyone else who’s like this, and we’re not sure how to deal with this and we want to be supportive but you have to realize that we’re really naive about this entire thing.” So, that was that. Other than that, I don’t think it’s really affected me. With my extended family, I technically am not out to some of them, but my cousins know because of Facebook and most of them grew up outside of Sri Lanka and gained a Western perspective on things, so it wasn’t as big of a deal for them. I’m not sure about my aunts and uncles though. R: How do you feel at Northeastern as a transgender

student?

A: I feel pretty comfortable being a trans student at Northeastern. I’m lucky enough that I don’t have to deal with name changes, because I don’t plan on changing my name, so that’s one thing I don’t have to worry about. R: Have you heard anything about the

name changing process from other students? Is it a difficult process?

A: Yeah, I’ve heard mixed things. Some people say it’s really difficult and others say it’s really easy. I think it’s because the person who’s in charge of the name change policy at Registrar has recently changed, so maybe now it’s easier and they just put it in and it’s system-wide, but I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. I know that you can’t technically change your sex or gender at Northeastern unless you actually have surgery or be on T for a while, I’m not really sure what the process is. I think you need any legal documentation. I don’t have any of that, since I just started the whole process. I haven’t even started T yet. Hopefully, that will be at the end of this year, but there’s some backlash from my parents that’s slowing me down. For classes, as an Engineering student I don’t really interact with a lot of my professors, so I wasn’t sure if I should tell them yet, especially when I was previously a girl in Engineering and there’s not a lot of us, so we all stick out. We’re all kind of grouped together, like “oh, all the girl engineers are sitting on one side of the room” and I’m kind of lumped into that and I don’t know how to break out of that. I acknowledge that yeah, that used to be a thing, but I’m not sure what to do with it now. I think my teachers would be pretty respectful if I came forward and said “hey, you’ve been saying these things, and I’d appreciate it if you actually didn’t do that, but other professors I don’t even talk to because it’s just lectures. I think the most difficult thing about Northeastern is the co-op process. I’m trying to navigate that now, like, do I mention this in an interview?

Rachel: Describe your coming out experience.

An Interview with

Amila Cooray

Northeastern Student and Transgender Man

Interview By: Rachel Tenenbaum Written By: Adriana de Lucio

affected your coming out process or your discovery process as someone who’s transgender, if it did at all?

student?

name changing process from other students? Is it a difficult process?

Do I not say anything at all until I get a job? I haven’t exactly told my advisor because I’m not sure how she’d be able to help, if it’s something I should just have on my resume, like as preferred gender pronouns? It’s a weird thing to navigate, especially because I’m in this awkward in-between stage where I say I’m one thing but I haven’t really done anything, like I haven’t gone through what most people would consider necessary to be a trans person. So, I’m like faking it until I make it. I’m not like a “real” trans person, because I haven’t gone through these things that most people recognize as the process of being transgender. Even for myself, to feel like I have the validity to use that label sometimes. I’m like, biologically, everything’s still the same. I just tell them that I want them to do something else instead. It’s really a choice that people have to make in their minds, versus a physical thing that’s actually happening. I think overall Northeastern isn’t an unsafe place, I’ve never dealt with anything like that on campus, and of my friends in classes who know they’re all very supportive.

R: If you had to say something to the student body,

about trans issues in general, what would you say? A: I think non-binary trans people are really important. When people think of being trans, they think of FTM or MTF [female-to-male or male-to-female], but like, what if you’re neither? I feel like it’s how people think bisexuality doesn’t exist, they also don’t think you can’t be genderqueer or gender non-conforming or intersex. Anything in the middle doesn’t exist, and it’s very black-and-white. There’s a lot of confusion about it. Nobody really recognizes nonbinary trans people. I think there’s a lot more trans viability, which is great because it was pretty much nonexistent, but I want non-binary trans visibility to increase at the same time. Do we know any famous non-binary trans people? No. Is there a TV show about non-binary trans people? No. Also, gender expression and sexual orientation are not the same thing. Obviously, they’re not the same thing, but they’re not linked. People think that because I’m a man and I like women, I’m straight now, but that’s not really how it works for me. I would still identify as a lesbian, and people are like “then you’re a girl liking a girl,” and I’m like, yeah, I was a girl. Every trans person has different experiences. I’ve run into people who are like “no, I’m a dude, I’ve always been a dude, that’s the way it’s gonna be.” And then they’ll modify how they feel after they transition, and they cut out the story of who they were before and they don’t like to talk about it. For me, it’s very important. I think it’s more typical to not want to talk about yourself pre-transition and cast away your old gender identity if you transition was early in life. For me, the majority of my life was spent as female, so of course I understand the female experience and I know what it’s like. One thing I was worried about when I came out as trans was that I can’t be a part of certain female groups anymore because I don’t count anymore, but at the same time I feel like I do, and I still have a connection to them, but it’s hard to think that I can’t have that connection anymore.

“People think that R: You mentioned that the co-op because I’m a man process could be problematic. Do you think there are any other and I like resources Northeastern can improve for trans people and women, I’m straight LGBTQ people in general? now, but that’s A: For the co-op specific thing, I think the problem with the whole LGBTQ not really how it community at Northeastern is that no one knows anything. No one knows what the policy is for name works for me.” changes or sex changes. It’s not easily accessible information. You have to pry it out of people. You’ll get conflicting stories, too. It’s the classic Northeastern shuffle. You ask one person one thing and they’re like “oh but you should confirm with this other person.” It’s not easily found online, and nobody knew until this year that trans people were covered under Northeastern’s health insurance, because it used to not be, but now it is, and that’s a huge deal but nobody knew. There’s a lot of lack of accessibility and publicity for a lot of these things. I feel like I wouldn’t necessarily know that Northeastern is super gay-friendly, it’s not the first thing that comes to mind. It’s there, but it’s not obvious. One of the reasons I actually liked Northeastern even more than I already did was when we were doing a tour, we saw the spray-painting on the ground outside of Churchill that says “happy National Coming Out Day, 10/11” and we saw it while we were touring and thought it was pretty cool. My dad was like “oh, there are people of your kind here.” Which is weird. But I was like “oh, there’s a good queer community on campus which was important to me.” I think we need more visibility like that.

R: There’s a lot of discussion, especially about FTM

trans people and how they experience a change in privilege and how they’re treated. Since women are the minority gender, they can be treated differently. Can you discuss how that shift has occurred, if it has, and how you feel about it?

A: I feel like I haven’t experienced a ton of “oh, you’re a guy now, here are your privileges that you didn’t have before.” I think I need to be more conscious about things. I feel like

I could get away with saying certain things before since it was like I’m a girl, I can say these things because I know what’s happening, but now it would be weird for me as a guy to say those same things. Like, walking at night, I don’t feel unsafe, and I didn’t really used to because I dressed like a guy for the most part. I feel like I pass enough that if someone saw me on the street I wouldn’t feel unsafe in the sense that I don’t think I would ever be sexual assaulted or harassed. I think it changed a little bit since now I’m more confident in my presentation as a guy so I don’t think about it anymore. I also need to think like, I could be that creepy guy that’s following this girl without meaning to, which is weird because I’m like “no, I”m not creepy, I’m one of you!” And people never really say any questionable things to me, so that’s good. People are just more careful about pronouns and stuff now. They’re also always wanting to know how far along I am in my transition, but I’m willing to share that with people, so it’s not like totally inappropriate for me. That’s fine to me. And if I’m talking to someone who’s trans, we can talk about these things that I want to know which I think I can ask as another trans person who’s about to start T. Talking to a cisgender person, it’s obviously different. They’re sort of curious. Most of thepeople who ask are my friends, who are happy for me but concerned for me, so it’s more about that.

if they’re trans or not. Just learn their pronouns. If you don’t want to single out your friend by asking their pronouns, you should start doing that as well. Like, ask everyone what their preferred pronouns are, even if they present in a certain way.

R: Do you have any advice for anyone who has a

friend come out to them as trans?

