Protest!

2011-04-17T20:45:00.001-07:00

Creating a zine page was not as simple as I thought of it to be. It was actually far more difficult. Zines have the ability to make powerful statements, and I wanted to do just that. Feminism is my passion, my way of knowing the world through the lens of those only few have the ability to look through. For me, these zine pages were the most important aspect of this course.
My personal zine page is filled with images I strongly associate with feminism. I am constantly admiring the effort of the women and men who pushed for the 19th amendment, and those who were political prisoners trying to better the future of women to come. It is titled “Feminism epidemic”, while it is not an epidemic that has reached all, it is one that bringing more attention to issues necessary for equality in our world. I am proud to be a feminist and I believe the images on my zine appropriately illustrate this. Feminism stems from my anger because there is a lack of equality and justice in the U.S. and the world. There is an array of “fake feminist” and many saying it is dead. This makes me angry. This demonstrates that “the personal is political” since it is the lack of equality that affects me making me angry. I fight for equality for all, and so it is a political action, as this is the sole way to achieve success. I am not scared to admit I am a feminist and will do anything to better the future for generations to come. I believe this to be the foundation of feminism and of all of the waves. Roise the Riveter is a constant reminder of what women can do and that above and beyond the sky, there is no limit to the success we can achieve.

“The Personal is Political” is further exemplified in my second zine page. I choose to illustrate LGBT issues and how one’s sexuality becomes a political action, especially when one “comes out of the closet”. I wanted to illustrate that everyone, regardless of sexuality, race, sex, gender, etc is created equal through the hands coming together to make a circle. In the middle of these circles are eyes, demonstrating again we are all equal. The entire zine page is better supported with “Equal rights are not special rights”.

Zine pages are harder to design with a message, but they are always great to make to show what the real meaning of fight is. They are powerful, shy, loud, and quiet. Some make one think, others one may not recall. They are designed for what one wants them to be, and how powerful of a message one wishes to give.

-Kelly Quintero

2011-04-17T20:37:00.000-07:00

My zine pages have changed conceptually numerous times. In its final form, the “personal” aspect concerns queer space and embodiment and the idea of the unseen faces of queer culture, which is contrasted very starkly with the “political” faces, the faces of access issues, such as same sex marriage, adoption, and the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (see: Lt. Dan Choi, top left). Within the heterosexual consciousness, there are very conflicting images of what it means to be gay, as even some “allies” make the culture seem extremely monolithic in terms of goals and subcultural aims. At Pride parades all over the world, everything is a giant rainbow with partially clothed people of both genders, nay, any gender, a mass of oft debauched but always ecstatic people who are very well intended in their pursuit of equality under the law. However, this is not where it ends. As one of the pictures in the “personal” page notes, assimilation is not liberation.The current scheme of the “gay rights” movement is concerned principally with access to institutions which do not belong to them and in many cases, do not particularly want them. I love queer theory and culture because I’m a postmodernist, and I can appreciate the idea of “playing” with gender, time, and space, of creating a world that doesn’t adhere to our traditional conceptions of the life timeline: as an English teacher of mine once put it, “born, troubled, died.” The gay rights movement, as conceived in popular culture, is the antithesis of revolutionary action. That is not to say that I think that there isn’t a place for it because though I may see marriage as a flawed institution because it distributes legal and monetary benefits that single-personhood does not, even though we really have no need to encourage people to populate the earth any further, and though I may think that serving in the military is counterintuitive to being a good citizen in some ways because it builds up a military complex that subjugates other nations and the list goes on in terms of reasoning, it’s not about what I think. Someone who wants access to either institution should be granted it unconditionally. Not everyone wants a life that transcends concepts of what is socially important. Some people just want to love whomever they want to love, and publicly express it like their peers can, and that’s that, and that’s okay. I just find it interesting that the bulk of the images of “out and proud” culture are perpetuated and in many ways shaped by a dominantly white and affluent sect of gay men (see: HRC and their often trans-phobic policies). I’m often surprised that even within gay culture, there are so many fears, stereotypes, and prejudices, i.e. that it’s not possible for someone, especially a man, to actually be bisexual, not just confused, and if they claim that they are, they shouldn't be trusted (see: Dan Savage’s advice column, Savage Love). HELLO, your flag is a rainbow. You’re supposed to be accepting of all people, regardless of race, gender identity, or ESPECIALLY, sexual orientation. And yet, when we see people lobbying for the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, the only issues raised are related to sexual orientation, while trans people are completely excluded from serving at all. My stance, in essence, is that these politicized figures subjugate the voices of their minoritarian counterparts, the queers who don’t think taking it to the streets for access to things straight people hold near and dear will solve any of the problems relating to class disparity, racism, violence, and innumerable other problems that are generally thought to be solved at this point, when nothing could be further from the truth. The postmodernity, rejection of prominent discourses about racism, and queer theory itself all encapsulate Third Wave discourse. Instead of accepting the dominant culture, these people cast off the heteronormative lifestyle in every way, even in bodily expression, and I find it beautiful and hope my personal page reflects that, through images of not only sexual definitions of queerness, but also its overarching life implications.

-Patricia Parker

2011-04-17T20:31:00.000-07:00

Feminism is an ever growing and evolving way of life. I am proud to say that I am a third wave feminist. I am proud to be part of the wave that embraces different races, religions, social issues, and ways of life. I am proud to say that I am a Hispanic, married, Christian woman. My zine pages sums up my core beliefs.
The first page of my zine is a collection of pictures that represent my walk with feminism. For instance, I have both the Puerto Rican flag and Cuban Flag. Both of these flags represent my heritage. I also have pictures of Puerto Rican food, famous rum, and beautiful beaches. All of these pictures remind me of where I come from. As a Hispanic woman I have always been encouraged to speak my mind on important social issues. However, I was also taught to be the woman to stay home with the kids while my husband works. I grew up with these contradictions my whole life. Consequently, I decided to embrace all of it. Why can’t I be the woman who speaks her mind, works, and takes care of the kids? Secondly, I have a picture of Frida. In my opinion Frida Kahlo de Rivera represents a strong Hispanic woman who had a lot of talent and intelligence. I love to see other Hispanic women success in life. They inspire me to go above and beyond the stereotypical Hispanic woman stereotype. Finally, I have pictures representing my faith in Christianity. Christianity is not the most popular religion within the feminist community. However, Christianity is a central part of my life. Consequently, in my opinion some of the teachings of Jesus go hand in hand with many feminist views. Jesus taught on love of others, treating others as you would yourself, and peace among all people. Ultimately these three factors describe who I am at the core. I love who I am as a feminist. I am unique, beautiful, and in love with the views of feminism. I hope to make a change in this world as a Hispanic, married, Christian third wave feminist.

My second zine page represents the social issues concerning feminism within different races and religions. Feminists come in all colors and walks of life. For instance, one of the pictures I have is of a group of black women marching for women’s rights. I also have a picture in the center of my zine of different women’s hands of all colors in support of feminism. It is vital that more women of color join the feminist movement. If more of us unite may create more change within our different cultures. I also included pictures representing three important religions in our society. The first is Judaism. Judaism is not only a religion but a culture. The Jewish faith has both male and female Rabbis. Several female rabbis encourage women to combine both their feminist beliefs and their religion. The second religion is Christianity. There are some branches of Christianity that support the feminist movement and encourage it fully. As a Christian feminist myself I have realized how the teachings of Jesus Christ help with my life as feminist. The third religion is Islam. Islam is a religion that has been seen as one that restricts change on social issues for women. However, I have spoken to several Muslim women and they have told me that there faith inspires them towards women liberation.
Ultimately, whether we agree with each other’s way of life or religious affiliations we must work together for our movement to continue succeeding.

Overall, both pages represent who I am and my views. My purpose with my Zine pages is to open people’s minds to the different feminists that have been overlooked by the mainstream. I want to unite all women together to work towards our ultimate goal of equality.

_Christine Sepulveda

Barbie Doll

2011-04-17T20:24:00.000-07:00

-Kendall Bierer

The derisive imagery and ironic tone of the poem denounce the patriarchal system and gender discrimination of the modern society. The supposed perfection of the female body that this poem idealizes simply is not achievable.
Many young women feel this same pressure on a daily basis. It is unrealistic for girls to fashion themselves after the women they see in magazines, television shows and marketing schemes.
In reality a small percentage of female population would live up to the standards set for them. The woman’s attempt to emulate Barbie’s appearance is a deviation from her originality. This process of transformation is inherently destructive for the woman that forcibly undergoes changes which are contrary to her natural behaviors.
The classic Barbie is actually extremely disproportionate in almost every feature she has. As young children, girls are introduced to the concept of beauty through the blue eyes of plasticity. We are made to imagine how they can dress, how we can do their hair, the car they drive, which Ken they choose to date and where they are going to vacation. Growing up, I absolutely loved my Barbies.
The poem Barbie Doll by Marge Piercy holds a mirror up to our own vanity and reveals the rampant destruction of self-worth that comes from comparing the normal to the unreal. Piercy has successfully diverted the reader’s attention to the fact that forcing the people, especially women, into restrictive roles and ideals may prove disastrous, leading to emotional conflicts that are often difficult if not impossible to resolve. The standards set for them are too high to achieve and resultantly many women may fall into depression and low self esteem.
I feel that in this Third Wave of Feminism, women are able to embrace the conformist aspect as well as the bold. Relating to this, Loretta Gerlach spoke about how being a feminist determines many aspects of one’s life. “It affects what we wear and how we wear it, where we shop and what we buy, what entertainment we choose, and where we get our news.” (Turbo Chicks, 42) This is true in so many ways.

This fighting is what is so different in the Third Wave of Feminism. We are contradicting some actions that took place in the First and Second waves. Instead of burning bras, we are wearing push-ups and defining our own sexuality. That is the beauty of sexuality, it is infinite, we are able to demand when to and how to embrace and portray it.

A great example of this was mentioned in both Manifesta and Turbo Chicks, Madonna. She wields her sexuality as she wills and wishes. There have been more and more television shows that have embraced power and found the balance of femininity such as Xena, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Ally Mcbeal. Maybe it is this desire to have power that scares patriarchal society so much.

These issues are often not discussed enough in the contemporary pop culture world we know today. Many a time I have continued to read articles about counting calories, feeding his needs and numerous articles about how to fix myself from some bikini clad model. Why do people talk to me like I need their help?

I personally love Naomi Wolf’s The Beauty Myth and embrace it with ferocity. I do believe that the world we live in today is responsible for much of the eating disorders, rape and lash outs that take place.

It is still hard to be a feminist today, but I feel like we must embrace it to make a difference. It is not so much about the fight, but rather what we are doing to fix it and be genuine to ourselves. I am tired of walking around angry, being questioned by friends who find my refusal to wear a bikini unreasonable and also having to watch so many people choose a more treaded upon path.

When it comes to women’s issues it is not only about us. We stand for equality, passion, life and above all freedom. Nobody will ever know this though if we do not stand up and speak out. On page 54 of Turbo Chicks, Samantha Sacks writes, “In this world I don’t count unless I raise my fucking voice.” I think that this quote is fantastic, especially in the context which it is used. “But you built the chrome and glass and you can’t see me.” This is what I feel like on a daily basis. I feel like a society built what women should be, the rules we should adhere to, but then they made a woman seem like nothing. They built a substance but without us speaking out, that chrome and glass is a barrier. This is where the personal is political.

2011-04-17T19:56:00.000-07:00

This is personal.
Tattoos are art. They are a way for people to express their emotions, hobbies, loved ones, memories and symbols. It is a way for people to show their independence and give their body something permanent.
The truth is, I have a tattoo.
I decided to get this tattoo because I had thought about it for three years and had found a reason in my mind and heart for what it meant to me.
My past hasn’t been the easiest. I have been beaten and broken in past relationships, both emotionally and physically. My tattoo is of a black bird, a specific one which I believe is symbolized in the Beatles’ song Blackbird.
The lyrics are simple and short; however I embrace every word as a symbol of my personal independence. I once felt as though I was only singing to myself. I felt alone and as though even if I reached out for help, nobody would be there to lend me a hand. I felt as though my wings had been broken and there was no way for me to be able to leave. All of my life, I was only waiting for a moment to arise when I could become me. It took a long time for me to be able to see clearly again. I had held so much in for so long, that I felt as though I was at the point of no return. When the moment finally arose, I took it.
I discovered that although I can embrace that moment and fly, I cannot do it alone. The two birds I drew at the bottom of the page represent the importance of relationships in a person’s life. Although two people can be intensely unique, together they can come together and support one another. These relationships can be seen through friendships, family and significant others.
Sometimes it is okay to depend on someone else, so long as you are not dependent.
The ironic part of this post is that women are still ridiculed for the stigma of body art. The fact is, even now, women receive more negative reactions to their body art than men. Whether it is because of the historical connotations or the modern stigma that still remains attached to women with ink, the fact is it is yet another battle for free expression. Even in a world so vastly more conscious of equality, women must still fight for their rights in both overt and subtle ways. A woman’s right to ink remains one of the latter.
Tattoos are, in their own right, yet another way for women to assert independence and their right to equality. It is our right to express ourselves in any way we choose, in voice, in writing and in art, including body art. We can only hope that someday a woman can freely get a tattoo, anywhere she wants without fear of social repercussions. Perhaps, one day we will. Until then, remember to take these broken wings and learn to fly. As we have in the past, we will continue to fight for our rights.
-Kendall Bierer

Ecofeminism: Defining Borders

2011-04-17T19:39:00.000-07:00

This project focuses in cooperation with my personal and political ‘zine pages, both of which pertain to topics that I am passionate about. For my personal ‘zine, I wanted to connect to the topic that got me interested in women’s studies in the first place, and that subject is ecofeminism. I learned of ecofeminism through one of my environmental studies courses and I have remained fascinated ever since, thus I focused my ‘zine not only on ecofeminism but related it to the current issues that surround the University of Central Florida’s environmental center and developers’ attitudes towards the environment and women in general. Looking at my personal ‘zine page, one may immediately notice two pictures centered on the ‘zine page- one picture portrays the current state of the UCF Arboretum and the second picture illustrates the future of the UCF Arboretum if the UCF Administration is not stopped in their efforts of building on the Arboretum’s land. The UCF Administration and building contractors believe that they have the right to go about and assemble shop wherever they please, regardless of whom the land belongs to or who it provides homage to. Some may say that this set of circumstances provides an excellent example to ecofeminism because many peers of the women’s rights movement similarly believe that they have the right to go about and hinder women in the same way that the environment is being hindered. The environment and women alike are expected to continuously provide for the world without any sort of retribution, only to be struck down by the decision of political hierarchy. The quotes conveyed in the ‘zine essentially portray the same sentiments which I just explained, that is to say, that the environment and women are often treated in the same way in that they are often subject to patriarchal dominance and social structures.
In reality, the second picture is simply a deforested area, yet it still conveys a powerful message pertaining to ecofeminism. The trees that have already fallen represent those who fought for women’s rights and put up a good fight, yet were still struck down by their peers in attempts of limiting women’s rights. The trees in the background that are still left standing represent those who, although witnessing the downfall of those before them, will persevere and continue to represent the rights of those who were shunned and will provide as a good model as to why their cause is important in the first place. Essentially, in this case, the trees provide for a didactic metaphor for women’s rights because both the trees and women’s rights are exposed entities that are often put down by peers, namely men, and those left standing will continue to fight for their convictions until forced to do otherwise.
The picture in the bottom right hand corner portrays both living and dead flowers, a didactic that I believe to represent the women’s rights movement. Some claim that the women’s rights movement is alive and chugging along while others seem to think that it is dead as a door nail, confirming that the women’s rights movement is indeed in the midst of a life and death struggle. Whether the movement is truly dead or alive, it has the natural means, just as a flower does, to reproduce and eventually generate something even more powerful than before, and that would be a vivacious turn in the women’s rights movement that would be so influential that nobody in their right mind would dare to question the validity of it. Also, a plant’s roots represent the grassroots aspect of ecofeminism and how it only takes a few flowers, or in this case a small group of individuals, to produce a huge field of flowers, or in this case provide prevailing change that is needed by the women’s movement.
I chose ecofeminism as my topic of personal pull with the women’s rights movement because ecofeminism is a political issue that must be addressed, more exceedingly so because it is something that does affect each and every one of us personally. If we proceed to let a patriarchal structure dominate our social scene, then we will all live to see the demise of our environment and the women’s rights movement as a whole.

