Issue 6 by Yes, Ma'am

Issue 6 Contributors: Candice Hammack Kristin Gamez Viktoria Valenzuela Liza Wolff Francis Athena Melton Michael Menchaca Jonathan Monjaras Liliane Avalos 3

A little something I have been thinking about lately, have noticed the past years, and something I strive to work on, change, or improve would be

Seeing Myself Clearly

especially in relation to others, more specifically: males.

Sometimes I forget the own strength and okay-ness of my own individual pillar of humanness. Of being a woman and all the roles that entails. Yet, striving for masculine qualities, and then finding myself at a breaking point where I am forced back into my own female body, forced to look into myself and recognize all the marvels I already possess. Just by being woman.

Naturally vulnerable to the world some days, having a natural inclination to connect more closely with the world and with others than some of my male friends.

I think the more I can embrace my feminine nature, something soft, and a bit more changeableâ&#x20AC;Śthe more I can protect this role of being woman. By freeing up my voice, saying NO, staying grounded in myself, not over-compromising, and staying true blue to the inner direction of myself, with less interference from outside sources. Power, Inner Liberation. Being Still. With a cogent ability to be ICE, to slash and cut through any and all projection, faĂ§ade, or bullshit.

What a paradox: the very act of protecting the feminine, being subtle and kind to her, amps up our equal nature of masculinityâ&#x20AC;Śbeing the taskmaster, no nonsense, powerhouse women that we already are and have been. -C. Hammack 5

my milky white skin blooms color and radiance a kaleidoscope

-Anonymous

kristingamez.com

These images are my performance photo documentation of my character Bandita. “Bandito” is commonly known as an outlaw, a person that goes against the status quo, a rebel and most often connotes Chicano masculinity. It is through the use of the mustache sunglasses, which signify Chicanismo, Chicano cultural commodification, and the bandito stereotype, that I invoke and question these characteristics and I blend with my own feminized character, Bandita. -Kristin Gamez 9

The Purse The beautiful American word purse, a bag, a clutch, for one without handles. My daughter carries  a polka-dotted backpack with toys pinned to the pockets  in a pure hipster fashion she doesn’t put any labels on it. Proper women don’t carry anything in the hood, a tool of the trade when prostituting on Guadalupe Street. On the Riverwalk, handbags and wallets  are opulently speckled with rhinestones and metallic embellishment. Sleek haired women carry  a pocketbook agenda and squared eyes above stone shoulders. I am perplexed by Louis Vuitton, Prada, and Manolo Blahnik accessories  while faux styles cost less and hold up just as well when buying dinner on the way home. Momma made purses out of old blue jeans, but, I carry a plain red sack  with the printed image of a Volvo on it, for safety’s sake. by Viktoria Valenzuela 10

Viktoria Valenzuela is SUNY Oswego BA and a Creative nonfiction writer, poet, activist, and organizer for human rights and historical truth. She has been a single mother for over 14 years and is currently the Chief Editor of The Arts United Magazine. Valenzuela is working on her first book and working as a teaching poet in San Antonio Texas. 11

Welcoming in 2013 by Liza Wolff-Francis We entered this year with an Indian woman who was gang raped having just died. The guilty men may face the death penalty. Will that be enough? Before you think I’m calling for the death penalty for rapists or for anyone, consider that in India, official statistics show that a rape is reported every 20 minutes. Consider the many that are not reported. Last August in Steubenville, Ohio a sixteen year old girl was raped by two or more members of the high school football team when she was unconscious after drinking. Protests rang in the new year as many people believe the investigation hasn’t been open to all of the facts. They believe the investigation has favored the perpetrators in order to save the high school football team, which has, in the past, brought the town much pride. Someone identifying as “Anonymous” saw many of the interactions on social media about the rape and began posting it on social media. “Anonymous” may have hacked into email to get some of the information. What that says to me is that “Anonymous” feels it is worth the risk of repercussions in order for there to be justice. Even aside from the rapes themselves, when you see how the guys on the football team and people in general have responded to the victims, to the cases, to the issue of rape, you begin to see what we call “rape culture.” This is the idea that rape is normal, that victims deserve to be raped, that rape is sex. It is the excusing of rape in the culture, the tolerating of it, and even condoning it. It is the expecta-