A: Get on those gender pronouns. For me, even though I say to use male pronouns, when someone consistently makes mistakes, I feel really awkward correcting them because I don’t want to make things awkward so I don’t always speak up for myself, and I think that happens a lot with trans people because it’s sort of an uncomfortable conversation to have. So they’re like “oh, it’s fine, maybe they’ll catch on if other people keep doing it,” so really try not to mess them up. Even if you think they’ll correct you, they may not feel comfortable correcting you even though they want you to use their preferred pronouns. If they decide to change their name, stop calling them by whatever previous name they were using. I know that’s hard, because even I have trouble using the correct pronouns if I’ve known them for a really long time and they change them. I feel terrible because I don’t like when someone messes up my own pronouns, so I don’t like doing it to other people. If they really want to be supportive, check out things online. If you’re unsure about something, look it up first before asking your friend, because that way you can avoid some awkward conversations. Some trans people find those questions very uncomfortable and invasive. Gauge your friend and find out where they stand on it. But first, look up your question online so you don’t have to put your friend or yourself in an awkward situation. You can learn what questions you should never ask. If you meet someone who’s trans and you don’t know what to do, or you don’t know

R: If you had to say something to the student body,

R: There’s a lot of discussion, especially about FTM

A: I feel like I haven’t experienced a ton of “oh, you’re a guy now, here are your privileges that you didn’t have before.” I think I need to be more conscious about things. I feel like

R: Do you have any advice for anyone who has a

friend come out to them as trans?

Gender and Sex

Intersex: Every Body Is Beautiful

By Megan Reilly

pon first sight Ali Von Klan can only be described as classically beautiful. With brown wavy hair, a green t-shirt and jeans, sitting in a chair filming herself for a video for the Interface Project. She goes to the University of California at Berkeley and is studying Gender and Women’s Studies. Ali has a dog with her significant other and loves her family. However, when she was 16 she was confused and impatient, as she had yet to hit puberty; after a visit to the doctor she discovered that she had Swyer Syndrome. She pauses and explains that this was a difficult time for her; she sees herself as a normal woman but at the age of 16 was told by her doctor that she was infertile and had male chromosomes. The emphasis that Ali put on the word male showed her distaste for the way that her doctor treated her. She was only 16, and frightened. Ali said that she could have avoided a lot of pain if her doctor had told her that there was a conference for intersex individuals later that month. Ali felt alone; Ali was alone. She separated herself from her peers and attempted to control her body with diets and extreme exercise. She wore a girdle throughout high school to give her the “ideal” shape. When she was 18 she went as far as getting breast implants, but no matter how hard she tried to fit into the binary she was still uncomfortable with her body. Ali was scared of everyday interactions, of someone learning that she was intersex; she was too frightened and ashamed of her body to have sex. Eventually, Ali got help and is now trying to help others by being a part of the Interface Project. She wants children and teenagers to know that they should never be ashamed of their bodies and that according to her, “Every body is beautiful.” Intersex is a term for various conditions, which impact the growth and sexual development of one in 2,000 children. Although being intersex is relatively unknown to the general public, there are multiple different conditions that apply to intersex individuals. These conditions affect the chromosomes of the individuals, their genitals, mentality about gender, upbringing, and how they are treated in society. to the US National Library of Medicine, Klinefelter’s Syndrome affects one in 1,000 men, causing them to be have XXY chromosomes, rather than the XY chromosomes. This causes a lack of testosterone, which leads to breast swelling and infertility, and it can lead to learning disabilities. Syndrome also affects one in 1,000 men; however these individuals have an extra Y, making them XYY. Some symptoms associated with are increased height, increased risk of developing a learning disability, and muscle weakness. Triple X Syndrome occurs in people assigned female at birth. People have an XXX chromosomal make up as opposed to the more common XX. This affects 1 in every 1500 women and causes them to be tall and thin and have menstrual irregularity; due to the connection with the menstrual cycle, it is often not discovered until later in life.

Triple X Syndrome can also lead to learning disabilities and poor motor skills. Turner Syndrome results from an X missing from the female chromosome pairing and it affects 1 in 2000 women. Some symptoms of Turner Syndrome are short height, delayed puberty, infertility, scoliosis, and decreased speed of learning. Although intersex individuals are drastically overlooked in the scientific community, there are multiple documentaries interviewing intersex individuals about their difficulties. One in 2,000 focuses on the social stigma regarding intersex individuals and how they are viewed in the medical eye. In the 1950s, the medical community stated that boys could be raised as girls and they would grow up as girls and vice versa. This belief negatively affected the intersex community, as some men with female genitalia were raised as female, although they identify as male. Additionally, when intersex individuals are born doctors often push for surgery. These surgeries change genitalia from functioning organs that look different from what the general public knows to genitalia that fits the binary but via painful operations that sometimes impair genital function. Most of the intersex individuals in the video said that they felt cheated and lied to, saying that they would rather have kept their functioning genitalia if they had had a choice. Intersexion is a short documentary that discussed how people have genitals but they are not their genitals. The documentary emphasizes the importance of the gender binary and societal expectation. Finally, XXXY demonstrated how doctors saw it as their decision to perform the surgeries on the child’s genitalia. One individual said that his parents felt as though they had no choice. When doctors say that there is a problem but that they can fix it, parents will often agree to what they believe is the best for their child. Recently, the media has allowed more intersex individuals to be in focus. On the television show Freaks and Geeks, one character, Amy, was intersex. When she revealed to her boyfriend that she was intersex, he was not accepting and simply ran away from the relationship. He also told others and they reacted similarly. This exemplifies the public’s misunderstandings about intersex individuals and how the media considers them “freaks” rather than humans. On the new TV show Faking It, one of the main characters, Lauren, is also intersex. She was originally introduced as a stereotypical blonde beauty queen from Texas. After a full season, it is finally revealed that she is intersex, but the show emphasizes her whole identity is not about being intersex. All of those that learn that she is intersex accept her and although this is not representative of what may happen in every day, it does show how society should accept intersex individuals. Her story shows how intersex individuals can have an internal struggle about their condition and do not necessarily accept themselves immediately. character has received a lot of attention in the media, but the portrayal can also lead to more misunderstanding about intersex. Hollywood reporter defined intersex as “a physical condition that occurs when a person is born with both male and female chromosomes but their bodies typically develop as female.” CNN, however, aided in the understanding of intersex, using the definition from the Intersex Society of North America. The Interface Project is one of many places for intersex individuals to discuss their experiences and support each other.

Image of Alli Von Klan’s from the Interface Project website

One of the most common misunderstandings is that sex is simply male or female. This gender binary negatively affects intersex people and others who identify outside of the binary. Additionally, a variance of the chromosomes is just that, a variance. Being intersex does not make anyone deformed or wrong, it simply is a difference in chromosomes and should not be a reason for anyone to be excluded. Ali felt that she was different from her peers and hid because of it, but her variance should not have held her back and now she accepts herself and is proud. Finally, education of all people is essential, because doctors should no longer be allowed to tell people that they have male or female chromosomes; they should no longer be able to pressure parents to into having nonessential surgeries performed on children. If the gender binary is broken, intersex individuals, like Ali, will not have to be ashamed.

Gender and Sex

Intersex: Every Body Is Beautiful

By Megan Reilly

Image of Alli Von Klan’s from the Interface Project website

Gender and Sex

With Not-so-Great Personification Comes Great Responsibility By: Adrianna Graziano

cience is associated with its objectivity and ability to describe the natural world. It is accepted theory that cells do not have wants, nor do they have feelings that direct their behavior. Rather, they simply respond to stimuli and follow an innate, automatic genetic code. Yet, personification arises everywhere. From high school sex ed classes to scientific research papers and textbooks, this unrealistic assignment of human characteristics to cells is a real issue, especially in the description of reproductive biological processes. Perhaps not so surprisingly, the sperm and the egg’s involvement in fertilization have been assigned human characteristics that are inherently sexist. Examples of how the egg has been described are provided by Emily Martin’s work, The Egg and the Sperm: “passive” and as a “dormant bride awaiting her mate’s magic kiss,” while the “heroic” sperm embarks on a “perilous journey” and then “surrounds its prize.” Clearly, this is something more than innocent scientific personification to clarify and simplify a process. These descriptions are contributing to common stereotypical gender role ideals. The egg, associated with the female reproductive system, is given a personality that is typically used to describe a princess in a fairytale: unable to make her own choices and in need of a male hero to save her. On the other hand, the sperm is described as very strong and determined, which is associated with the socially acceptable conception of male masculinity. Perhaps its most detrimental effect is in the classroom, which molds the way teenagers view themselves and informs them of the “correct” interactions that they should have with each other. Sexual education programs, specifically abstinence-only programs, personify the menstrual cycle and sexual reproduction in a way that eliminates the spectrum of sexuality and reinforces the “correct” female sexuality: passive and used only as a mechanism for reproduction.

