Issue 15 - Volume 136 by Vermont Cynic

THEVERMONTCYNIC THE Issue 15 - Volume 136 | December 10, 2019 | vtcynic.com

THE SEX ISSUE Lights on or off?

233 Responses

61.8%

38.2%

off

your bed or their’s? 231 Responses

64.5% their bed

35.5%

Let’s talk about sex! In a survey circulated on social media, the Cynic asked UVM students 16 questions about their sex habits and preferences. Of the survey’s 249 participants, over 60% were first-years and sophomores. Here’s what you told us.

How many times have you had sex this month? 35.7%

36.9%

15.7% 11.6%

0 times

5-10 times

10-20 times

too much to count

How many times a week do you masturbate? 23.7% 64.3%

9.6%

2.4%

0 times

5-10 times

too much to count

1-5 times

my bed

Weirdest place respondents have had sex? “the piano bench in brennan’s”

“The bus ball”

Illustrations by KATE VANNI

NEWS

SGA considers removing blue lights Zoe Stern zstern@uvm.edu

SGA is working to assess the role of blue lights on UVM’s campus and determine if they should be removed and be replaced with an app. But not all UVM students approve the idea, and UVM Emergency Management has yet to fully commit to the project. Blue lights are a series of alarm or panic stations that students can use to communicate with UVM Police Services in an emergency, according to UVM’s website. SGA President Jillian Scannell, a senior, has been working with UVM Emergency Management to explore the benefits of blue lights on campuses nationally, not just at UVM. The blue lights have only been used three times in the past year, Scannell said. But according to UVM Police Services’ crime log, since January 2019 through December, UVM Police has responded to 55 blue light calls. In 2018, they responded to 62 calls, according to the log. “One was a prank call, one was a parent who was lost on campus and needed directions and the third was someone who had fallen and cut their face,” Scannell said. When presented with the new numbers, Scannell said she was suprised. “I still think the LiveSafe app would be a great addition to campus to increase safety,” she said. “As we know, many issues

happen when you are not standing next to a blue light.” Based on the numbers presented to her, the upkeep costs alone outweigh their use, she said. “Based on the numbers I was given the blue light system costs $200,000 for upkeep,” she said. “If that is true then I do think we need to reevaluate our system and see if modifications should be made. Regardless of this I think we need the LiveSafe app on this campus.” Scannell said blue lights were added across the U.S. more than 20 years ago. “Blue lights were put on a lot of college campuses in the ‘90s,” Scannell said. “They were mostly put in during a time when nobody had cell phones. It was a safety feature.” Emergency Manager Zachary Borst said the blue lights were created due to the fact that they needed a way for people to call emergency services if they were outside before telephones were widespread. “Overall our goal in this process is to understand what the capabilities are and do we place it with new systems, do we add to it, do we subtract to it,” Borst said. “We haven’t even gotten that far to make that decision.” The lights also cost around $150,000 a year in upkeep, Borst said. Quotes from various venders estimate LiveSafe would cost between $10,000 to $20,000 annually. Borst and Scannell both acknowledge that blue lights provide a feeling of comfort. “I know blue lights certainly

STEPHAN TOLJAN/The Vermont Cynic

A blue light shines through the falling snow on the Andrew Harris Commons, Dec. 6. UVM Emergency Management and SGA President Jillian Scannell, a senior, are currently working to evaluate the use of the lights on campus. have value,” Scannell said. “It’s like a quiet standing guard, and I know that parents really love blue lights. I am by no means advocating that we remove all blue lights on campus, but I think we should remove some and understand more intentionally where they are.” When the red button is pressed on a blue light, a call goes directly to UVM Police Services. But, SGA’s goal is to implement an app called LiveSafe. The app would act as a “mobile blue light,” combining GPS lo-

cation information when users contact the emergency dispatch center through the app. According to the LiveSafe website, the app features the ability to call 911, share your location with friends no matter where they are located and more. Not all students like the idea of changing from blue lights to an app. Blue lights makes them feel safer, sophomore Sinead Murray said. “I was touring a school in Ohio, and they didn’t have any, and when I talked about it, they

were like, ‘well we have a really safe campus, and we have a really strong security,’” Murray said. Murray decided to pull her application from the school. The app would be much more complicated, junior Emily Ollero said. “I think with the blue lights, they’re simple, you press a button, but on the app, I would have to have my phone,” Ollero said. “I would have to be able to get to my phone to open it, with the blue light, I just run to it, and it’s right there.”

