Table of Contents 1. “Free to Fly” by Christina Yarrish 2. “Gay, Bi. Why do I try?: the hypocrisy of stereotypes about lesbians and bisexual women” by Maria Venturelli 3. “A Dialog on the Intersection of Culture and Mental Health” by Lithza Juarez & Helena De La Stukes 4. “Let Equality Bloom” by Beth Cogen 5. “What Does It Mean to be a Feminist?” by Briana Livelsberger 6. “It isn’t my fault” by: Mire Ajeti* 7. RIOT GRRRL Advertisement by: Anna Santiago 8. “One Day…” by Asia Johnson 9. “Please Consider” by Zoe Brodsky 10. “Why the T. Rex From Jurassic Park is My Feminist Icon” by Evita Wrenn 11. “Wasted” by Claire Fraser* Inspired by “Wasted: A Memoir of Anorexia and Bulimia” by Marya Hornbacher 12. “My Body, My Choice and My Freedom” by Zing 13. “Quotes to Empower Women by Profound Women” by An Davis 14. “The Half the Sky movement and Feminist Methodology in Practice” by Ayanna Outten* 15. “Breaking the Silence” by Rena DiPaula* 16. Exploring a Woman’s Purpose in a Male-Centered Society by Ariella Pusey* 17. Questions for my Vagina and A Monologue by Zoë Gilmore* 18. “Society’s Stamp” by Courtney Sloan 19. “Some Rogue Thoughts” - Dhananjaya 20. “Cunt” by Lauren Pope 21. “In the Blink of an Eye” by Anna Trulio* A piece that has a * next to the title, means that it touches on sensitive topics relating but not limited to, sexual assault, abuse, self-harm, eating-disorder behaviors, strong language, and violence. Please take note of the * before reading the piece, and feel free to skip the piece. Remember to take care of yourself. :)
“Free to Fly” created by Christina Yarrish and inspired by Caroline Fei-Yeng Kwok’s Book Free to Fly: a Story of Manic Depression Sources: Google Images, Microsoft Word, Free to Fly: a Story of Manic Depression (Kwok, 2007) Inspiration for the artwork: This piece was inspired by Caroline’s story and the stigma and cultural complexities she was able to overcome. In the artwork, different birds were used to represent a diversity of people and the words at the bottom were used to represent stereotypes of people with mental illness. The words at the top represent growth and strength. Although Caroline can never be fully “recovered”, she is content with where she is now proving that with hope and persistence anyone can grow their own wings and become free to fly.
Gay, Bi. Why do I try?: the hypocrisy of stereotypes about lesbians and bisexual women Greedy. Man hater. Threesome lover. You might just be a LUG (lesbian until graduation). You’ll choose one or the other eventually. You just haven’t found the right man. Come out as a bisexual woman. Welcome to the land of judgement and hypersexualization. Pay no mind to the harmless jokes about playing for both teams, the comments about who you’re more attracted to. Don’t be offended by the percentages you’ll be asked for, the questions about if you’re 50/50. Honey, I’m not a wild card. I’m a bisexual woman. But I guess society gets to tell me what that means. ………………. ………...…[muffled sounds of gay panic]…………….. ………………………………………………... …...maybe I’m not attracted to men after all. Maybe I’m a les- No no no no that’s not true everyone was right it’s just a phase it’s just for a little while it’s because i haven’t found the right man i’mnotalesbianthatwordhassomuchmeaningandidon’tknowififitit Breathe. Use the label “gay” instead of “lesbian”. Internalized homophobia sits upon my shoulders like a predator preying upon a woman who must fear the lesbian label for reasons unknown to her. If I am gay or a lesbian or whatever I want to call it-- If I am only attracted to female-identifying individuals, my female friends will always think I am flirting with them. I will be expected to dress a certain way. I will be expected to have a lot of male friends, or none at all. Am I a lipstick lesbian? Am I butch?? Who wears the pants in the relationship??? Do I have daddy issues???? What “”caused”” me to turn- Breathe. I am myself. I am attracted to women, whatever that means. I have called myself bisexual. I have called myself gay. I have struggled with the homophobia seated in my own mind which refuses to let go of its strong hold on my psyche. I have seen the hypocrisy in these labels, the ways that society has taught me to be afraid to use them. I have seen the double standards, the impossibility of “winning” in this situation. I am a queer woman, and these labels may not fit me (or maybe they do). I am finally okay with the fact that I do not fit these boxes that I tried so hard to resize and squeeze into. I am a work in progress, and I am okay with that. I don’t have to fit into your stifling and trifling understandings of my identity. @ Society, call me back when you get a hold on your understanding of queer woman. Thanks.
