Peacock Winter 2016/17 by The Peacock Magazine

An Anglophone magazine celebrating the vibrancy of youth culture in Paris WINTER 2016/17 | VOLUME 6.1 PEACOCKPLUME.FR EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Jordan Nadler DEPUTY EDITOR Stuart Edwards ART DIRECTOR Amanda Page MARKETING DIRECTOR Alice Preat MARKETING ASSISTANTS Cody Campbell, Lisha Lopez, Hind Ngouonimba STAFF WRITERS Anastasija Baiko, Cody Campbell, Camila Craig, Stuart Edwards, Carolina Galbiati, Paige Hart, Tess Hezlep, Lisha Lopez, Hind Ngouonimba, Liz Nguyen Son, Alice Preat, Lily Radziemski, Stephanie Russell, Khadija Sanusi, Sarah Sidi, Skylar Smiley CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Shalise Barnes, Alice Preat, Niha Reddy CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Bria Bradley, Sean Casey, Hibaq Dougsiyeh, Alex Kerr, Marina Khorosh, Mario Lopez, Julia Reiss CONTRIBUTING GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Rachael Fong-Gurzinsky, Sam McKeown CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Stuart Edwards, Nicolas Nemtala, Stephanie Russell, Phil Shaw CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATORS Maddy Brookes, Rachael Fong-Gurzinsky, Brittany Hood EDITORIAL ADVISOR Marc Feustel

Cover image by Maddy Brookes

MOVING FORWARD One year on from the November 13, 2015 attacks

WHAT IS THE VIRTUAL WORLD COMING TO?

CREATIVE SPACES

The future is here and it is wrapped around your forehead

How creative people leave the daily grind behind 50

REALITY CHECK

Finding calm in the City of Light

A TRUMP IN THE ROAD

THE ALLURE OF PARIS TO ARTISTS

A series of op-eds about the election from a diverse group of Americans

Is Paris still one of the world’s creative capitals?

NO PICTURES PLEASE Celebrities opting out of the limelight

38 GAY PAREE An in-depth look into the multilayered LGBT community in Paris

57 TO PRÉPA OR NOT TO PRÉPA Is the grueling classe préparatoire worth the struggle?

STAGNATED

ON MY OWN (IN PARIS )

After the closing of the Calais refugee camp, migrants have been left homeless in Paris

Destinations of peace, nature and solitude

68 HIGH STAKES A map of the international problem with narcotics 72 GHOSTING An investigation into a new kind of disappearance

78 THE RETURN Essentials for getting through an all-nighter in style 80 CHANCE THE RAPPER The Chicago hip-hop artist who became a global sensation

he Statue of Liberty was given to America as a gift from the French a little over 140 years ago. Since then it has stood on New York City’s shores welcoming visitors, immigrants, refugees and swarms of 12-year-olds on field-trips with their schools. Our Lady Liberty has become a quintessential symbol of the freedom on which the American dream was founded. She sits upon a pedestal where Emma Lazurus’ sonnet, “New Colossus” is engraved. It is too often forgotten that before she declares, “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,” the poem refers to her as the “Mother of Exiles.” The United States is currently experiencing an identity crisis. When the Statue of Liberty was erected in 1875, there were about 39 million people in the country. Today, America’s population is over 320 million. We are a country comprised of immigrants and refugees, many of whom came from the continent on which this magazine is printed. And though there have always been moments of contention between its old and new populations, America’s patriots used to be people who held onto the convictions of our constitution; who believed that America was an idea as much as it was anything else. The hate-mongering, anti-immigration rhetoric that helped win Donald J. Trump the presidency of the United States is brazenly ignorant of our origins. Let us not forget that the Land of the Free is land stolen from indigenous populations and built on the backs of African slaves. Let us not forget that unless our heritage is Apache, Sioux, Cherokee, Caddo, Pawnee or any of the Native American tribes that have always called America home, there is no such thing as “our land.” And then there is us, the expat students at the American University of Paris. We did not have to escape to Europe, we kissed our families goodbye at shiny airports and stepped comfortably onto Air France Boeing 777s. (Yes, I know some of you flew private.) We have been able to think of more than one place as home, to identify with more than one culture, to live our lives without a fear of persecution, and many of us are scared that is about to change. We have put together “A Trump in the Road,” a series of op-eds from a diverse group of Americans who share their feelings about America and their futures in it. From a Mexican-American to a Muslim-American to a proud Republican who refused to align himself with Trump, these are the many voices and faces of our nation. Prior to the election, the Peacock team had decided to make this issue about escapism. (The irony has not escaped us.) This has been a long year filled with

political upheavals, floods, earthquakes, terrorism, the rise of white nationalism and the deaths of some of our most cherished celebrities (RIP Muhammad Ali, David Bowie, Leonard Cohen, Prince, Alan Rickman and Gene Wilder). We all need a break. In this issue we have explored the many ways people “escape,” whether it be artistically, mentally, virtually or even literally. Stuart Edwards takes us into Paris’s creative spaces where artists and writers foster their crafts. Cody Campbell gives us an in-depth look into the Parisian LGBT community, and Julia Reiss explores the brave new world of virtual reality. Paige Hart explores whether Paris is still an art capital today, while Alex Kerr shines light on the refugees stuck on the city’s streets after the closure of “The Jungle” refugee camp in Calais. Though the future remains uncertain, our morals and convictions have never been more important. It is time to come together in the face of inequality and injustice and play our part in making the world a better place in which to live. In the immortal words of “Hamilton’s” Lin Manuel Miranda, history has its eyes on us.

Jordan Nadler Editor-in-Chief

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR photography by Stephanie Russell

Moving Forward One year on from the November 13, 2015 attacks by Jordan Nadler

Shutterstock/T81 Shutterstock/ Frederic Legrand

t has been a little over a year since the Paris attacks of November 13, 2015 that left 130 people dead and hundreds wounded. On the one year anniversary, French president François Hollande and Paris’s mayor, Anne Hidalgo, stood among relatives of the deceased, police and aid workers as they unveiled six memorial plaques — one at each of the sites of the attacks: the Stade de France, bars and restaurants throughout the 10th and 11th arrondissements and the Bataclan concert hall, where 90 of the victims died. The night before, the Bataclan opened its doors for the first time since that horrific night with an emotional concert by Sting. USA Today reports that the nearly 1,500 tickets for the event sold out in a matter of hours. People gathered by the Canal Saint Martin to pay tribute to the victims who died in the neighborhood, and crowds threw paper “love

hearts” into the air on the place de la République. The tributes marked a somber day of remembrance for every Parisian, whether they knew someone who died or just lived through that traumatic night, mourning those whose lives ended far too soon. The youth of so many of the victims is one of the more poignant aspects of the tragedy. People at the beginning of their adult lives were calculatedly targeted by terrorists who wished to wreak havoc on Parisian society’s most common pastimes: attending soccer games, sitting en terrasse with friends, drinking wine, listening to music. It was a stark reminder of the unpredictability of our time. In recent years the world has been rattled by brutal terror attacks. France in particular has seen over 230 deaths since the attacks at the Charlie Hebdo office took place two years ago. And though France has been targeted by terrorism many times

before, these past two years have seemed to signal a shift to an era in which these attacks are no longer anomalous. And yet, France has seen it all. The French have an indignance attached to their refusal to let anything affect their vies quotidiennes. The hashtag, #JeSuisEnTerrasse (I am on the terrace), popped up almost immediately after the November 13 attacks, in defiance of the fear the terrorists had hoped would paralyze society. France has long been home to uprisings and revolutions — it is in their blood to live their lives the way they please — especially

party fell one week after the attacks. Yet he insisted those of us who felt up for it still come to his home. I did not want to leave my apartment that day. I could hear helicopters overhead and sirens somewhere in the distance. But I desperately did not want to spend any more time alone. In the end, about 20 of us showed up. Many people at the party had lost friends in the attacks. When the first band started to play it took everything I had to keep it together. The singer was reminiscent of Janis Joplin. She was perfect. But were we allowed to feel happy again? Was it wrong to be sitting among friends lis-

in spite of those who would tell them otherwise. Terrorism may have left the country in an indefinite state of emergency, but many have grown accustomed to it now. The armed policemen on the streets, the soldiers patrolling buildings and monuments, the presence of security guards where they never used to be… the air feels heavier at times, and we’ve grown to understand that this may be our new normal. About two years ago, a friend of mine began throwing monthly parties at his apartment where he invites musicians from around France to play for friends and friends of friends from all over Paris. His apartment has become a Gertrude Stein salon of sorts. The night is spent drinking, eating and listening to music. It is something many us of look forward to all month. He lives in the 10th arrondissement, not far from Le Petit Cambodge. Last November, the

tening to music? To smile as the violence from the week before still lay thick in the air? We all looked around at each other, many of us wiping away tears. People who had been strangers 20 minutes before placed their hands into each others’ and nodded their heads to the the music. We were all alive. We were unified by that simple fact. A year later, the terrasses are still full. Music still spills out onto the streets, friends laugh with each other over bottles of wine. Paris is changed, but it is still strong. It is still the City of Light.

Reality Check

eality can be dynamic, ever-changing, chaotic and exceedingly energetic. We all have something in our lives that becomes too demanding or overwhelming to face head-on at times, and so we flee to our happy places. This desire to escape is often found among inhabitants of cities, where stress is unavoidable. We followed four people around Paris and asked them to share how they find their calm in the midst of the clamor of city life. Though their mediums are different, their goal is the same: to escape, if only for a while.

text and photography by Stephanie Russell

“Reality doesn’t impress me. I only believe in intoxication, in ecstasy, and when ordinary life shackles me, I escape, one way or another. No more walls.” Anaïs Nin, Incest: From a Journal of Love

Shutterstock/olgakomeeva Shutterstock/Liliyaschlapak

Jeanne Schmidt Artist

eanne Schmidt is a 17-year-old high school student who rediscovered her passion for collaging and photography a few years ago and has not been able to stop creating since. She plans to study art once she graduates, and is grateful she realized early that art was a passion, not just a past time. “I think, as a child, you’re encouraged to be creative, and you don’t really even think about it, you just do it for fun,” she says. “I don’t do it for other people,” she says, “I do it for me: it’s a way to express myself and to do what I love.” The desire to take fragments of the world and interpret them creatively keeps her mind at peace, and motivated to create. As she collects mental images and pieces together colors and thoughts, she creates a special corner in her mind that nothing else can touch.

Sophie Bourg Florist

arisian native Sophie Bourg, aged 47, has always had a love of flowers — a trait fostered by her mother and grandmother. Stepping into her flower shop at 22 rue Jean Nicot is like entering a living, breathing sanctuary. However, it is not just the flowers that make Bourg’s shop so special — her obvious care and passion for her craft is what makes her shop truly unique. Each arrangement of plants and flowers was put together with great detail and thought. Flowers bring her peace and envelop the bleakness of Parisian winters. “It is such a peaceful, creative, colorful job. Each day is a new journey full of pleasure,” she says.

Charlotte Prévost Bookworm

harlotte Prévost has always had a love for reading, ever since she could decipher letters into words. Hailing from the stimuli-filled City of Light, the 25 year-old turns to books to escape from the troubles of big-citylife.“I sometimes struggle with social anxiety, especially in a big city like Paris,” she says. “And sometimes I feel disappointed with the people in my life. So by imagining friendships with these characters, I don’t have to feel judged for who I am.” For Charlotte, reading is the best way to connect to the world. Through the stories and imaginations of others, she escapes to other realms.