Sexual assault awareness group seeks new members Ella Ruehsen

iruehsen@uvm.edu

A group of men dedicated to raising awareness around sexual assault was derecognized by SGA and struggles to fill its ranks on campus. One in Four is a men’s group that supports sexual assault awareness and teaching prevention strategies, particularly to other men. The group began on campus in 2012 following an incident with a member of the fraternity Sigma Phi Epsilon. The fraternity member created a questionnaire to send out to fraternity members that read, “If I could rape anyone, who would it be?” He then accidentally sent it to his teaching assistant, according to a December 2011 CNN article. One in Four was formally derecognized by SGA at their Oct. 8 meeting. The club lost its recognition because it only had four members at the start of this academic year. SGA requires clubs to have at least eight members, said

Robin Alex Rice, a graduate student and co-president of the club. Recently, the group lost a number of its members because they graduated, but last year, the club went without a president. This made the situation worse, said senior Jay Lukes, co-president of the club. “Our president at the time kind of dropped the position out of the blue and stopped going to meetings altogether, so that left us in a pretty sticky situation,” Lukes said. “We didn’t have any of the contacts from SGA. None of that was forwarded to us.” The group focuses on an hour-long program they present to other men, called the Men’s Program, that focuses on preventing sexual assault, said Keith Smith, the group’s adviser and men’s outreach coordinator at UVM Counseling and Psychiatry Services. One in Four works with men to talk about what consent is, what sexual assault is and ways to support survivors while working on combating a hostile environment that normal-

izes rape on college campuses, Smith said. “A lot of sexual assault prevention views men as potential rapists, but this program is specifically targeted toward men,” Smith said. “The organization views men as allies and supporting survivors and preventing sexual assault and rape from happening.” While the group has been derecognized by SGA, their funding comes from Living Well, which will allow them to continue to operate while seeking new members. But finding new membership for the club has been difficult largely because of the topic, Rice said. “It’s not an inherently fun group,” he said. “I mean, I get a lot of satisfaction out of doing this, and I don’t plan on leaving, but it’s a hard sell. We obviously want our group to succeed and to succeed we need more members.” The name One in Four comes from a statistic that one in four college-aged women will have experienced rape or sexual assault, Rice said. “But the flip side of that is

MAC MANSFIELD-PARISI/The Vermont Cynic

Keith Smith, adviser for One in Four and the Men’s Outreach Coordinator at UVM Counseling and Psychiatry Services, sits in his office, Dec. 5. The men’s group has experienced a membership decline this semester. one in six college age men will have experienced rape or sexual assaults, and I think that’s a statistic that most people don’t know,” he said. “It’s a matter of conveying that men are just as much a part of this issue as women are. It affects everybody.” The group has focused on working with fraternities, but

the group has also presented to students at Champlain College and St. Michael’s College, Smith said. Overall, Rice said his goal is to get the presentations One in Four conducts to be mandatory for all incoming first-year students. “That’s the best way to have an impact,” Rice said.

NEWS

Julianne Lesch

VERMO

jlesch@uvm.edu

Can you watch porn in the lib?

lis h

ed 188 3

1 Issue 5 - Vol. 6

Y NIC

EXECUTIVE Editor-in-Chief Bridget Higdon editorinchief@vtcynic.com Managing Editor Alek Fleury newsroom@vtcynic.com

OPERATIONS Operations Manager Tim Mealey operations@vtcynic.com Marketing Daniel Felde cynicmarketing@gmail.com