A Dialog on the Intersection of Culture and Mental Health By: Lithza Juarez and Helena De La Stukes
● What is your background?
Lithza: I’m a girl from a small village in honduras. Second child of five and moved to the United States when I was twelve. I’m 20 years old and 100% latina. I speak spanish and english and I suffer from depression. Helena: I’m mexican and black. Im 20 years old. I was born and raised in the states. I have one older sister. I'm a sophomore, psychology major. I’m non-binary and I have depression, bipolar, and anxiety. ● What is your culture's view of mental health?
Helena: So, in my family, we are not really big into cultural traditions and everything but we do kind of have the cultural view that mental health is a thing, my family does accept that but it’s not a thing that happens to us. It’s a white people thing it’s very other. It just won’t happen, will not happen to us. Lithza: My family, even though we have lived in the states for years now, is still quite integrated in our culture back in Honduras and in Honduras mental illness is not a thing. They don’t recognize that is a health problem, which is really hard when you suffer it because you grow up thinking that is not an illness but that you are either crazy or lazy. It hard to get help when your culture doesn’t recognize it as a health problem and you are being taught that is not a thing. ● What is your experience with mental health?
Helena: So looking back it’s kinda like oh gosh that was a panic attack, that was a manic episode but growing up because mental illness was not a thing for us, it all kind of got written off like Helena’s just being weird, Helena’s just an odd kid. And so it was really hard when things got really bad my freshman year to be like no, this is a thing, this is actually something concrete and even though you cannot feel/touch it, it’s still very very very real and really hard to deal with and my family was like “ummm no”, and even when I did get admitted into a hospital, it was still hard even the doctors were like “oh no you’re just being a teenager” and it was really bad and really intense and when the doctors don't validate you that's even easier for your parents, who already don’t think it is a thing, to invalidate because well the professionals says that you’re just being moody. And it’s like ok but no because it’s so much more than just being moody, this is like I can't get out of bed, this is like I can’t go to class because of my OCD tendencies being super heightened by my anxiety and it’s just a lot of ups and downs, a lot of having to advocate for myself but that’s just really hard, it’s one thing to advocate for yourself with your school or your job but it’s another thing when it’s your family because
that’s just really hard, it’s one thing to advocate for yourself with your school or your job but it’s another thing when it’s your family because they have so much control and so much power with, you know, will you get your medication, will you get to therapy, and it’s just a lot of uncertainty which is super stressful and that makes the anxiety worse and then that makes the depression worse and it’s just a lot of hospital stays, a lot of different medication, a lot of different therapist and different types of therapy Lithza: My dad left to the states one day when I was eight and then my mom when I was ten, she left the day before christmas. I remember that I was crying because I felt like I was alone, and my great-grandmother saw me crying and she told me I was being weak, to stop crying and grow up. After that I started suppress my feeling, so for years I kept everything inside me. Two years after that my parent decided to bring my brother and me to the states, leaving everything behind, everything that made me feel safe. I had suppressed all those feelings for years and now many years later everything is just coming out. I thought something was wrong with me. I didn’t know what mental health was, I was afraid of telling people because I was afraid being labeled crazy or weak. My personality change a lot but my parents just thought I wanted attention; just being a teenager. It got to a point where I was not going to school, or doing my homework, I didn’t talk to anyone and just hid in my room. When I was really sick I still didn't share it with my parents because mental illness is not a thing in my culture or to my parents. My parents came to know about it when one my psychologist wanted to put me in the hospital because I was in a place where she didn't think I could be safe alone. She had to tell my parents about my condition and they kind of believed it but at the same time had doubts, mental health was relatively new to them. I did get help, and they were more supportive but still today they make comments to why I’m this person with a secluded personality, they don’t understand why all these events affected me this way. ● Do you think you’ll think you’ll ever be 100% cured?