Nir Raza

Writer and Photographer

ir Raza, age 25, did not originally plan to become a travel writer and photographer. A passion for aviation proved unsuccessful, and resulted in a desire to continue his travels on foot. Raza found experiencing the world from the ground, as opposed to the sky, fulfilling in a way he had never realized. “Nature and solitude have become the teachers that have taught me about the importance of growth through self-discovery,” he says. A need to catalog his adventures resulted in his photography and writing, which he reveals became an escape in itself. “Writing and taking pictures are the things I end up doing when I feel like I need to free my mind from any sort of disturbing occurrences,” he says. Finding solace in nature is something we all can do, if we allow ourselves to leave our bustling metropolises for long enough to take a deep breath and relax. •

No Pictures Please by Khadija Sanusi

In a time when fame and social media are king, some celebrities are opting for privacy and anonymity

p. 14 Shutterstock/LamGoodner p. 16 Shutterstock/Everett Collection p. 17 Shutterstock/DFree

arlier this year, the comedian Amy Schumer announced she would no longer be taking photographs with fans after posting a picture on Instagram of a man she claimed ambushed her (with his daughter in tow), demanding a photograph. “I asked him to stop,” she wrote, “and he said, ‘No, it’s America and we paid for you.’ I was saying stop and no. Great message to your kid. Yes, legally, you are allowed to take a picture of me. But I was asking you to stop and saying no.” Her statement was met with a surprisingly negative response. Many disparaged the 35-year-old stand-up comedian for seeking privacy from her fans. Despite the increased scrutiny brought on by a constantly interconnected world, celebrities’ disdain for the public’s lack of respect for their privacy is nothing new. In 1962, Life magazine issued a piece on Marilyn Monroe in which she was quoted saying, “[People] feel fame gives them some kind of privilege to walk up to you and say anything to you, you know, of any kind of nature — and it won’t hurt your feelings — like it’s happening to your clothing.” While celebrities may have always been at odds with their lack of privacy, they now have to contend with a whole new level of scrutiny. Social media has propelled and enabled a type of fame that was not feasible decades ago. Fans now feel closer to their idols than ever before, to the point where some have expectations of on-demand access to their lives. For today’s celebrities, it has become harder and harder to retain a sense of privacy. Of course, some celebrities have built their entire careers upon a calculated lack of privacy. We live in a world where Kim Kardashian gets bored, takes a naked selfie and suddenly it is on all of our screens whether we want to see it or not. Though many people feel social media has given attention-seekers like the Kardashian clan an opportunity to overshare their private lives, there are still celebrities who — despite being famous in the age of social media — want to retain some sense of a private life. On November 8, 2016, the Communications Secretary to Prince Harry released a statement addressing the media and general public for their harassment of the prince’s new girlfriend, Meghan Markle. “Some of it has been very public,” the letter reads, “the smear on the front of a national newspaper, the racial undertones of comment pieces;

and the outright sexism and racism of social media trolls and web article comments.” It also denounces the hordes of photographers Markle’s mother has to endure, and even reporters’ attempted break-ins to her home. The letter also added that Prince Harry knows social media “commentators will say this is ‘the price she has to pay’ and that ‘this is all part of the game,’ but he strongly disagrees. This is not a game — it is her life, and his.” Even those who sought out their spot in the public eye may attempt to keep some aspect of their lives to themselves. The Australian pop singer and songwriter Sia, known for her songs “Chandelier” and “Elastic Heart,” has managed to keep her identity somewhat hidden. When she was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2015, Sia did not approach the event ready to bask in the spotlight. She “showed up on the red carpet wearing a huge, shaggy platinum wig, which of course covered everything but her nose and mouth,” Hollywood Life recalls. In addition, her live performance of “Chandelier” was delivered while she stood in a corner, facing the wall. Sia has been asked many times about her decision to cover her face, but her answers have varied. In 2014, she told Nightline, “I don’t want to be “critiqued about the way that I look on the internet.” Later, the singer told Ellen DeGeneres that she disguised her identity so that she could still “go to Target and buy a hose if I want to. Or if I’m in need of a restroom, I can go in the side of the road, no one would be following me with a camera trying to get a shot.” More recently, Sia told James Corden, in an episode of “Carpool Karaoke” that she had been a recovering alcoholic and, after sobering up, had asked herself, “‘What doesn’t exist in pop music at the moment?’ And it was mystery. I was like, there’s pictures on Instagram of everyone at the dentist.” Whatever her reasoning may be, it is clear she thought long and hard about shirking the limelight. Authors, for obvious reasons, have a slightly easier time concealing their identities than other public figures. Many writers choose not to include a photo of themselves with their books, or even publish under a different name entirely. Anita Raja was one such person, writing under the pen name Elena Ferrante to keep her true identity secret. That is, until Claudio Gatti, an Italian investigative journalist, invaded her privacy and exposed her as the

“Some celebrities

have built their entire careers upon a

calculated lack of privacy.”

writer of her nine widely acclaimed novels — including My Brilliant Friend — entirely without her permission. Much has been written about this cruel breach of privacy. Many have protested against Gatti’s article, asking, “Must we know who Elena Ferrante is?” In a piece for the New York Times, the celebrated Italian columnist, Beppe Severgnini, wrote an article suggesting Italians had always known that Raja was the true Elena Ferrante. “The anger isn’t about revealing a secret per se; it’s about shouting it to a global audience. Ms. Ferrante’s identity may have been an open secret, but it was our secret, just as Ms. Ferrante and her wonderfully successful books were ours. There are many things we Italians hide from the world, some far less innocent than a writer’s real name. Why let those starry-eyed foreigners in on this one?” Justin Bieber is a quintessential product of contemporary celebrity culture. After starting out as a fresh-faced YouTube sensation, Bieber became one of the music industry’s most successful global products. After climbing to the

very top of the celebrity ladder, over the past year Bieber has become determined to reclaim some form of normality. In a move similar to Amy Schumer’s, he announced that he was “done taking pictures with fans,” as he felt dehumanized by doing so. He wrote that people “won’t even say hi to me or recognize me as a person. I feel like a zoo animal.” On October 12, 2016, the 22-yearold singer stopped by Highgate School in North London to join a physical education class that was playing soccer. Mario Noto, the PE teacher, told the Sun Online that Justin “could have been another pupil, just enjoying himself.” Less than a month later, the pop star was seen at a pub in his hometown of Toronto. He had come in as a regular customer, without prior notice, and surprised the pub with a free, impromptu concert. Justin Bieber’s recent attempts to have his celebrity cake and eat it too, may be indicative of a broader shift in celebrity culture. In an age when image and branding are everything, mystery and normality may be becoming the most valuable currencies of all. •

“In an age when image and branding are everything, mystery and normality may be becoming the most valuable currencies of all.”

JOEL MEYEROWITZ TAKING MY TIME

Cycle d’expositions de photographies

PART I

NOVEMBRE

PART II

JANVIER

-4

- 21

DÉCEMBRE

MARS

2016

2017

Joel Meyerowitz New York City, 1963

12, rue Saint-Gilles, Paris IIIe | Mardi-Samedi, 11 h - 19 h 30 | polkagalerie.com

WHAT IS THE VIRTUAL WORLD COMING TO? by Julia Reiss

The future is here and it is wrapped around your forehead. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget to leave your living room while you travel into different worlds, or just around your own.

Shutterstock/TidaratTiemjai

â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is becoming increasingly clear that immersive gaming is just the tip of the VR iceberg. All of real life could be lived virtually, and some of the most essential parts of life already are.â&#x20AC;?

o matter where you’re from, the 2016 American presidential election may have had you lusting for an alternative universe to live in. Or maybe you simply want to travel somewhere new and don’t have the means or the time. What if you could be somewhere else without leaving where you are? There’s an app for that. Well, not quite an app: virtual reality. Virtual reality (VR) is a computer-generated, three-dimensional environment. Think of it like seeing an IMAX movie on steroids: instead of flimsy glasses you wear a headset that visually isolates you from the world around you. What was once the stuff of science fiction is now not only real, but ready to go to market. In March of this year, the Oculus Rift VR headset was released. The former Kickstarter, which debuted the proprietary headset for an immersive video game experience, was

acquired by the godfather of tech himself, Mark Zuckerberg, in 2014. And Zucks isn’t the only player in the game. Many media and tech giants including Sony, Samsung and Disney are developing hardware and content for this new technological frontier. Xander Kozack is an avid gamer and VR enthusiast. For Kozack, video games have always played an important role in his life. “They taught me to think freely, and they inspired so much of my creativity and my love for storytelling and characters. They even played a big part in inspiring me to become both a voice actor and a writer. Using the reward system, being that I was only allowed to play them if I finished my homework, they even played a major role in making sure I did well in school,” he explains. For Kozack, VR is a technological revolution that could have a real social impact far beyond the world of gaming. “Some VR games

are multi-dimensional movies that you can watch, walk through and look around in a perfect 360-degree view,” he explains. Kozack believes VR could be a tool for “online socializing” which could “help people with [poor] social skills or learning disabilities interact with virtual characters.” And, in fact, he’s right. Professors at the University of Texas at Dallas, have used the technology to leverage content that teaches high-functioning autistic patients how to more appropriately respond to social cues and situations. It is becoming increasingly clear that immersive gaming is just the tip of the VR iceberg. All of real life could be lived virtually, and some of the most essential parts of life already are. Sex-toy makers have jumped on the VR bandwagon by pairing masturbation hardware with headsets. And if Tsuneki Sato, the CEO of the Japanese sex toy brand, Tenga, is right, virtual sex “will become more real than actual sex.” And you thought Tinder was the end of civilization? If VR stands to take over in the way many suggest, users may no longer be interested in searching for a partner in real life, let alone procreating with one. The concept of a virtual, or digital life is generally regarded as unhealthy, and we’ve already seen some extreme repercussions. Humanity collective-

“Experts are raising concerns about the widespread physiological consequences of this type of technology, which the industry itself appears to validate.” 22

ly gasped in horror at the recent incidents of infanticide by gamer parents who were so immersed in their virtual lives that they neglected their children to the point of killing them. Beyond these extreme cases, experts are raising concerns about the widespread physiological consequences of this type of technology, which the industry itself appears to validate. “Nausea, eyestrain and headaches,” are not uncommon, reports the Wall Street Journal, and most headset manufacturers warn against letting young children use their devices. In addition, “Samsung and Oculus urge adults to take at least 10-minute breaks every half-hour, and they warn against driving, riding a bike or operating machinery if the user feels odd after a session.” Well when you put it that way, it starts to sound a lot like prescription drugs, which like VR, present a risk for abuse. The fact of the matter is, the potentially addictive and isolating effects of VR warrant the comparison. And much like social media — another thing you can credit (or blame) Zuckerberg for — the societal implications of potential VR dependency remain largely in question. When was the last time you sent a birthday card to someone who was not a blood-relative? I’ll wait…. Okay, stop scratching your head. How about this, when was the last time you wished someone a happy birthday on Facebook? Chances are you probably did that this week. Today’s social media landscape is proof of the profound ways in which technology impacts human interactions on so many levels, so when it comes to VR, what happens when users start to prefer their virtual lives to their real ones? In an era that is so socially, politically and financially fraught, who could blame them? Apocalyptic conjecture aside, while VR may stand to cause a host of social and psychological disorders, it may also be used to cure them. According to Fortune magazine, VR is already being used to supplement traditional therapy for conditions such as post-traumatic stress

disorder and anxiety as a form of exposure therapy. Patients are gradually exposed to triggering situations in a virtual world, so that they may learn to cope with them in real life. What’s more, doctors at Duke University discovered that VR can help paraplegics regain function of their limbs using a specialized VR system that allowed patients to control their avatars with their thoughts. The patients wore a special uniform that produced a real life physical sensation to match whatever they were experiencing virtually, and essentially tricked the brain into recognizing certain sensations, like walking, for example. For people with autism, VR could be a godsend. Therapists are using the technology to teach autistic individuals social cues and skills by placing them in common social situations, recreated in a virtual world. These practical applications of VR are a lot less sexy than taking a virtual trip to the Maldives without the side-effect of jet lag, but ultimately a more effective means of achieving their ends. Despite the VR community’s commitment to developing new ways to see and experience the world, the truth is, a virtual trip to Paris isn’t the same as a real one. Without smelling the distinct combination of cigarette smoke and diesel fuel, you could be in Iowa. Living is more than seeing. And human touch is, and will always be, different than that of a sexbot paired with animated personality. Won’t it? Perhaps the most interesting thing about VR is not the realities it stands to create, but what the demand for it says about the one we actually occupy. Are we so desperate to escape from of our present circumstances? Are the people in our lives as dispensable as digital avatars? Instead of asking ourselves where VR could take us, maybe we should start asking ourselves what and who we’d be leaving behind. •

A TRUMP IN On November 8, 2016, Donald J. Trump was elected to be the 45th president of the United States. His win signaled a seismic shift in the direction of our country.