Female Sex Wars: Upping the Ante

For my political ‘zine, I wanted to focus on the hush-hush topic of the female sex wars. Surprised to learn that there is war going on pertaining to the female sexuality in the first place?! Well in that case, do not beat yourself up for being out of the loop, the female sex wars is a war that has been going on for far too long, similar to that of Iraq, however, unlike the war in Iraq, the female sex wars have yet to make national headlines and front page news. From my understanding, the female sex wars is a war waged among feminists in an attempt to reveal the true heir to feminism, whether it be those who embrace their sexuality and parade it without shame, or those who claim to be anti-pornographic and claim that flaunting female sexuality is only allowing men to oppress women more than is already done so.
My ‘zine depicts both opponents in the female sex wars; one side depicts the anti-pornographic individual who labels those who embrace their sexuality with stereotypical terms such as trash and drama and the other side portrays those who choose to espouse their sexuality in an obvious sexual manner. The most focal point of the entire piece is the central line which states “you can’t have it both ways.” This implies that females should not waste their time warring with each other of the ‘right’ or ‘moral’ way to go about taunting said sexuality.
When it comes down to it, the female sex wars are exceedingly pointless and only gives those in opposition of the women’s rights movement more fire in which they can point out flaws in justifying women’s rights. Why are women fighting each other over sexuality?! The point is that some women choose to utilize their RIGHTS (the whole point to begin with!) in whichever manner they may choose to do so, rather it be pornographic in nature or not. The whole point is that the woman is CHOOSING to do that! If a woman opts to make a living by sitting around naked all day modeling for Playboy magazine, so be it! At least she has the option of doing so.
On the other hand, I can understand how some women may feel that by flaunting sexuality in this manner, we are only furthering men’s oppression of women by basically giving the green light to go ahead and utilize women for the sole purposes of their body. Although my ‘zine may state that you cannot have it both ways, I am here to argue that you can. I simply think that there is a better way of going about of having it both ways than to wage a war that will only allow for outside opponents to point to as some sort of gaffe. I am here to propose that rather than fight each other on the subject, we come together to accept both understandings of females as sexual beings and work toward furthering the empowerment of the women’s rights movement from that standpoint.
The female sex wars represents an important political issue that should be discussed more often than not among feminists; just as the war of Iraq should make headlines more commonly with news stations, so should the female sex wars among feminists. It is important to discuss this political issue because it is important to decide where one stands personally on the issue so that we may move forward together in hopes of banning such an impractical conflict.

-Chelsea Stewart

2011-03-29T21:00:00.000-07:00

I am aware some people might find my zine choices obscene or juvenile at first look, but I chose to create these particular pages because of my personal experiences with both of the issues. My first zine page “Here We Cum...” addresses the topic of Female Ejaculation. I find this topic very interesting because until recently (2001) the prostate gland responsible for producing and expelling ejaculatory fluid in women, was more or less denied an existence! The first person known to have described the "female prostate" in Western medical literature was Reinier De Graaf (1641-1673) in the year 1672. He described it as a collection of functional glands and ducts surrounding the female urethra. He said the glands and ducts produced a "pituitoserous juice;" meaning it produces a thick mucous that is pale yellow or transparent in color. He said the function of this fluid was to make "women more libidinous with its pungency and saltiness and lubricates their sexual parts in agreeable fashion during coitus." Despite his observation modern Western medicine did not fully accept the concept of a "female prostate" until 2001 when the Federative Committee on Anatomical Terminology agreed to use this term in their next edition of Histology Terminology.
So, where did the female prostate disappear to for 329 years? Prior to the 20th century the term "female prostate" was commonly used within medical research literature but during the 20th century the female prostate was usually described as vestigial i.e. not fully developed and non-functional, and was identified as either paraurethral or Skene's glands. While the components of the female prostate were known to exist they were not seen as structures of interest or importance; with a few exceptions. Since modern medicine did not see the female prostate playing an active and necessary role in reproduction it wasn't essential to understand its function. Also, the female prostate is not believed to be affected by disease on a frequent basis and this likely contributed to the lack of interest within doctor offices and hospitals. At this point, we simply need to acknowledge the existence of this organ and that it plays a role in the normal functioning of the female body; it isn't a figment of any one's imagination.
Furthermore, because female ejaculate contains the same substances found in male ejaculate, and male ejaculate is linked to cancer prevention, can the same not be said about female ejaculate? As of 2000, it was also discovered that the hormone serotonin, a well-known contributor to feelings of well-being, is produced in the female prostate and thus released into the bloodstream at the point of ejaculation.

From pleasure to Pain... Pain is felt when electrical signals are sent from nerve endings to your brain, which in turn can release painkillers called endorphins and generate reactions that range from instant and physical to long-term and emotional. The International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) Committee for Taxonomy defines pain as "an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, or described in terms of such damage...pain is always subjective. Each individual learns the application of the word through experiences related to injury in early life" (Merskey, 1994).
When I was 10 years old I was hit and run over by a car. For the past 15 years I have suffered with a compressed disc in my back which subsequently pulled the disc in my jaw out of alignment over time and it has been slipped as well for the past 9 years. Every doctor I have ever seen has prescribed me pain killer after pain killer, which eventually lead to a short dependence and abuse of pharmaceuticals during my teens. I was told I would have to live in pain the rest of my life.
So I did. I lived in pain everyday but learned to ignore the response and suppress my emotions. Eventually, my body broke down. My list of ailments began piling up, including, of course back and jaw pain, also uterine pain, migraines, vertigo, reproductive and sexual issues, weak knees, tense shoulders, muscle spasms, occasional throwing my back out from simple movement and bends, and a general disconnect between my physical, mental, and emotional self, as well as, lack of feeling in my lower body due to the nerve impingement from my spondylosis. Spondylosis is degenerative osteoarthritis of the joints between the centra of the spinal vertebrae and/or neural foraminae. If severe, it may cause pressure on nerve roots with subsequent sensory and/or motor disturbances, such as pain, paresthesia, or muscle weakness in the limbs. In particular, paresthesia which I experience, occurs when sustained pressure has been applied over a nerve, inhibiting/stimulating its function. Removing the pressure will typically result in gradual relief of these paresthesias, often described as a "pins and needles" feeling. I have also been diagnosed by MRI as having Spinal stenosis, a medical condition in which the spinal canal narrows and compresses the spinal cord and nerves
Smoking marijuana gives me pain relief and has never killed anyone nor is it even possible to overdose. It is helpful to me and it should be my right. To make a long story short, my experience has made me a fervent supporter for the legalization of medical cannabis.
Similarly to the first zine page, in my second zine, the idea of women being denied the right to experience pleasure and help themselves is also explored. Just as female ejaculation is linked to obvious feelings of pleasure and may be linked to cancer prevention, marijuana is an anti-inflammatory (i.e. Ibuprofen) valuable for pain relief and has been proven to control the spread of cancer (Americans for Safe Access, 2009).
Although my experience with the pain I discuss is very personal, I have discovered my path to recovery is also one of a political nature. Foremost, this natural medicinal plant is illegal. Why??? Despite the cultural and legal taboos of marijuana use, there are actually very few scientifically confirmed long-term side effects of marijuana use in contrast to prescription pain killers which have a high potential for dependency and abuse and can produce a fatal overdose. While I consume marijuana for medicinal purposes in the state of Florida, I could easily be viewed as a bad mother, a criminal -- taken to jail and my child removed from my care. I have had enough of the State attempting to control my pleasure, my health, my life.
In Oakland, California a legal health center exists which offers top grade lab tested medical cannabis of several varieties and strains. The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) noted the following symptoms or conditions under Appendix IV of their Nov. 2002 report for which marijuana can provide relief: Alzheimer's Disease, Anorexia, AIDS, Arthritis, Cachexia, Cancer, Crohn's Disease, Epilepsy, Glaucoma, HIV, Migraine, Multiple Sclerosis, Nausea, Pain, Spasticity, Wasting Syndrome. The Oakland Harborside Health Center also offers free sessions in yoga, acupuncture, reiki, and massage therapy once a month to its patients. Message to America: Legalize It.

written by Kristina Muvceski

2011-03-29T20:56:00.000-07:00

For my political zine, I had proposed to represent how women can take personal empowerment and turn it into activism. I was not exactly sure how I wanted to do this but the essay on feminist graffiti in “Third Wave Feminism” inspired me. I began browsing images of feminist graffiti. I found some graffiti from riot grrls, anti-rape graffiti, anti-consumerist graffiti and other images I found fell under the category of feminist. What inspired me about these images is that these women were taking using this guerilla activity in a really empowering way. Not only do I believe it empowered the artist by spray-painting these words and images but I believe that it can have a strong effect on a community.
For my personal page, I was originally going to define the third wave in the zine. I decided to make it more personal. I talked about how I viewed gender and how feminism has empowered me because both topics were very personal and political. The images and quotations I used on this zine are what I consider to be landmarks in the development of my personal relationship to feminism. Ani Difranco’s lyrics, tank girl, my mothers, Germaine Greer, Bitch, and Inga Muscio have been influential figures in the feminist politics I have developed. Also, trashing my bra and razor at a young age but choosing to continue to dress feminine are an empowering action I experience everyday.
The most challenging part of creating these two zine pages was conveying an association with Third Wave Feminism. Although I have studied the differences of the waves I found it hard to know if what I created was “third wave” when I did not experience any other wave. On my personal page, I did use a quote from second wave author Germaine Greer and an image that promotes the idea of hairy legged, braless feminism. However, in my writing section I did try to express the Third Wave idea that it is okay to be girly and that often my appearance is gender bending. For the political zine, I used a few riot grrl images. “Riots not Diets” and “Fight like a Grrl” are two themes that are associated with the Third Wave. I believe that anti-consumerists phrases like “If your product was any good you wouldn’t need sexism to sell it” seemed more associated with Third Wave feminism.
The theme that connects my zine pages is empowerment. Feminism has had an empowering effect on my life. Women who post feminist graffiti are empowering both themselves and other people who see it. The reason I wanted to use empowerment in both zine pages is that I feel it is a very important aspect of feminism if not the point of it. The way I have always viewed the phrase “The Personal is Political” is that it is about realizing something personal you find unjust and working to change it. Political action does not have to be strictly working to change the law. I think that reaching your community and expressing your feminist views in a protesting way can be political.

written by Michelle Tanton

2011-03-29T20:47:00.000-07:00

The Gender Test is my personal ‘zine. The purpose of this ‘zine was to illustrate what feminism has taught me and how it has influenced my thinking about societal norms. These are questions that I myself have tried to answer with varying degrees of success (I still don’t know why there aren’t any female valets), and that have been brought up through various feminist texts. I like to think of this page as a brief summary of what I have learned since I began reading about feminism, and especially the 3rd wave.
I also wanted to touch upon some key issues from the 2nd and 3rd wave. These issues extend anywhere from career choice, to exercise choice. I included a mixture of classic 2nd wave and 3rd wave issues for two reasons. One, 2nd wave issues are still well and alive within the 3rd wave, and although we’ve made great progress in areas like education and career choice, we are not done yet. Secondly, I wanted to show the progress feminism has made in the past 60 years. By juxtaposing these popular feminist questions with Mr. Brett Williams’ blatantly incorrect remarks, I hope to make evident the incredible progress we have made. Women today, including myself, often take for granted the freedom women have gained. We forget that back in the 50s the choices for women were very limited compared to the freedom we enjoy today. Imagining that this 10 question test could possibly be accepted as correct in the way Mr. Brett Williams answers it is disturbing. Even if I took this short test 5 years ago I’d probably answer it a little differently then I would now, and it’s all due to feminism. Thank you feminism!

My take back the night ‘zine is my political page, but it also tackles an issue that is very personal to me. All my life I’ve been hearing horror stories about women who are raped and murdered, and how I can prevent this from happening to me as long as I don’t go out alone at night. Well the truth is sometimes you can’t help being out at night, and also I shouldn’t be afraid to go out at night! I have to thank the 3rd wave for bringing this latter point to the table. Previously I thought that being a little scared or anxious when out alone at night was just part of being a woman. I never really thought about how constraining this fear is, and the truth is I’m really sick and tired of being scared while walking home at night.
I created the female jogger article to provide a positive example of women going out at night alone. Although this article is fiction, I’m sure there are plenty of female joggers out there who do run at night with no complications. This article represents the many women out there who do live their lives at night and have not been raped and murdered. The media only promotes the bad news. I can’t count the number of plane crashes I’ve seen on the news, however it doesn’t prevent me from flying. On the other hand you hear about a few women being assaulted and now all women are bound by fear to stay inside. We don’t have a statistic of all the women who are perfectly fine at night, yet we always think the worst is about to happen.
I also added a bit of my own commentary on how I feel when I’m out alone at night, and tried to parallel it with the quotation from takebackthenight.org. Interestingly, I found this quote after I wrote my commentary, and it was scary how similar the two stories were. The purpose of this ‘zine was to inspire other women not to be bound by fear, as well as to inspire myself to

2011-03-29T20:42:00.000-07:00

Before this class, I was clueless on what a zine was. Over the weeks, I've realized that zines are an important part of feminism, especially in Third Wave Feminism. Zines allows one to be openly creative while critiquing or discussing topics that affect them personally and politically. After reading over the feminist topics assigned over this semester, I found two subjects that mean a lot to me. I was a little apprehensive about making my own zine, since I personally think I lack the creative gene and I was worried that I would not be able to accomplish what I wanted to say. I think that these two topics I picked relate not only to me personally, but to all women.