“It’s this ‘proven’ normality that keeps people within the stereotypical binary, in fear of being seen as abnormal or, even worse, biologically unnatural.” To put this into context, there is a metaphor that abstinence curriculums have used, commented on by Catholic writer Simcha Fisher, called the “used food” theme: if each person in the class were to lick a piece of candy, how would you feel when you received it? The lesson to be learned was that, “You wouldn’t want to eat it because it was used.” Without explicitly stating, this is obviously jabbing at females whom have had more than one sexual partner, implying that they should feel used, worthless, and unwanted. This ridiculously personified metaphor that compares vaginas to candy turns girls into a commodity, where their worth is determined by men who want them to be pure - for the man’s sexual pleasure. And to reproduce, of course. This is why the menstrual cycle tends to be described as “wasteful” and as the shedding of “debris”, marking another unsuccessful month; since, you know, the only point of the female body and purpose is to procreate. However, where does this leave or guide LGBT and questioning students? Where does this inaccuracy and social commentary lead them, when they are told that their sexualities and/or gender identities are going against their bodies’ inherent biological processes?

This information, whether it is being received at a high school or professional level, is being and will continue to be received and translated the same way: that, even at the cellular level, men are inherently better than women. These subliminal messages are validated in the receiver’s mind, since the use of personification makes these stereotypes almost appear as a biological normality that must be achieved. And it’s this “proven” normality that keeps people within the stereotypical binary, in fear of being seen as abnormal or, even worse, biologically unnatural. However, science has no place for projecting cultural imagery onto biological processes and studies, and doing so clouds and creates superficial scientific thinking that doesn’t delve into deeper questions about natural phenomenon. Upholding these binaries isn’t good for anyone, scientists and layfolk alike. With personification comes great responsibility, and with this responsibility comes the opportunity to return true objectivity back into science and introduce nonexclusive curriculum into the classroom.

‘The Great Sperm Race’ is another example of not-so-great personification. It is a documentary showcasing sperm played as people, racing toward the immovable, inanimate egg.

Gender and Sex

With Not-so-Great Personification Comes Great Responsibility By: Adrianna Graziano

‘The Great Sperm Race’ is another example of not-so-great personification. It is a documentary showcasing sperm played as people, racing toward the immovable, inanimate egg.

Gender and Sex

The Great Divide:

America’s Not So Little Secret By Katherine Gilmore

“Either you’ve felt discriminated against or have never felt it at all. As the new wave of young professionals, we have the opportunity to call out sexism by making it everyone’s problem.”

nly a few generations ago, women in the workforce were a rare sight and a huge disruption to the patriarchal system that demanded women stay in the home. Now, it’s readily accepted that women work outside the home just as often as men; but despite earning 10 million more bachelor’s degrees than men since 1982 (AEI), and making up half the workforce, women are still being paid significantly less than men. Women, on average, make only 78 cents to the dollar that men make for doing the exact same work. The gender pay gap is a serious issue that is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to sexism, racism, and misogyny within the workforce. As much as those affected wish to see it change, it can be difficult when high-ranking, influential people are critics. We’ve seen the members of the Senate vote against equal pay and the CEO of Microsoft recently say, “It’s not really about asking for a raise, but knowing and having faith that the system will give you a raise” (Time). No wonder experts at the Institute for Women’s Policy Research estimate that it will take almost 50 more years for us to see equal pay if we continue in the same pain-staking way.

in the STEM field across the country. The only difference was the name at the top of the resume – John or Jennifer. The results were; how do I put this lightly… absolutely ridiculous. Overall, Jennifer was perceived as less competent, less likely to receive an offer of employment or mentorship, and offered on average $4,000 less than John for starting salary. Yes, this is real life. Moss-Racusin was quick to note that the scientists who reviewed the resumes were not trying to be sexist, but that they had somehow learned to judge a woman’s resume more harshly and to question her credibility. Jennifer’s lower projected salary was an effect of her being considered a less competent worker (Gender News Stanford). Even if you do get hired for the job, the workplace itself can be a treacherous breeding area for sexism. It can be hard to hear an unbiased view from someone within the workforce who has a single gender perspective – either you’ve felt discriminated against or have never felt it at all. That’s why researcher Kristen Schilt wrote her book called “Just One of the Guys? Transgender Men and the Persistence of Gender Inequality”. Schilt decided to find people who had experienced their job from both sides. She interviewed 54 transgendered men who had experience in the same field as a man and woman. Across the board, the transgender men felt their performance stayed the same, but were now receiving glowing praise instead of glowering critique. The participants reported their ideas being valued and executed more, instances where their opinions were valued about female coworkers’, new opportunities for jobs and positions of authority. Their actions were ‘take-charge’ rather than ‘aggressive’. Most of all, they felt accepted, without having to fight for it the way they did as women. So it seems that these innate, natural differences between genders that we’re taught make a difference in the workforce are not so important after all. Rather, it’s a perceived idea of whose work is better and how salary is a natural reward for the best work. People already in positions of power and privilege are the ones who decide who gets to join them, and it’s not women. If you’re holding your head in frustration, or if you’ve already called your roommate over to show them how unjust the world is, I’m so sorry, but there’s more. I haven’t even touched on race, and that is where it really gets upsetting. Like I said before, women make on average 78 cents to the dollar that men make. What that

actually means is that white women make on average 78 cents to the dollar white men make. According to the table below from the American Association of University Women (AAUW), the pay gap dramatically increases when you compare white men’s wages to that of women of color. The pay gap between men and women that includes race is one that’s rarely mentioned in critiques of the gender pay gap. As you can see, the numbers are startling and so much worse than what most arguments against the pay gap are actually projecting. Despite our supposedly progressive and equal society (*aggressively rolls eyes*), it’s clear that the perceived value of people of color’s work is valued for much less than white men, who are considered the standard for how we create wages for other categories of people. Understanding how the variable of race affects the gender pay gap equation is crucial if we want to spark any kind of change. If you’re reading this article, you’re most likely a Northeastern student. This means you have an incredible opportunity to co-op in a field of your choice and earn a salary that reflects the hard work that you put in. Knowing that we are all earning the same degrees and competing for the same co-ops makes it clear that someone earning more money because of their gender or color is wrong. Combating sexism as early as our undergraduate years is difficult but necessary. Our silver lining is that calling out sexism as you see it is the best way to enact change. In a follow-up study about gender biases, Corinne Moss-Racusin used 126 scientists as participants. They first completed a survey about gender and diversity. Then they were informed of the results of Moss-Racusin’s study using the resumes. After having time to discuss the results and practice ways to reduce sexism in their own institutions, they retook the survey. The results showed drastic improvements in the ways the scientists viewed the gender disparity. As one of the participants in Schilt’s research said, “Until a person has experienced career-harming bias, they simply don’t believe it exists”. As the new wave of young professionals, we have the opportunity to call out sexism by making it everyone’s problem. Giving less value to certain people’s work based on arbitrary traits should be a thing of the past. The recognition of gender biases in the work force is a key component to shrinking the gender pay gap, a problem that affects not just our wallets, but also our quality of life.