THE ROAD Peacock magazine reached out to Americans from a multitude of backgrounds, races, religions and sexual orientations to see how they feel about the future of our nation and their place in it.

pp. 24-25 Shutterstock/ sharshonm, charles taylor p. 26 Shutterstock/mikedemidon p. 27 Shutterstock/egorkeon p. 30 Shutterstock/darsi p. 31 Shutterstock/rzarek, isaxar p. 34 Shutterstock/lookus, rudall30 p. 35 Shutterstock/isaxar

A Lesson Learned the Hard Way

by Bria Bradley

stranger to racism, on both small and large scales, rump’s election has been an unexpecthowever, the ferocity of his supporters completely ed wake up call. From the moment he anthrew me off. And the media fueled the flames. nounced his run for the presidency, I imOn November 8, I stayed up all night, watching mediately brushed this off as nothing more than as results for each state came in, and the slow, yet an attempt to improve his television ratings. No steady increase of electoral votes for Trump conone expected him to win the GOP nomination, let tinued to rise. I stared at the screen in disbelief as alone the whole damn thing. As he gained traction, he was announced the winner. It felt like a brick I began to tune into the news periodically, solely house had fallen on my chest. for the entertainment his early campaign providDuring my interactions with Trump supporters ed. His popularity soared, so I, like the rest of the in the following days, it became clear they were nation, was forced to listen. Slowly but surely, I motivated by different rearealized some Americans had sons, but mainly a disdain for begun buying into his hate-fu“His political discourse Hillary Clinton and an unwaveled rhetoric. To them, he was apparently just “saying it like it seemed not only full of empty ering belief that she is a coris,” which was disturbing. promises, but comprised of rupt puppet for large corporations. Those who approved of I paid attention to his rise as much as I could. His polit- elementary vocabulary that Trump’s policies were drawn in because he promised to ical discourse seemed not only was equally worrisome” boost the economy. And then full of empty promises, but there were those who fell for comprised of elementary vothe fearmongering, afraid of America’s changing cabulary that was equally worrisome. As an Afridemographics and the prospect of welcoming imcan-American woman, I was worried and hurt by migrants. his generalization of minorities and disgusted by In discussing the election on social media, most his misogynistic comments about women. I was supporters I encountered resorted to attacks insure hell would have to freeze over before somestead of a debate. (There has been a fair share of one like this could become our president, espeattacks from both sides.) But conversations quickly cially following the high standards set by President shifted from me attempting to understand them, Obama. to getting scrutinized on my race, intelligence and And yet it wasn’t so much Trump himself who where I live. Ultimately, the election taught me bothered me, but the swarms of his supporters about the priorities of my fellow Americans. Open who crawled out of the dark corners of the country, racism, misogyny and anti-LGBT discourse are no ready to fight — and vote — in the name of hate. He longer deal breakers for people I called neighbors, had validated America’s closeted racists, and inand that is a lesson learned the hard way. • vited them back into mainstream society. I am no

This One is Different by Hibaq Dougsiyeh

was 10 years old when I first experienced racism and discrimination in the United States. It was the day after the September 11 attacks. I remember getting ready for school and my mother telling my cousins, brother, sister and me to prepare ourselves for what might happen that day. I was not sure what she meant, nor did I understand the magnitude of the events of the previous day. After arriving at school we started walking toward the cafeteria where students were gathering to discuss the attacks. That is when it happened. After asking us why we were in school that day, a student in my cousin’s class exclaimed, “Shouldn’t you all be in jail after what happened yesterday?” This was the beginning of the end of our sense of security in the United States. From that moment on, I began to understand it all. Why my mom got in a heated verbal argument at the Delta Air Lines counter when the ticket agent told my father to “shut her up.” Why she cursed out the American woman who pushed her aside in a Walmart checkout line. Why she “made a scene” at an airport security checkpoint when she was told she had been randomly selected for an extensive security check. As an African-American Muslim woman, my mother has learned how to cope with oppression and discrimination since the late 1980s when she moved to the U.S. from Djibouti. I am learning how to be just as strong as her. However, with the results of the 2016 presidential election, I fear that may not be enough. Growing up in McDonough, Georgia, a conservative city in the rural South, I’ve been exposed to open racism and discrimination. I’ve had high school teachers tell my class that Obama is a “terrorist because he is Muslim” and shouldn’t be president. I’ve been told that I shouldn’t date my white boyfriend because I’m black. I’ve even had a family point their guns at me after I pulled into the wrong driveway, saying that my “black ass better leave and not come back.” I can’t begin to count the times I’ve

heard white Americans use the N-word when describing a black person. One of the hardest parts of this election has been logging onto social media and seeing people I considered friends defending Trump. Typically, politics have never gotten in the way of my friendships. Healthy discussions have come out of conversations with friends who don’t share my views — I’ve always enjoyed conversing with my Republican friends on many topics. However, this election is different. The constant insults to women, Muslims, Latinos and African-Americans were not enough for some of my friends to see how unfit Trump is for the Presidency. He still managed to get their vote, and a vote for him is truly a direct insult to me. I cannot bring myself to be friends with someone who voted for a man who believes that I should wear a special ID badge because I am Muslim. In about one year, I will be on the road to graduation from the American University of Paris. My titre de séjour will expire, and I will have to decide whether to stay in Europe or return to the U.S. The results of this election have made me want to stay far, far away. However, ultimately I think it’s more important than ever to be in the U.S. I want to continue fighting for my rights the way my mother has fought for hers, and ours, since 1987. I want to prove to Trump supporters that their hatred is not welcome nor will it scare me away. My mother always told me not to run away from my problems, so I will fight for as long as it takes. •

Arina Habich P /shutterstock

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The constant insults to women, Muslims, Latinos and African-Americans were not enough for some of my friends to see how unfit Trump is for the Presidency. He still managed to get their vote, and a vote for him is truly a direct insult to me.â&#x20AC;? Hibaq Dougsiyeh

“Our great republic’s system is designed to prevent despotic tyranny. As a result, I feel like a lot of the current anxiety is unwarranted.” Mario Lopez

We Have So Much To Lose by Sean Casey

e have so much to lose, and so many opagainst Mexicans, Muslims, women, the disabled, portunities to miss. Lesbian, Gay, BisexAfrican-Americans and others impacts all of us. ual and Transgender (LGBT) Americans The guns he advocates for are used to shoot us have seen tremendous legal, political and social down. The violence he encourages finds all of us as gains over the past eight years. We have won the its victims. The hate he espouses is contagious, and right to marry and to adopt. We can now serve intersectionality means that none of our identities openly in the military. President Obama ushered are safe in his America. Worse, he has tried to pit in some of the first LGBT-inclusive legislation in us against one another, saying that he will protect American history and significantly expanded the LGBT Americans from “the violence and oppresnumber of openly-gay government appointees, sion of a hateful foreign ideology.” giving our community a strong voice within the While we must not allow the gains that our comgovernment and representing America’s inclusivmunities have made to be lost, we must also mainity at home and abroad. Now, tain the momentum and the all of this is at risk. partnerships that got us here. “As minority groups, As on many issues, Donald LGBT rights are inextricably our individual voices are linked to women’s rights, imTrump’s positions on LGBT rights are something of a mysmigrant rights, sensible gun relatively weak. As tery. He is said to be the most laws, employment non-disminorities standing pro-gay Republican nominee crimination and a broad agenin history, yet the first day of da for equality in America. It’s together, we are the convention that nominatnot good enough to say, “some ed him featured a prominent of my best friends are gay” the majority.” anti-gay platform. He chose as while encouraging and enhis running mate a man who has supported “conabling social and legal changes that put our lives version therapy” for LGBT youth, and claimed that and rights at risk. gay marriage could lead to “societal collapse.” He As minority groups, our individual voices are relatively weak. As minorities standing together, we are the majority. We must join hands and voices to speak out for and protect each other. Our America is one where our identities and communities are valued and supported, not vilified. We must now work harder than ever to keep the rights that we’ve fought so hard for and to continue to advance equality, safety and justice for all of us. We hope that our new President will serve differently than he has spoken. But hope is not enough. Our communities must stand, speak out and act has advocated for legislation and appointments together to protect our rights and our future. We that could see the undoing of laws protecting gay must be united against hate. • marriage and preventing employment discrimination against LGBT individuals. Our transgender brothers and sisters face wide-ranging uncertainty around bathroom access, employment protection, healthcare and even personal safety. Regardless of Trump’s personal or pronounced positions on LGBT rights, his violent rhetoric

A Life Divided by Lisha Lopez

t 4 a.m. in Paris on November 8, I left my friend’s apartment to return home. Trump had just gained the lead in the presidential polls, but I was confident Clinton would take over again. In my mind, there was absolutely no way Trump could win the presidency. That confidence dissolved three hours later when my roommate walked into my room, crying. Her voice barely louder than a whisper, she told me, “He won. Lisha, he won, you were wrong.” I sat on my bed in a state of complete and utter shock. In that moment, all I could think was: what now? As the daughter of two Mexican immigrants, I have lived my life between the United States and Mexico. Upon Trump’s election, a slew of fears I’ve never felt before bubbled to the surface. Primarily, I worried about my parents’ ability to remain in the country. As U.S. residents, they do not benefit from the same sense of security that citizens do. Beyond that, the appointment of Donald Trump was a clear indicator that racism in America is not exclusive to the old, white South, as is usually the stereotype. Trump won Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Minnesota — states that have not voted for a Republican in about 30 years. By electing Trump, my fellow Americans proved to me that while they might not be racist themselves, they are willing to support and empower a man whose rhetoric has made me, my parents and countless others feel less than equal. After the election, I spoke to my father about our family’s plans. He shocked me by saying that he would be retiring in April 2017 and would be moving to our home in Mexico permanently — despite having originally planned to split his time between Mexico and America for the foreseeable future. It was in this moment that the reality of the situation truly set in. My father has lived in the U.S. for over

30 years. He has always expressed his love for the country, despite its issues. But, suddenly, he no longer feels the U.S. is his home. This has broken my heart, but who can blame him? Who would want to live somewhere where the head of the political establishment has labeled you as a rapist, a criminal or a drug dealer? Trump’s election has left me at a loss for words — as a Mexican-American, as a daughter of immigrants and as a woman. The idea that we, as a country, elected a man who built his campaign on a platform of hatred and bigotry, purposefully pitting Americans against each other, baffles me. However, despite my frustration, I believe it is important to look toward the future with hope that our values will prevail. My world may be changing dramatically, but I will continue to fight for my place in it. •

Shutterstock/Chess Ocampo

“Just because people weren’t in white hoods burning crosses didn’t mean they cared about the struggle or plight of the Other. And in their silence, we were all betrayed.” Norvin Van Dunk

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Who would want to live somewhere where the head of the political establishment has labeled you as a rapist, a criminal or a drug dealer?â&#x20AC;? Lisha Lopez