I've always been a feminist, always. My feminist consciousness began when I was in elementary school when I was told that I could do something (a list of things comes to mind) because I was a girl. It was at that point that I realized that there was something wrong with the world and it was my job to fix it. Ever since then, I've been a feminist. Just by glancing at the books I read, the stickers on my notebook, and my outspoken opinions on women's issues, anyone can see that I'm a full blown feminist. Although it is obvious to me, I always get the question, why? Why are you a feminist? Are you a lesbian? Do you hate men and not shave your legs? It's a shame that in the 21st century, there still are these stereotypes of feminists. I always counter these questions with no I am not a lesbian, no I do not hate men, and yes I do shave my legs. But, I'm still a feminist. Since I'm always bombarded with the question of “why” I decided to make my personal zine about why I am a feminist.

My personal zine embodies all that I hope to say about why I am a feminist. The reasons I give may surprise some and make them think if the things listed really are “feminist.” I want people to see that feminism is not just this mold that the mass media made about angry man hating women. Those who hope to be a career woman and a mother at the same time are feminist. Women who care about health care and reproductive rights are feminist. This zine portrays the goals and issues that affect my life. These issues affect me and other women and because we care about these issues, we are feminists. Nothing frustrates me more than someone asking me why I am a feminist. I hope that with these words and images, I can show people why I am proud to be a feminist and why they too should embrace their feminist side.

An important issue to me is reproductive health, which I wrote my political zine on. Reproductive health is an issue that does not discriminate based on gender and affects both men and women differently. Categories such as the right to sexual education, freedom to decide to reproduce, and access to birth control are just some of the issues that reproductive health embodies. Working with VOX: Voices for Planned Parenthood, helped me understand what the public views as “rights” when it comes to reproductive health. I want my political zine to show people that there is more to reproductive health than the misconception that it only focuses on abortion services. The ability to have the right to choose is very important. Issues such as sterilization, access to comprehensive sex education, and access to family planning are important when discussing the rights of an individual. The right to choose when or when not to have a family despite your sexual orientation is a basic human right. I hope with the images I used in my political zine, that people will understand the magnitude of reproductive health and how important it is for every human being to have access to these rights without being discriminated against.

Both my personal and political zine relate to Third Wave Feminism. Throughout the texts this semester we have read that many young women are reluctant to call themselves the “F” word. Many young women see the feminist movement as no longer relevant and that women have made enough strides and there was nothing more that needed to be achieved. My personal zine shows that there still are young women who connect with issues that embody feminist ideas and values. It also shows how things that use to not be regarded as “feminist” now are. For example, people thought that feminist only wanted to focus on their career and not motherhood, but that's not true. Choosing to be a mother is a feminist action and so is choosing to have a career. My personal zine shows that contrary to popular media, feminism is not dead. New generations of women do exist, and they’re not afraid to call themselves the “F” word.
The political zine I created also relates to Third Wave feminism. The issues of reproductive health is something that any man or woman, regardless of the intersections they encompass can relate to. Many young people now have a plethora of health options and opportunities to protect themselves. I think especially now, since young adults are having sex at a younger age and with more sexual partners, it's important to understand the rights they have. Third Wave Feminism is different from the previous waves of feminism because it finally includes all individuals regardless of race, sex, economic status, sexuality, etc. I think that my political zine can be relatable to anyone who looks at it and sees that these intersections are nonexistent. The zine is not an egocentric outlook on how American society sees reproductive health, but focuses on a more global stance that these issues affect every man and woman.

The phrase personal is political and vice versa is an important tool in the feminist movement. Everything we do whether we are conscious of it or not is a politically action. The zine on why I am a feminist is not only personal, but political too. All the examples I list on why I am a feminist have political implications. The option of choosing to be a stay at home mom or going to work is political. Women at one point in time did not have a choice, choosing to be one or the other, or even both is a political action in itself. My actions are political; stating that I have the right to choose to be a mother or have a career not only affects me personally, but can show other people that they too can have a choice. The zine on reproductive health is political, but personal as well. Everyday men and women make decisions regarding their reproductive health. Whether it is to decide to have children, take birth control, or get educational information, these are all personal choices. Within feminism, the personal and political are so intertwined that every choice a person makes can be seen as a declaration of their personal and political beliefs.

by Megan Bowes

Feminism epidemic and The Personal is Political

2011-03-29T20:31:00.000-07:00

Ecofeminism: Defining Boarders

2011-03-29T20:25:00.000-07:00

2011-03-29T20:15:00.000-07:00

Dictionary.com defines a stereotype as a simplified and standardized conception or image invested with special meaning and held in common by members of a group. As a young, insecure girl growing up in a society full of judgment, my childhood was anything but easy. I was always considered overweight just because I was chunkier than most other girls my age. Kids are just mean. Looking back on it now it makes me sadder to realize how the environment we have created impacts children and changes them at such young ages. I shielded myself from the hurtful words with a tough skin and a snotty attitude. The loss of my innocence came shortly after. I would come across as confident and strong, try my best to blow off the snide comments said to me, but the reality was that I was hurting inside. I didn’t know then that this issue would impact things and follow me forever. For my zine pages I pondered lots of topics. I knew I wanted to do something I was passionate about but also something that has not only affected feminism tremendously, but myself as well. And that one thing is stereotyping. Since I can remember, I have never been good enough, pretty enough, or fit the mold of what the “All-American girl” is. The fact that I have never weighed over one hundred and forty pounds in my life and I thought of myself as fat for most of it is just sad and disheartening. Stereotypes have affected my confidence, my relationships, and my past; but after doing these zine pages I refuse to let it affect my future. On my personal zine page I wanted to show how I feel about stereotyping right now in my life and included just a few of the many names I have been called. My nickname in high school was meatball, which you will see in the top left corner. At five feet one inch tall the popular senior boys thought that was a funny thing to yell at my everyday when I walked to class and it stuck until I graduated. I also included the words loose and slut because I was considered promiscuous for being open and honest about my sexuality. Most of the people I went to high school with don’t know that I didn’t lose my virginity till the summer before college, they just assumed otherwise. Instead of making my personal zine a collage of the negative feelings I have towards stereotyping, I put quotes like “live the life you want” and “rock your own anthem.” As I have grown up and matured I now realize how beautiful I am and I love my body, so does my boyfriend. I don’t give a damn what people think about me. I am happy in my skin and live a beautiful life, and people stereotyping me throughout my life has been the fuel to my confidence fire. For my political zine page I tried to think more from an every girl perspective and not just mine. Everything and everyone in our society stereotypes women. I got most of my material from advertisements since they exploit women the most. I put things we are expected to be like “innocent, princess, and perfect.” I also included hurtful words that I’m sure just about every girl has been called “slut, stupid, and whore.” I cut out a couple images from some fashion magazines conveying “a standardized conception” of the sexy woman and the cool girl. (Both of which the real women posing don’t dress like that in their everyday lives, Katie Perry and Liz Phair.) After doing this project I have come to this conclusion: who cares! Who cares what people think of how you dress, act, and look? The people that matter won’t care, and the people who care don’t matter! Do what makes you happy inside and out. Life is so short and you only have one. As a feminist I can’t rid the world of stereotypes but I can help girls to stop caring about them. Love yourself and be happy!

2011-03-25T20:36:00.000-07:00

The Personal Is Political, Literally

2011-03-23T09:45:00.000-07:00

Zines have long since been one of the greatest ways for activists (feminists and otherwise) to convey ideas, promote awareness and inspire action. No matter what the issue at hand is, the personal aspect and political aspect of it often get blurred, an issue that I certainly came across when constructing my zine pages. For my political page, I chose to discuss women in U.S. politics, an issue that I personally feel very close to because of my interest in political activism and my belief that the lack of women in our political system is alarming, to say the least. My personal page consisted of what feminism means to me, my feminist role models and what I hope to do in the future for feminism.
After reading the description for our zine assignment, I immediately knew that I would do a page about the lack of women in the government and the adversity that the women in our government face. In a country that champions freedom, diversity and independence, it is unacceptable that women make up less than 20% of congress. My goal in making this page was that people began to realize the injustice of this, and recognize that there needs to be a change. With this zine page, I hope to promote a greater interest and understanding for the women who have made it to high positions in our government and are trying to make a difference. Hillary Rodham Clinton serves as a perfect example of a woman who has stood by her beliefs, stood up for women everywhere and as result, become one of the greatest feminist icons of all time, in my opinion. For my personal page, I conveyed messages about the feminist influences I’ve had throughout my life, what they have meant to me and how I hope to use them in the future. As stated in my zine, I hope to work in the government in the future to join the fight for equality for the sexes. I feel this is one of the most effective ways I can make a difference for women everywhere and it has become a very important part of my identity.
The political and personal zine pages I created are very closely linked not only because of the fact that I hope to one day be a women who is making a difference in our government system, but also because I feel like if there was more awareness of the lack of female representation in the U.S. government, there would also be more women like me wanting to change these injustices. This directly relates to the Third Wave because of the fact that with the lack of females in the government, the lack of interest in reproductive rights grows. This relates to the Third Wave because issues like abortion have become a key part of the Third Wave, and by alluding to these issues in my zine pages I hope to create more awareness about how the government is directly related to how these problems are handled. By expressing this connection, I hope that the injustice women face when it comes to governmental decision-making is made apparent.
I feel that although things like the government seem so detached from individuals at times, the reality is that women especially are effected every day by the decisions made by the government, let it be about reproductive rights or the right to marry. My goal in my zine was to convey that women can make a difference and the government is a wonderful way to do so.

Created by Reema Desai

2011-03-19T19:10:00.000-07:00

My FAD Zine’s are a compilation of my personal and political perspectives with regard to legal and illegal drug abuse in America. Many children are dying before they have even had a chance to live because drugs are rampant in our society. Kids want to escape from the peer pressure and anxieties of this world and unfortunately, all too many are turning to drugs. My story is not uncommon but it is tragic and I must tell it to keep sane.
I grew up with a rare eye disease which I genetically passed on to my two children. My oldest child, my daughter Brandice, has the disease in a mild form. But for my son Ronald, it was extremely aggressive. Growing up in the eighties the eyewear was large and bulky and even if you did pick the nicest frames they still looked hideous on a little face because the lenses were so thick. Needless to say, Ron was picked on a lot by other children. They would tease him and beat him up and even break his glasses for no reason.
Ronnie finally made a good friend in Phillip when he was nine years old. They did everything together. They went to baseball games, did karate, played basketball, pretty much anything little boys liked to do they did together. Phillip also was bullied by the other kids so Ronnie would look out for him in the neighborhood. One day Ronnie asked Phillip if he could go to his karate lesson with him and Phillip said no. He wanted to go alone. Ronnie didn’t think anything of it. A few hours later I received a call that Phillip had died right down the street from his house coming back from his karate lesson. He had been hit by a truck while crossing the street on his bike. Ronnie was devastated. He was twelve years old.
Losing his best friend proved hard on him. Then, to make things worse, Ron was transported from our neighborhood to an inner city middle school where he met a new group of friends. I called them the lost boys. Simply because they all lived in latch key families with no mothers and the dads were never home. What a recipe for disaster, preadolescents and rebellion. These are the kids that introduced Ronnie to drugs, their great escape. We had all we could do to get help from the school system and the police. Ron eventually landed in a rehab center in which I really hoped he’d snap out of this. He did do well for a few years but after he turned eighteen he was back at them again.
Depression from his disabilities and frustration from not being able to work regular jobs due to his poor vision coupled with losing his family because he couldn’t seem to cope with all of the stress and his addiction got to the point where he accidentally overdosed. When I went to the scene to make certain it was my son the detective just looked over at me and said, very nonchalantly, “this was a senseless tragedy.” Although I understood what he meant he had no idea the impact his words have had on my life since. They haunt me. He did not know my son, he was judgmental, my son was a good kid with a big heart who got consumed by the weight of the world and did not know how to ask for help without being ashamed. My mom always called him the king of hearts because he was so kind to everyone, except himself.
My purpose for these zine’s was to open the eyes of ignorance and give a glimpse into the reality behind addiction from a mother’s perspective. I adored my son. He adored me. He deserved to be treated humanely not like a freak. He was a very handsome boy inside and out. Neither my husband nor my daughter or myself do drugs or drink for that matter. My son fell into the hands of children that were neglected and unloved and he became a part of their world and it killed him. Please understand, if I can help save one life that is what I’ll do as long as I am alive. Together as Feminists Against Drugs we could save so much more. Please help.

Written by: Alison M. Langevin

Women in Media - Anjuli Velazquez, Spring 2010

2010-05-24T09:51:00.000-07:00

Feminism & Body Image -- Jessica Schwendeman, Spring 2010

2010-05-24T09:44:00.000-07:00

Church vs Feminism -- Kimberly Kleckner, Spring 2010

2010-05-24T09:33:00.000-07:00

As I sat down to work on my zine pages I attempted to think about what affected me the most, in my life, at this very moment. What came to mind was the way in which the universal church depicted women. I have grown up as a daughter of a Methodist minister and have had many disagreements with my father when it came to women in the church. True the Methodist church is somewhat more liberal when it comes to the roles of women in the church but there are still many thoughts and ideas that need to be changed. Women within the many church denominations are told what to wear, how to look and what to think. Independent thinking is frowned upon for many women among the church.

Church and religion are two big issues when it comes to women and feminism. Many churches believe women should dress a certain way, no make-up, no extra adornments, no teaching or preaching and to be subservient to the patriarchs within the church. I have found, in my research, there is still a great amount of patriarchal control over women within the church. From my experience, as a minister’s daughter, there is a little less control over the women within a Methodist Church. Women are welcome as ministers to a certain extent. Many of the women who have become ministers had quite a bit of hurdles to cross to get into the church. Women within the Methodist Church are given more freedom to say and do what they feel which is a different situation for women within the Catholic and Pentecostal Church. The Catholic denomination has strict views on procreation as they do not believe in birth control or abortion. They believe in abstinence before marriage and once married children are gifts from God. The problem with this type of thinking is marry teenagers do not abstain from sexual relations and thereby pregnancy becomes an issue along with sexually transmitted disease.