So how can we accelerate change? What are the problems we are facing when it comes to closing the gender pay gap? Now, there are a ton of reasons why this pay gap is just so insidious. For critics who don’t (ahem, refuse to) believe in the pay gap, their main argument is that women tend to enter lower paying jobs and “[t]he disparity exists because a female social worker makes less than a male engineer” (NYTimes). Who else here thinks this is a load of crap? You’re not alone. While it’s true that traditionally female dominant fields are paid less overall (think nursing, teaching, social work, etc), women are being paid less than men within the same fields. That means that this is not a question of what jobs women are being hired for, but rather that their work is perceived as less valuable because of their gender. And because they are perceived as less valuable, their pay is dramatically lessened in comparison to men’s. This problem starts as early as the hiring process. In a study conducted by Corinne Moss-Racusin at Skidmore College, gender biases are apparent from the second an employer reads your resume. Moss-Racusin sent out the exact same resume to 100 professors

Gender and Sex

The Great Divide:

America’s Not So Little Secret By Katherine Gilmore

“Either you’ve felt discriminated against or have never felt it at all. As the new wave of young professionals, we have the opportunity to call out sexism by making it everyone’s problem.”

possible. These are just a few things university officials do that may make survivors feel like they’re reliving their rape, again and again. After a six-month trial, the University found her rapist innocent, and her request for an appeal was denied. While her rapist is allowed to attend Columbia freely, she must live in fear of him. According to an interview in Time, she is afraid every time she sees him, and he even requested to use the darkroom during the time her photography class was using it to harass her.

CARRY THAT

WEIGHT

By Regan Dvoskin

“...rape occurs everywhere, even on our own campus.”

ecently, the issue of rape occurring on college campus has been brought into the light of the media, with many cases becoming very highly publicized after colleges mishandle accusations of rape and rape trials. Students at many colleges have filed Title IX (a law to protect women in college, specifically in regards to how colleges treat sexual assault on campus) complaints against their schools for mishandled cases. As of November, more than 80 colleges are under investigation for Title IX violations, illustrating a huge problem in our college system. Rape survivors who bring their cases to their schools often find themselves mistreated by officials, and find many officials seem to care more about protecting the college’s reputation than protecting students. This is also one of the reasons many students don’t come forward after they have been raped; colleges often do nothing or close to nothing to help protect them after a highly stressful case that lasts months. Beyond that, society often treats survivors horribly; People frequently place the blame on survivors for “not protecting themselves,” by doing anything from drinking to wearing clothes arbitrarily deemed as “too

revealing.” This is just one part of rape culture, a culture in which, according to Force: Upsetting Rape Culture, rape is perpetuated and validated. This can be through normalization of sexual assault in media, blaming rape survivors, slut shaming, objectification of women, and a variety of other ways.

To draw attention to the way the University mishandled her case, Emma began her now widely publicized performance art piece as her thesis project. For it, she carries a university mattress with her wherever she goes, and will continue to do so for as long as she and her rapist attend the same school. According to Emma, the mattress is something that in part symbolizes bringing things normally left in private spaces out into the open, something she has had to do repeatedly since coming forward initially. It also symbolizes the weight of what she has had to carry around with her since the rape occurred; the mattress is heavy and bulky and difficult to carry, but not so much that she cannot carry it alone. Part of the rules of her piece is that she cannot ask for help, but others can still give her help carrying the mattress. This specific part of her piece has inspired an international event, Carry That Weight Day of Action. For this event, students across the globe came out to stand in solidarity with survivors of rape and sexual assault. According to the event Facebook page, “This national Day of Action is inspired by the activism and art of Emma Sulkowicz, who is boldly carrying a dorm

mattress around campus with her as long as her rapist continues to attend Columbia University. Central to the importance of Emma’s art is the collaborative and supportive nature of the project. Carrying a mattress with others brings us together to collectively help carry the weight, shows our shared support for survivors, and our collective commitment to working together toward cultural and communitylevel change to end sexual and domestic violence. Through this powerful demonstration of solidarity, participants will tangibly express their commitment to lift the burden of sexual violence from the shoulders of survivors—to carry the weight together.” This Day of Action was a large-scale demonstration of support for survivors, and a call for change in the way our campuses handle rape cases.

Northeastern Event

The Northeastern Carry That Weight Day of Action event took place on November 12, several weeks after the international event, in order to allow more time for planning and growth. The event was sponsored by the Feminist Student Organization, Socialist Alternative Northeastern, NU Sexual Health Advocacy, Resources, and Education, Strong Women Strong Girls, and the Progressive Student Alliance. Students living on campus are not allowed to remove their mattresses from their rooms, so there were only three mattresses, however, many people arrived with signs and pillows. The event began with a march across campus, with students shouting chants such as “Wherever we dress, wherever we go, yes means yes and no means no,” and “What do we want? Justice! When do we want it? Now!” and carrying signs with phrases such as “Rape happens here,” “Northeastern stands with survivors,” and “Intoxication is not consent.” Following the march, students gathered at Centennial Common, where several people spoke to the group. That was followed by an open mic, where both survivors and supporters had the opportunity to talk about their experiences and opinions with the group. This event was very important towards the movement against rape culture, bringing attention to the fact rape occurs everywhere, even on our own campus, and some of the other horrible things women face every day due to rape culture. It also brought together survivors and supporters together in solidarity for Emma Sulkowicz.

Emma Sulkowicz

One highly publicized case of campus rape being mishandled by administrators is that of Emma Sulkowicz. Emma Sulkowicz is a senior at Columbia University, who was raped in August of 2012. According to The Columbia Spectator, she reported the assault to the University in April 2013, after meeting two other women her rapist had assaulted. In all three cases, Columbia found him innocent. Emma believes that the University mishandled her case. According to The Cut, judges wrongly noted details about the case, and repeatedly asked invasive questions, and forced her to draw a diagram to prove that the way she was raped was physically

CARRY THAT

WEIGHT

By Regan Dvoskin

“...rape occurs everywhere, even on our own campus.”

Northeastern Event

Emma Sulkowicz

Race and Ethnicity

The Disney Dilemma

Race and Ethnicity

By Jenna Lue

nce upon a time, in a faraway land, there lived a fair young maiden whose porcelain skin and glistening locks made her the paragon of Westernized beauty ideals. Unbeknownst to the virtuous girl, the oft-praised amenable nature actually trapped her in the home, forever destined to serve the men in her life. As she dreamed of her one true love, the lovely maiden perpetuated the stereotypical straight idea of ‘man and wife.’ An unrealistically romantic chance meeting leads to love at first sight with a handsome and charming stranger that is sadly cut short. But no fear, our happy couple will reunite, when, in a trite twist of events, our distressed damsel must be rescued by her prince. The jealous villain’s plans have been thwarted and the beautiful maiden and dashing prince marry, sealing their ‘happily ever after’ with a legally-binding kiss. We all know the story: beautiful Princess meets equally attractive Prince and a perfect, completely realistic love story ensues. Lurking beneath the shiny exterior of flowery language and alluring visuals, the classic fairytale, beloved by so many, is not necessarily a good thing. So, what exactly are we representing to the impressionable minds of today’s youth? Chances are when you hear “Disney” the word “princess” is close behind. As one of the most influential names in the children’s entertainment industry, Disney plays a crucial role in the indoctrination of values in its young audience. With its brand so closely tied to the adaptation of well-known fairytales, Disney’s animated films are typically offered as the most important and culturally relevant representations of our beloved storybook characters. If we are being honest, The Little Mermaid would never be complete without Ariel’s musical pining to be “Part of Your World.” The catchy musical numbers and masterful animation of these films portray a vibrantly colorful Disney that any viewer can grow to love. However, a closer look paints a not so pretty picture of a very white Disney. In fact, of the twelve famed Disney princesses, only four are women of color: Jasmine, Pocahontas, Mulan, and Tiana. As the first princess of color, Jasmine of Aladdin (1992) is not explicitly defined as a specific race or ethnicity, instead she is offered as a generalized mash-up of Arab-like characteristics. Despite Aladdin’s promises of “I can show you the world” to