An American Betrayal by Norvin Van Dunk

n election night, I told myself that if Donald Trump gets even one vote we have already lost. I did not mean “we” as in Democrats or liberals, I meant “we” as Americans. When I placed my vote for Hillary Clinton, it wasn’t about politics. My vote for her was about human decency. It was about caring for my fellow man/woman. Now I am left trying to figure out what it means to be American. Am I an American because I was born here, or am I an American because I decide to be? My ancestors’ legacy on this continent spans centuries. My family comes from half slave and half Native American descent. Everything I’ve ever known has been here - my fashion, my music, my food, my family - my entire culture starts and ends on this land and I was always proud of that. And then Donald Trump won the presidential election of 2016. No matter which way you put it, the outcome shocked us all. We suddenly had to deal with the reality of an impending Trump presidency. I am a 27 year-old African-American male from a pretty liberal, culturally diverse town right outside of New York City. My experiences dealing with racism extended to an occasional fist fight or online harassment. I never thought I’d have to fight for my right to be seen as equal. I was in a bubble. People my age were naive, assuming Barack Obama’s socially progressive trajectory was the norm. We got comfortable, and did not take the millions of Americans who were unhappy with the state of the country seriously. After Trump won, my emotions quickly turned into a cycle of denial, sadness, anger, motivation and desperation. After hearing about a little girl who frequents my job being told to “Go back to Africa” I sat down and cried. I felt pain from everyone I was around. We lost. And there was no one to blame but ourselves. We sat around in our bubble with our black president and our gay marriage and

we let this hate grow outside of it to the point of no return. Once I gathered my thoughts and got my emotions under control, I realized what I felt was betrayal. I was betrayed by every person who said they were my friend and voted for him, or not at all. I was betrayed by the country I grew up in and by the media that only showed me the version of America I wanted to see. When race became a hot topic on social media I saw how certain people claimed my stance against racial injustice was only “making things worse”. They would tell me, “You don’t have to worry about that around here.” They were wrong. Just because people weren’t in white hoods burning crosses didn’t mean they cared about the struggle or plight of the Other. And in their silence, we were all betrayed. We expected America to show up and have our backs. The America that took in the tired and the poor; the America that told us we had religious and sexual freedom; the America that welcomed all nationalities from all corners of the world. This election proved that our America was an illusion. But now that the bubble is popped, we have the responsibility to fight for what we thought we had and make it a reality. •

Conservative Hope for the Future by Mario Lopez

or as long as I’ve followed politics, my views have been more in line with those of the Republican Party. I admire their fiscal conservatism, their views on foreign and domestic policy and their fierce love of liberty. But recently, the Republican party, the great party of Ronald Reagan, has been hijacked. We talk about freedom, yet deny women control of their own bodies. We preach to protect human rights and stand up for those who have no voice, yet somehow our military ended up in Iraq. I never said my party was perfect, and recently, it has let me down. I am still Republican at heart and won’t abandon my views any time soon. Initially, I was going to vote for Donald Trump. Despite the many scandals and outrageous comments, I always said to myself, “At least the man is honest; he just says bad things instead of doing them like the others,” or, “At least he’s a good businessman. For better or worse he’ll shake up the whole establishment,” and so on. But after his infamous “locker room” tapes were leaked to the public, I could not support him anymore. Being from an important political state like Florida, the stakes were too high to take a gamble. In the end, I cast my vote for a third-party candidate. In no way do I wish our new president-elect misfortune in his endeavors, quite the opposite. I want him to restore the American dream our

grandparents and parents grew up with. I want him to fix our unfair deals with China and stop them from pushing our allies around, like they do with Taiwan and Japan. I want him to be the one to do something about what I believe to be the worst humanitarian crisis of the 21st century — the collapse of the Venezuelan economy. In many ways, I am very optimistic about the future, despite what the public or the media say. We live in a nation that has a system of checks and balances and where three of our presidents faced impeachment proceedings for their misconduct. Our great republic’s system is designed to prevent despotic tyranny. As a result, I feel like a lot of the current anxiety is unwarranted. One of the things that struck me the most about this election was the way it divided up friends, family and even relationships. People felt that they had to hide their beliefs to avoid hurting others’ feelings or discrimination. But now, it is time to stop and put our hate aside. It is time to unite. Whatever political affiliation we may have, let us remember that, first and foremost, we are all Americans. •

WHITE by Marina Khorosh

clearly remember the first time I witnessed rac— by those unlike them. ism. It was the same formative loss of innocence Ironically, it was my “Jewish card” that brought as the first brush with adult tears, brute viome to America in 2003. Although the financial sitlence or death. I was walking down the street with a uation in post-Soviet Russia had by then become friend in my hometown of Saint Petersburg, Russia, tolerable, my father still mailed in the paperwork when we passed by a black man, one of the handful for the Jewish family reunification program that of brave non-Caucasians who landed in my city in would allow us to join my brother in the U.S. Conthe late 1990s. My friend took one appalled look at fused, I asked him why we were leaving. “So that you him and whispered something so blatantly racist can have freedom,” he told me. “But I have freedom that I will not repeat it here. here,” I said. “Not the real kind,” was his response. Having been to the U.S. as a child, I had seen black America, or rather New York, felt like home in a people before. I had also seen Latinos, Arabs, Asians way that Russia never had. People came in all colors and many others who did and sizes, and yet nobody not resemble our blonde, “I was warned that I would soon judged them for it — or at blue-eyed Slavic protoleast that’s how it felt to me. type. I did not look at them be living in a country where I We were sworn in as equal differently and was sur- no longer had power. I think by citizens alongside hunprised when those around dreds of other newcomers power they meant superiority.” me did. I fought for their from across the world. Afdignity and the dignity of rican-Americans and RusAmericans (“fat fucks”), gays (“fairies”) and Jews sians rode the train together and interracial couples (“greedy bastards”), the last being a personal insult gave birth to beautiful babies. We stood together directed at me, the only Jew in my class. I learned wearing our “color-blind” lenses as only New Yorkearly in life that seemingly kind, non-volatile huers can. To me New York was the benchmark, the mans could be racist. Maybe it was the segregated ideal, the way of the future. culture, or the aftermath of years of communist In Brighton Beach, Brooklyn, the neighborhood propaganda, but it took rare open-mindedness for where we settled, I would regularly hear a differa Russian to not feel threatened — or even repulsed ent tune. I witnessed outrage over our taxes going

Shutterstock/mikeledray Shutterstock/Frederic Legrand - COMEO Shutterstock/Ms Jane Campbell

LASH toward “freeloading welfare abusers” or minority programs that were taking away our opportunities, backed by statistics about the rise of a non-white America. I would ask what was wrong with a nonwhite America, only to be called a dumb, clueless liberal. “These people, they are not like us,” they would tell me. I was warned that I would soon be living in a country where I no longer had power. I think by power they meant superiority. I listened to them, but did not question them. In my mind, their words were but antiquated viewpoints that had no place in modern society. Instead, I fled to Manhattan, back to my assumed oasis of equality. To me, this was the real, modern America. The rest didn’t count. But when it came to votes, the rest did count. There was an entire segment of the population that felt scared, threatened and ready to fight for what they saw as their jobs, their land, their “superiority.” Just like other demagogues before him, Trump and his camp nurtured this demographic and watched it blossom into the monster it is today. Nationalism is the result of years of pent-up frustration that sprouted into a major movement seemingly overnight and is now taking the world by storm. First there was Brexit, then there was Trump, and now there is a chance France will follow suit with the emboldened far-right politician, Marine

Le Pen. With the industrial relocation and humanitarian crises of recent years, nationalism became a low-hanging, albeit poisonous, fruit. We just didn’t realize how many people were starving for it. To a textbook liberal, a Trump presidency may seem like the end of the world, a reversal of human rights, or a reason to flee to Canada. However, we lost an election, not our constitutional rights. This was not the result of a government overthrow or even a good ol’ electoral rigging. It was simply a group of people being misled by an opportunist. As difficult as this is to digest and however detrimental the potential consequences may be, let us step aside from the emotional chaos for a minute and remember that the country has spoken, and in four years it will speak again. The certainty of this makes us lucky. It makes us America. As for white supremacy or “whitelash” or whatever else you choose to call this mass rise of open racism, it has been a long time coming. Clearly, the blanket politically correct approach of the last few decades didn’t work. It was simply a way of bandaging a wound that was only getting more infected. Today, the band-aid has been torn off. The picture underneath is grim, but at least we can now deal with it. And in four years’ time, we will vote again. •

G AY PA R E E by Cody Campbell photography by Nicolas Nemtala

“

opened up to my brother first and I just told him while we were out at a bar, drunk,” recalls Leslie, who prefers to remain anonymous, of her experience coming out to a family member for the first time. “He kind of just laughed at me, then he started calling me stupid. I wanted to get it out, to not hide it anymore, but he didn’t believe me. I decided I wasn’t going to tell my family, but [he] had other plans. When we all met up, [he] blurted it out to my parents, who thought it was a joke at first too. Then they got angry.” Leslie, a 22-year old American from New York City studying in Paris, is still haunted by that night of harsh and sweeping rejection by her family. “I could never want to come out for real after that dinner,” she continues. “They started saying that I was sick in the head, that I needed help and that I had to get ‘these disgusting thoughts’ out of my mind.” Even though she now lives thousands of miles away from them, the dismay has not left her. And she is not alone. The rejection experienced by Leslie remains all too common. In France, the modern gay rights movement only recently came to fruition with the legalization of gay marriage in 2013, but that has not been a saving grace for all.

Despite the fact that the Marais has traditionally been and still is a “gayborhood” — a place where a significant proportion of the population is lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT) — Leslie still feels uncomfortable talking about her sexuality. As we speak, she frequently checks to make sure there is no one she knows within earshot. We get up and leave the first bar, hopping over to another. Around 3 a.m. we head over to one of the larger clubs in the Marais, Chez Moune, but it is mostly empty. “The party doesn’t start for at least a few more hours,” Leslie says nonchalantly. In the LGBT community, there is a reason the party lasts until the sun comes up. As night turns into morning and the drinks keep coming, Leslie, like many in the LGBT community, begins to talk more openly about her feelings for women. While it may seem natural for anyone to drink too much and spill their guts to a friend, it is Leslie’s desperate need to that is most striking. Historically, gay culture has been forced underground, hidden from mainstream societies that did not respect, acknowledge or accept homosexuality. In cities across the world, gay communities built sanctuaries where people were free to be and love whomever they wanted. Though the community has made strides in society today, these “sanctuaries” still remain a crucial part of gay culture. Ever since the foundation of the Gay Liberation Front in 1969, there has been a focus on inclusion

“In cities across the world, gay communities built sanctuaries where people were free to be and love whomever they wanted.” 40

and acceptance in the LGBT community. And when it comes to social rights movements, “collective identity is the basis for social power,” as Francesca Polletta, a researcher of social movements at Tel Aviv University, writes. This sense of belonging has been fostered in the many clubs, bars and “gayborhoods” toward which LGBTs find themselves drawn. “I think the culture [has this] Swinging Sixties kind of vibe,” says Nathan Hotard, a 19-year-old gay Frenchman from Normandy. The gay club life of which he has become an active member contrasts starkly with his rural, Catholic upbringing. “It’s party all night. Do drugs all the time, get drunk and just find people to hook up with.” Drug addiction and narcotic use are on the rise in gay communities around the world. A study conducted by the Health Foundation, a U.K.-based independent charity, found that, within France alone, people in the LGBT community are 6 times more likely to take narcotics than their heterosexual peers. In the U.S., this rate is 7 times higher; in the U.K. — England and Wales — it is 10. For those still grappling with their sexuality or identity, the insular nature of the LGBT community can be intimidating. “I remember being invited to these ‘lesbian picnics’ and being too scared to go,” Leslie comments. “I said, ‘no’ and didn’t explain why. Then I was never invited again.” Nonetheless, this isolation provides the gay community with a reprieve from the pressures and forces working against them in modern society. Ac-

cording to Atlantico, an independent liberal media website, while 63 percent of French citizens support gay marriage, only 49 percent support the right of gay couples to adopt children. While these numbers represent a positive upward trend in mainstream French society, there is still some way to go. Young gay individuals, who represent 6 percent of the French population, experience startling rates of homophobia and harassment. A 2013 report on homophobia in public schools commissioned by the French government found that over 50 percent of gay teenagers in French public collèges (middle schools) and lycées (high schools) experience direct abuse in some form. Twenty-five-year-old Andrew Grey runs a popular YouTube channel on which he gives advice to LGBT youth. His channel currently has 16,000 subscribers and over 1 million views. “There are many things young gay people in particular need to know about life and they have no one to teach them, so I’m there,” he explains. But when young people come to him with deep-seated issues that are beyond his scope, he directs them to SOS Homophobie, one of France’s largest providers of counseling and — when necessary — legal aid for LGBT individuals. Yet, the few established outreach programs cannot truly compensate for the lack of government and public infrastructure to support gay people. The problems plaguing LGBTs remain relatively unknown — or perhaps just unimportant — to many within French

society. The gay community has had to build a structure and culture of its own to find a way to help individuals cope with all their issues. “What we often find here is that there is no structure for support, so we try to create one,” Centre LGBT’s spokeswoman, Flora Bolter, says. Centre LGBT is the go-to organization for individuals who identify as LGBT in Paris. They provide health ser-