Women within the Pentecostal denomination are to follow and do what is told of them from the men in the church. They are bible literalists. They do not cut their hair, where pants, jewelry or make-up. They are subservient to their husbands and do not teach within the church. Women do have a voice and should be allowed to speak their mind and teach, if they want. It is restrictive of the men in the church to tell the women what to do and how to think. It seems the women are unable to think for themselves and have to be told what is right or wrong for them.

Women are making some strides but they still have a way to go within certain denominations. The Methodist Church has opened doors for them but they still do not accept lesbian women into the pulpit. If the church is to live by what Christianity taught in Jesus time we are not to judge and love each and every person no matter who they are. Some churches have opened their eyes to what a woman can do and have allowed them entrance into the pulpit and teaching. Others still have strides to take to accomplish this goal. I have found life in the church has its down sides and up sides. Being within the Methodist denomination has allowed me to be more liberal in my views and open minded. I would hope that others denominations will take this step to further the understanding of what a woman can do for their church.

Sex Talk -- Chastity Mercado, Spring 2010

2010-05-24T09:18:00.000-07:00

The topic I have chosen has always been a passion of mine because I can relate to it. Sex was introduced to me at a young age, just like many of other people can say as well. Meeting a boy and having attraction can take over and not having the proper information to handle that attraction is something that can be damaging. Young boys pressure young girls for numerous reasons and these children can be taught differently. I want parents to read this question and answer truthfully: “Have you had a conversation about oral sex, masturbation or contraception with your teen? If you haven't started "the talk" with your child, sex therapist Dr. Laura Berman says you could be making a big mistake”. I believe in Dr. Laura Berman’s comment because kids may know about sex more than parents think. Sex is being brought around kids earlier than expected due to television shows, book, music videos and society so the talk is very important.

Sex has always been a difficult topic to bring up with your children in society. There is an awkwardness that comes when a parent has to sit down their kid and have “the sex talk”. Parents are hesitant to bring up sex because they may be unsure of the right age to talk or unsure of the acceptance in society. Sex does not have to be an embarrassing topic to talk about. It is part of life and children need to know the truth about it. Children who have the sex talk with their parents are less likely to engage in sexual activities than children who have never had the sex talk. Kids who feel they can talk with their parents about sex, because their moms and dads speak openly and listen carefully to them are less likely to engage in high-risk behavior as teens than kids who do not feel they can talk with their parents about the subject. They are also more likely to wait longer to begin having sex and use contraception. Talking to your children about sex will not make them want to engage in sexual activites more. Kids that are taught only abstinence, and take a pledge to abstain until marriage are one-third less likely to use condoms if they do eventually have intercourse.

I was introduced to this website called scarleteen.com. It teaches “sex education to the real world”. This website helps teens/children read, ask and learn answers to questions that they may be embarrassed to ask their parents or guardian. Planned Parenthood is also a great place to get information and also even get tested for S.T.I for whoever has been sexually active, free condoms and great support. These websites and places need to be around forever to prevent, inform and protect our future generation.

Portrayal of Women in Media -- Heather O'Connor, Spring 2010

2010-05-24T09:17:00.001-07:00

Domestic Violence -- Jessica Sison, Spring 2010

2010-05-24T09:12:00.000-07:00

Boobs/Vagina -- Misty Stinnett, Spring 2010

2010-05-24T08:59:00.000-07:00

This ‘Zine project was so much fun for me. Throughout this semester, we have read so many different definitions of feminism, heard so many personal theories, and discussed their theoretical implications. This is the first time in several months that I have been forced to think about my own feminism, my own definition. I was immediately inspired to write a poem, using a flower as a metaphor for my own feminism. I chose a flower because it is something beautiful, fragile, and growing. I have struggled with guilt of being a white, privileged woman ever since I discovered my white privilege. Women with backgrounds similar to mine have been judged by some other feminists, a sort of how-can-she-know-she-didn’t-grow-up-black-or-poor mentality that I could not want to fight more. Just because I am “Betty Friedan’s granddaughter” does not mean I think or theorize in the same narrow minded way she did. I want to prove the world over that any girl, woman, or person can have a positive impact on the world with successful critical thinking, no matter their background, education, race, sex, gender, or economic status. That is what I have discovered the whole third wave to embody- a unified front of women across the globe working to empower themselves and bring attention to their own specific issues. It is each woman/group’s individual struggle that is united under the umbrella of the third wave.

When I turned in my Zine proposal, I already knew I wanted to highlight the vocabulary our society uses to highlight and talk about women’s bodies and body parts. The issue at hand is that so many people throughout history have used different words to talk about, and control, women’s bodies. I wanted to highlight some of the more absurd allegations that I came across. What I discovered was a near endless list of words to describe women and their body partsWhile researching for my ‘zine layout I found the most wonderful book: The Lover's Tongue: A Merry Romp Through the Language of Love and Sex by Mark Morton, which includes an entire chapter on what we call breasts. Also included are chapters on terms of objectification, words for nakedness, and terms of endearment. Perhaps I was so strongly intrigued by this topic because of my short (and wonderful) brush with Foucault’s The History of Sexuality Part I. I believe the ways in which we discuss the world help to shape our understanding of how it works, and they can be very powerful tools to enforce patriarchy, or to fight it.

What is so fascinating is the evolution of these words. For instance, from the 11th to the 13th centuries, the word “cunt” was not considered taboo, and was even part of some surnames of people, such as “Bele Wydecunt.” It was in the 14th century that the word began having negative connotations, and by the 18th century was widely regarded as an extremely dirty word (Morton 132-3). The Oxford English Dictionary did not include the word “cunt” until 1972 even though other slang words for genitals had been included as early as 1933 (Morton 134). Words, as well as our understanding of the world, are constantly changing. . I must admit I was a bit frustrated at my lack of computer skills, as my page did not turn out nearly as beautiful as I had hoped, but alas, I am not tech savvy. This ‘zine was a bit cathartic for me because I have wanted to take part in creating my own feminist media ever since we started the semester. It is quite a thrill, and I intend to keep creating and surrounding myself with empowering messages, and challenging other forms of media that do not.

Sources:
Morton, Mark Steven. The Lover's Tongue: A Merry Romp Through the Language of Love and Sex. Insomniac Press. Toronto, Ontario, Canada: 2003. Print.

I'm Not a Feminist, But... (Misconceptions about Feminism) -- Tara Anderson, Spring 2010

2010-05-24T08:56:00.000-07:00

For my 'zine pages I chose to tackle the subject of the misconceptions that surround feminism. I chose this topic because these misconceptions are something that came up in my discussion posts quite frequently this semester. I feel that my initial hesitance to consider myself "feminist" is based largely on these misconceptions and I think that this is probably true for many, if not most, women.

For my personal 'zine page, I wanted to focus on my own misconceptions about feminism. Before I came to truly understand feminists, I thought there was no possible way that I could be one. I thought that you had to hate men, or hate the idea of family, to be a feminist. I didn't think that feminists cared about the way they looked at all, which I do, and I definitely didn't think that a feminist could be religious. With this 'zine page I wanted to show all the things that I am that made me think I could never be a feminist. Then I wanted to show all the beliefs that I hold that actually make me a feminist. I wanted to convey the confusion I felt when first realizing my feminist views, and that it is normal to feel that way.
My second page focuses on some of the many stereotypes that surround feminism. The idea that feminists are all hippy, hairy-legged, man-hating lesbians is all too often portrayed in the media and the majority of people buy into it. I know I did. Like I said, before I actually took the time to learn about feminism and what it’s really all about, I jumped right on the feminist-bashing bandwagon. After getting a better understanding of feminism, I realized that it’s not about the promotion of women at the expense of men, it’s all about equality. What I'm trying to convey in this 'zine page is that feminism is surrounded by negative stereotypes, but that there are many different parts and layers of feminism and once you are able to break through the negative exterior, it is easy to see that feminism isn't at all what the stereotypes make it out to be. I also wanted to show that the core of feminism is the people involved. You and me. I really think that almost everyone is a little bit feminist, whether they admit it or not. A movement is only as strong as the people who participate, and in the case of feminism, we are a strong, yet often misunderstood, group.

I feel that this topic is related to Third Wave feminism because the third wave is still fighting to break through these negative stereotypes. Misconceptions about what feminism is and what feminists want have been around since the movement started. Feminists having been fighting against these false labels since the beginning. The third wave is not immune to these misconceptions and still continues to work hard to shed light on what feminism really is. I actually think that this topic is especially important to the third wave because many young women have gotten the idea that feminism is only for older women. Third Wavers are young and vivacious, not old and out of touch, and they need to project that image to the world, especially if they want to attract more young women to the cause.

In looking at the misconceptions surrounding feminism, I think that the personal and political are very connected. Feminism is a political movement, so deciding to identify as a feminist is definitely a political act. The feminist movement as a whole constantly must defend itself from the false stereotypes that are perpetuated by the media and other critics. I feel that speaking one's mind on the issues and speaking out against those who believe the misconceptions and perpetuate them can be a hugely political act. However, I also think that the struggle that I and many others go through in making the decision to identify as feminist can be a very personal thing. The internal dialogue that comes with figuring out how to be a feminist and still be you is a deeply personal issue. Many feminists also have to defend their views to family and friends who buy into the stereotypes and misconceptions. Making family members aware of the real vision behind feminism could even be a political act. Overall, I think that the issue of feminist stereotyping is something that we all need to address, whether in your personal or political life.

Minority Women in Media -- Maria Roman, Spring 2010

2010-05-24T08:54:00.000-07:00

The first page of my zine is of a television screen filled with images of minority women and along the television it says “HOW WE VIEW MINORITY WOMEN.” I felt that this issue was an important one to bring up because not every female here in the United States has the so-called “all-American girl” looks, which would consist of being Caucasian, blonde, having blue eyes, and being slender. So I thought it was important to show that there is diversity out there for women but while I was researching minority women in different forms of media, I began to notice a trend on how they are portrayed. In any magazine, online sources, movie, or television show, women of color, or minority women, are seen as just being exotic and sexual beings. This is a major problem! With all of the diversity of women and girls from different background here in our country, we should display these differences in a positive way so young girls aspire to become successful, independent, well-rounded women. Needless to say, that because of what our society has created as how a woman of color should look and act; it is upsetting that when people look at me or know my ethnic heritage, they would automatically assume that I’m some sex-crazed Puerto Rican woman.

The second page of my zine is how I’ve been able to embrace myself as a minority woman and as a feminist. I can officially say that I have mindfully considered myself a feminist for about a year and I’m happy that I’ve made this choice. I have learned and embraced so much about myself and other women and it truly has shaped me into the person I am today. When I first started to take women’s studies classes last summer, my friends and especially my family had their reservations about it. I’m Puerto Rican and very proud of it, but it is widely know that within my cultural lies a very patriarchal life style. After educating my family and friends on what it means to be a feminist and what it means to mean personally, they have now learned more about myself and ask me questions about feminism. On my page, I have a heart filled with feminist and cultural pictures and symbols that are important to me and define the woman I am.

I feel that my ‘zine pages relate greatly to that of the ideals of third wave feminism. The media is one of the main focuses of the third wave movement. With the constant bombardment of images through several different media sources; the media and feminism have a love/hate relationship. While different sources can help spread the word and start an even large movement of feminism within the community, it also takes us ten steps back with so many negative images of women.

With my ‘zines, I definitely feel I was able to connect the personal to political; the political being how minority women are viewed in our society and the personal being that I am a minority woman who is a feminist. Since I have this connection to the minority community, it makes me want to fight even harder for change because I see it firsthand how all the negative stereotypes of minority females have affected my own family and friends.

Women's Health -- Emilee Phan, Spring 2010

2010-04-26T16:03:00.000-07:00

Veiled and Revealed: Personal Stories are Political Strength for Iranian Women -- Anna V. Eskamani, Spring 2010

2010-04-26T15:59:00.000-07:00

In 1979, the phrase “Iranian women” would no doubt conjure up images of black, chador-wearing women marching in unison through the streets of Tehran. Today, there is a completely new image of Iranian women. These women are increasingly more educated, modern, and outspoken. As seen in the 2009 Iranian presidential elections, and the protests that erupted afterwords, Iranian women also have political power. The Islamic Republic of Iran fears these women—they are indeed a direct threat to the established power structure of patriarchy.

The situation that is developing in Iran may seem like a two-minute sound bite for some people, but for me it means so much more. As an Iranian born and raised in America, such an event has both personal and political implications. Remember how I said Iran’s government is scared of women? Well, my Mom was one those women. Which is why in my personal zine page, photos of my Mom are plastered against the red stripes. You see, my Mom was an extremely strong woman. She was the oldest of five children—four girls and one boy; not to mention she was only seventeen years younger than her own Mom, so in many ways she was a second mom to all of her siblings. In Iran, being the oldest son would have had its perks, but being the oldest daughter was the complete opposite. Her name was Nasrin; it translates to “wild rose” in Farsi. My Mom questioned everything—for instance, she was raised to be Muslim, and once, while praying in Arabic, (the Koran is written in Arabic) she began to question her actions: “Why am I praying in Arabic when I am not an Arab. I am Persian, shouldn’t I pray in Farsi?” It was questions like these that helped my Mom develop her wit and skepticism. However, the patriarchal laws of her society held her back; they prevented her from ever reaching her fullest potential. As a result, my Mom devalued herself; she and other Iranian women were metaphorically veiled. (Women were not legally veiled till after the Islamic Revolution) She put the needs of others before her own; she did not deem herself worthy of attention. I drew hash-marks over my mouth in the zine for a reason—as Iranian women our ideas were more or less silenced, marched on by the boots of patriarchy. My mom left Iran for America before the Islamic Revolution. It was here where Ayatollah Khomeini promised the Iranian people democracy. I inserted a quote from Ayatollah Khomeini in both my personal and political zine pages: “Women are free in the Islamic Republic in the selection of their activities and their future and their clothing.” Of course, he was lying; instead of democracy he instilled a theocracy. But thirty years later, Iranian women have turned this quote upside down, and are marching all over it in the name of freedom.

Here my personal zine pages clashes with the political—painted green in honor of the Green Movement—this zine page shows Iranian women metaphorically revealed. Over time, Iranian women have realized how influential a role the law plays in their everyday lives. Today we are seeing a global sisterhood in action, as the world joins Iranian women in their struggle for justice through nongovernmental organizations, like Gender Equality for Iran. We are actively seeing Iranian women speak out against their government; they have even created grass-root organizations such as the One Million Signatures Campaign—an effort to collect one million signatures to support changing the gender discrimination laws in Iran. These women go door to door, interact in consciousness-raising (CR); risking their lives for freedom. One example of a life being lost is that of young Neda—an unarmed peaceful protester, who was shot and killed in the streets of Tehran in 2009. This has led women across the globe to demand for “ازادی” (pronounced aza-dee) or freedom, for Iranian women, as seen in the quote centered on my political zine page.