Jasmine, the film only portrays a very narrow representation of another culture. Two lines of the musical opener “Arabian Nights,” were criticized for perpetuating unflattering stereotypes of Arab people. While the original lyric “Where they cut off your ear/ if they don’t like your face” was changed in the face of backlash from the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, the subsequent line “It’s barbaric, but hey, it’s home” remained on the track. In debuting a princess of color, Disney revealed itself to be not only ignorant of the rich and varied nature of Arab culture, but also a believer in the ethnocentric idea that anything “other” is inferior or uncivilized. Pocahontas (1995) rewrites history as the harsh realities of colonization that involved manipulation, deceit, and violent decimation of the native population are conveniently replaced by an ‘overcoming the odds’ love connection. Despite there being plenty of native English speakers baffled by our grammatical rules, Pocahontas proves herself to be a language savant and is fluent after one interaction with the magical white man, John Smith. The film is definitely more Columbus Day than National Indigenous Peoples Day with its penchant for glossing over all the negative and dumbing down the realities of language barriers. While the interracial couple of Pocahontas and John Smith indicates progress for Disney, it is a small win at the price of grossly inaccurate historical representations. The depiction of the title character in Mulan (1998) is a departure from the typical “help! Save me” female protagonist. Mulan’s expression of individual will, exhibited by her decision to fight in the place of the father, defies gender norms for that culture. song has an unfortunately gendered title of “I’ll Make A Man Out of You,” but as we see in an awesome training montage Mulan, the woman, comes out on top. Mulan establishes herself as close to a feminist figure someone can be while still operating within a patriarchal society. The depiction of Chinese culture by Disney for this film is problematic with an emphasis on stereotypical symbols like rice, chopsticks, fireworks, and dragons. This Westernized and whitewashed representation is further exemplified by the use of exaggerated Asian accents (those darn ‘r’s’ are so difficult to pronounce) for minor characters as comic relief in contrast to the unaffected American voices of Mulan and her love interest Captain Li Shang. Tiana of The Princess and the Frog (2009), though initially introduced in a subservient position as a waitress, amazingly prioritizes her dream of becoming a business owner over finding a prince. In her hometown of New Orleans, the hard working and Black Tiana brought much needed diversity to the Disney line-up. The departure from white ethnocentrism is short-lived as the two

Race and Ethnicity

The Disney Dilemma

Race and Ethnicity

By Jenna Lue

Race and Ethnicity main characters, both people of color, are soon turned into frogs. The significance of having the only black female princess spend the majority of her movie as an animal is very important and extremely disheartening as Disney chooses to return its characters to human form only after they are married. The symbolism of this is obvious in that the institution of marriage, equates civility. It is only through this legal ceremony that people of color are transformed from subhuman animals to full-fledged human beings on the same level as whites. There are some serious magical transformative powers held in that single tiny phrase of “I do.” You would hope that with all its emphasis on the “perfection” of white characters Disney would have no problems representing its eight other princesses. Sadly, though not entirely unexpectedly, this is not the case. In its first ever princess film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, the title character is very much a product of the patriarchy. Released in 1937, the film was very representative of the times with its opening song “One Day My Prince Will Come” establishing the “damsel in distress” storyline. Obviously beautiful (how else can you snag a catch like Prince Charming?), Snow White’s crazy-good looks offer an easy explanation for her evil stepmother’s wrath. Nothing says “I’m a cool step mom” like numerous attempts on your new daughter’s life in a fit of jealousy because a talking mirror told you other pretty people exist. Beyond this obvious nod to the male gaze, the film seeks to reinforce stereotypical gender roles with Snow White’s only skills related to the domestic sphere. Snow White is depicted as the helpless victim who is singularly characterized by her unparalleled (read: unattainable, unrealistic, ridiculous, etc.) beauty and her skills in the kitchen and home befitting the “ideal” Mrs. Charming. Looking at the latest animated Disney fairytale, Frozen (2013), we are able to track some progress since our obviously patriarchytainted experience with Snow White. Disney has made gradual changes over the course of princess history to embrace a more active female character whose sense of individuality trumps a

relationship. The shift in focus is evident with the emphasis on sisterly rather than romantic love in Frozen. One spunky and clumsy, the other reserved and formal, the orphaned sisters are faced with self-doubt, loneliness, and failed relationships on their paths to self-discovery. Although one sister finds her conventional happily ever after with a man (a peasant, gasp!), the other rules a kingdom solo, Elizabeth I style, with no qualms about her abilities. While the film offers a new complexity to the classic fairytale in the form of familial love and a badass ice castle building scene accompanied by an empowering ballad, there are no of people of color. Keeping with the themes of snow and ice, Frozen is all White all the time on screen, only using people of color to voice the nonhuman Trolls. Disney seems to be allergic to intersectionality, a concept that speaks to the real-life interconnected complexities of race, sex, gender, and class among others. This “Disney-fication” or oversimplification of these various intersecting social draws attention to an appeasement policy for a primarily white ethnocentric audience. While Disney has taken steps in the right direction with some representation of princesses of color and subtle incorporation of feminist ideas, it refuses to marry the two progressive moves in a single film. Instead of taking advantage of its very recognizable brand name, Disney continues to reinforce the idea of a whitewashed storybook world that fits everything into a patriarchy-approved binary system.

Once upon a time, in faraway land, there lived a maiden whose beauty was not dictated by skin color or hair texture. No longer hindered by an oppressive patriarchy, she lived her life as she wished, pursuing her personal dreams, desires, wants and needs. She sought meaningful relationships with anyone and everyone, no matter their gender, race, class, or sexuality. With no promise of romance or a handsome rescuer, she found her own happily ever after.

No, You’re Not Going to Get Ebola: How the Latest Nationwide Panic is Reinforcing Harmful Racist Stereotypes

By Alesia Garrett

f you’ve been paying any attention to the news lately, no doubt you have heard countless pieces on Ebola in the past few weeks. Specifically, how Africa had Ebola and now it’s in America and if we’re not careful we’re going to have an epidemic and everyone will die. Or something along those lines. While according to the World Health Organization, more than 4,500 people have died in the West African Ebola outbreak that began early this year, there is much more to the story than that. Liberia has been hit the worst, with more than half of the total deaths, but this is largely because the country is sorely under-supplied. Liberia’s government has published stock numbers for items such as body bags, facemasks, and examination gloves, and there is a massive gap between what they have versus what they will need. Women and children are also falling ill far more than men, because the social expectation is for them to care for the sick despite the lack of protective gear. However, many of these nuances are being left out of American coverage of the Ebola outbreak, and much of the focus is on the comparatively miniscule number of cases in the United States. In fact, we didn’t even hear much about Ebola in the news until two white missionaries were infected and

brought here to be administered an experimental drug. Thomas Duncan, a Liberian man known for contracting Ebola in Dallas, passed away recently, while the two missionaries who were given ZMapp lived. Although it is true that there were only eight doses of the drug to begin with, the situation still echoes racist divisions. Duncan’s family has also claimed that he was not viewed as a victim like many white Ebola patients, but rather as a carrier of the disease, and a prosecutor publically expressed a desire to file charges against the dying man. Since Duncan’s death many, many instances have occurred in which Africans are stereotyped and discriminated against due to American ignorance and misplaced fear. Earlier in October, a Haitian woman with the flu who vomited at the Mass Ave MBTA station was rushed to the hospital after a passerby

baselessly claimed she was Liberian and had Ebola. Somali immigrants, who have nothing to do with Ebola and hail from the other side of Africa, have reported getting stares and points in cities such as Dallas. Other Africans living in Texas have reportedly been turned away from jobs, stores, and restaurants. More famously, a college denied admission to two Nigerian applicants simply because they were from a country with cases of Ebola, ignoring the fact that Nigeria has recently been declared Ebola free by the World Health Organization. More and more Western countries are considering instituting a flight ban on Western Africa, and this harmful mindset of viewing Africans as diseased carriers who should be quarantined rather than victims who need help is what is fueling the Ebola scare in the US. Rather than worrying

about getting Ebola, which is incredible unlikely for the average person unless you are literally rubbing yourself in the bodily fluids of the infected, we should instead ask ourselves this: why did it take two white people being infected to make America care about this disease when it had already killed thousands of West Africans by that point? And, upon realizing this, is the best course of action really to alienate and stereotype other African immigrants and ban all contact with that part of the world? Instead of sensationalist, racist fear mongering, we should instead be offering assistance to the countries hardest hit with Ebola so this disease can be eradicated once and for all, regardless of perceived nationality or race.