EDITORS Copy Chief Liv Marshall copy@vtcynic.com Culture Sarah Robinson cynicculture@gmail.com Features Greta Rohrer cynicfeatures@gmail.com News Sawyer Loftus news@vtcynic.com Opinion Mills Sparkman opinion@vtcynic.com Podcasts David Cabrera vtcynicpodcasts@gmail.com Social Media Sam Litra socialcyniceditor@gmail.com Illustrations Noah Zhou illustrations@vtcynic.com Layout Kate Vanni layout@vtcynic.com Photo Stephan Toljan photo@vtcynic.com Assistant Editors Henry Mitchell (Opinion), Meilena Sanchez (Layout), Dalton Doyle (Copy), Allie O’Connor (Culture), Emma Pinezich (News) Copy Editors Will Keeton, Zoey Webb, Zoe Sheppard Page Designers Stephanie Hodel, George Weed

ADVISING Faculty Adviser Chris Evans crevans@uvm.edu

A man watching what some have described as porn in the library left students feeling uncomfortable and confused about how the situation was handled. On Nov. 12, two students in Howe Library saw a man watching what they thought was porn on a UVM computer. The students approached a library employee saying they felt uncomfortable, Dean of Libraries Bryn Geffert said. Though Geffert was not involved with this situation, he said he heard from his colleagues that everything was resolved. When asked if the Howe Library has a speciﬁc policy against watching porn in the library, Geffert did not directly respond. “Like most acadmeic libraries, we do not attempt to deﬁne the term ‘pornography,’” he said. Junior Gretchen Saveson was one of the students who saw an older man watching porn on a computer in the Multimedia Lab, she said. Saveson and a friend were working on a project in the lab when they both realized a man was watching porn, Saveson said. “We immediately felt uncomfortable,” Saveson said. “The library is a place where you should be able to focus and feel safe, and I think having people watching porn in the library ruins both of those functions of the library.” Both students approached the Multimedia Desk to report the man.

Photo Illustration by STEPHAN TOLJAN

The last reported incident of a man watching porn on a Howe Library computer was Nov. 12. The students who reported the incident felt uncomfortable with the situation. A group of library employees then approached the man, with one worker asking him if he was “watching naked people in here,” Saveson said. The man replied that he was not watching naked people, he was just watching something his friend had sent him, she said. The man was then told by an employee that he could not watch anything with naked people in it, Saveson said. The employees then left the room, with the man working on other work and then shortly leaving. One employee then reentered the lab, once to ask

Saveson if the man had left and then again to ask if what the man was watching was motion or stills, Saveson said. Saveson said she wished more would have been done, like asking the individual to leave. “The man wasn’t told to leave or to stop watching porn per say,” Saveson said. “It would have been nice to see real action taken.” Saveson felt as if the issue was inconclusive, as she still has a lot of questions about the handling of the situation, she said. “It seems weird that porn can be permissible in the library when loud music and whispers

ProfTalk with Jenna Emerson Living Well Sex Educator

Available on Apple Podcasts & Spotify

kinda aren’t,” Saveson said. “It just seems like an imbalance there.” Incidents similar to this are not common, Geffert said. “It has not happened on my watch before, and some of the colleagues who have been around here tell me that it’s very infrequent and in fact have had trouble remembering any other instances,” Geffert said. Sophomore Nicole Evans said she would be shocked if she saw someone watching porn in the library. “Don’t they know that everyone can see you watching something you should watch when you’re alone?” she said.

OPINION

Smut lets your imagination run wild Gabby Felitto gfelitto@uvm.edu

ike many prepubecent awkward teens, I became interested in sex when I was younger. Through reading smut, I was able to explore what sex was. I’ve read smuts about TV shows like “Sherlock,” and bands like 5 Seconds of Summer. Today, as a 19-yearold, smut is still one of my favorite ways to destress after a stressful week. Smut is defined as “sexual fiction” by internetslang.com. Websites like Tumblr, Wattpad and Quotev are just some of the places you can read and publish smut. While I think porn is entertaining and takes less effort to pay attention, I believe that reading smut is better than watching porn. A majority of porn is marketed for the male gaze. Much of the porn that I’ve seen has been in the male point of view and usually focuses on the male’s pleasure. While there is femalecentric porn, there’s less available than “male-centric” porn. This lack is primarily due to women not being typically seen as “porn producers” capable enough to create a product that men want. Men are considered porn’s primary consumer, according to a March 20 Daily Beast Article, and so their interests are much more represented in the porn that’s widely available.