“For many, the solution is to label themselves as ‘straight-acting.’” vices such as sexually transmitted disease check-ups and psychological counseling, as well as promoting community involvement and outreach. “There’s a reason why we need to build this framework: it’s a replacement for what many lose and what many need.” Though there are still issues of homophobia within younger demographics, some feel society is moving in the right direction. “There is a shift that I’m seeing,” Grey argues. “There is more of a mix now where young people are more accepting of gays

and everyone goes out and does their own thing. It’s hopeful.” For many, this wave of acceptance from classmates and peers stands in contrast to the discrimination they experience from family members and the adults in their lives. “I feel the most scared of my parents — my dad in particular,” Hotard says. “He almost found out once, when we were in Thailand. I ended up going out clubbing one night with a bunch of gay friends I had met there. The police arrested us after we got out onto the street late at night, for intoxication and drugs. I was stuck in this Thai prison cell with no way to get out without somehow getting a hold of my family. Luckily I was able to get my mom to come and rescue me, but I had to admit everything to her that night. She took it fine, but it’s different now, she doesn’t look at me the same.” A recent Human Rights Campaign report shows that 40 percent of homeless youth in the United States are LGBT, while only 10 percent of the population is gay or bisexual. Conflict within the family home and a lack of tolerance from relatives are often key factors in pushing LGBT youth onto the streets. “I have no doubt in my mind that if I started dating a woman, my family would disown me,” Leslie says. “Or maybe just cut me off. I don’t know. It’s the scariest thing and that’s why I wouldn’t know what

being “too gay.” They are seen as a liability for those seeking to blend in with “mainstream,” heterosexual society. For those who feel the pressure to blend into a white, heteronormative society, their dating profiles almost always reject anyone who is a “fem” (feminine), fat and/or any racial minority they fear will invite criticism. This obsessive need for societal acceptance has fostered division in a community torn between embracing a culture that society accepts and a culture that they are inherently a part of. “I want someone normal,” says George, a 28-year-old Parisian who considers himself a “masculine” gay. “I don’t want someone who flaps their wrist around and acts like a girl.” Yet, for all the criteria George may have for others, he is still

“The problems plaguing LGBTs remain relatively unknown — or perhaps just unimportant — to many within French society.”

to do.” Despite her family’s knowledge of her homosexuality, she recanted and is back in the closet. Beyond family and friends, there is also a fair amount of rejection within the LGBT community itself. Idealism is prevalent in gay culture, driven by an obsessive need to match societal standards put out by the media and Hollywood. This can be problematic for those trying to blend into a heteronormative society. For many, the solution is to label themselves as “straight-acting” or “masculine.” In French, the word discret (discreet) is often used. Rejection within the gay community can have serious social consequences. Those who are “feminine” or “girly” are shut down by “masculines” for

not comfortable showing who he really is in public. George is still in the closet at work and in society-at-large, but is out to his family. Having faced bullying and harassment as a child, when he graduated from high school he saw a chance to rework his appearance. He now walks, talks and acts like a “normal guy” and therefore doesn’t have to worry about judgment from strangers or colleagues. “When I tried to date someone like that, everyone would look at us,” George explains regarding his reasons for rejecting more effeminate gay men. “I don’t want people to think that we’re this gay flamboyant couple. It’s embarrassing.” George has found a way to isolate himself from gay culture and only uses Grindr, an app that allows users to remain anonymous while browsing and chatting with other gays in the area, when he is looking for a hook-up. It has allowed him to remain disconnected, yet not deny his sexuality. The path to acceptance — whether it be from others or themselves — is often tumultuous. Yet in the face of rejection and hardship, many find their passions to be ignited, their vigilance strengthened and their morality heightened. “I know that in this next generation, everything will be better, everything will be fine,” Grey says. “There’s real hope.”

This shared dream of acceptance and inclusion is what the LGBT community thrives upon. It takes just one trip to a gay bar in the Marais to see that, despite what drags so many down, the community as a whole will continue to vibrantly live on. If going out is how many escape, there is nothing wrong with that, for as tolerance and acceptance spreads, there will come a time when everyone can reveal who they really are in the light of day. â&#x20AC;˘

Creative Spaces

text and photography by Stuart Edwards

rom fashion to art, food or architecture, Paris is known the world over for its unparalleled creative spirit. However, the often-overwhelming energy of the city — one of the densest in the world — can make it difficult to find havens in which to retreat from the surrounding world and turn the creative process inwards. What is a painter without his studio, or a writer without his desk? We have tracked down some of the city’s most interesting creative spaces, both within its walls and on the fringes, to pull the curtain back on the Parisian creative process.

by Sean Casey

Jonathan Shimony’s Gentilly Studio

erched at the kitchen table with a snow-white cat purring happily in his lap, it’s easy to tell that artist-ofall-trades Jonathan Shimony feels at home in his Gentilly studio. The converted tannery, located just outside of Paris, serves many purposes. Shimony originally purchased the space in 2000, with the intention of turning it into a studio for his painting and sculpting. However, his lithography teacher, Alain Neveu, saw a more specialized path for the space. “I’m going to get you everything you need to help keep lithography alive,” he told Shimony. Today Shimony does his painting and sculpting in the front half of his studio, dedicating the rest of the space to his lithography practice. Shimony also uses his studio for teaching and collaboration with other artists. One of the most characteristic features of the otherwise nondescript building is the leafy mass jutting out from its side. When viewed from inside, one can see that it is a canopied garden, a project that Shimony undertook himself and which is close to his heart. “A couple of years ago I went through a really bad mid-life crisis. I really believe in the saying ‘the solution is the action,’ so I decided to turn what was a 25-cubic-meter pile of dirt into a garden.” Clearly, the studio is much more than a workspace for Shimony — it’s a teaching space, a collaboration space, an escape, and sometimes just a space in which to play: “This is where I can get away from pretty much everything, keep my mess, make a mess, and paint about what I think. It’s my little paradise.” •

La Mutinerie

oused in a rather generic space in the 19th arrondissement, just off of the place du Colonel Fabien, the co-working space La Mutinerie was founded in 2011 by brothers Antoine, Eric and William van den Broek with their childhood friend Xavier Jaquemet in response to the needs of freelancers and independent workers. “People want to be free to work how they want, organize themselves how they want; but when people leave an organization, they often miss the tools and structural support of a big company,” said William. La Mutinerie’s facilities go beyond those of an average company. Aside from printers, projectors, computer accessories, meeting rooms and collaborative workspaces, the space also boasts a community café and basement

lounge, complete with a designated nap room. Unlike its generic exterior the interiors are bright, welcoming and inspiring, featuring skylights, hanging plants, and bright colors. For William, La Mutinerie is more than just a workspace: “We want to provide the services and tools that people need to work, but we are overall a social environment.” La Mutinerie also offers several auxiliary programs of which the most interesting is arguably Mutinerie Village, a rural annex located in SaintVictor-de-Buthon, a two-hour drive west of Paris. The Village is intended as a workers’ retreat to allow stifled professionals to escape from their usual surroundings. “The urban environment can be too noisy, too stressful, too full of people, so the freedom you feel in the country, the totally different style of life features a lot of things that support work.” •

La Briche La Briche’s community has made several efforts to make the collective accessible to the public. Arguably the most prolific is La Briche Foraine, an annual summer festival showcasing installations created by the various artists. The event has an almost Burning Man-esque vibe—visitors and artists alike are encouraged to come gaudily costumed to “plunge into a fascinating universe.” The Briche artists have collectively assembled under the name “Made in Briche” to market their various wares—artwork, obviously, is sold, but are lighting, home goods, and small trinkets and gifts. It is these displays of unity that make La Briche truly unique among many studio spaces, and foster a true sense of camaraderie. •

Shutterstock/Emirilen

alling La Briche a “space” wouldn’t entirely do it justice — it’s more an artistic compound. Situated in the center of Seine-Saint-Denis, the entrance to this incredibly flexible artists’ studio space sits beneath a beautiful iron arch screaming the name of the collective. At the center of the space is a large courtyard surrounded by buildings of entirely different construction — from stone, to old industrial buildings or bamboo huts. This diverse architecture reflects the varied fields of the artists working in each studio. Each space is dedicated to one or several artistic mediums; “Le Hangar” is specialized in metalwork, woodwork and synthetic materials, while “Orcanette” is dedicated to textile, costume and fashion design. The full list of ateliers truly covers all mediums, allowing artists to work in a smaller sub-community with similar artists, within a broader multidisciplinary context.

Anticafé

nticafé Beaubourg is a genuine rarity, an American coffee shop in a city populated with terrasses and too-small-to-work-at tables. A stone’s throw from the Pompidou Center at 79 rue Quincampoix, Anticafé provides a further twist on the café model. Intended as a space for students and independent workers, visitors pay an hourly, daily or monthly fee for unlimited coffee, tea, juice, and snacks. It is a bright and inspiring space filled with plants and prints surrounding ample workstations, plush couches, and a large, communal table. The Anticafé concept began in 2013 with the Beaubourg space, and has since expanded to six locations — four in Paris, one in Aix-en-Provence, and one in Rome. At Anticafé Beaubourg, clients can take advantage of large whiteboards, printers and projectors for their work. However, the manager, Alice, stresses, “you can come to read, have a coffee with some friends, whatever; we are open to everyone.” The clientele is particularly diverse, from middle-aged workers armed with pen and paper, to students on laptops, or small groups reading, chatting, or even playing one of the provided board games. “I love the contact with the clients,” explains Alice. “We are filled with people with different profiles, and I love talking to everyone about their different projects.” •

La Nef

he diversity of the world of artists and creators is exemplified by La Nef, a studio and performance space at 20 rue Rouget de Lisle in the northern suburb of Pantin that is dedicated to puppeteering and marionette-making. Started in 2007 by designer and puppet master Jean-Louis Heckel, La Nef describe themselves as a “utopia factory.” The space brings together all the ingredients for a modern, successful puppet-driven production — contemporary writers, old puppet-making techniques, new technology, and classical theater, dance, and music techniques. This allows for a more streamlined development of shows and installations, and also, “a place of meetings and exchanges,” where artists of diverse specialties and backgrounds can share their techniques and contribute to an often-overlooked artistic pursuit. At time of writing, La Nef features two highly experimental projects. “Who Manipulates Who” is a series of puppet-led interviews with scientists on a wide range of topics such as “The Biology of Sex” and “Research in Europe.” The second project is the multimedia biopic “I Hate Marionettes,” which features Heckel himself. In addition to their own endeavors, La Nef hosts a diverse, constantly rotating collection of teams in the space, both officially, under La Nef’s direction, and through their residency program allowing outside groups to work independently alongside La Nef’s team. For those that are uninitiated to the world of puppetry, La Nef offers various courses on each facet of puppet making, from the more theoretical “Shakespeare and the Theater of Objects, or How to Perform Hamlet on a Table” to the highly technical “The Alchemy of Molding.” •

THE ALLURE OF PARIS TO ARTISTS by Paige Hart

As cities like Berlin and London gain momentum in the art world, can Paris mantain its spot as a creative capital? 50