Does Rap/Hip-Hop Music embrace marginalization of women of color? By Daryon Calhoun

s a black man, listening to Rap/Hip-Hop Music and watching videos is part of the Black Culture in the United States. I grew up listening to Rap/Hip-Hop on the radio and when I was younger I didn’t think about the how the music industry displays black women. Even though I enjoy listening to Rap/Hip-Hop Music, as I matured over the years icombined with taking Introduction to Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, I now believe that women of color are being marginalized in Rap/ Hip-Hop Music. In Rap/Hip-Hop Music, various artists embrace the usage of negative words towards women. For example, using words such as ho, slut, bitch and etc. in the content of rap is a way numerous artists address black women. This has a tremendous impact on the youth who listen to Rap/Hip Music because those words that several rap artist use in their music get inserted into common language amongst young individuals, especially black males. In high school and middle school, the majority of my black male friends who associate with Rap/ Hip-Hop Music use those negative words constantly when addressing black

women. I knew it was wrong of them using such words, but I didn’t really do anything to prevent them from using those words or educating them about the subject. In Women’s Studies; the article that I can relate this idea of Rap/Hip-Hop Music marginalizing women of color is the article written by Kimberle Crenshaw titled “Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity Politics, and Violence against Women of Color”. Crenshaw uses an example of women being marginalized in Rap music. A group called 2 Live Crew discusses in a song called “Nasty” about inserting their male genitals into female genitals –displaying women as sexual objects. In Rap/ Hip-Hop videos, women of color are usually wearing tight clothing to show-off their body parts and shaking their butts. By constantly displaying women of color in that manner it degrades them resulting in men almost expecting all women of color to follow the same role they see on television or the internet. In conclusion, I believe that women of color are being marginalized in Rap/Hip-Hop Music. This issue needs to be addressed because it will minimize the negative stereotypes against women of color. It will also allow men to view women of color as women instead of half-dressed “hos” twerking. Women of color have been degraded, abused, and marginalized and as men of color we need to portray our women in a positive manner.

No, You’re Not Going to Get Ebola: How the Latest Nationwide Panic is Reinforcing Harmful Racist Stereotypes

By Alesia Garrett

Does Rap/Hip-Hop Music embrace marginalization of women of color? By Daryon Calhoun

Race and Ethnicity

a champion of the cause by constantly having among the most diverse runways and editorials and putting pressure on designers through the CFDA to do so as well. This is a stark comparison to other designers such as Karl Lagerfeld, the legendary head designer of Chanel, who is known as much for his brilliant designs as for his misogynistic comments and attitudes towards women. He is notorious for constantly using only white models and limiting his use of non-white models to tokenistic one-season-only themed shows. He has also recently caused an uproar by staging a feminist inspired shows that featured next to none non-white models and signs that mocked feminism. Although escapism is the essence of fashion, its controversial practices have a very real effect on millions of people. The industry’s preference of white skin has devastating effects on models of color. It forces them to compete with each other for scarce space, puts pressure on non-white models wages due to competition, and makes agencies less willing to invest on models of color, which means that overall there are less options for models of color to appear in editorials or any other form of media. Furthermore although high fashion may be unattainable to the average individual, all of the other retailers that are attainable follow and mimic whatever model and standard set up by high fashion. Therefore when designers insist on using obsolete, narrow, elitist and frankly racist standards of beauty they are responsible for the fact that this same standard and spread, repeated and enforced in all corners of the world. In other words lack of representation of non-white models in fashion is responsible for the thousand of kids who daily are told exposed to the idea beauty and worthiness are equivalent with white skin.

CATWALK TO DIVERSITY By Melissa Scholem

ashion is all about metamorphosis, and nothing is meant to represent that concept of change more than the iconic New York Fashion Week. From Carrie Bradshaw, Anna Wintour and Gossip Girl whose borderline religious fascination with fashion resonated with entire generations to the thousands whose livelihood is influenced by this event, NYFW is larger than life escapism and fantasy. But as much as Fashion Week is based on fiction, it also affects some very real aspects of life, from its influences on the multimillion-dollar fashion industry to how women see themselves represented in media to how race and ethnicity are addressed in culture. New York Fashion Week Fall/ Winter 2014 was huge. It featured 148 shows, 4,621 looks and “generated an estimated $532 million in direct visitor spending”. Yet as much as the industry promotes change, creativity and vanguardism, it is still stuck in an uninspired and traditional model of standard of beauty. New York Fashion traces its origins to 1943 after WWII when, in an effort to draw attention to American designers, “Press Week” was created. Before the late 90’s, it wasn’t the uniform collective event we recognize today; rather it was a series of shows set up by individual designers in any numbers of venues from decadent hotel lobbies to abandoned warehouses. designers in any numbers of venues from decadent hotel lobbies to abandoned warehouses. Until very recently, the fact that non-white models where for the most part, not featured or represented in fashion was not

considered problematic or worrisome. There is the assumption that because people know of Tyra, Naomi and that Brazilians Adriana Lima and Gisele are listed by Forbes among the top earning models of the year, there isn’t a gap in representation. Yet in this same list published by Forbes, out of the twenty one models featured, only two of them were visibly black and only one of them was visibly Asian. Even more, Gisele Bundchen, the Brazilian highest earning model featured in the list, does necessarily represent the aesthetic associated with the Latina women. Therefore, data and information about diversity was not readily available until 2008 with Jezebel’s analysis of seasons Fall 2008 to Fall 2014. Specifically New York Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2014 contained 148 shows from which roughly 78.69% of the models featured were white. According to Jezebel, Asian models and Black models were the second and third most represented ethnicities, with 9.1% and 6% looks worn respectively. Although this is an improvement from last season when 82.7% of the models were white, diversity in the last six season is still limited to roughly 20% of the looks. In general the strategy to finding these percentages consisted of “calculate[ing] models by counting looks in the New York shows and presentations that are covered by Style.com, menswear excluded. We break those looks down into Black, Asian, Latina and Other (Middle Eastern would fall under “Other”)”. Yet what is really interesting is the fact that the models of color who were cast had really great seasons. Almost in a tokenistic manner,

“black models like Grace Mahary and Herieth Paul walked in 17 and 13 shows, respectively and Asian model Tian Yi was in 13 shows, and Xiao Wen Ju, Sung Hee Kim and Chen Lin were all in 14” shows. This means that the open spaces for women of color were extremely limited, and there was crazy competition for those spots. This also means that some designers chose the samefew non-white models to fill the “diversity quota” with specific token models that allow them to present themselves as inclusive. On a positive note, shows that only featured white models were less common this season (what is this, the 1950’s?).though this seems like something that should be a given, it is important to remember that according to Jezebel, last season Araks, Assembly, Belstaff, Calvin Klein, Elizabeth & James, Gregory Parkinson, J Brand, Jenni Kayne, Juicy Couture, Louise Goldin, Lyn Devon, Threeasfour, and Whit, a total of thirteen companies, did not feature a single non white model. Obviously, this very upsetting number caused an uproar that resulted in campaigns to promote diversity. This is the case with the “Diversity Coalition” fronted by Naomi Campbell, Bethann Hardison and Iman who constantly call out designers as well as agencies for their lack of opportunities for non-white models. Furthermore some designers, such as Diane von Furstenberg and Anna Sui, have really been loud voices in the conversation about diversity. The fabulous Mrs, Diane Von Furstenberg, who also happens to be the president of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, has been