tion of the rape of women. Though rape affects everyone, men, women, children, young, and old, there exists the idea that women’s and girls’ bodies are for public use. In the Steubenville case, there were boys on camera dragging the unconscious girl off to rape her. There were boys saying she was “dead,” so “dead” that she should be raped and “if it was their daughter, they wouldn’t care.” There were tweets about how she was raped. Social media all over the place. “Anonymous” informed the public and made it clear that the case shouldn’t/wouldn’t be so easily pushed aside. It got national attention because “Anonymous” blew the whistle. We all need to be whistle blowers around rape. We all need to speak up to stop it, to make sure it doesn’t happen, to say it’s not okay! It is NOT the norm. It is NOT to be expected. Anonymous is brave to speak out, though because of rape culture, is at risk and therefore posting anonymously. If we all speak out against rape, no one has to speak out anonymously. In this new year, we have the opportunity to make change. We can educate each other. We can brainstorm ways to stop violence against women. Against girls. Against people. We can speak out against rape. Against street harassment. Against all sexual violence! I have a friend who posted on Facebook the other day that she now hates to go jogging because every time she goes, she is ‘cat called,’ whistled to, or propositioned. There were some people who said she should get a weapon and asked if she wanted someone to kick some ass, but many people responded to her saying, “Enjoy it while you can,” “It won’t last 13

forever,” “Once you’re older, you’ll wish that happened,” “Take it as a compliment,” “It’s because you’re beautiful,” and “Girl, that was me.” They were joking and trying to make her feel better, but what she knows and what I couldn’t resist commenting is that street harassment is a threat and dangerous. It is sexual violence. She is beautiful. What has been happening to her when she jogs has nothing to do with that. The street harassment is a threat. How different would it be if everyone recognized it as sexual violence? What if everyone said, Whoa, that’s sexual violence- not okay. Sorry that happened to you. Street harassment has to stop. It keeps women from being fully free in the world. It is a threat and can escalate quickly. We must shape these conversations, even online ones- maybe especially online ones, to stop rape culture. How different would it be if any time someone saw another person engaging in inappropriate behavior, they said something against the behavior and worked to make it stop and prevent further harm. 2013 is a good time to start to make change. To change our culture to not tolerate rape. If the rapists in India get the death sentence, will that be enough? If the penalty for all proven rape is enough to be a deterrent, whether that’s the death sentence or not, it might be enough. We need stricter laws to deter people from raping and we need a society that absolutely will not put up with sexual violence against anyone! A simple and yet even more complicated way to work toward stopping sexual violence is through gender equality. When people view other people as equal to them, not better or worse or as a threat or as inhuman, the drive to rape will lessen. matrifocalpoint.com 14

Equality When I hear the word Equality I think of it as something that is attainable for everyone. I cannot understand why anyone would want to be treated differently. Why would someone choose to be treated less than someone else? I look back at the events that occurred over the past few weeks and think to myself, “What the fuck just happened? It’s 2013.” How is it that someone can say things behind my back, but have absolutely nothing to say to my face when I look them in the eyes and ask them “Do you have a problem with me?” Oh, I wasn’t aware that a blank expression was the new look for 2013, let me just turn my back real quick so that you can call me a “faggot.” These inequalities of sexuality, gender, race, religion, marriage, and skin color need to end. All I have ever wanted is to be the best that I am capable of being. I don’t want anyone to look down at me when they should be looking up. I go about my life breaking as many stereotypes as I can. I know that I cannot be the only one fighting for equality, for it is all of us acting together that will bring the changes we wish to see. My wish for 2013 is to bring as much change to this blue terra as I can in every possible way. Hopefully one day I can awake to the reality of actual equality. Equality should not just be a word we hear and say: it must be an action. Jonathan 18

Come speak your mind and join us in discussion every Tuesday night in February and March at Sasona Co-op in Austin, TX. Past discussion topics include Performance Art, the Politics of Hair, Internet Misogyny, Womens Rights and Animal Rights, Marriage, and Sex work.

Lola 12x18 in. Watercolor on paper

Lola A day on the property of where I was raised you would understand the underlining basis to the imagery and color of my work. It was not until moving away from the Rio Grande Valley, now what is three years ago, have I been awaken by my subconscious decisions. Being raised in a Hispanic Catholic family surrounded by religious icons, superstitions, and agriculture, my heritage never came off so rich previous to migrating to a metropolis. My grandmother Theodora Rivera was born April first nineteen thirty-four and was raised in San Luis de la paz Guanajuato Mexico. Having only attended elementary school three days out of her lifetime she did not have the luxury of an academic education. Never learned how to read or write, drive a car, or fully speak English. None the less standing next to a well-read person grandma is still the strongest willed female I know.

1950 was the year she came to the United States with only 3 photos of documentation of her younger self and this is one of them at age twenty.

-Liliane A. Avalos LilianeAvalos.com

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Liliane-Avalos/235771656455646 21