What mainstream porn lacks, smut provides. There are badly written smuts, but many that I’ve read have had more meaningful and emotional connections between characters than those in porn. A smut about characters who reunite after a long time apart is more intimate than porn about a pizza guy and a girl with no money. While smut does have lots of corny plots and dialogue, it is much more realistic, ranging from enemies to lovers and friends with benefits turning into something more. The emotional depth in smut allows readers to get inside the mind of the character, letting them imagine themselves in the situation. Imagining is more interactive than watching it. It’s fun to watch porn with wacky plots, but sometimes seeing something that you can actually imagine yourself in can be much more exciting. Smut, like fan fiction, allows people who aren’t usually represented in these stories to be visible, according to a March 2017 Bustle article. I’ve seen loads of Tumblr smut accounts write exclusively about people-of-color love interests for a fandom’s favorite character. I’ve also seen many more body types in smut than in porn. “Sexual fiction” is also great at informing teens about protection and consent. Many smuts I’ve read have disclaimers to always wear condoms or include scenes where the characters discuss protection.

Some writers include scenes with the characters giving each other clear, verbal consent. Often, they write scenes of consent using dirty talk. This makes consent seem less of an awkward question. Lots of porn I’ve seen doesn’t have spoken consent or discussions on protection. Reading smut also teaches readers to participate in kinks in healthy ways. Extremely kinky porn usually makes kids exposed to it very anxious, according to an October 2015 CNN article. Some may think it’s what’s expected of them, causing them to be afraid, according to the article.

Safewords, aftercare and helpful tips are scattered throughout lots of smuts. If I never read smut, I wouldn’t know how to properly choke someone or to prepare rope. Mainstream porn often doesn’t do any of this. Another aspect of smut, and fan fiction in general, that I love is that it’s written mostly by women, according to a June 2016 Vox article. Since mainstream porn is still mostly dominated by what men want to see and by men who own the companies, it’s great that women are writing what they want to see and experience.

IZZY PIPA

Smut allows readers to imagine a realistic and emotional connection that porn doesn’t give justice to. It can also help readers imagine what kinks, plots or erotic media forms suit them best. The next time when you’re feeling in the mood, give smut a chance and let your imagination run wild.

Gabby Felitto is a sophomore public communication major. She has been writing for the Cynic since fall 2019.

Erin Powell ecpowell@uvm.edu

uring the summer of 2018, I decided to keep myself pure for marriage and save handholding for my husband. Only hand-holding. It started off as a joke between me and my friends when we were making fun of fundementalist Christians like the Duggars who save their first kiss for marriage. In actuality, I think that waiting until marriage to do anything physical is a bad idea. But I joked I could oneup the Duggars and other fundamentalist Christian celebrities and save handholding for marriage. After all, those “sinners” start holding hands after they get engaged. I knew I could do better. I never liked to hold hands with people, so giving it up would probably have little

effect on my life other than being funny. But there has been one positive to ruling out handholding that I did not expect: it has given me a safe, low-stakes way of seeing if a guy will respect my boundaries. It turns out hand-holding, or at the minimum touching hands, is a very common thing when dating someone. I’ve slipped and fallen on the ice due to refusing to hold my date’s hand. And snatching your hand away from a guy you are flirting with is a “mixed signal.” Having to explain not being comfortable holding-hands with someone after you’ve slept with them is a very funny and unique experience. The weirdest side effect is that I now sometimes fantasize about holding hands, something I actively was not a fan of before. The way guys have reacted to me telling them they aren’t allowed to hold my hand varies. The majority that I inform

about this laugh, but are okay with it. These guys sometimes have had moments where they forget and touch my hand, and when I remind them they listen. I once went on a date with a guy who was super respectful of my no-hand-holding rule, and he even made a conscious effort to avoid touching my hands later in the date. But I’ve also experienced the complete opposite, someone that actively tried to hold my hand because he thought it was fun and flirty, which I assure you it was not. If you had to guess which of those dudes was more respectful of me saying no to other things later, it shouldn’t shock you that it was the one that respected my wishes on hand-holding. I do not recommend giving up hand-holding. it’s very funny but is more hassle than it’s worth. What I do recommend is setting boundaries early on. Try saying no to something

SAVANAH TEBEAU SHERRY

Setting boundaries? Try holding off on holding hands

low stakes, like asking your partner to slow down when getting intimate, and see how they react. You might find out that they are someone you don’t want to be involved with. Talking honestly about boundaries earlier on makes communication easier later on. Hand-holding is a weird thing to be abstinent from, but

it has helped me become more confident and comfortable. Memes aside, my main reason for saving hand-holding for marriage will always be that I think it’s funny.