Race and Ethnicity

CATWALK TO DIVERSITY By Melissa Scholem

Race and Ethnicity

A letter on “Asian Privilege” Dear Bill O’Reilly,

On the October 15 broadcast of the Daily Show, you and Jon Stewart debated about the existence of white privilege. The first point you make is “If there’s white privilege, then there has to be Asian privilege because Asians make more money than whites … They make more money, [have] higher education, [are] more affluent. So it’s Asian privilege, not white privilege.” With utmost respect, sir, uh, no. For one thing, your definition of privilege having more education and higher income is distorted and excludes several critical aspects. To clarify, the American Medical Student Association’s definition of “privilege” is the advantages, favors, and benefits given to members of dominant groups at the expense of members of other groups. When people say “white privilege”, they are referring to benefits that many people don’t even recognize that they have. For example, Mr. O’Reilly, you might not realize it, but you are privileged with the freedom to move as you please. You can drive along the highway without worrying about being unfairly pulled over by a police officer. You don’t have to teach your kids what to do if they are stopped and frisked while taking a walk through the neighborhood. When I say that you have white privilege, I don’t mean that you’ve cruised through life without having fallen onto hard times or having to work hard. Obviously having lighter skin does not guarantee anyone an easy life, but it definitely has some positive effects. According to a field experiment from the National Bureau of Economic Research, those with “whitesounding” names are more likely to get jobs. A 2003 University of Chicago study reveals that white job-seekers with felonies are more likely to be called for interviews than African American applicants with clean criminal records. Using more ordinary, day-to-day examples, you can read the news and watch TV knowing that your race will be well-represented. Your behavior and actions are not likely to be considered a reflection on your race. If you were unemployed, others would probably say that it’s unfair because you’re a hard worker. You would not be considered a lazy bum looking for a handout; instead you’ve fallen on hard times and just need to catch a break. Even at the most hopeless of times, you’re more likely to receive help and avoid homelessness. For the most part, the hardships that Asian Americans suffer from are not as openly offensive as those suffered by other minorities, but if you still say that Asian Americans have as much privilege as white people do, you’re far from the truth. Please keep in mind that not every Asian group is alike. Asian cultures are made up of different groups of people, languages, religions, and histories. I honestly couldn’t even begin to list out the number of Asian ethnic groups and their heritages because they are so rich and diverse. For the rest of this letter, I do refer to Asian Americans as a whole (including Pacific Islanders!), but it is still critical to recognize that not all Asian Americans’ experiences are the same. The facts you stated on The Daily Show can be considered true, but inadequately analyzed. According to the Pew Research Center’s data in 2010, Asian Americans have the highest median household income and the highest educational attainment in comparison to other racial groups. On the other hand, the data and its interpretations show that you, along with many other people, only recognize Chinese, Korean, Indian, Japanese, Vietnamese, and several other Asian ethnic groups as one and the same: a small, happy, statistically convenient demographic. Not all Asian ethnic groups are as financially well off as others, and Asian households are often larger than that of the average American household, so finances are stretched for more people.

Stewart: “What kind of Asians? You have to-” O’Reilly: “-Asian Americans. Asian Americans.” Stewart: “It depends where they’re from.” O’Reilly: “They’re from Asia. They’re Asian Americans.”

To you and many other people, Mr. O’Reilly, Asian Americans are the “model minority”, the main attraction to bring up in arguments concerning race and privilege. What particularly bothers me is that Asian Americans and their relative success have been used to “prove” that those who obediently and quietly follow the system — work hard, get educated, get a well-paying job— can be financially successful, and thus not be discriminated against. By using Asian Americans as the successful outsiders, the ideal racial mascots, you pit minorities against each other. Doing this says to other minorities that the only way of being successful in America is falling into line like Asian Americans and keeping quiet about problems that may be too controversial. An example of minorities stepping out of line is the protests and civil disobedience by the largely Black community in Ferguson, Missouri. The events have brought forth unconscious racist attitudes towards African Americans to widespread media attention. Asian Americans, by contrast, are not in a similar situation, making them seem compliant in comparison. I know you love facts, Mr. O’Reilly, so let me give you a few: according to the US Census Bureau, the proportions of Southeast Asians over the age of 25 with bachelor’s degrees are lower than those of African Americans, and high school

graduation rates for these ethnic groups are just as poor as those for African Americans and Hispanics. Educational attainment varies as widely among Asian Americans as it does in the U.S. population. According to a Gallup poll, 31% of Asian Americans have experienced employment discrimination, 5% more than African Americans have. As a whole, they have also suffered the largest percentage decline in homeownership of any racial group. Although Asian Americans have the highest levels of education and income, according to DiversityInc., they make up only 2.6% of the leadership in Fortune 500 companies. In comparison, the total percentage that Asian Americans make up in the US population is just over 6%. Asian Americans are still vastly underrepresented in corporate and political leadership in this nation, just like African Americans, Hispanics, and Native Americans. You’ve said it yourself, Mr. O’Reilly: “If you work hard, if you get educated, if you’re an honest person, you can make it in America.” If there’s anything we Americans eat up like apple pie, it’s the concept that success is a direct result of some good ol’ hard work. With education and lots of determination, Asian Americans have made it in this great country… right? It has often been said that Asian Americans credit their successes to high expectations, supportive families, hard work, and education. There’s a stereotype: Asian American “yuppies” — young urban professionals, who’re often depicted as medical professionals, litigators, and engineers with high educational attainment and limitless ambition. Conventional image dictates that they had helicopter first generation immigrant parents that either own nail salons/laundromats/dry cleaners or are successful professionals themselves (see: “tiger mom”). Then why can’t we reach the top? We live in a nation that considers itself the quintessential meritocracy, so why are Asian Americans, who seemingly fit the mold of “hard work, education, and honesty”, excluded from higher positions? There is a phenomenon that affects young Asian American professionals called the “bamboo ceiling”, a combination of factors that impede Asian people’s career progress towards leadership positions. Asian Americans graduate from universities in high numbers, and business, academia, and law firms tend to hire them frequently as well. But this is where fortune through merit ends. These graduates remain stuck in these entry-level jobs with little to no chance of promotion, “blocked” from higher positions because they are not seen as management material. Research from the Center for Work-Life Policy finds that Asian women, frustrated by the barriers preventing their advancement in the workplace, are 40 percent more likely than Caucasians to plan to quit their jobs within the year. Asian men are more than three times as likely to consider quitting within the year. And it’s not that Asian Americans are unassertive and acquiescent. CWLP research reveals that Asian professionals advocate for themselves and ask for pay raises and promotions just as much as those of other ethnic groups do, but they are still not getting what they ask for. Is this our so-called privilege? As Wesley Yang of New York Magazine says, “the failure of Asian Americans to become leaders in the white-collar workplace does not qualify as one of the burning social issues of our time,” but it reveals how far America is from equality. Although Asian Americans appear to have “made it in America”, we are still targeted by discrimination and stereotypes. For example, the assumption that “all Asians are smart” isn’t as flattering as it sounds. Personally, I have always experienced pressure to excel academically. Both at home and in school, my Asian classmates and I were expected to get high grades. Conforming to this image of “the smart Asian” was deemed absolutely necessary for some reason when Asian students are really no more intellectually gifted than non-Asian students. In school, receiving high test scores affirmed the common assumption (“Of course he did well on the calc test: he’s Chinese!”) , while getting low grades were somehow excused (“Well, everyone failed the midterm, so…”). This excessive expectation for academic excellence can stress out Asian students to the point where they are too ashamed and reluctant to get help when they need it. High school dropout rates among Southeast Asian Americans is incredibly high: 40% of Hmong, 38% of Laotian, and 35% of Cambodian students do not graduate from high school. (Warning! Extreme sarcasm.) Alright, Mr. O’Reilly, our “model minority” is indeed privileged. We have been endowed with supportive communities, education, higher income, diminution of cultures, job promotion discrimination, harmful stereotypes, and so much more. Other minorities, take note: Asian Americans have total control over our “families, culture, [and] personal responsibilities”. Any problems we had before are nonexistent now because we’ve followed the formula. We’ve been honest, worked hard, and kept quiet. We’ve kept our heads down and stayed in our lanes, and look where it’s gotten us: Ahead, duh. Let’s be real. Asian Americans, and any other minorities, do not get preferential treatment in this country the way white people do. “Getting ahead” despite challenges doesn’t equate to being privileged, and we cannot ignore the fact that minorities face adversity because of systemic perceptions of their race. The “Asian success story” should not be used to say that minorities have to step up their game. The “Asian success story” should not be used to distract from the fact that white privilege exists.