Shutterstock/Paul Prescott

Shutterstock/ESB Professions, Sailorr

hat makes a city a great artistic capital? Is it the city’s heritage, the young creatives shaking things up today, or just the value of the city’s art? The relationship between a city and its art is complex. There are many facets to the art world — from the physical act of creating art, to ensuring it gets recognition and fostering a stimulating art market in which it can be experienced and purchased. For every art hub — from Paris to London, Berlin or Beijing — an intricate blend of these factors give a city its place on the artistic world map. Paris has one of the richest artistic heritages in the world, and that’s a heavy burden to bear in an

ever-changing landscape. Today, the rise of other art capitals has put its status as a top art destination into question, however Paris is still home to countless museums and galleries, and it remains a champion of fashion, dance and cinema. To understand where Paris stands now, it is essential to consider the vibrant artistic history of the city. After the start of the French Renaissance in

the 15th century, the next artistic explosion began around the 1880s and came to be known as “La Belle Époque.” With the emergence of Impressionism and the Art Nouveau movement, Paris became an artistically sophisticated city on par with the likes of Florence and Venice. Following the restrictive standards and legislations of World War I, leisure and personal freedom gained importance in everyday culture, sparking perhaps the most influential years in Parisian art history: the 1920s and 1930s. At this time, smaller, more adventurous galleries emerged along the Left Bank, keeping Paris among the leading markets for art consumption in Europe while hundreds of creative and imaginative artists — painters, poets, sculptors, musicians, etc. — left their homes all over the world to be in Paris as a part of this hotbed of creative experimentation. Artistic styles like Art Deco, Expressionism, Surrealism, jazz and exploratory theater flourished thanks to a new sense of freedom and diversity of artistic expression. In addition, an entire coalition of American writers came together to drink and bounce ideas off of each other. “The Lost Generation,” as they called themselves, was made up of authors including Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, William Faulkner and Gertrude Stein. Other visionaries joined the elite group, including Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse and Salvador Dali. Today, Paris is the 5th most expensive city in the world, according to the Economist. How can artists hope to keep up the dream of producing exciting and experimental work in Paris if they can barely afford to eat? The answer is to move away. “Gentrification is more often than not sparked through

the resident artists who in turn make an area desirable but then are no longer able to live there as rents skyrocket. This is certainly what has happened in Paris and is happening in London,” said Kimberley Cunningham, who works for a prestigious international art gallery in their London office. Conversely, from the beginning of the artistic explosion of the Renaissance, France has used government intervention to keep its cultural and artistic expression afloat. L’exception culturelle (cultural exception) is a political concept that places an extreme importance on national arts and culture, and treats them differently from other imported, international goods and services. These initiatives include special benefits for actors between jobs, fixing prices for literature to help independent booksellers, and a strict quota system for French films to stop the spread of American “cultural imperialism” in France. Some argue that it is the way by which the public can access and experience Parisian art

that keeps it relevant as a top art destination. “What helps keep Paris on the art map in terms of contemporary art is the very successful growth of its art fairs,” said Cunningham. Paris art fairs like the International Contemporary Art Fair (FIAC) and Paris Photo draw in thousands of art producers, consumers and enthusiasts into the city. Drawing on the prestigious Parisian cultural institutions, the fair delivers inspiration for current and aspiring artists alike. Christophe Boicos, an artist, art professor and former director of the Parisian art gallery Galerie Beckel Odille Boïcos, compares the Paris art scene to its competing cities. ‘The Paris art scene is a little less trashy than New York and less kitsch or pop than London, so it does preserve its own character. Though the center of the art market since the 1960s moved to New York, and then in the 1990s to London, Paris survives on its historical reputation and its museums and exhibitions which still

“Artistic styles like Art Deco, Expressionism, Surrealism, jazz and exploratory theater flourished thanks to a new sense of freedom and diversity of artistic expression”

draw an international [community] of artists and visitors.” One of the major criticisms of the Parisian art world relates to its contemporary art scene. “[While] Paris is safer in its choices to select contemporary visual artists. London takes more risk, and that constant appetite for ‘originality’ is a cultural trait. It isn’t afraid to be at the forefront of contemporary creation with lesser-known artists,” says Nicolas Smirnoff, head of press, marketing and events at Pace Gallery, a leading contemporary art gallery in London. Like its neighbor Berlin, Paris is also famous for its vibrant, socio-political street art. Artistic resistance is nothing new to the French, so it is not surprising that to accommodate this developing art form, galleries focused on street art are beginning to pop up around the city. An innovative art space that is well-known to Parisians is Le Centquatre, or 104. The Centquatre offers theater, visual arts, dance, music and more as a collaborative platform provided to all members of the community. The warehouse is filled with shops, rehearsal spaces, classrooms and galleries to showcase and introduce artists who both

need exposure and are already acknowledged by the industry. This organization is government funded as well, bringing together creative communities of all types under the umbrella of creative expression. There is no question that the golden age of the Paris art scene of the 1920s and ’30s is firmly in its past. Today, the art world has become an increasingly globalized landscape with cities around the world occupying their own specific niches. Paris may no longer be the place for the avant-garde, but its unique artistic heritage makes it impossible to ignore. For Kimberley Cunningham, “What is beautiful about Paris is that there is still an inescapable creative energy that draws creatives and inspires creativity. Paris is still one of the most gifted muses.” •

Shutterstock/Adisa

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Today, the art world has become an increasingly globalized landscape with cities around the world occupying their own specific niches.â&#x20AC;?

To Prépa or Not to Prépa... by Sarah Sidi photography by Nicolas Nemtala

The classe préparatoire is the ultimate boot camp for the French elite. It was once the only way to gain intellectual legitimacy in society, but today some young people are opting out.

Shutterstock/ra2studio, vixit, luwenjuan, Satit Pecharut

Model: Dakota Parrish

magine a world where you attend class at least 33 hours a week, study no less than four hours per day, have oral exams twice a week during your “free” time, and every Saturday or Monday morning take a written test that can last up to six hours. Your work leaves you barely any time to socialize with friends, or even spend a Sunday vegging out on the couch, binge watching Netflix in your pajamas. This academic dystopia does, in fact, exist, and it is called a classe préparatoire or prépa, for short. In a nutshell, it is a post-high school academic program that lasts for two to three years in which students are vigorously groomed in specific areas of study. It is an institutionalized tradition meant to provide the students who are accepted with a rigorous intellectual background before they enter a grande école, the French equivalent of America’s Ivy League schools. Completing a prépa program is the first step in assuring your spot in the next generation of elite, high-earning professionals. Prépa students put their lives on hold for a few years to give themselves the best chance to qualify for the grandes écoles, the most renowned schools of business, engineering, science, literature, journalism and the like. Schools such as the Haute École de Commerce (HEC) business school, the elite research school, École Normale Supérieure (ENS), and Polytechnique, which concentrates on engineering and other sciences, are not only esteemed but also highly selective: in 2014, of the 1,411 people who applied to ENS, only 74 of them were admitted. The renowned Parisian journalism school CELSA had an even lower admission rate that year of less than 2 percent.

The prépa entrance examinations are notoriously difficult, requiring a sophisticated knowledge of diverse disciplines (ENS’s literature program tests applicants on philosophy, literature, Latin or Greek, at least two other foreign languages, history and geography) as well as evidence of strong critical and analytical skills. Attending one of these schools is a strong guarantee for professional success in France. Even for students who do not go on to a grande école, graduating from a prépa is a big boost on a CV as it shows methodological proficiency, rigor and an ability to handle colossal amounts of work. But, do the ends justify the means? And, what exactly are those means? In his book, On achève bien les écoliers (They Shoot School Kids, Don’t They?, 2010), an analysis and critique of the French education system, Peter Gumbel provocatively compares the prépa system to the first 20 minutes of Stanley Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket on the Vietnam War in which American soldiers are subjected to dehumanizing abuse during boot camp. For Gumbel, prépas do not take students’ thoughts, personalities or sensitivities into account because they don’t want individuals. In his view, the prépas aim to produce identical, obedient student-robots. Gumbel explains that the system is not only outdated, following an academic structure put in place over 50 years ago, but also emotionally dysfunctional. Not only is the grading system harsh and unforgiving, but the schools foster unhealthy relationships between teachers and students following an antiquated, authoritarian hierarchy rather than a spirit of learning and communication.

“Attending one of these schools is a strong guarantee for professional success in France.”

Mélissa Daniels, a student at the Lycée Condorcet literary prépa who had excellent grades in high school, remarks, “I want to become an English teacher. But when I received a 5 out of 20 (the equivalent of an F in the American system) on my first English mock oral exam, I felt devastated and even thought for a moment to give up on this dream.” Teodor Limann, a former student at a scientific prépa and Polytechnique, writes in his book, Classé X : Petits secrets des classes prépa (Classified: Little Secrets of the Classes Prépa, 2009), that his time at prépa was both a blessing and a curse. He describes the enormous pressure many of the students were under, adding that during exam periods some of his peers would become “suddenly taciturn, insomniac, obsessive,” while others developed depressive disorders. His peers all knew at least one person who had attempted suicide. Nicolas Lévi, a prépa professor who himself was a prépa student and was accepted to ENS, agrees that the years spent in prépa are grueling due to a colossal workload that often feels unreasonable. “Nevertheless”, Lévi adds, “the system works and a large majority of students handle it well. I have very good memories of my time as a prépa stu-

dent, in spite of the difficult moments I experienced because of the competition and the rewards that were at stake.” But not every prépa student is looking for a shot at becoming part of the elite. Nathanael Kaced is a former student from the Léon Blum literary prépa outside of Paris. He did not know what he wanted to do after high school, but felt passionate about theater. Nonetheless, his parents wanted him to attend a prépa so that he would receive a strong education that would help him for whatever career path he chose. Kaced ended up enjoying the experience, but stayed for just one year. “Since my prépa was not one of the best, the focus was not so much on exams but rather just on learning for the sake of knowledge. My professors were very attentive and kind with my class and we were all like a big family. It was intense, but I loved developing myself and cultivating my mind in such an intellectually nourishing environment.” However, he explains his very first encounter with the daunting workload that was to come. “On the first day of classes, my teachers warned me that the homework would be impossible to complete in its entirety. There were too many books to read and too much vocabulary to learn by heart, but our

goal as students was to learn as much as possible.” While Lévi concedes that the system is elitist and highly competitive, he claims that it does cultivate a genuine intellectual distinction. There is a multidisciplinarity in the prépa program that is simply not found in public French universities, and therefore it must be carefully preserved. Even in a prépa for mathematics, students must learn foreign languages and take general knowledge classes. But Lévi refutes the idea that the pressures of the prépa can be held responsible for students’ physical or emotional breakdowns. In his mind, it is nothing but an indicator of prior weaknesses. So why do people who hate the idea of prépa continue to apply? The problem is that there is no equivalent in the country. Even the Sorbonne — one of the most internationally well-respected universities in the world — does not have the same prestige as grandes écoles do for the French. For many here, it is the prépa or nothing. Like university, prépa is free for students and admission is awarded based only on academic achievements. The value of the prépa system can be seen in the fact that, as of 2007, the average budget allocated by the French state to a prépa student was double that for a university student.

As a French student, I decided to say no to this system. I do not want to be forced to contend with gigantic amounts of information that do not pertain to anything I am interested in or ever plan to pursue. Rather than becoming part of a so-called elite that is supposed to exude a certain intellectual prowess, I prefer to be in an academic environment that still allows me to retain a social life, exercise and absorb culture through the world around me. What about creative writing, mastering an instrument, having time to read books I love, or immersing myself in other activities I am passionate about? Is that not also part of an education? A human being is complex and multifaceted. We cannot only be defined by our academic achievements or we will fail to value and prioritize who we are as people. If “to prépa, or not to prépa?” is the question, the answer lies somewhere between doing what is best for your future and not losing sight of your happiness. •

STAGNATED After escaping their tumultuous countries for the prospect of a better life in Europe, thousands of migrants have found themselves homeless on the streets Paris.