Lithza: Well, I don't think so. I have suffered from depression for many years now. I can say that I've been in a better place for the last year and a half but I have had relapses. I think that there are times where I'm more depressed but I do have coping skills to deal with that, I have different skills that help me stay out of that place or stop myself from going in but I don't think I will be ever be 100% cure. Depression have been such a big part of my life, that I can’t just forget and move on, that history is still there. That history has shaped the person that I’m now; people have the misconception that because you might not be going to therapy or taking medication you are now cured or close to being cured but it’s not really true because there is always something that can trigger that depression. I think you are never 100% cure but you learn to manage it, to live a life with depression where you are winning the war against depression. Helena: I really resonate with what you said about like you learn to manage it better because such a big part of how I get by day to day is the fact that I’m on medications and I have being on medication for so long that it’s really jarringly noticeable for me when I don't take the medications so I don't think that it’s a bad thing. Medication is not for everyone but for me it’s really helpful and maybe one day I will have less medications but I don't think I will ever be completely off and I mean cure is such a subjective term but I think for me I just don't think I’ll ever be 100% because what does that even mean, 100%, does that mean never have bad days because there is always gonna be bad day and tough times, like hard situations. I think it just recognizing I’m going to have really tough times that are gonna really suck and I’m gonna wanna relapse into my bad coping skills but I think it’s just learning and growing and be like “no i don't need these bad coping skills”, like I know how to get through this and I do know what ways work and what ways don’t to get through this and figure things out. “Depression is like the common cold; some people have pneumonia”
What Does It Mean to be a Feminist? By Briana Livelsberger what does it mean to be a Feminist? Stand strong. Stand alone. Stand when at your breaking point. But no! stand Strong, but stand as long as you have the Strength to. stand Alone, Know when it is necessary and Know how to stand among Others. Stand when you’re about to break? a striking image but no one can keep up with such a paceRest, Relax, take a Break. Listen! Listen! We help those who’ve been left Unheard to Speak again. Listen! Listen! We implore the ones who have turned a blind eyefor these are the People in your care. See us! See me! Our situation won’t disappear when you close your eyes. so look at the ones you have Power to helpFight! Fight! Fight for those who have no Strength left, or those who can never Breathe again.
We give a Voice to Everyone. We fight to give Everyone a Say. We deserve to Live as Equals no matter Our Race Gender Religion. We deserve Justice when We’ve Suffered Abuse Assault Manipulation. for it wasn’t Our fault or what We woreWe all should be Proud instead of living in Fear of what could happen, showing characteristics of who We are. what does it mean to be a Feminist? to Listen when others won’tStand when others can’tSpeak when they’re silentand Love the differences that others hateA/N: Feminism, to me, is the belief that everyone is equal no matter who they are or where they came from. It is our responsibility to help those who need our help and to find ways to provide equality where it is difficult to find. In addition, it is our job to let those who have felt unimportant and unheard to know that they have a place and that they have a voice in this world.
this is Our world so why is it that so many of us are left in the cold, Broken.
RIOT GRRRL “The personal is political so I will use my person for politics.”