Best wishes,

Shelby Nguyen 61

Race and Ethnicity

A letter on “Asian Privilege” Dear Bill O’Reilly,

Best wishes,

Shelby Nguyen 61

Race and Ethnicity

The Search for Giovanni’s Room

By Nolan Tesis

I am not the typical Northeastern student. My presentation and lived experienced somewhat exclude me from that image. I came to this conclusion after a few years of failing to notice too many others from my community. Being a black student at Northeastern University can be a daunting experience because of the sheer number of black students in comparison to the number of white students. In an online interview about a new HBO series called Bros, the creator Ben Corey Jones states, “It’s ironic that in 2014, and even with a black president, one of the hardest things to be in this country right now is a young black man.” What can significantly more difficult is being a black gay student in the world and at Northeastern University.

Black gay men operate in two spheres; both black and American in larger societal context; both black and gay within black community; and both gay and black within the white gay community. As a result, multiple intersecting forms of oppression impact black gay men. The forms of oppression; class, gender, sexuality, and race all compound to impact the black queer experience. In a large institution such as Northeastern University, I have found that experiencing true cultural affinity can at times feel somewhat impossible. Black gay men often feel excluded from the larger black community because of the homophobia and sexism while feeling equally excluded from larger white gay community due to racism and classism. The idea of feeling cultural gaps in so many aspects of life really highlights the importance of space.

Northeastern University currently has affirming spaces for both LGBT Students and African-American Students. The John D.O’Bryant African-American Institute provides a space for African-American students, but I have found that while I’m there I’m very aware of toning down my gayness. The LGBT Resource center is a room that provides a safe space for LGBT students. I often find that while I am in there I am often the only black student present there. Despite feeling cultural gaps at both locations, the African-American Institute, and LGBT Resource Center have been in dialogue to make both spaces more inclusive for students who’s identities fall into the intersection of both identities. Today you can feel the cultural gaps, but it is truly exciting see how changes are being implemented, now that two completely different spaces, on Northeastern University’s campus are collaborating.

Race and Ethnicity

The Search for Giovanni’s Room

By Nolan Tesis

Thanks for Reading! Staff

Meheret Abiye Eve Anderson Sarah Anderson Emily Barton Karina Bistrong Scotty Blechman Patrick Brewster Daryon Calhoun Julia Cathcart Celene Chen Kimberely Cleary Astrid Crowley Adrianna De Lucio Natalie Dickinson Allison Digregorio Regan Dvoskin Marianna Ferris Mario Franko Alesia Garrett Katherine Gilmore Laura Goetz Adrianna Graziano Nicolas Hanna Dana Hartlein Eric Helm Ayorinde Iranlowo-Ifatunji

Izzy Irizarry Kimberlee Jebbett Victoria Kroeger Haley Lyons Alex-Marie Michaud Remi Montagne Daniel Moore Crystal Nguyen Shelby Nguyen Megan Reilly Nola Rich Tessa Rose Robin Saffir Samantha Schloeman Melissa Scholem Heller Helen Sharma Chenyu Shou Amy Stahl Rachel Tenenbaum Darren Tesis Elizabeth Torres Gabrielle Ulubay Tania Vieira Cara Vincelette Lily Vitali Margaret Walsh Phillip Zminda

Sources Gender and Sex Photos

Race and Ethnicity Photos

Sexuality Photos

Ariel, Jasmine, Mulan, Pocahontas, Rapunzel: Deviantart user Johnni-K

Asian Privilege: istockphoto. com

50s Couple: Photo by Alfred Eisenstaedt

Diverse Models: Estee Lauder

Ace Flag: Asexuality Visibility and Education Network

Bulimia Photo: Tumblr user L’Oceano d’inverno Gender-Culture: Photo by Navesh Chitrakar, Reuters. com Gender Babies: Photo by Iris Images, Corbisimages.com Genderbread Person: itspronouncedmetrosexual.com Graph of Earnings: American Association for University Women Intersex Flag: Organisation Intersex International Australia Piggybanks: istockphoto.com Spermandegg: Osteopathy. talktalk.net The Great Sperm and Race: richardarmitageonline.com Candy Heart: torange-es.com Traditional-gender: Media. photobucket.com user Scott1234

Diverse Models 2: Photos by Luminosidade, composites by Plush Swimwear

Man and Woman: imdb.com (Down with Love)

Feminist Fashion March: Photo by Christophe Karaba

Pansex: Photo by Alfredo Estrella, Getty Images

Race and Ethnicity: Tumblr user BabyKanima

Pansexuality flag: web.archive.org

Racial-Diversity-Fashion-Week: Jezebel Magazine

Slut Shaming: Lip Mag

White Privilege Meme: Tumblr user FeministDisney Ebola: André Carrilho

Valentino: Valentino Whitehead: Wikimedia Commons user Anonmoos

Graph: Pew Research Center

Womens Rights: National Women’s History Museum

Graph 2: Pew Research Center

Macklemore: macklemore. com

Graph 3: Jezebel Magazine

Sexy Man: shutterstock.com

Ideal man: ifunny.com

Sexy Woman: Lo Ultimo Magazine

Libera Ebola: Shoana Cachelle Nasty: Global Satellite Records White Privilege: Jamie Kapp

Thanks for Reading! Staff Meheret Abiye Eve Anderson Sarah Anderson Emily Barton Karina Bistrong Scotty Blechman Patrick Brewster Daryon Calhoun Julia Cathcart Celene Chen Kimberely Cleary Astrid Crowley Adrianna De Lucio Natalie Dickinson Allison Digregorio Regan Dvoskin Marianna Ferris Mario Franko Alesia Garrett Katherine Gilmore Laura Goetz Adrianna Graziano Nicolas Hanna Dana Hartlein Eric Helm Ayorinde Iranlowo-Ifatunji

Izzy Irizarry Kimberlee Jebbett Victoria Kroeger Alex-Marie Michaud Remi Montagne Daniel Moore Crystal Nguyen Shelby Nguyen Megan Reilly Nola Rich Tessa Rose Robin Saffir Samantha Schloeman Melissa Scholem Heller Helen Sharma Chenyu Shou Amy Stahl Rachel Tenenbaum Darren Tesis Elizabeth Torres Gabrielle Ulubay Tania Vieira Cara Vincelette Lily Vitali Margaret Walsh Phillip Zminda

Sources Gender and Sex Photos

Race and Ethnicity Photos

Sexuality Photos

Ariel, Jasmine, Mulan, Pocahontas, Rapunzel: Deviantart user Johnni-K

Asian Privilege: istockphoto. com

50s Couple: Photo by Alfred Eisenstaedt

Diverse Models: Estee Lauder

Ace Flag: Asexuality Visibility and Education Network

Diverse Models 2: Photos by Luminosidade, composites by Plush Swimwear

Man and Woman: imdb.com (Down with Love)

Feminist Fashion March: Photo by Christophe Karaba

Pansex: Photo by Alfredo Estrella, Getty Images

Race and Ethnicity: Tumblr user BabyKanima

Pansexuality flag: web.archive.org

Racial-Diversity-Fashion-Week: Jezebel Magazine

Slut Shaming: Lip Mag Valentino: Valentino

White Privilege Meme: Tumblr user FeministDisney

Whitehead: Wikimedia Commons user Anonmoos

Ebola: André Carrilho Graph: Pew Research Center

Womens Rights: National Women’s History Museum

Graph 2: Pew Research Center

Macklemore: macklemore. com

Graph 3: Jezebel Magazine

Sexy Man: shutterstock.com

Ideal man: ifunny.com

Sexy Woman: Lo Ultimo Magazine

Piggybanks: istockphoto.com Spermandegg: Osteopathy. talktalk.net The Great Sperm and Race: richardarmitageonline.com Candy Heart: torange-es.com Traditional-gender: Media. photobucket.com user Scott1234

Libera Ebola: Shoana Cachelle Nasty: Global Satellite Records White Privilege: Jamie Kapp