My zine pages are in essence reflections of the past and future. These women are growing in the same society that my Mother did; and yet technology has altered Iran in so many ways. That is one reason why these zines pages relate so well to third wave feminism. Third wave feminism has found its way to the World Wide Web, and so have Iranian women. Diversity is also another similarity: Iranian feminists come from a wide array of backgrounds and ages. Though the majority of women we see protesting in the streets are young, this should not discredit the work of older advocates, such as Nobel Laureate Shirin Ebadi. Without a doubt, Iranian activists have a sense of generational cohesion; they are collaborating, evolving—which are both characteristics of the third wave. Another factor is reclaiming feminism: I feel that third wave feminism allows us to define feminism for ourselves. This is exactly what Iranian women are doing—they are redefining feminism and their lives to fit their own identity.

The personal is political—a term coined during the second wave that still rings true to this day. Juxtaposed, my two zines clash in the middle; this is to show how interconnected personal experiences are to political change. My Mom’s experiences growing up in Iran shaped who I am today. I feel that without her experiences, I would not understand how serious the women’s movement in Iran is today. I would not be as politically engaged within the movement if it was not for her story telling of Iranian life. It should be noted that I am probably not the only Iranian women who feels this way—for sure, many of the women pictured in my zine have been drawn to political activism by both their own experiences and the experiences of women before them.
The personal and political was once veiled in Iran—but now it is officially revealed. Iranian women are bending the bars of patriarchy and demanding political change. Our actions are fueled by the experiences of women before us, and will no doubt be continued by the women after us.

For my future endeavors of social change, I have my Mom to thank. She was such a bright and ambitious woman—a wild rose among the plain ones. Unfortunately, the world was not ready for a woman like my Mom; she died from cancer six years ago. She never really had a chance to see her Iranian sisters speak out. With her gone, it is my responsibility to make sure the world not only hears my voice, they need to hear her voice as well.

Victim Blaming -- Mary Morley, Spring 2010

2010-04-21T06:47:00.000-07:00

My feminist consciousness really began to come about when I was a preteen. The year I was thirteen I learned a lot about my mother and my older sister, and the other women in their family, the things they had suffered- most often at the hands of men they trusted. That was also the year one of my best friends disappeared to live in a women’s shelter, with her mother, escaping an abusive father. It didn’t take long for me to begin to recognize the questions and accusations that circled around abused and maltreated women, and the whole phenomenon of victim blaming instilled in me a new feeling- rage. I aimed, with my zine pages, to articulate this confusion, rage, and shock that I felt then and I feel now.

The first page covers the politics of victim blaming as a phenomenon- a definition, some statistics, and a truly disgusting quote from Bill O’Reilly (emphasis in the quote mine) describing the rape and murder of a young girl. In addition to his ‘description’ of the crime, on his show columnist Michelle Malkin was fairly straightforward about blaming Jennifer Moore for her own death. “At some point these young women have to take responsibility for putting themselves in vulnerable positions. And this is an 18-year-old girl who has, you know, free will and a free mind. And if she's walking around by herself, bombed, you know, it could be very dangerous.“ (“Murder”)

It’s not just extremists like Bill O’Reilly that believe that rape victims are to be held at all responsible for their fates, either- a BBC News story outlined some startling statistics regarding the “blame” that gets associated with rape. To me, it seems so simply obvious that the blame should lie with the attacker. That’s apparently not the case with everyone- and possibly not even the majority. “One-third blamed victims who had dressed provocatively or gone back to the attacker's house for a drink,” the article reported, and “The study found that women were less forgiving of the victim than men” (“Women”). So I posed some questions. Should a woman accept responsibility for what may or may not happen to her when she dresses provocatively or has too much to drink? Is taking this kind of responsibility simply smart, or is it admitting defeat to a cannibalistic patriarchal society where women have to be afraid to do the same things men can do (a majority of the time) without getting violated, raped, murdered?

The phenomenon (and I call it this because it simply blows my mind) of victim blaming covers more than just rape, though, and the effects have had a deep impact on my personal life and my ideology. On the second page I wrote slightly fictionalized (to protect the subjects) accounts of various forms of abuse- all perpetrated by trusted men onto women- that I have been privy to. I included conversations and a bible verse to show how socialized I was, as a typical lower-middle class American teenage girl, to believe that women essentially “deserve” what they get. My mother, my sister, my childhood friend—all around me, women are and were wronged. But rarely did I ever hear “Why doesn’t he just stop beating her?” or “Maybe if he stopped drinking so much they’d all get along better.” It was always “Why doesn’t she leave?” and “She knew better than to have worn that.”

And it makes me angry. It should make everyone angry. Because regardless of what the woman was wearing, or if she wasn’t “obedient” to her husband, or if she “talked back,” the abuse they received was entirely the fault of the abuser. There may be things a woman can do to avoid said abuse, but living a life for fear of what some man may do to you is not an ideal way to live. It doesn’t matter if they made “moronic” decisions that led to their getting harmed- what matters is that our institutions allows, and even encourages, men to be violent towards women, because they will get away with it.

Beauty and Blood -- Ani Reina, Spring 2010

2010-04-21T06:39:00.001-07:00

For my two zine pages I focused on things that might not be thought of together, in fact I choose them because they are issues dear to my heart. My personal zine page titled “Ma Nariz and The Sisterhood” discusses my issues with beauty as a Latina woman and as a feminist. The political page discussed Luna pads, and Diva cups as alternatives to disposable feminine hygiene products.

“Ma Nariz and The Sisterhood” is very personal for me to discuss, mostly the sisterhood part. I find that often within the feminist community there is a need to outdo the other and to be more pro-woman than our peers. This fighting causes me to feel that my male feminist friend and my relationship to him hurts my feminist fight. How we view each other has changed since the second wave. During that time more women were mandating all women spaces and refusing to allow even trans people into their safe space, now that some of us have been raised inside of a feminist household and or have been able to take women’s studies courses and the availability of issues and websites over the internet there is no reason why I should feel bad for wanting a mixed gender space as my sisterhood.

My political zine tries to help women understand how their purchase choices can contribute to landfill waste. Women spend over 800 dollars a year on feminine hygiene products are not biodegradable and I would like women to understand the ease and usability of the diva and moon cups. As I said before these issues may not seem to go together at all, but I feel that a major issue surrounding women’s hesitancy of using the diva cups is because of the beauty myth. Women are trained to think of their menses as something gross that cannot be touched, thought of and as something that is vile. However menses can easily be cleaned off of one’s hand and it is not as disgusting as other things we touch on a daily basis like door handles, or shopping carts. Demystifying the beauty myth also comes with being comfortable with ones one body and one’s own menstrual cycle.

Equal Rights Amendment -- Diana-Marie Martin, Spring 2010

2010-04-21T06:26:00.000-07:00

It’s been almost 90 years since the 19th Amendment was finally ratified into the U. S. Constitution, granting women the right to vote. It’s been 37 years since the Supreme Court issued its historical decision on Roe vs. Wade, making abortion legal in the United States. And it has been almost 15 months since President Barack Obama signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, restoring protection against pay discrimination. But a woman’s right to be recognized as an equal citizen with equal rights shouldn’t just stop there. We should be constitutionally guaranteed equal rights, and that’s where the Equal Rights Amendment comes in. It’s been 87 years since the ERA was first introduced to Congress, and yet our country and all of its citizens are at a standstill as we are three states shy of its ratification.

I will be honest in saying that I was not aware of the Equal Rights Amendment until earlier this year when we started the semester. I feel absolutely foolish as I do not know how I could have been so oblivious and not have known about such an incredible piece of legislation. This is why I decided to learn more about it and why I had selected it to be the topic of my zine. The more I thought about how I would research, write and design my zine, the more I knew that I would have to share as much details and be straight-forward with information on this legislation as possible. I wanted to design something fun, girly, and colorful, but realized that that just wasn’t going to work with the message of what I wanted to convey, which was one of the grave importance of the Equal Rights Amendment to our country.

I first really wanted to share with everyone the history of the Equal Rights Amendment. You can understand where one’s going if you first understand where one’s been. Well, feminists and the movements for equality have a long history that clearly paints a picture of where it’s been, where it’s going and why it’s going there. The ERA’s history was fascinating, but yet it still infuriated me to learn that our country does not guarantee equal rights to every one of its citizens. The amendment was first introduced in 1923, but it took our Congress 49 years to finally pass it and send it off to our 50 states for ratification. All we need is 38 states for ratification, but we are still three states shy… THREE STATES SHY! The equality of men and women are basically stalled at an impasse because three of the remaining 15 states (that haven’t ratified the amendment yet) seemingly can’t get statewide agreement. A lot of the inabilities to agree on the ERA in those 15 states are because of their misconceptions, their fears, and their unwillingness to accept change. Then there are probably some, who are just like I was before, clueless about the ERA. I wanted to include this by sharing such oppositions to this monumentally-profound amendment. Sometimes I wonder how anyone could even oppose the ERA, but then I have to remember that it really all depends on how one thinks, how one was raised, and one’s values. Not everyone will share similar values, but I do believe that the value of fair and righteous equality for everyone should be one that is shared by women and men alike! Then with the second page of my zine, I wanted to share what this amendment means to me, and what it would accomplish with its passage and inclusion in our Constitution as the 27th Amendment.

The Equal Rights Amendment definitely falls under “The Personal is Political.” When it comes to the one’s rights to equality, fairness and justice, the Equal Rights Amendment forces our society to look at how our country’s laws have ignored women. With the ERA, “The Personal is Political” will draw attention to all the injustices that still remain in the personal lives of everyone, which will hopefully force not only our government officials but everyone else to address and resolve these issues at both the local and national government levels. These are issues of inequality that does not only just affect women, but unfortunately also affects our children, the men in our country, our cultures, our ethnicities, our societies, and every part of everybody’s way of life!

To me the ERA is one giant step towards and an answer to the question of when women will achieve equality. This amendment may not answer everyone’s questions or quench the long-awaited thirst for equality right away, but it will be a huge and monumental stepping stone on our paths to equality! Vote for, speak for, and encourage support of the Equal Rights Amendment.

Just a Girl in the World (That's All That You'll Let Me Be) -- Heather G, Spring 2010

2010-04-21T06:18:00.000-07:00

The year was 1995; I was 10 years old and in 5th grade. I had just gotten a CD player/boombox for my birthday, and along with it came No Doubt’s Tragic Kingdom. “Just a Girl” was on MTV nonstop (you know, when they still played video games) and I thought Gwen Stefani was the coolest woman I had ever seen. At the time, I don’t think the lyrics meant all that much to me, but I sure did dance around in my room a lot. It wouldn’t be nearly a decade later until I’d call myself a feminist, but I believe that this is when my so-called feminist awakening began. I remember wondering why my brother could play baseball but I had to play softball, or why in recess the boys got to play basketball while the girls did hopskotch or jumped rope. I was always aware of the differences between boys and girls, and while I questioned them personally, it wasn’t until I was a teenager that I really started standing up for myself. I no longer wanted to wear the dresses that my mother bought for me, nor did I want a pink bicycle anymore. I remember my first day of middle school, in a new (and very small, very close-minded town) and I was wearing clothes from the boys department -- long, baggy shorts and a baggy t-shirt – and I was made fun of all day. I soldiered on, not making any friends and feeling like an outcast, until one day a girl in my class really broke me down by making fun of the hair on my legs. That day, I went home and found my mother’s razor underneath the sink and began shaving my legs (dry!) on the bathroom floor. My mother found me, bloodied up and covered in nicks, and wondered what had happened. I started crying and saying, “I want to act like a girl!” as if she had pushed me into shunning stereotypical feminine things. Where was Gwen Stefani when I needed her? Why didn’t “Just a Girl” make sense to me then? The mean girls got to me, and because the way society pressured them into believing that girls wear pretty clothes, are virtually hairless, and fit into one specific beauty mold, my life changed forever. Gender constructs knocked me down, and it took me a decade to get back up again. This definitive moment is so embedded in my mind that I now want to empower young girls, to let them know that they don’t have to look or dress or act a certain way, and they can be whoever they want to be. It made me realize that you can’t put girls into a box of how a girl “should” act, because there is no right or wrong way to be a girl, if that’s what you want to be.

The personal is political for me because I grew up in a very gendered world, where I was told that girls can do this but not that. With the exception of my parents (who are amazing and supportive of everything I do), I come from a conservative family who believes that a woman’s sole purpose is to get married and have children. By striving to be different and live an autonomous life, I am breaking apart from the pact. Because I know what it is like to grow up in a family and a society that tries to hinder your individuality and your goals, I want to combine my love for working with the youth, my strong feminist beliefs and my knowledge of women’s studies to work with girls to empower them, provide them with images of strong, independent women, and help them change the world. Since I have started working with the Young Women Leaders Program, I’ve been able to recognize the pressures that girls are still facing, and how having positive role models is so important. By helping them find their voice, and also being someone who actually listens (and cares) about that voice, is so pivotal for young girls growing up in this world. It’s important to make them aware that there is nothing wrong with who they are and they don’t need to strive to be anything but themselves, despite what society and the media tells them to. I also included an Operation Beautiful note because I think it’s a great movement for both young girls and women alike. I think a little positive reinforcement goes along way, and I’m so happy to leave these all over the place in hopes that another person struggling with body image or a lack of confidence can find it and it can hopefully brighten their day.

Weight Issues in the Entertainment Industry/ How Models and Media Affect Us (by Emily Kuchar) Spring 2009

2009-05-12T11:56:00.000-07:00

The entertainment industry has brought us a lot of great things over the years, including movies that we absolutely are mesmerized by, TV shows we watch curled up on our couch daily, and even extravagant dance shows that blow our minds. Even with all this good there have been many negative factors upon this industry, as well. I have been involved in the industry for a few years trying my luck at acting in various programs as commercials, infomercials, and movies. Although, the negativity I’m about to write may make you question why I even do it, I do love it and have found a way to notice the flaws and keep them separate from my own life. Going into an audition conjures up a vast amount of emotions. As you try to learn your lines and convey the emotion that is needed, you also start to think about the actress sitting right next to you, who is doing the exact same thing. Questions race through your mind, “Is she better than me?”, “Will I mess up”, and the all dreadful, “Am I bigger than her?” That one question has been placed into women’s minds across the world, and it is very prevalent in this specific career.