Helps set the scene for the future of fashion
For this design I wanted to incorporate the experiences of those who have ever been sexually harassed. It started out as a simple black bra that was meant to embody feelings that one experiences while being cat called. The abstract representation of a target in the bosom area I meant to mirror one’s feeling of being objectified and preyed on as if cat calling were a game and the hunters are those who actively participate to perpetuate social behaviors enabled by the Patriarchy. Stamped by words that read “personal” and “political” allude to the second wave of feminism were the slogan “the personal is political” was first popularized with the movement. By harnessing all those experiences of sexual harassment and others alike, the bra takes shape of an armor where those unfortunate experiences take on a life of their own. As self-expression can be silenced through clothes, RIOT GRRRL makes a statement by taking to heart that if the personal is political, then the personal will be used to make a political statement. As a radical, feminist clothing line, we are breaking down social barriers by breaking the rules of fashion first. My goal is to empower myself, so that I can empower others. So, I feel empowered the most when I’m wearing a smashing outfit!
“Positive portrayals of black women in the media are few and far between, and our screens are bombarded with images of black women whose goals revolve around men: finding a man, getting money from men, and obtaining fame through male counterparts. Society expects black women who are not celebrities to be welfare queens fluent in birthing multiple children and speaking Ebonics. Teachers, professors, and even family members are quick to crush our dreams, and we have to work twice as hard as everybody else in order to get what we deserve. Our voices are silenced in mainstream media, our stories are ignored, and our murdered are left out of the news. It is evident that patriarchy does not wish to see black women succeed.” -Racygirl.worldpress.com, “Mules of the World: On Black Women’s Mental Health” Figure 1: Selene Regener (artist)
One Day… By Asia Johnson The black woman and her mental needs are often neglected. She, too, suffers from anxiety, abuse, schizophrenia, and other things that don’t always make sense. To others, she is the “Strong Black Woman” who doesn’t need help from anyone. She can walk the earth alone if she wanted to. Although these things may be true about the black woman, her strength can only go on for so long. She hears, “Therapy?! That’s for white people. Go pray on it!” While prayer may work for some, it doesn’t always work for her. She wishes people would understand her and her problems. Hopes someone would give her the ‘ok’ to talk to a ‘shrink’. Her self- images are distorted. She constantly worries about her hair, skin, lips, and hips just like any other worried woman in the world. Why can’t she receive the same help? What’s so bad about needing help? She’s crying silently under her sheets, dreading the next day of abuse and anxiety. Her hair is falling out by the bundles. She doesn’t like the voices in her head. She’s scared of herself and what she’s become. Weak. Shattered. Tired. But still she is the strong black woman. She gets up in the morning. Fixes her hair, brushes her teeth, applies a coat of mascara. She goes about her daily life, smiling, laughing, cheering on her fellow sisters. “One day” she promises herself, “I’ll get help.”
Figure 2: Kristy Latoya (artist)
WHY THE T REX FROM JURASSIC PARK IS MY FEMINIST ICON By Evita Wrenn
. This is the T. Rex from Jurassic Park and she taught me an important lesson about female strength and empowerment. Anyone who doesn’t know her would immediately assume that she is actually a he. Why? Because she is a massive T. Rex with huge teeth and giant claws. A creature that is usually associated with masculinity in mainstream media That is exactly the reason I love her. She taught me that female strength has no specific look. When you look at her you see a massive being full of power and unafraid of the world around her. She had asserted dominance over her domain and she did it by being big and loud. She was and still is an inspiration for me to be as big and as loud as I need to be to make myself seen and heard. With the T. Rex as my role model I can be unafraid of how I present myself to the world. As silly as it sounds, this T. Rex is what I look up to. She is a strong and unapologetically unconventional female. That is why she is my feminist icon.