Shutterstock/T81, Frederic LeGrand Comeo

by Alex Kerr

n recent years France has seen an incredible influx of people fleeing persecution from countries like Syria, Libya, Afghanistan, Sudan, Somalia, Iraq, Iran and Pakistan. In Paris, the number of migrants arriving each week has gained momentum since the closure of “The Jungle” refugee camp in Calais at the end of October. The French President, François Hollande, eager to show that he is successfully managing this crisis with next year’s presidential election looming, has increased efforts to close migrant camps around the country and find accommodation for those people seeking asylum, many of whom also require food, money and medical assistance. In early November, Paris authorities evacuated between 3,500 and 4,000 people living in makeshift camps under Stalingrad metro station, near

Jaurès metro station and on avenue de Flandres, all in the north-east of the city. A barman at Au Roi du Café, across the street from Stalingrad, disclosed that Paris authorities “moved them all and found housing for them,” but he did not know where. He lamented the horror of the situation with so many migrants camped out on the street. “The trash is up to your neck and you can’t move, it’s so crowded,” he said. It was not clear whether he thought that this was more terrible for the people in the camp, or for those living and working in the area, but when asked if he was glad that they had left, he responded with a careful “maybe.” He was convinced that more would replace those that had been relocated. However, the reestablishment of a large migrant street camp in the area seems unlikely. Authorities

are watching carefully, and in the days following ment, they do not offer help to the thousands who the evacuation at Stalingrad dozens of police vewere already in Paris and dispersed to structures hicles surrounded the metro station and nearby around France, having spent months, if not years, intersections in order to keep migrants away. The on the streets. And once these migrants leave future for them remains deeply uncertain. the Emmaüs Solidarité orientation centers, to be Migrants who were evacuatsent to a centre d’accueil et ed from Calais and Paris have d’orientation (CAO) or cenJust because migrants been relocated to temporary tre d’accueil de demandeurs shelters all around France. Af- aren’t seen clustered in one d’asile (CADA), it has been ter the evacuation in Novemplace does not mean they widely reported by visiting ber, the Paris regional govvolunteers as well as memernment reported that almost are no longer on the streets. bers of the migrant commu4,000 people were taken to 78 nity that quality of life varies different shelters of emergengreatly. On the Paris Refugee cy accommodation, including gyms and hotels. Ground Support (PRGS) Facebook page, one volAccording to the government, it was imperative to unteer shared a message she received from a conmove these migrants before the opening of a reftact evacuated from Paris. It reads: ugee center for single men located at 72 boulevard Ney. The 900-square-meter inflatable building “hi, we are here cost 16.4 million euros and is being run by Emmore then 70 people maüs Solidarité, an organization which operates but have no shower for bath five structures for migrants in the Île-de-France 1 or 2 toilets region. we all are sleeping together Called Le Centre Humanitaire Paris-Nord, it the place is very small contains beds for 400, but hopes to have a 600not eat anything yet” bed capacity by the end of the year according to an anonymous source working for the organizaAnother migrant who described himself as tion. Men will be allowed to stay a maximum of 10 “very happy” after being put up in a hotel also condays, but access is limited to those who have newly tacted the same volunteer. There is no legal assisarrived in Paris, providing “an orientation solutance or translation provided for those who have tion without having to wait,” the source told me. been evacuated. Many of them are not in official They will admit anywhere between 50-80 new miCAOs or CADAs, and even so, it has been reported grants per day. The organization hopes to be able on social media that CAOs have not been providto service 1,600 migrants per month, providing ing sufficient communication to their inhabitants. food, healthcare, Ah K Safi, an Aflegal advice, and ghan student and more importantrefugee who has ly, a safe space to been in Paris for sleep whilst they 8 months, put it wait for places in bluntly, “They “more permanent feel really bad accommodation to and some of them become available.” are preferring A similar center for to stay in war women and chilcountry rather dren is tentatively than this situascheduled to open tion.” Safi volunat the beginning of teers as a Pashto, 2017 in Ivry-surDari and French Seine to the south translator, helpof the city. For now, ing where he can newly arrived women and children at the center with legal questions and issues. He says many refare being sent to emergency accommodation. ugees were sent “far away” from Paris. Safi arrived While these centers are a positive developearly enough and received assistance through the

shutterstock: T81, Frederic legrand

jld je

right people in Paris, allowing him to help others who are in the same situation he once was in, having spent over two months living on the street. Just because migrants aren’t seen clustered in one place does not mean they are no longer on the streets. The increased police presence has caused asylum seekers to seek refuge under bridges, in dark alleys and gated gardens, behind bushes and under street furniture. Teenagers arrive with no idea where to go and, despite the best efforts of volunteer organizations, cannot all be found and provided with help. The Associated Press reports that over 21,000 migrants have been removed from Paris since June 2015, but there are no statistics for those still left on the street. These people must rely exclusively on the kindness of Parisian residents, an even greater challenge considering the palpable distaste and fear this crisis has led to in the city. For the PRGS team, “By no means has this situation been resolved. On the ground, we see the need for residents to open their houses to the vulnerable and access to pro-bono legal support, food and warmth. It is essential that the media properly

highlight the current and ongoing lack of information and resolution. There is a need for a stronger presence of relevant local NGOs and more international NGOs taking action here and now.” If both citizens and migrants can create this transparency together, perhaps those struggling to rebuild their lives after the horrors they have left behind can stand a chance in the City of Light. •

FRANCE

S by Camila Craig

High Stakes

Since Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte came to power in June 2016, nearly 2,300 people have been killed in police operations and by unknown vigilantes in the Philippines in a government-inspired anti-drug campaign. This alarming case is only one of many instances of the global “war on drugs.” Peacock magazine takes a look at six countries around the world and their fight against narcotics.

ince the discovery of 370 kilograms of cocaine in a Coca-Cola factory in August 2016, French authorities have been closely investigating the impact of this drug. According to the Observatoire Français des Drogues et des Toxicomanies (OFDT) cocaine is the second most consumed illicit substance in France, behind cannabis. France is one of Europe’s most significant transshipment points for drugs. When it comes to cocaine, drug traffickers take advantage of the open border (Schengen) system to smuggle products from South America, North Africa and the Middle East. This problem has a particular impact on young adults, who are open to try new drugs and more likely to fall into precarious living situations. The OFDT has estimated that 3 percent of young people under the age of 18 and 4 percent of 1864 year-olds have tried cocaine in their lifetime.

RUSSIA

rokodil, also known as the “zombie drug,” has been recognized as one of the world’s deadliest illegal narcotics. It is a cheap, homemade heroin substitute made up of codeine, gasoline, paint thinner and alcohol or iodine. When injected, the substance breaks the skin tissue and turns the skin scaly and green. Other side effects include blood poisoning, rotting tissue, gangrene, and severe mutilation. Despite these dangers, the International Journal of Drug Policy estimated that 100,000 people in Russia used the drug in 2011. After the deadly Krokodil epidemic in the early 2000s, traces of the devastation it wrought linger in survivors, including rotten flesh, paralysis, gangrene, and symptoms of lethal illnesses.

MYANMAR

yanmar is the second largest opium producer in the world, accounting for about 20 percent of global production. Heroin addiction is one of the country’s most severe problems, with community leaders estimating that 65 percent to 70 percent of young people use drugs. While drug trafficking is a major issue, Myanmar also has one of the highest HIV infection rates in Asia due to the proliferation of used needles around the country. Moreover, many young people are drawn into addiction due to a lack of opportunities, and rehabilitation is all the more difficult in a society with extremely low employment rates. 69

USA

ccording to the Guardian, 47,000 Americans died from drug overdoses in 2014, a figure that exceeds deaths from guns or car crashes. While the U.S. war on drugs is being fought on several fronts, an alarming new development has been the heroin crisis which began in West Virginia and Eastern Kentucky and has spread across the country. Following on from the epidemic of prescription painkillers in the early 2000s, heroin has now become popular with new demographics including teenagers and suburban housewives who have lost access to prescription opioids. What is different about this epidemic, is that it is affecting the wealthier, whiter strata of American society. The 2016 U.N. World Drug Report also highlights the problem of heroin abuse in prisons, and untreated mental health issues that lead to a predisposition to the drug.

PERU

eru is the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest producer of coca, the raw material for cocaine. For centuries, the plant was considered sacred to the indigenous peoples of the Andes. Even today, the coca leaf is legally used to treat altitude sickness and as a tea. Coca production soared during Peruâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s civil war, which brought poverty and destruction to the Valley of the Apurimac, Ene, and Mantaro Rivers. Harvesting the coca leaf is not illegal, but processing it into coca paste or base, and cocaine, is. In the remote mountains and valleys of Peru the coca culture is strong. Terrorist groups control the drug trade and the paths along which cocaine is transported, often by teenagers or young adults. For Peruvians, this form of business has an enormous impact on local economies. For some, wages from the coca trade can be the difference between eating for a month and starving, making it harder for the government to combat the drug trade.

hoonga (also known as nyaope or wunga) is a street drug that is said to have become widespread in South Africa since 2010. A â&#x20AC;&#x153;cocktailâ&#x20AC;? of antiretroviral drugs (normally prescribed as HIV medication), cleaning detergent and rat poison, which is added to marijuana or heroin and smoked, the drug has only been illegal since 2014. A cheaper alternative to cannabis, a dose of whoonga only costs approximately $2. Even though extensive data is not available, the 2016 U.N. World Drug Report states that South Africa has been a consistent leader in developing new psychoactive substances. South Africa suffers from high income inequality and a lack of educational opportunities, making it harder to encourage an anti-drug campaign. One of the most controversial aspects about this drug is that it creates a resistance to HIV medication, and for a country with one of the highest rates of HIV in the world, whoonga represents a critical problem.

SOUTH AFRICA

THE FOREVER ELLIPSES

Hey ?

by Alice Preat illustrations by Rachael Fong-Gurzinsky

ou may not have heard of the term “ghosting,” but chances are you have experienced it. Ghosting is the act of suddenly and without warning cutting off all forms of communication with another person. Though it can occur in any kind of relationship, lately it has become a common phenomenon in the dating world. John, a 25-year-old living in Paris (who wishes to remain anonymous) had never heard the term “ghosting” before, but he knows he is not being interviewed about the supernatural. John is being interviewed because he is a ghoster. Following a three-year-long relationship which ended after his girlfriend “betrayed” him, John’s coping method was to ghost her. He deleted and blocked her on Facebook, WhatsApp and all other platforms on which she might have been able to reach him. “There came a time where I told myself that it was just going to hurt me too much to see her or talk to her, so I just cut her out and stopped responding.” Ghosting occurs in many different circumstances and its casualties range from Tinder dates to people in long-term relationships. In the most common ghosting scenario, you meet someone online or at a bar, go on a few dates and maybe sleep together a few times. Eventually, you get bored or realize you are simply no longer interested, but don’t really know how to break it to the person without hurting their feelings. You just don’t want to have an un-

comfortable conversation, and so you don’t. This is not exactly an admirable form of behavior, but it has become a common coping mechanism in the age of social media. John’s situation is quite different. In this case, someone ghosts their partner because of something their partner did. Here, emotions have generally been invested on both sides, but the ghoster feels they have no option but to Houdini themselves out of this person’s life. Dr. Fulvia Castellano, a psychoanalyst based in Paris for over 20 years describes the more common form of ghosting as a modern occurrence which has been facilitated by digital dating. She states that technology and the birth of dating apps are associated with a phenomenon known as “non-rencontre” (non-encounters). Ghosting is a passive action that results from a culture of non-encounters where people have grown accustomed to meeting, dating and developing feelings for each other online. It creates the illusion that actual encounters have taken place when they have not. “It’s much easier on your psyche to [ghost] someone you don’t know well and have just seen a couple of times,” she explains. Dr. Mathilde Toulemonde, a clinical psychologist also based in Paris, agrees. She explains that online dating and social media facilitate this kind of detached behavior. Both experts agree that the ghosting phenomenon relates back to an emotional