Erin Powell is a junior anthropology and zoology major. She has been writing for the Cynic since fall 2017.

CULTURE

Love thy neighbor: “Dormcest” Willow Scherwinski wscherwi@uvm.edu

At UVM, students are required to live on campus for two years. Living in a community with other students allows for all sorts of relationships to bloom. Dorm life is buzzing with the sexual curiosity of young people living away from home for the first time. The result of this is a phenomenon commonly referred to as “dormcest.” First-year Ethan Phan confessed to committing an act of dormcest and offered a generally agreed upon definition for the term among college students. “It’s basically just when two people who live in the same dorm decide to hook up,” Phan said. “The idea for the term for sure comes from incest but this is nothing like it.” Holding more social risk is an act called “floorcest.” It is the same as dormcest but rather than the entire population of a dorm complex involved, it’s localized to one floor. Some students say that substance use is the precursor to these situations. Sophomore Bridget Lavelle has witnessed such instances during her time living in Wing Davis Wilks on Redstone campus. “It starts as unplanned,” Lavelle said. “It’s just an initial reaction, and partying is almost

Photo Illustration by MADDY DEGELSMITH/The Vermont Cynic

UVM requires students to live on campus for two years. Living in close proximity to others makes dormcest a possibility. “Dormcest is when two people who live in the same dorm decide to hook up,” first-year Ethan Phan said. always involved. It happens and there are a lot of awkward feelings afterwards. There are boundaries that you don’t know if you’ve crossed or not.” This can be said for most casual sexual encounters that occur during one’s college years, but the dorms add a level of awkwardness, she said. “The basis of hookup culture is this idea where you do it and that is it,” Lavelle said. “There

is no interaction afterwards. Put that into a small, closed space like a dorm, and suddenly, everyone knows, and it’s this thing to be talked about.” Senior George Spearing is an RA in Wing Davis Wilks for his second year and has formed an opinion about intra-dorm relationships. “Forming a relationship on your floor or building can be really complicated and can dis-

rupt the community,” Spearing said. “It doesn’t always have to though. If you can be smart about it, it can totally work out.” Phan’s act of dormcest was short lived but ended with nothing but good graces. The two remain friends, he said. “In order to keep that relationship going, you need to communicate and be mature about it,” Phan said. “There’s a reason why you liked each

other to begin with, so just become friends. It’s really not that hard.” Whether it ends in friendship or not among residents of a dorm building, dormcest is inevitable, sophomore Isabella Wolfsdorf said. “You have all of these guys and girls living in such close quarters,” Wolfsdorf said. “You get to know each other...but then it just happens.”

Japanese rope-tying is more than bondage Isabella Ross isross@uvm.edu

“Ropes provided for class.” Many minds may jump to climbing; the sport involving scaling walls and boulders. Shibari: Japanese Rope Bondage is not for learning proper belay techniques, although both activities use suspension. Originating in 1400s Japan to bind and torture captives of war, Shibari has evolved into an art form where a rigger uses thin rope to artfully bind a rope bunny: someone who enjoys being tied up. The first and third Tuesday of every month, Innovative Fiber Arts holds a rigging class from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Burlington Pride Center at 255 South Champlain St. Attendees go by aliases. ESox, an instructor of seven years and IFA founder, begins every meeting by reviewing safety and consent. Participants first learn column ties, which are ties around any cylindrical object, before the group moves into complex ties such as a hip harnesses. When there is a fifth Tuesday, IFA holds an open night called rope lounge. Star-