Wasted By Claire Fraser She was thin Her thighs did not touch Like the magazines said She was successful She ate less calories daily Than the average girl She was smart She could throw up Without anyone knowing She had everything By having nothing But she had no fat Given a week to live She put down the magazine She walked away from the toilet She is brave She lived She is smart She lets people know She is successful She proved society wrong She lived
Zing Sung
“This religion and Bible require of woman everything and give her nothing. They ask her support and her love and repay her with contempt and oppression.” Helen Gardener “Freedom cannot be achieved unless the women have been emancipated from all forms of oppression.” Nelson Mandela “For me, a better democracy is where women do not only have the right to vote and to elect but to be elected.” Michelle Bachelet “I am too intelligent, too demanding, and too resourceful for anyone to be able to take charge of me entirely. No one knows me or loves me completely. I have only myself.” Simone de Beauvoir “Yes, I’m a feminist, because I see all women as smart, gifted and tough.” Zaha Hadid
Quotes to Empower Women by Profound Women as as, w Parks w I ed osa y tir in.”-- R l n o “The giving tired
“No o ne c your cons an make ent. you ”- El eano feel infe r Ro r osev ior with elt “I don’t mind living in a man’s world as out long as I can be a woman in it.”-Marilyn Monroe
in the g n i p p o ut sho art with s o s l r he r gi knew y e o g m h n s u l see yo tire, it fil arvelous. W I n t e r “W h heir a ibility is m iss Majo t n i M is me dayti de. Our v this?”-e pri ut lik o much n r u ld t it wou
“To all the little girls watching… never doubt that you are valuable and powerful and deserving of every chance and opportunity in the world.”-- Hillary Clinton “The f irst thin g I do in sharpe the mo n my to rning is ngue.”brush m -Dorot y teeth hy Par and ker
“Every great dream beginning with a dreamer. Always remember you have within you the strength, the patience and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.— Harriet Tubman ’t u can . If yo elou it e g Ang chan thing, e”.— Maya e m o ttitud like s don’t nge your a u o y f I a “ e it ch chang
“Women m they fail, thust try to do thing s eir failure must be b as men have tried. W ut a challe nge to oth hen ers.”--
“There are still m an history yet to be y causes worth sacrificing for, so made.”-- Michelle much Obama
“I am a woman above everything else.”--Jackie Kennedy
book… I le u r e h t y b “I don’t go e eart, not th h e h t m o r lead f ess Diana c in r P .” head “A woman, especially if she have the misfortune of knowing anything, should conceal it as well as
“I avoid lo oking bac k, I prefer memories good to regrets .”-- Grace Kelly
born to do "I am not afraid… I was this.”-- Joan of Arc
she can.”-- Jane Austen
By An Davis
The Half the Sky movement and Feminist Methodology in Practice by: Ayanna Outten Have you ever wondered what kind of changes would happen if research results were used in reallife? Yes, the discussion section of research articles is informative, but how have the results been put in practice, specifically beyond the confines of the United States of America? What can we do to raise awareness of research studies in the new digital age? It seems like Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn have the idea. In Fall 2009, Pulitzer Prize winners, Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn published their book Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into opportunity for women worldwide, which describes how oppression of women has fostered gender-based violence, creating a global public health crisis by documenting women’s experiences from different countries. Furthermore, Kristof and WuDunn were able to invite several celebrity advocates with them, like Gabrielle Union, to developing countries, where they visited organizations that are providing resources for women who are being affected by various forms of gender-based violence against their bodies, or threats to their overall wellbeing in the author’s documentary series based on the book. The Half the Sky movement is a transmedia project that puts feminist methodology into practice by not only listening to women’s voices and experiences while being cognizant of their culture, but also obtaining quantitative data from them and creating an activist movement that empowers women. Furthermore, the movement looks at power and inequality in all the countries they visit, which provides different social contexts. In the first part of the documentary, Nicholas Kristof and actress Eva Mendes learn about gender-based violence and rape culture in Sierra Leone, where they focus on power imbalances and inequality, which is one of the main principles of feminism. For instance, the local gender-based violence help center acquired data through research surveys ran by the center director, Amie,
who used the statistics from the surveys to inform the Sierra Leonean government and police officials alike of the crimes against women, specifically how only one perpetrator was caught that year in comparison to the rape reports. Amie exemplifies the idea of taking feminist research and putting it into application by bringing her research results to policy makers and presenting a case for genderbased violence in Sierra Leone. Even though women, like Amie, are doing amazing work; how would anyone know about the women’s health organizations in these countries, if they did not have the opportunity to read the book? Luckily, Kristof and WuDunn decided to go beyond the conforms of the paper.