avoidance of negative feelings or confrontation. In most scenarios ghosting is used as a defense mechanism, or as Toulemonde describes it, a sort of “last resort.” She explains that one reason for ghosting is because the ghoster may lack the proper social tools to carry them through the situation, so they simply remove themselves from it altogether. Additionally, she explains that technology has weakened people’s emotional ties with each other, making it much easier to cut off communication. Castellano describes John’s case as one of passion. He knew that it would be too painful to interact with his ex-girlfriend and felt the situation was unsalvageable. “When the other is essential to your life, when you are dependent on the other and the other is dependent on you, the separation must be definitive, because they have destroyed the ideal that we had of love. That has always been the case.” Aurélia, a 23-year-old student in Paris (who also wishes to remain anonymous) was ghosted by a man she had been involved with for five years. “We weren’t really together, we had been on and off for a while,” she says. He was living in Chile at the

time, so she went to visit him for a month. “After that, we saw each other a little bit, not too often. In April, I got my phone stolen, and lost all the pictures from our vacation, so I wrote to him asking if he could send me his pictures from the trip. I wrote him on Facebook, so I could see that he was receiving my messages, but he wasn’t responding.” After following up and still not hearing from him, Aurélia coincidentally ran into him in the metro one day. “I asked him what was going on, why he wasn’t responding to me, and he told me he didn’t want to think about me anymore, or see me, that he wanted to move on. And that was it.” Aurélia remembers being extremely confused. They had seen each other in the weeks prior and he had not shown any signs that anything was wrong. After the confusion, came the anger and frustration: “I thought he was a real asshole, because he had no reason to do that. If I hadn’t run into him by chance on the metro I don’t think he would have ever even given me an explanation, he would have just never talked to me again.” When I asked Aurélia if she still had feelings for him at the time, she replied without hesitation: yes. According to Castellano, the pain incurred from being ghosted depends largely on the person’s emotional fragility. Toulemonde adds that the main struggle with being ghosted is that the person on the receiving end has no explanation as to why this has happened and they are then left with the stories and interpretations they make up in their minds. “These stories are going to be based on your worldview, your own experiences, how you perceive different situations. For certain people, the long-term interpretation might be ‘this guy is a jerk,’ but for oth-

“The pain incurred from being ghosted depends largely on the person’s emotional fragility.”

ers it might be ‘there’s something wrong with me.’” These interpretations feed into the ideas a person has of themselves or the world and has the potential to create lasting emotional trauma. Aurélia has moved on, but the experience has definitely affected her ability to trust others. In cases when the ghostee is not intimately invested in the relationship but is still involved in some capacity, having that person completely disappear from their life can still be damaging. “If you already have low self-confidence and someone — even someone you don’t know well — tells you that you are ‘not it,’ that’s hurtful, and it can take a while to get over,” Castellano explains. One thing is clear: ghosting does not help to develop social skills, which can be problematic later in life. On the other side of the coin, Castellano argues that in terms of experiencing ghosting, once you reach a certain age, you have a better grasp on who you are and what you want as a person. You learn to accept that in dating you are dealing with other flawed human beings who come with their own desires and struggles. Where is ghosting leading in the difficult-tonavigate era of online dating? While Castellano points out that it is an evergreen phenomenon that existed long before people conducted their love lives through the internet, Toulemonde sees a, “significant shift in our society toward a more narcissistic, individualistic, pleasure-seeking way of being.” •

On My Own (In Paris) DESTINATIONS OF NATURE, PEACE AND SOLITUDE IN THE CONCRETE JUNGLE

Shutterstock/Ekaterina, Pokrovsky, Kiev.Victor

by Hind Ngouonimba

“Metro, boulot, dodo,” or “metro, work, sleep,” is a popular French idiom that encapsulates the daily urban grind. In one of the busiest cities in the world it is essential to find ways to escape from the cosmopolitan hamster wheel. Here is our selection of Paris’s hidden treasures so you can get a little dose of inner peace before heading back to real life.

FREE

• One of the easiest, free-of-charge ways to escape the city grind is to wander through one of Paris’ many magnificent parks. The Bois de Boulogne, Parc des Buttes Chaumont and the Square Saint-GillesGrand Veneur are three of the city’s most charming and relaxing locations. Between the expansive lawns, centuries-old trees, sounds of birds chirping and the serenity of the lakes, you can take a yoga class, have a picnic with friends, walk your dog or just nap in the sun. • Falun Dafa is a Chinese spiritual practice that combines meditation and Qi-gong exercises based on truthfulness, compassion and endurance. Free classes are offered nearly every day around 9 a.m. in several of the city’s parks including the Parc des Buttes-Chaumont, Jardin du Luxembourg, Jardin Baudricourt, Jardin Rachmaninov and Parc André-Citroën. • Visit the Église Saint-Pierre. In the center of Neuilly-sur-Seine, one of the calmest suburbs of the French capital, sits this beautiful churh built in 1914. It is a “no-technology-zone” that welcomes all to unplug from their daily lives and meditate, pray or just unwind from the busy hustle of city life.

AFFORDABLE

• The Centre Bouddhiste Kadampa Shakyamouni is a temple of calm in Paris situated at 71 rue de Monceau in the eighth arrondissement. The temple helps its customers to find inner peace through meditation classes. For between 10 and 20 euros, you can take a one-hour session with an expert in the art of relaxation. Sessions can be private or you can join a larger class, and you do not need to book in advance. • What is better than coming home at the end of the day and watching a movie on your laptop? How about watching an old, black-and-white film in a beautiful small Parisian theater for less than 10 euros? The Filmothèque du Quartier Latin at 9 rue Champollion in the fifth arrondissement was bought in 2006 by Jean-Max and François Causse to promote classic movies to younger generations by making them accessible and affordable. The Filmothèque is comprised of two screening rooms: the blue and the red. The entire theater only holds 163 people, so don’t worry about having to deal with any big, bustling crowds. Just sit back, relax and enjoy. • After a long week at school or at work, we all could use a bit of pampering and the Hammam de la Mosquée de Paris is just the place. Situated on 39 rue Geoffroy-Saint-Hilaire in the fifth arrondissement, the Hammam is a spa that features a sauna and an on-hand staff of masseuses. You can treat yourself with “beauty cures and internal purification” without breaking the bank in this beautiful old structure covered in mosaics. Entry costs 18 euros and treatments are priced from 12 euros.

LUXURY • Situated in the famous Hotel Ritz, the Ritz Club at 17 place Vendôme in the first arrondissement boasts a beautiful neoclassical pool that provides one of the most luxurious ways to take a dip in Paris. Access to the pool is not restricted to hotel guests, so for a “mere” 190 euros, luxury is yours. The hotel is known as one of the most upscale spots in the city, so you won’t be bothered by hordes of families and screaming children running around. Immerse yourself in their ritzy water or lounge on a “beach” chair with a refreshing drink. • If you are looking for the ultimate pampering session, the Dior Institute at the Hotel Plaza Athénée is paradise on Earth. Located at 25 avenue Montaigne in the eighth arrondissement , the Institute offers massages, manicures, pedicures, eye masks and spa treatments, all made with Dior products. It is not for the faint of wallet — treatments range from 220 to 520 euros — but the steep prices are worth it. • At Secret Training, you can get rid of your stress and anxiety with the help of a personal trainer. This private club located at 15 rue Daumier in the 16th arrondissement offers classes including pilates, cardio training, yoga and more from Monday to Saturday. The coaches Stéphane Robinet and Arnaud Gibert are on hand to take care of you. Private classes start from 100 euros and the coaches will customize your session based on your needs and preferences.

The Return ESSENTIALS FOR AN ALL-NIGHTER

by Anastasija Baiko illustrations by Brittany Hood The Situation: You are in a state of complete euphoria until you look up and realize that bright daylight is shining into your eyes. You feel your feet start to ache from hours of dancing and your hair has become crusty from spilled drinks. The Response: Stumble out of the door into the soft dawn and try to figure out how you are going to get home with as much dignity in tact as possible. There is a pretty good chance that you are not as fresh as you were when you left your place 10 hours ago, so here is a list of essentials to help you maintain the illusion that you are a functional human being.

1. Sunglasses

Sunglasses are the ultimate disguise. They will hide half of your face, help you avoid unnecessary eye contact and give you the confidence boost you need to own your walk. You donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even have to leave them in your bag all night, you can wear them in the club to hide your over-dilated pupils, or simply use them as part of your look.

2. Sample Perfume Bottle

Take those sample perfume bottles from Sephora with a smile because Eau de Vodka Cranberry is not an acceptable scent once the sun comes up. They are compact and can fit into the smallest pocket of your outfit. A spritz of Chanel will freshen you up so you no longer smell like you came out of a shady underground beer hall.

5. Compact Hairbrush

The hairstyle you put hours into last night has deteriorated into something the city’s pigeons could nest in. Let’s be honest: your hair is a disaster. That is why it is essential to have a hairbrush at hand, and better, a compact one to fit into your bag.

6. Face Powder 3. Gum

Seriously, this doesn’t even need to be explained.

4. Slippers in Your Mailbox

If you live in an apartment, this one is for you. Remember Audrey Hepburn in the film Breakfast at Tiffany’s keeping a bottle of perfume in her mailbox to apply before leaving home in the morning? Well the slippers in the mailbox are a similar situation. Keep them for when you come back home in the morning and your tired feet need a break on the way up the stairs.

Man or woman, your skin is probably pale and you almost certainly have black bags under your eyes. Your face needs a pick-me-up to refresh your skin and add to your confidence on the return home, so don’t leave your face powder at home.

7. Hip Flask

Bring a small hip flask and fill it with whatever you like, whether that be more tequila (for consistency’s sake), water since you haven’t had any since Wednesday, or some vitamin concoction in preparation for the massive hangover you are about to endure.

photography by Phil Shaw

by Lisha Lopez

Chance the Rapper

uried in the Midwest of the United States, Chicago has long been a cultural hub for artists. It has a long-standing tradition of appreciation for grassroots artistic movements and is recognized for its graffiti and street art. Humble beginnings of jazz and blues music evolved into hip-hop there, while musicians from other genres such as rock and metal were also embraced. It is a city that breeds creativity and innovation across a range of media and Chance the Rapper has become one of its rising stars. Chancellor Bennett, aka Chance the Rapper, is a hip-hop artist from the Windy City who quickly made a name for himself in the music industry. He has collaborated with some of the biggest names in music today, including Beyoncé and Jay-Z, Kanye West, and Justin Bieber. His particular genre-bending brand relies heavily on hip-hop and soul influences, while allowing for the introduction of other musical styles as canbe heard on his latest release, Coloring Book. It is Chance’s artistic athleticism that allows him to draw from such a large scope of music. He recently recorded an original song in tribute to Muhammad Ali for the men’s Olympic basketball team in Rio and has appeared on several late-night TV programs. He has also created a major music festival held in an often-avoided part of Chicago, going so far as to buy back tickets from scalpers who were looking to sell them on for huge markups. At the forefront of Chicago’s blossoming music scene, Chance has been able to use his newfound notoriety in order to give back to the city. From creating “Open Mike” — a monthly open mic session in memory of prominent Chicago poet and mentor Brother Mike, which creates a space for high school students to showcase their talents — to promoting active political involvement amongst the city’s youth, Chance is involved with his audience. In the buildup to the presidential election, he led thousands of young voters to the polls through a free concert. He has fought to give young people a voice, while reminding them that, “No racist, sexist, homophobic or anti-group language,” will be tolerated. He starts each open mike interaction with this reminder, and ends it with, “Power to the people.” As an artist, mentor, and ultimately a friend to Chicago, Chance has been able to empower teens who otherwise would not have had that sort of positive reinforcement. As a proud independent artist, Chance has embarked on his artistic journey without the traditional backing of a record company. While this decision may have slowed some of his progress, it has allowed him to retain his creative integrity and proudly display who he is and what he represents: a product of the South Side of Chicago who learned to use city programs and collaborate with other homegrown talent in order to rise against the odds and succeed. Chance is living proof that dedication can overcome unfavorable circumstances. •