I am naturally slender, and I know I do not need to change. Yet when you are placed into a situation where you are competing against others, who may be too slender, you start to question yourself. This is what ends up happening with many young people. They are so insecure and influenced by not only other actresses, but directors, as well, who promise they will have the job if they just lose some weight.

My zine has statements that I have heard and statements that are very likely for other actresses to hear, which is incorporated with the movie industry. I feel as if this conveys that moment you are in an audition and the pressure this industry brings upon you. I feel the third wave is more likely to embrace their bodies then fall into these traps, but I don’t believe there is enough feminism present. Many directors are men and they have no problem making a woman think she is less than adequate. We have seen many actresses go through transformation for a role in a movie. Charlize Theron is an example from the movie, Monsters. She gained a lot of weight to portray her character and then immediately shed the pounds after the film had been shot. The pressures that are endured throughout this process are whataffect most girls and their body image. This is a very personal part of us and it is amazing we change ourselves based on others’ critique. Some go to extreme lengths, because they are so jaded by what they could have instead of noticing the good they already do have. Whether we act on the thoughts we have in our head or not, many can admit that they have thought at one time or another about their weight.

For some girls it is an obsessive subject that is continually on their minds. Why? How come we have been shaped to think this way? Could it be the magazine covers that grace our news stands, or maybe it is the headlines calling a normal sized Jessica Simpson fat. Any immediate change in these stars and we are warned about it seconds later. Just think if a magazine such as “Bust” was at the forefront instead and weighty issues such as equality were as just as important as how much someone weighs. Things would be extremely different and girls would not constantly focus on how many pounds they are.

My political page is filled with some of the sickly skinny models that grace our runways. A small piece of flesh over bone and every single rib exposed it what some like to call “perfect”. I’m sure you have heard super models being called the most beautiful and perfect person, but I have to say that is far from the truth. How can anyone expect to be normal when this is what the media is presenting to us? Models are supposed to be selling these new and hot items as they walk the runway. How can anyone focus on ANYTHING except their ribs sticking out? These walking skeletons are looked over and accepted! People, lots of people, are watching these shows and instead of causing an outrage at how they look, this society doesn’t even notice. They are actually figuring out which new spring look they are going to purchase. The way the media is, unfortunately, is a direct reflection on what we believe and start to think.

All ages idolize movie stars and often want to be just like them. With the garbage that graces our headlines now it is a wonder that more girls don’t grow up having issues. The political issue directly affects this personal issue, and I say it is media’s fault. If we didn’t buy those magazines would they start focusing on something different? If we never bought any clothes that were on the runway, would that make fashion models eat? Or if we totally told society it is screwed up and we are starting fresh, would it make a difference? That is a lot of “ifs” and it seems like not one scenario is likely to take place anytime soon.

Violence Against Women/ With No Immediate Cause (by Della Wilburn) Spring 2009

2009-05-12T11:52:00.000-07:00

I would like to begin this paper by acknowledging the fact that I am indeed anti violence against women, I strongly believe that gender violence does affect women in all societies, of all socioeconomic statuses, and racial/ethnic groups. I feel that violence is world-wide and can occur in so many aspects of nature. When is comes to the nature of violence against women I feel that society has come to acknowledge the fact that violence affects women across social, economic and cultural groups. It occurs in public and private places, sometimes perpetrated by strangers but most often by known men (husbands, partners, relatives, friends etc).

I have found that when it comes to a close relationship between the victim and perpetrator, as in domestic violence, there is a high risk of continued violence being experienced by those women. I found it interesting that domestic violence happens in lesbian relationships too. I wonder it society takes that aspect of violence seriously due to the fact that it is violence between two women in a relationship. I believe that violence against women is so important because overall violence can have a huge impact on a woman’s life. Violence can affect a woman mentally, emotionally, psychologically and affect a woman’s physical health which at times if not most of the time may result in a woman’s death. I found it highly important to know that violence can also prevent or restrict a woman’s participation in every day activities, such as in family life and surroundings, cultural activities or in the work place of employment. I have learned that women have a fear of violence which can restrict a woman’s movement and behavior in everyday life and their chances of reporting violence due to threats and so much more. I would like to add that domestic violence can isolate a woman from her friends and family and or force her into solidity.

I can reflect on the issues of violence against women in our society because me being a woman of moral standing is strongly against women who are associated with violence. There are so many levels of violence such as domestic violence, sexual assault, sexual harassment, discrimination and vilification, hate crimes, and workplace violence that it may at times become difficult for society to recognize when someone is in violent situations. One of the websites that I have visited and made myself aware of deals with the national coalition against domestic violence on women which deals with women having a environment where they are able to surround themselves with and discuss openly. I found it to be highly respectable that the intent is to connect battered women’s advocates across the nations who were working to end violence against women and their children.

I can personally reflect on violence against women because I myself was involved in a socially learning environment. Where I was taught and learned how to work efficiently with individuals that had been victimized, how to develop intervention skills and develop a general knowledge of various victims. Overall I believe that this particular organization benefited me in-order to develop an understanding for women and others who have been victims of various types of violence. I feel that in our society violence has become such a demand for attention that at times certain types of violence are ignored. I have found it very interesting when I understood what society classifies as violence which is as follows the exertion of force to injure or abuse; forceful and intentional injury towards a person, and or verbal and emotional abuse towards others. When I thought about the intent of violence I became very disturb because in society there are so many people especially women and children who go through life in violent altercations each and everyday. I was then some what elated to find that the warfare has a large-scale of organized violence carried out by one state against another, and although states attempt to control violent crime by the rule of law. The causes of violent attitudes and behavior are important topics that are being established, evaluated, and taken into action. Based on my inspiration to speak solely on violence against women I have created a personal “Zine” based on a poem about everyday abuse and women. My personal “Zine” is highly an inspiration based on a poem and my personal view of society and how I could personally relate to women and violence. I hope it is encouraging and inspires the reader as much as it has inspire and motivates me to continue being an advocate for women in all walks of life and of course anti-violence.

My political “Zine” teaches the reader and educates the reader about violence against women awareness, which socially can be educational for those who do not know much or a lot about violence against women. The purpose of my political “zine” is to show images of limited amount of features about the violence that women go through but at the same time was encouraged to keep the images clean. Due to the fact that there were many images that I found to be disturbing, but at the same time would show that violence that happen upon women is real!

I believe that both my personal and political “Zine” relates to third wave feminism due to the fact that overall third wave feminism allows women to establish movements that have become inclusive to persons of various genders, sexualities, nationalities, and social classes of various elements that are equal to feminism, third wave feminism entitles women to equality overall no matter the individual race, gender, or sexuality, third wave feminism excels towards empowerment for women overall rather it is their political view, social class, and or ethnicity. Also third wave feminism gives the opportunities for equality, and civil rights, and although third wave feminism is a complex way to show aspects of power, and oppression; yet overtime has changed throughout regression to actual progression. My “Zines” both political and personal allows women to know that they are able to choose their voice as activist, to see themselves as women who are strong, determined, independent, and overall activist to society to speak out about violence, and to encourage women to have a voice.

Domestic Violence (by Lauren Kousouris) Spring 2009

2009-05-12T11:44:00.000-07:00

The purpose of focusing both of my Zines’ on Domestic Violence is because not only have I been exposed to it, but I have overcome it and have such a passion for helping others do the same thing. I realize there are many women and children out there who have it way worse than I did, and I am determined to help educate as many people as possible so that I can be part of stopping the cycle. I suppose the second half of the previous sentence is my goal in both of my zines’, I would like to inform as many people as possible about domestic violence and help as many people as possible to get out of it. I believe they could have been one zine together had I not had to separate them into 1- personal and 2 - an issue to the general public. To me, the fact that the two pages could be one is the same as the fact that everyone can identify with domestic violence on a “general public” level, and also a personal level - seeing as how if one has not been in a domestic violence situation themselves, they probably know someone who has.

Society has a way of condoning domestic violence, they tend to push it under the rug and chalk it up to an “issue in the home” that should be kept private. Victims are usually afraid to speak of it, let alone get away from it, and abusers are so sick that most times they don’t think anything they’re doing is wrong and therefore they don’t want to be embarrassed in front of neighbors because their significant other did something wrong by calling the cops. More recently, society has had to come to terms with domestic violence due to the extremely public incident between Rihanna and Chris Brown. Pictures of her beaten and bruised face are all over magazines, the news, and the internet. If you go to Chris Brown’s myspace, which I did, you will see an array of comments ranging from encouragement all the way to straight up blunt honesty. There were people in denial, saying he couldn’t have done that, there were others who said “she deserved it” (it’s those people I wish we could get through to), and yet there were the brave few who “ripped him a new one” for putting his hands on her. That to me, symbolizes society as a whole. There are those in denial - people who believe what happens in the home should stay there and that people don’t really do this type of thing, it is all fabricated. There are people who seem to think that women “deserve it”, they want to know what that woman did to make him so mad that he had to hit her. And then there are those who stand up and speak out because it is wrong, they’ve either dealt with domestic violence or been educated about it -- we need more of these people.

I believe every wave of feminism has had a focus on domestic violence in some way, but I feel as though Third Wave Feminists are truly taking great strides to make a difference. Shelters, hotlines, websites, college class/degrees… all of these things are available to those who are interested or exposed to domestic violence. Years ago, these things were not an option.

I took your Feminism class about two years ago, and when I had to do service learning, I chose to do it at Serene Harbor -- because of it’s close location to my home. Little did I know I would learn so much about myself and find a passion to help others in the way that I have. I mostly work with the kids, but have heard many terrifying stories from some of the women who end up staying there.

I think one of the situations that moved me the most was a mother and her four children (3 boys, 1 girl). She had one son from a previous marriage and the other 3 children with her abuser. Her abuser physically and emotionally abused her on a daily basis, in front of her kids. He taught them to be sexist and racist -- that white men were superior to every other race, and women. The older son was not impacted by the abuser, he actually had a black girlfriend at the time. This caused the other 2 boys (ages 6 and 8) to make fun of him and the girl and insult the situation. The younger child (the girl, 2 years old) seemed to have the attitude that she didn’t have to listen to Mommy because Mommy was a woman. The two younger boys had that same attitude. We did an activity in group one night with all of the kids that dealt with colors. We made them draw two pictures, one with only one color crayon and another with as many as they wanted. We then asked them which one they liked better. Obviously, they all chose the more colorful one. We then went on to ask, “Well, doesn’t that mean that the world is a better and more exciting place because there are people of all different colors?” It was what happened next that left me speechless. The response to that from the two younger boys was, “No. The world is better with only white people. Colored people are no good.” They went on to elaborate on this, but basically they said that colored people and women would never be as good as a white man. They also mentioned that because they were white boys that one day they, too, would be better than everyone else too, because they would be white men. These same boys would routinely beat on their mother, because they were taught it was okay to do so by their father. After a 30-day stay at the shelter we began to see a small change in the boys. After they left the shelter we didn’t see them again, one can only hope that we had an impact on those children.

I just feel as though Domestic Violence is such a serious issue because, like I’ve said before, it is a vicious cycle. I know you are involved with Serene Harbor and many other Domestic Violence organizations, and that is something that I would like to do one day. That is why I’m getting my major in psychology and a minor in women’s studies. I will further my schooling as much as possible to hopefully serve the cause to my best.

Lucy Stone (by Jessy Metayer) Spring 2009

2009-05-12T11:43:00.001-07:00

Self Esteem/ Negative Body Image (by Jaede Brereton) Spring 2009

2009-05-12T11:31:00.000-07:00

Over the past ten years, body image is a subject that has taken over magazines, talk shows, and news stories alike. It is a subject that always existed but is rarely talked about. During the Third Wave of this movement we call feminism, the correlation between negative body image and low self esteem has surfaced as a major issue that can be looked at as a negative catalyst for a number of personal demons. Everything from abuse, teenage pregnancy, promiscuity to drug and alcohol use can be trickled down to this painful pair. My ‘zine pages reflect the topic of body image both the political and personal aspects.

My personal page is a letter to my thirteen year old self. I am a huge fan of the Oprah Winfrey Show, and I own her 20th anniversary DVD. During one of her segments, she asked several of her celebrity friends to do a special assignment. “Now that you know what you know”, she said, “What advice would you give to your thirteen year old self?” My teenage years were hard. There was plenty of tears, and a strong sense of loneliness. After years of horrible name calling and “jokes” by family members, I lost my sense of self worth. I never had a boyfriend. I wasn’t ever as skinny or as pretty as my friends, and could never look good in the clothes I wanted to. Heck, my family didn’t even think I was anything special. All I needed then was someone to talk to. Someone to be on my side. I don’t think I would exactly change the events of the past, because they made me who I am. But to talk to myself, to remind me of who I am and what I’m worth, is something that I know I would have adored back then.

My political page is about the media’s effect on negative body image and negative self esteem. Most people blame today’s media for these issues. Yes, the media reflects a negative aspect of self. Yes, the media portrays very unrealistic visions of beauty. But I do not think we can put complete blame on those that are in the media. Learning starts in the home. Parents should take the time to mentor their children. Teach them about what true beauty is. In an age when parents are often too busy to pay attention to their children, they put their children in front of the television. Very often, the children are then learning from the television; the negative media. There are even times when parents are even harboring insecurities of their own, like the mothers on my ‘zine page and aren’t aware that they are teaching their children to have these insecurities through nonchalant words and behaviors that do have a catastrophic effect on these children.

My goal is to enlighten. I’m hoping that through expressing my personal experiences and showing people what is happening to our children, that we can improve our sense of worth for the future.

Female Massage Therapist/ Full Body Happy Endings (by Tonya Sias) Spring 2009

2009-05-12T11:25:00.000-07:00

I decided to do my zine project on the views of massage therapy and sex. For me, massage therapy does not equal sex but since I have become a massage therapist, I have encountered the problem of being solicited by many men. Not only has this affected me, but also many other female massage therapists. Third wave feminism to me is about a new way of thinking and a progression from the past. Female therapists should not and do not have to be degraded in any way, we are here to promote wellness to all.

My personal zine is about my views on massage therapy and what they entail, mainly the healing aspect. It is a great healing modality that allows people to relax from the everyday stressors of the world. Massage can also heal those who are in pain whether it is from car accidents to illnesses. As you can see from my personal page it shows all that massage has to offer, the positive side of massage.

My political aspect is some of the ways massage has had a bad name. Through the different massage sex parlors to the everyday men who come into the massage settings acting as clients, females face the difficulties of massage and sex every day. Unfortunately I have come to deal with this in many different situations. One in particular is the many men asking for full body massage and happy endings. After doing much research massage in earlier times was mainly in the states considered as sex houses. Men of different age, race and class would visit the parlors for sex. In present times many people including feminists have fought to return massage therapy to the ways the other countries view massage as a healing art. With the closing of three massage practices in our area and the many more that have been closed due to these certain instances it is a continuous fight; a continuous fight that we as women are willing to face.