Images courtesy of Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into opportunity for women worldwide
The Half the Sky movement uses innovative technological approaches, like creating a video game, to reach a larger audience, which broadens the on-going conversation about gender-based violence, sex-trafficking, education etc. Additionally, the internet plays an important role in activism today. For example, information about the women’s march in January was shared through Facebook predominantly. Being abreast of current mediums seems essential for sparking activism among young people during the digital age. Ultimately, Kristof and WuDunn demonstrated that feminist activism can start with listening to the experiences of women from marginalized groups and utilizing the skills from their craft to create not only a book, but also a documentary. Today, we have the ability of going beyond street-level activism, because we can use the internet, or other desired mediums to send a message.
Breaking the Silence By: Rena DiPaula In my eyes you can see I hurt Tired. Alone. Scared. Screaming inside with hopes that someone will hear, But I’m as silent as a mouse What is liberty? Happiness? Love? Freedom? I feel like I am a bird with clipped wings Suffocating inside. Silence. Bruises cover my body like the tattoos that hide my scars I am getting weak Tired. I know I’ve stayed longer than I should, But I feel like I’m a caged tiger waiting to be freed I am worth it. I am beautiful. My scars don’t define me. I’ve had enough pain and suffering I want to be free Please let me be free This is not what I want anymore I don’t deserve this A little courage goes a long way. I am free. You will never hurt me again. I am free.
Women's Issues Portrayed in Television
Orange Is the New Black S.3 EP. 10
Exploring A Woman's Purpose in a Male-Centered Society by: Ariella Pusey Orange is the New Black is a Netflix Original Series that has provided viewers with five seasons that have touched on issues of racism, sexism, mental health, domestic violence, and transphobia, all in the setting of a Women's Federal Prison.
In episode ten of the third season we learn the backstory of one of the prisoners, Tiffany Doggett, also known as “Pennsatucky.” The episode begins with a young Pennsatucky getting her period for the first time and her mother explaining to her what this now means. Her mother tells 11-year-old Pennsatucky that she now has value and that boys will begin to see her and treat her differently. Her mother gives her advice on how to handle her newfound male attention and says “Best thing is to go on and let ‘em do their business, baby.” By 11 years old, Pennsatucky is already receiving messages that she is an object, and that regardless of her thoughts or feelings, it is best to let men do what they want to her.
This insinuation projected onto Pennsatucky by her mother subconsciously stays with her throughout her adolescence. Her sexual experiences with men are carried out in exchange for soda. It is not until she meets a man named Nathan that she realizes sex can consist of something more than just giving a man what he wants.
She is surprised by her sexual experiences with Nathan as she feels intimacy and love, something she has never felt nor desired before. His attention and care to her pleasure and well-being seems completely abnormal to her because she has been raised to believe that women exist for a man’s pleasure and not vice versa. She experiences bliss and enjoyment as she witnesses a new side of life, until Nathan moves out of town and she is left alone with men who use and abuse her. She is raped by a man who justifies his actions by giving her soda in return. Pennsatucky loses her feelings of trust and elation, and reverts back to the way she thinks things should be.
The themes explored in this episode strongly connect to Feminist Psychology, because the episode exemplifies the negative effects of a patriarchal social structure, and how deeply embedded sexist culture is in our society. From Pennsatucky’s early ages she is taught that it is normal for women to be objectified. As she goes through life she is mistreated and misused by men who think that she belongs to them. When Pennsatucky experiences something that challenges her deeply rooted feelings about sex, she briefly embraces it. When she is raped, she remembers her role as a woman as told by her mother, and goes back to believing that this is the way things should be.