Stamped recounted some of their experiences with Shibari. “I’ve been tied to a chair,” StarStamped said. “I’ve been mummified. It’s always really fun.” The group extends beyond those present. “Over the past seven years, [we] have taught thousands of people,” ESox said. “Visitors from across the states have joined, including special guests.” ESox said the class is a great opportunity to learn rope bondage techniques in a judgement free and safe place. ESox emphasized that healthy atmospheres require consent. “Consent is informed decision making,” ESox said. “When you are getting the permission of the person you are tying with, you want an affirmative yes. Consent can be taken away anytime.” For beginners, Esox stressed the importance of not rushing. “But don’t forget to have fun, experiment,” ESox said. “Try the stuff that you want to try. You only live once so you might as well try the stuff that’s going to get your rocks off while you’re here.” Group-goer Anichia ex-

ISABELLA ROSS/The Vermont Cynic

An anonymous participant of Innovative Fiber Art’s Shibari rigging class displays the art form, Dec. 3. The class is held on the first and third Tuesday of every month. pressed reassurance in realizing others had similar interests and

emphasized accessibility. “Go on Instagram, look up

Shibari and you’ll see these really pretty ties,” Anichia said. “You might find it sick and weird, but you might also find it beautiful.” Lessons are devoid of sex, what attendees use their new knowledge for outside of the class is their own accord. Rope is more than just a way to connect to the community. StarStamped said the practice brings them to a clear headspace when they are stressed. Anchia said Shibari gave them an outlet for stress. “I’d compare it to swaddling a baby in that sense that it calms you down and forces you to relax,” Anichia said. For some, part of the connection is rope. While plastic rope exists for Shibari, ESox brings hemp-based rope, which he prepares himself. “By the time each individual 30-foot rope is used, it’s been in my hands for at least an hour, so I’ve developed a relationship with that rope,” Esox said. An outlet, a class for improvement, a safe place, an exploration; Innovative Fiber Arts offers a multitude of experiences. Anyone can join the group on the first and third Tuesday of every month at the Pride Center on South Champlain Street.

CULTURE

The pleasure and pressure of sexuality Kellyn Doerr kdoerr@uvm.edu

Even in today’s self-proclaimed sex positive society, the topic of casual sex and sexuality is still taboo. Hookups in college stereotypically involve a dating app and a twin XL mattress. But for some students, exploring sexuality means a lot more. Many students coming to college aren’t sure if it’s a safe place to explore one’s own sexuality. At least two-thirds of students are sexually active, according to a survey by StudentBeans in 2014. Senior Liz Darnall has had positive experiences at UVM. She said college in general has been a safe and supportive place for her, especially in contrast to life before college. “I’ve found college to be a good place to explore myself sexually,” Darnall said. “Everyone here is so open, and there really is no judgement from peers. Especially coming from a small town, it was a lot different then. No one cares about who you sleep with here.” Junior Luke Fobert says that he feels like hookup culture has become a forced part of social life for college students. “I feel pressured to engage in hookup culture,” Fobert said. “Moreover, in college there is a general consensus that no-one is looking for anything serious,

CHARLOTTE MCCARTHY

which makes a lot of people settle for hookup culture in general.” Fobert feels as though hookup culture in college has become the norm, and it’s hard to break out of that cycle unless someone makes a serious effort to. “It’s as if there is some unspoken agreement among 18 to 23-year-olds where hooking up with multiple people is considered normal and monogamy has to be acknowledged,” Fobert said. In regards to sexuality, college can be a free place for students who want to explore their

own sexuality and feel safe in the community they’re in. According to a 2019 study by University of California, San Diego, 100 LGBTQ centers exist on college campuses across the nation. UVM’s Prism Center was established in 1999 and prides itself as being an accessible resource to all students. Darnall has had a positive experience in discovering and exploring her own sexuality and feels that there is no holding back. “It never seemed like something that should be hidden or kept too private,” Darnall said. “It has definitely aided me in

that it has showed me that there are no limits, and sexuality can be explored.” Fobert found that although college has in some ways been helpful in his exploration, stereotypes and other factors can also negatively affect people’s understanding or process of discovering their sexuality. “In terms of being gay in college, it can be incredibly beneficial to gain a new perspective, especially in my own experience,” Fobert said. “I attended an all-boys Catholic high school where my own sexuality was very repressed in avoidance of outing myself.”