My point is that third wave feminism is helping many women come together and fight for the rights of equality, not only in the workplace but in everyday life. I am conveying the message that massage is a healing practice and does not have to be attached to the acts of sex. Through education on how to deal in these situations and the closing of practices that offer the wrong type of massage we are fighting for our rights to be treated as professionals doing a job that we love. It was hard for me to differentiate between the personal and the political. The personal is the political when it comes to massage therapy.

Who's the Enemy/ Nature VS. Nurture (by Dustin Piercy) Spring 2009

2009-05-12T11:20:00.001-07:00

My personal page is a series of randomly located pictures with corresponding questions for other males that will challenge and stimulate them. As a male raised in the average white, middle-class, suburban community, I was conditioned in many of the same ways that others in the western world have been conditioned. However, I have the cognitive ability to critically question myself and reflect on what is right, something other males need to do too. My zine pages start with a distinction between nature and nurture. This is key because, as seen in the picture comparing male brains with female brains, many males actually believe that they are naturally superior to females in nearly every way, which is completely absurd. As the viewer moves down and around the page, they’ll see pictures that they can understand. Pictures that show how males constantly produce a reputation for themselves (us) as being sexist. The point of this page is to show that until males break from their consistent behavior, we, as a community, will always raise our children to continue our oppressive ways. The connection to the third wave (or any wave for that matter) of feminism is that males must learn to accept females as equal in order to accomplish feminism’s goals.

My political page is a collage of images that represent America and the western world. What the viewer realizes immediately is that all of the things being represented in the images contribute (or have contributed) to the problems that exist in our society. My point of it is to show that with so many enemies, we have to unite in order to fight against them. That’s what the third wave is doing. The third wave of feminism is different from the earlier two because its goal is abstract, equality for all. This allows those other than just white women–like men, the transgendered, ethnic and racial minorities, the lower class, etc.--to join the cause and feel accepted by, and in, feminism. The connection between my political and personal pages is to show people that (in my opinion) males are responsible for all of the problems in our society, and that we will have to take accountability and correct ourselves in order to create a better, equal world.

Birth Control in Politics (by Connor Smith) Spring 2009

2009-05-12T11:13:00.000-07:00

I decided to do both my personal and political zine pages on the subject of birth control. In my heart and mind, I have felt birth control and its effects on our gender as controversial and freeing; hated and loved by many, birth control stands out to me as so much more than just a contraceptive. Margaret Sanger was my first hero, next to my mother of course, she inspired not to be held down by a slap on the wrist by a superior, she trudged her way through the disagreeing public and the sinister hateful politics of her time and made birth control available and more importantly made education and information about birth control available for everyone, rich, poor, smart or illiterate, she dedicated her life to helping women and children live better, healthier lives, lives with choices and options.

I personally have a loving relationship with my choice of contraceptive. Birth control has given me freedom to have sex with the person I love without the stress and scares of possible pregnancy. I try not to take it for granted and remind myself how much more difficult it was for my mother and my mother’s mother. When I was 16 my mom decided I was old enough to see a gynecologist and discuss the option of birth control. That day was a big day for my mother, she had thought about it since the doctor told her I was a girl back in 1989. My mom decided to share with her struggles and pain as a young woman my age sitting in an abortion clinic because of an unplanned, unwelcomed pregnancy, and not just that one time but a second time as well when she found out she pregnant after she was raped; years later she went through the disappointment and shame of miscarrying her first few attempts at getting pregnant on purpose because the abortions had caused such damages to reproductive organs. My mom didn’t know how much that day meant to me and how I carry it with me everywhere I go, I was raped and at least I can say thank you to my birth control from saving me a visit to the abortion clinic and sparing me the shame and guilt and stress of being pregnant with my rapists child.
Politically speaking, birth control has been controversial for decades. Surprisingly it has become less controversial in the world of politics and more of crutch they can use to control women. It has been proposed and discussed to dispense birth control to young girls as soon as they start their menstrual cycles in order to control overpopulation and slow down the traffic in abortion clinics. Also in the busy world of politics, global warming has been linked to birth control; a proposed cure for the environmental disaster: dispense birth control and limit population and reproduction to cool of the earth but lowering its number of occupants.

As you can see, birth control just begged me to make a few zine pages about it and make sure I do my best to convey its importance in the world of feminism and in politics.

If Beauty is Only Skin Deep, How Am I Still Employed? / Feminist Digest (by Rachel Bolber) Spring 2009

2009-05-11T14:12:00.000-07:00

My personal zine symbolizes how I see the world through my career as a makeup artist. Visually, the picture is split into two equally sized sections. The left half features one side of a beautiful woman’s face, and the right side includes all of the tools utilized to make her look so flawless. Analogous with the course of life, it is all the small things that work together to achieve a final result. Each one of my clients comes to me with different issues to address. Hiding the dark circles under the eyes, making lips appear fuller, and reducing the appearance of wrinkles, are a few common requests. Critics may say working in the cosmetic industry leads to vanity, but I strongly disagree. I believe that I utilize the concept of beauty to help others find happiness. Contrastingly, my political zine portrays the evil side of beauty that is a result of a male dominated industry. My “Feminist Digest” zine mimics the media with a hilarious approach to common brainwashing as seen in society.

The industry I belong to is centered on fashion and beauty. Fashion and feminism were traditionally thought of as contradictions, since the premises for beauty is made by men. Third Wave Feminists, however, believe looking beautiful doesn’t mean you are automatically accepting these terms. Page 129 of Manifesta states "What distinguishes one era from the next is what we generate-whether it's music, institutions, or magazines-and how we use what has already been produced.” Third wavers embrace their potential to look and feel gorgeous. This does not mean spending hours in the mirror trying to make yourself look like a new person, but rather admitting the physical features you are unhappy with and addressing them in a sophisticated and fashionable manner.

My personal zine proposes the question, “If beauty is only skin deep, how am I still employed?” Every day at work I challenge the popular notion that good looks have nothing to do with an individual’s personality. Society refuses to admit physical appearance is a great factor in ones internal happiness, but my political zine exaggerates the disappointing results. I encourage all women to educate themselves on the benefits of beauty and skin care. As a makeup artist, I have witnessed complete transformations of body and soul, a new outlook on life, and newly discovered self confidence, all with the help of some blush and mascara.

Stop Staring/ My Life, My Choice (by Michelle Curtiss) Spring 2009

2009-05-11T14:07:00.000-07:00

I did my zines on the topic of teenage pregnancy. I chose this as my topic because I have been affected by it in both a political and personal way for the last fourteen years. I was sixteen when I had my first child, and I remember how society treated me during that challenging time. In fact, there are still times today when I tell people I have a fourteen year old and I get looked at just as I did when I was sixteen. People will still focus only on the stigma of having a child at sixteen, never mind the fact that I have had a successful last fourteen years in spite of the many struggles I have had to overcome. Perhaps that was one of the most lasting impressions I have of society during these years is how little support there is for people who make this kind of decision. One thing I still do not understand and frequently question, is the idea of shame that society forces on girls who are going through this type of situation. I used to feel ashamed of my choice when I was younger. I have, however, gotten over that feeling and learned to claim a new feeling instead—a feeling of accomplishment and power in my ability to raise a bright, talented, and contributing member of society. I think the most important feeling I have gained through this whole experience is that of pride -pride in myself and what I have over come, pride in my son and who he is becoming, but most importantly pride in the fact that I know my son is not ashamed of who he is and where he came from. My son is so proud of where we have come from that he helped me with the drawing part of the political zine. The only thing I can think about that is if we were ashamed, then we would never have been able to accomplish this assignment.

One of my primary goals with both my zines was to shake up the attitudes in society that a teen mom will not amount to anything, that she is a failure, or that she needs to be ostracized within a community. I really wanted to show through my poem and the picture that teenagers who get pregnant are still human beings and not someone/something to cast aside. While working on these zines, I researched on the internet this topic of teen pregnancy. It was interesting that I found some websites that offered support for people in this situation. However, the majority of the websites and information that I found dealt with what to do if you found your daughter in this situation and more importantly how to prevent this from happening. After researching these websites, I realized that I was doing the right subject for my zine assignment. I was giving a different voice to an issue that normally only speaks in a negative manner, a voice that shuns girls instead of empowering them.

I think that teenage pregnancies are a Third Wave issue simply because society still stigmatizes people who live through this situation. I will have to say that I think that society has come a far in their acceptance of teen parents compared to when I had my son. My community had such an issue with my pregnancy in 1994 that they kicked me out of school because I was a disgrace to the town. Today, however, most high schools offer programs and child care specifically for girls who have babies. I think that society still has a long way to go before they finally accept this situation for what it is -girls making choices. I believe that until a girl's choice is supported fully by society, her family, her friends, and her community, teen pregnancies will remain a Third Wave issue.

The Truth About Feminism/ The Beauty Ideal (by Huang Tehane) Spring 2009

2009-05-11T13:57:00.000-07:00

My first zine page is similar in design to the second, in that there are pictures accompanied by some lines of text that express the way I feel. This page, however, represents more of my personal view towards what feminism is, and what I have learned. For so long, I had a general, stereotyped image of what feminism was. However, now, I have come to understand more about the true meaning. I took images that I believed represented my thoughts of feminism, and to prove the point that feminism still has a long journey ahead.

The second page I created was my political zine page. I focused on an issue that almost every single woman deals with at some point in her life, which is the issue of beauty. Society has always had expectations of what a woman should look like, and made that standard known to all of it’s people. And unless you lived up to these standards, you were not accepted by society. My page consists of me writing a letter to “society”, questioning the meaning of beauty. I also express the desire to just be accepted for who I am. I think that most women feel the way I do, because these standards set forth unto us are all but impossible. I included a few pictures of women throughout history who were considered beautiful during that particular time period, and it becomes apparent how much the times do change. The page is meant to convey that the ideal of beauty is greatly influenced by the times, and that these ideals are merely created by society. Everyone is beautiful in their own way, and should be celebrated just the way they are.

I think that these pages relate to the topic of “the personal being political”, because my thoughts and actions of feminism become part of the political battle. It is also the same in reverse. The political becomes personal because whatever political decisions and matters are made will definitely impact our personal lives. This is especially true in our times. For example, the decision about gay marriages, though a political issue, then greatly impacts the personal lives of millions of individuals and couples. The same is true for these people who try to improve their personal lives by making it a political issue in which they fight for. Third wave feminism continues to fight the backlash it faces. These zine pages are excellent ways to help to spread the message and initiate progress and change.

Family Medical Leave Act/ Human Evolution (by Idalia Sevilla) Spring 2009

2009-05-11T13:50:00.000-07:00

Should new fathers receive as much Family Medical Leave as new mothers? Searching the web I found a journalism site that debated this topic. Out of 198 votes, 76% said yes they should while a 24% said no. Many of the voters that disagreed had this argument, “As babies sleep up to 18 hours in a day, there is no reason he should have to take off longer than a few days or even a week. But the man does not need to take time off work in order to heal and recover.” The only thing I find true about this argument is that women do need time to heal and recover, more of a reason to have the father home to help you do that. The average recuperating time for a new mother can take up to 6 weeks. During that time you’re exhausted by the little sleep that you get with all the feedings, diaper changes, rocking him/her back to sleep and keeping house. Where can you find the time to relax and heal?

This is where I got the idea for my ‘zine pages. Approaching the end of my pregnancy this semester, my significant other and I began to discuss our leave of absence from work. I committed to taking a full 12 weeks off as this is a new time for both of us and I have enough money saved for the time I’ll be taking off. He will be taking 4 weeks off, and this came after many arguments with his management over the length of time off. It is clear that despite the FMLA (Family Medical Leave Act), it is still hard for a woman to put her career ahead of a man’s when this type of situation happens. It was socially expectable and easily approved for me to take 12 weeks off, but in no manner would it be okay for him. This is a stereotype, the women puts her career on hold to raise children, which must be broken.

Through exploring the FMLA, the man has equal opportunity by law to take extended unpaid leave. I do not believe this issue is a judicial issue as much as a social issue because the FMLA gives men the equal opportunity to take time off for the birth of his child. I thought the political page I created was a fun way to get my message across. It looks like it’s advertising a Biology class on evolution but if you look closer it’s discussing the importance of men and women taking different acceptable roles. My personal page is more about my growing family and me. I did the calendar because I feel that our time should be shared equally, both together and with our new son. I think that it is extremely difficult for a couple to equally balance a career and family. I wanted to show that our time would be focused on creating that equilibrium. It is clear from my example, given social strains that this is not possible. I added a few mementos of these past 9 months on some of the calendar dates. It has our 1st sonogram, pregnancy announcement, baby shower invite, and a picture of us. The X’s represents his time off in comparison to mine.

I feel that it’s important to change this social view of fathers taking a parental leave. Third wave feminism is more about individual equality between men and women. This is a social issue that is very personal to me and political in its representations of social views. I encourage more companies to give men paid extended leaves for childbirth. I believe that this would encourage mothers to return to work quicker and allow men more time with their children.

YWLP: Young Women's Leadership Program/ Girls Unite!!! (by Deborah Bernacett) Spring 2009

2009-05-11T13:40:00.000-07:00

The topic that I choose for my two zine pages was girls; I wanted to show how girls are raised a certain way within our society and then show one program that is trying to give girls a voice.

I was trying to use my political zine page to point out how girls have been gendered. The political page focused more on the toys that girls come into contact with and how girls are gendered at such a young age. Society teaches girls that they should cook, play with babies, and look like a Barbie. Not that doing these things are wrong but girls should be given the option of playing with all toys and not forced to play with female gendered toys. American society takes gendering to a whole new level; just think about when you went to a fast food place when you were younger and they had the girl or boy toys. Usually girls got a small doll and boys would get a race car or a water gun. I thought about all the time that I had wanted to play with the toy cars and how I was stuck with the doll and that is what inspired me to make my political page focus on how toys affect girls.

I linked this page to my personal page which focused on the Young Women’s Leadership Program (YWLP), the program focused on helping young girls think critically. I think that by having girls go through the program they would be able to break away from the social norms of society and that they will be able to decide what they like instead of being gendered. Girls are given the chance to say what they want and think about how to make healthy choices within their life.

The zine pages relate to the third wave because girls are included in the third wave. I like to think of girls as the future of feminism; girls need to be given a voice and be included within the feminist movement. Third wave feminism explains that sex and gender are two different things and is trying to change society from gendering individuals within society.