Through storyline and character development, this episode of Orange Is the New Black sheds light on deep rooted sexism. The writers do a good job of highlighting the negative feelings men have towards women and the negative feelings women have towards themselves. The issues raised in this episode are important to portray in television because it can reach a wide range of people and evoke positive change.
Questions for my Vagina and a Monologue By: Zoë Gilmore Inspired by “The Vagina Monologues” by Eve Ensler What is your vagina’s name? Hmmm, well my vagina’s name is Lavender. What is your vagina’s personality? Lavender is very patient, loving, funny, intuitive, selfish and selfless at the same time. She knows when I’m not taking care of the rest of my body, and she will let me know. What does your vagina wear? Well, it depends on the day. When the weather is bright, sunny, warm and cheerful, she would wear a cotton dress and nothing else. She uses this dress to protect her from the sun’s harmful rays but she will have nothing else on, she will be complete naked under that dress. Lavender likes to bask in the glory of the warmth, to her a simple dress gives her the freedom to do so. When it is rainy but warm, Lavender likes to wear flowy pants and sleeveless shirts this outfit makes it easy to throw on a sweatshirt or sweater. When it’s cold outside, she likes to wear cotton undies, relaxed jeans and sweaters galore. Then of course there are the wacky days when she likes to walk around nothing but rain boots, but that’s Lavender. What does your vagina say? “Wow.” “Can you not wear thongs?” “YES! No underwear to bed!” “How about a dance?” “You look good!” A Monologue I haven’t had sex yet. I’m quite terrified. I don’t think I’m scared of the actual act of sex, but I think being naked in front of someone and being that vulnerable is what really scares me. I like wearing clothes that help me hide, like wearing high-waisted jeans to hide the little pouch just under my belly button. But when you’re naked you can’t cover anything. I mean, I guess your best bet would be to suck in your stomach and hope it’s really dark out. On the other hand, I don’t know if I can share my vagina with anyone. My vagina is the only thing that is mine and mine only anymore. So, isn’t it understandable if I don’t want someone taking that away from me? Honestly, I am just protective over my vagina, and there is nothing wrong with that at all. I love her and that’s why I’m so protective of her. She is a delicate flower in my garden and I must protect her.
Society’s Stamp By: Courtney Sloan
These photos were inspired by the pressure that society puts on women to meet unrealistic beauty standards. Women face immense pressure to conform to unachievable standards of beauty because the coveted “perfect� body is exhibited all throughout mainstream media. In order to attempt to achieve an unrealistic image of ideal beauty, sometimes women end up taking extreme measures in the effort to embody this societal standard of perfection. This ends up leaving women with detrimental imprints on their minds and bodies.
[Some Rogue Thoughts] [Dhananjaya Solin]
Why must we continue to question those who come for us for help all they need is a listener an open ear a heart Wide eyed Open minded seeking something new anxious thoughts surround and surround and surround anxious thoughts ever present Do I belong here? Is this my place to speak? Am I masculine enough Am I too feminine? Does it matter? we will see.
oh no i'm in the bathroom again sitting here looking at my reflection contemplating how I got to this point. Cheeks red and flushed, I gaze softly at the mirror before me and say pull it together put it together or at least try dont cry boys don't cry. “don't be a pussy” “why are you so emotional” why do I feel so much
Free from my thoughts I soar -baggage in tow lazily drifting behind
In the Blink of an Eye
By: Anna Trulio
In the blink of an eye The world goes black The clock strike 2:30 You find yourself reeling In the blink of an eye You sit in an uncomfortable office Discussing what a human has done to you You are melancholy, ashamed Untrustworthy is the person In the blink of an eye You are not you You have vanished The cloak of night hides your fears You have no more tears In the blink of an eye You lie speechless Defenseless In the blink of an eye It could be you