The College Equality Index reports that 38 colleges currently offer gender-neutral housing options for LGBTQ students. UVM is not on that list. Fobert believes college has provided a supportive community. He thinks despite small aspects, it is a good place to find one’s self. “Coming to college, my own expectations didn’t surmount to the predispositions I had which also restricted my view on being gay,” Fobert said. “This hindered exploring my sexuality, but all in all, college is for sure a great opportunity to explore one’s sexuality.”

How LGBTQ muscians are shaping hip-hop’s future Connor Adams cadams21@uvm.edu

n a genre defined by toxic masculinity, the LGBTQ community is leading hiphop into the future. Today, queer artists are arguably some of the genre’s strongest voices. Queer hip-hop didn’t pop out of thin air when artists like Frank Ocean and Kevin Abstract came onto the scene. LGBTQ hip-hop has been brewing since its inception in the 1990s. This underground scene was dubbed “homo-hop” and was originally a reaction to artists like Eminen who have had a history of homophobic lyrics in his songs. Eminem called Tyler the Creator a “f*****” in 2018 after Tyler’s critiques of his thennew album “Revival.” Eminem’s lyrics towards Tyler were also shortly after Tyler’s album “Flower Boy” which dealt with themes of coming out and being who you truly are. Eminem isn’t the only artist who has been homophobic in recent memory. In the single

“Boss Life” by VFN Lucci, Offset spits the line, “I cannot vibe with queers.” Another popular artist, Jay-Z, has had lyrics such as, “That’s gay, I ain’t into liking dudes no way.” Even with hip-hops contemporary homophobia, the queer hiphop community is starting to overpower the status quo. For example, queer rapper Lil Nas X has broken chart and genre boundaries with his uber-popular single “Old Town Road.” Lil Nas X isn’t the only artist to come out recently. Young M.A., Princess Nokia and Steve Lacy are just a few modern artists who have come out as queer in recent memory. The hip-hop and rap record label and collective Odd Future plays an important role in the rise of queer hip-hop. Odd Future was arguably the the launch point for influential artists such as Frank Ocean, Tyler the Creator and Steve Lacy. Even though Tyler the Creator has never officially “come out,” lyrics like, “I’ve been kissing white boys since 2004” have made listeners question his sexuality. Frank Ocean’s public identity is hidden in a shroud

of obscurity, but is arguably one of the most moving voices in hip-hop. Educating younger generations on the importance of the history of the gay community is extremely pertanent to our future of acceptance. With this future acceptance, safe places that were created may expand to the rest of the world. Communities like hiphop are important for the gay movement and the genre itself.

Hip-hop has always been a space for outsiders to express themselves. It’s the modern day punk-rock. Queer artists are carrying on this tradition and are saving the genre from falling into obscurity. Gay artists have forced the genre into new areas that it hasn’t been before creatively and culturally. Groups like Brockhampton are combining elements of ‘90s pop with modern-day hip-hop, and Frank Ocean is creating new meaning on what being

CHARLOTTE MCCARTHY

gay is in hip-hop. Without queer artists, hip-hop’s relevance would fall to the wayside along with its conservative ideals of masculinity. However, the future is looking bright for hip-hop and its rebellion against the status quo. Connor Adams is a firstyear English major. He has been writing for the Cynic since fall 2019.

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FEATURE

Stephan Toljan photo@vtcynic.com

STEPHAN TOLJAN/The Vermont Cynic

Malaysian condom company Karex made 5 billion condoms in 2016, accounting for roughly 15% of the world’s condom market, according to a Forbes article. With this photo feature, we put to the test the myth that large, irregular objects can ﬁt into normal sized condoms. The colored condoms are Trustex, and the non-colored condoms are One’s classic condoms. The One condoms are

available, free to students, outside Living Well in the Davis Center. In regard to shape, the photos range from items like a banana, to items such as a drill. In regard to size, the smallest object was a small pot, while the largest items were a 40-ounce water bottle and the entire arm of a Cynic staff member. The condoms pictured had no tears and had not broken in any way, showing just what will ﬁt into a condom. IIllustration by GEORGE WEED