Working Women/ Stay at Home Dads (by Andrea Mans) Spring 2009

2009-05-11T13:35:00.000-07:00

I did my two zines on women working and the breadwinner being the father. My two zines reflect the personal side and the political. My first zine, explains and views the typical image of a stay at home dad, cleaning, cooking, and taking care of the children as the mother goes to work with her briefcase. I find it interesting how many American’s find it strange if the woman has a better paying job it just can’t be, she must either take half of her work or not work at all. I feel like the feminism in American start from holding women back from succeeded higher and higher in their career by just staying at stagnant place in their place. As my second zine explain the position of a working mother may lead to other successes. As the political side shows, becoming or even running for president. I saw a lot of feminism act when Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin were in the political campaign this year and many more feminist and women alone had a strong hold of women in the government. The male gender is dominating and they want to stay dominating by keeping women down to not succeed and stay with the “tradition”.

I want my zines to reflect in humor how the world view stay at home dads, that woman “can do it” and be successful at it and have a functioning house hold just if the father had worked.

A Pass To Be Sexually Active? (by Gerry L. Gause) Spring 2009

2009-05-11T13:20:00.000-07:00

There is a new vaccine that can prevent cervical cancer in women. This is, at first glance, a great thing. Then come the skeptics. This vaccine actually prevents against 2 Human Papilloma viruses (HPV), which are known precursors to cervical cancer and spread only through sexual contact. This vaccine, known as GARDASIL can be given to females between the age of 9 and 26 years old. There the skepticism erupts. Does giving a vaccine against a sexually transmitted virus give girls a “pass” to be sexually active? At what point do we, as parents, step up and parent a teenage girl of the responsibilities of being sexually active? Should the governments’ Centers for Disease Control (CDC) instead step in and make the vaccine a State required vaccine as they do for the Hepatitis B, Measles, Mumps or Ruebella vaccine in the State of Florida? These are all issues one has to consider when a new life-saving vaccine enters the picture. One statistic to drive home the importance of cervical cancer awareness is that in 2004,* 11,892 women in the United States were told they had cervical cancer, and 3,850 died from the disease- a disease which in many cases can now be prevented if facts and issues are discussed with all involved persons.

On my political zine page, I want to convey the governments’ involvement in what I believe is a personal matter. Lawmakers in several states are pushing for legislation that supports mandatory vaccination of Gardasil for all females in the public school systems in those states. Already it is mandatory in Texas, where the governor’s chief of staff was a lobbyist for Merck (the makers of Gardasil). What a goldmine for Merck, what a raw deal for girls 9 to 25. What do these political heads know about the medical issues? How can they push for this drug to be mandatory, when there is not enough information as to the long-term effects?

Politicians have said that there is an “opt-out provision,” for parents who chose to not have their daughters vaccinated. Yet, as we all know, when it comes to enrolling our child into school we will be told, “Your daughter will not be able to get into school without the required shots.” So we as parents will be “bullied” into making this choice; a choice already made for us.

In the 1990’s it was Hillary Clinton’s book/philosophy that “It takes a village” to raise a child was brought into vogue. Many of today’s “parents” believe it takes ONLY the village to raise the child and they do not need the personal responsibility of raising their child but leave that to the schools and governments, television and internet. If the government, specifically the Center for Disease Control was to make the vaccine mandatory then, again, parents will allow the “Village” to raise their children. By making the vaccine available it allows for discussions at home on sexual activity and its’ meaning and complications.

On my personal zine page, I wanted to reflect my views as a mother of a young female. As a parent, I feel it is my responsibility to sit down with my children and be honest with them about the effects that a promiscuous sexual life will lead to. We need to stop hiding behind the “safe sex” banner and candy coating the truth. There’s only one true way to protect you from sexually transmitted diseases, like HPV and that is abstaining from sex until marriage. It isn’t just Gardasil that I feel that strongly about. Hep A (a relatively innocuous from of hepatitis) and the vaccine for bacterial meningitis are now available from any healthcare provider. Both seem better suited for a college type atmosphere, when our children are constantly exposed to large groups of strangers. Just because there is a vaccine, it does not mean everyone should take it. There seems to be a logical age progression for these three vaccines. The government does not know my child or her lifestyle. I am the parent, these are decisions better left out of government control.

I want to know, when will they have an HPV vaccine for boys? If HPV could be cured by Viagra, or men got cervical cancer, the political climate regarding this vaccine would be completely different. HPV is not just a “girls” disease. It can be passed between the sexes. Condoms do not totally eradicate the chances of passing on this disease. The best way to prevent it is by abstinence and monogamy. If you only have one partner you pass the same strain to each other and are considered a “closed system.” I think men should be held just as responsible for passing this STD as women. It seems unreal to me to think that parents of 9-year-old boys think their kids would be responsible for any STD, so why should my 9-year-old daughter have to shoulder the responsibility and suffer the side effects of Gardasil.

This vaccine can only protect against 70% of human papilloma viruses. There is no vaccine for the other 30%. Because Gardasil can prevent HPV, those vaccinated have a lesser chance of contracting cervical cancer. Before Gardasil, cervical cancer was detected by yearly Pap smears. Granted, false-positives occur regularly on Pap Smears, but the test is tried and true, whereas the side effects and possible deaths due to Gardasil are still in an experimental phase. There were less than 2000 girls in a clinical study and serious side effects have been reported in the short time it has been on the market. Seizures, loss of consciousness, arthritis, dizziness, muscle weakness, tingling and numbness of the arms and legs, slurred speech, and more. This is not a drug that needs to be pushed on our daughters; it’s a drug that needs more time in the research lab. Who wants to volunteer their 9-year-old daughter to be the latest guinea pig? I know I don’t.

As a parent, it is my own decision regarding what vaccinations my child receives, especially when it comes down to a vaccine that has only been on the market for such a short time. I am not a parent that chooses to NOT vaccinate her child, but I am a parent that wants the right to make the decision as to when and what vaccine my child receives.

The Third Wave Feminism focuses on sexuality as a positive and empowering experience. Through home and education, the woman can become educated in sexual activity and its emotional, physical and societal meanings. It is only then that the woman may come to accept and appreciate her body and the positive and negative results from sexual activity. A government mandated vaccine will not allow such education and “the village” fails to raise a well rounded and inspired individual.

Girl Rock is Not Dead! (by Lauren Gill) Spring 2009

2009-05-11T13:07:00.000-07:00

We can all recall the first album we owned, and how we played it until it became part of our blood. We all know those moments in life when something happens and you can pinpoint it to a lyric from a song you heard some time, long ago, and forever associate that summer, that love, or even that feeling of hopelessness to a song that complemented it perfectly. More than that, music spans generations and cultures with no limits on its existence. When a post-war United States decided that it was time to start marketing a teenaged lifestyle and gaining teenaged dollars within this capitalist society, music became something more. It became the religion to the youth culture of America, it served as the doctrine and lyric books replaced the good book. Over time, overarching influences of culture (mainly those of the patriarchal variety which dominate record companies and corporations) found their way into this music, and it is most obvious in the music finding its way onto mainstream radio stations across the U.S.

The Political Page:
I chose to document the underground (and in some cases mainstream) feminist artists and bands who currently exist and thrive (or had quite the dedicated following and whose music is still very relevant today). On my politically themed page, I chose to lucidly lay out the problem. In 2008, a study was conducted in regards to sexism and popular rap music at North Carolina State University. Dr. Michael Cobb, assistant professor of political science, conducted the study along with Dr. Bill Boettcher, associate professor of political science. "Sexism is imbedded in the culture we live in, and hearing rap music can spontaneously activate pre-existing awareness of sexist beliefs," Cobb says. While it is not proven that it will inspire someone to spontaneously become sexist, there are many types of music played on mainstream music that will nurse sexist belief systems and make others feel that it is okay. Besides the obvious offender of rap with its world of video hos and the objectification of women, many female musicians showcased on popular radio are less than favorable in regards to female empowerment. Acts like The Pussycat Dolls (a watered down group of “singers” basically removed from the stage of a “Gentlemen’s” club) seem to be more concerned with showcasing their bodies and calling out other females in their radio hits. It is not uncommon to hear an r&b or pop song by a female causing problems with other women, or involving two women fighting over a man. This especially became an issue of interest to me when I became acquainted with Katy Perry this past year. Whether she’s pushing gender roles to the masses and calling her ex-boyfriend “gay” as an insult or explaining that she will kiss a girl (but it’s just curiosity!) provided the men around her think it’s arousing. With the ‘zine page, I listed out artists by genre to show that there really are artists in existence to support that provide great beats to dance to or hooks to sing along with, without supporting artists with suspicious, sexist, or otherwise immature content.

The music industry relates to feminism because it has been a facet since the 60s with artists like Joan Baez, Loretta Lynn, and Aretha Franklin releasing music around the time of the second wave’s open demonstrations. There were women who considered Nancy Sinatra’s “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’” their personal theme music. Additionally, within feminism, music had a weight with both second and third wave women. The second wave had its female rockers and girl groups of the 50s, 60s, and 70s who were not hesitant to give a kiss off to men or sing about birth control. The third wave had the Riot Grrrl movement around the time of its inception and many folk and indie rock artists today still propagate similar feminist ideals. One of the more recent music genres, queercore, is a fusion of humanism and feminism in lyrical form and are carrying the ever-expanding third wave to different places musically, moving away from punk rock aggression and toward equality for everyone.

The Personal Page:
The personal page is mostly self-explanatory and depicts the kind of environment I grew up in and how feminist music introduced me to empowering concepts during a very vulnerable age for a young girl. Without the music, it is very likely that I would not have considered myself a strong girl at the time and I may have looked for validation or comfort in other areas that those around me sought after. Ani Difranco in particular also inspired me to look into women’s issues at a young age, and understand sexism before it fully affected me, better arming me for the fights I would encounter later. She also inspired me to begin writing poetry which served as an amazing outlet during a point in my adolescence where I felt confused and burdened and needed a way to express myself. Also, as a girl who physically matured at 13 and encountered many questionable attempted sexual advances, I already knew my limits and what I deserved and would not take at an age where girls are still getting used to their bodies and could otherwise give in due to the early inundation of sexuality in our culture, especially through the music industry and pop stars. Lastly, feminist music made me comfortable with my sexual preferences and identity in a time when I felt like an outsider due to my attractions.

Connecting the Two:
The personal and the political were ultimately connected in this issue because music is bigger than religion to teenagers and young adults. When the Beatles joked about being bigger than Jesus, they were not far off because music simply has that power over youth culture. If feminist-minded individuals used their consumer power to put feminist music on the radio, perhaps we could better nurse a more equality-driven youth culture, change young males ideas of sex and aggression and allow young women to find validation in other things besides the use of their bodies. It helped me escape a cycle, and I am sure it could help others.

Starving to Fit In (by Nicole Beleck) Spring 2009

2009-05-11T12:59:00.000-07:00

Political:
For my political zine page I tried to think of an issue I felt strongly about. The first that came to mind were the contradictions that as one of the richest nations in the world we still have people that are starving, and then we have people that are starving themselves in the name of beauty. I find both to be serious facts of our society that do require action. Even though, fundamentally, both are about starving each has different causes, and thus solutions. In our society of plenty no one should be starving because of the beauty ideal or the acceptable standards of living.

Personal:
As for my personal zine page I tried to look at how my self-image and self-identity intertwined. What I found was a contradiction. To fit into society’s mainstreams I have to fit a certain beauty ideal, one that demands that I be physically underweight. So, the choice comes down, do I be unhealthy to fit in, or do I be maintain a healthy weight and be seen as less desirable? I tried to present this using the scientific data of the Body Mass Index (BMI) to make a point about what is actually considered healthy and what is considered underweight. I had read a book called Mad, Bad, Sad: Women and the Mind Doctors, and it presented some examples throughout history of female sex symbols and what their BMI’s were. Marilyn Monroe, one of the most desirable women of her time, maintained a normal weight, while current Playboy centerfolds are generally underweight. I truly think that Monroe would not make it in today’s model industry. The Body Mass Index has not changed, but what is considered the ideal has. This is really a distorted notion to have, and one that I think most girls have had to fight with. That being the case, I think it is a crucial notion to consider.

Overall:
The fact that my both my personal and political pages touch on eating disorders emphasizes that the political is indeed personal. Now I have never gone so far that I would say that I have an eating disorder, but like most women weight and image are something that I think about. I think that this is a problem that the Third Wave has to address because something is making women feel this way. Even beyond that, the fact that 90% of people with eating disorders are women makes eating disorders a woman’s issue. One of the biggest culprits in spreading the unattainable beauty ideal is the media. I tried to play on this in my zine pages by incorporating materials that I found in the Sunday newspaper. In both pages I played on the thinness of models that are being used to sell products by distorting the images that I was presented. The media is full of misinformation, so one way I tried to counter this in my zine pages was to present scientific or statistical facts that help make my points. Overall, I think that my zine pages are a representation of myself and the Third Wave.

The Beauty Ideal: The Personal is Political (by Marci Hendrix) Spring 2009

2009-05-11T12:45:00.000-07:00

I did my zine project on the beauty ideal. The beauty ideal is an issue that is both political and personal. Our American society has made it virtually impossible for a woman to be “beautiful”. When the beauty ideal is a size 0, perfect breasts, teeth, and skin, an average woman can not compare. We have made this ideal so unattainable that those we believe fit that criteria, can’t even match up. Not only do movie stars, and models get paid to be beautiful, but they have herds of people catering to their every need to make sure they are camera ready at all times. Even when there is an imperfection that can not simply be covered with makeup, they do not fret, all they need is a little digital touchup.

The message I am trying to convey in my zine as it relates to the personal, it that I am a real woman. Just like the millions of women in the world I am not perfect, nor do I wish to be. Perfection comes at a high price, one I am not willing to pay. Our definition of beauty needs to be redefined; we do not look for beauty in the right place. Our society had such a superficial view on beauty, evaluating only on the outward appearance, but true beauty lies within a person. For generations women have grown up playing with Barbie dolls, desiring to look like them. But, unless we create a machine that pops us out perfect and plastic, this dream is unattainable. Just like most women out there, I juggle school, work, and the responsibilities of home. So if I do not feel like doing my hair, putting makeup on, and eat ice cream I do not want to be judged for it. I am proud to say that I am a feminist, and feminism is the idea that women are actually people, we are not just an object to be torn apart and assessed on an unattainable scale.

On the political page I am trying to convey that in the simplest of terms, the beauty ideal is political. What I mean is that you do not have to dive deep into politics to relate to this issue. It was a proud moment for women all over this country to see a female presidential nominee and vice presidential nominee. But, the glory was short lived; it did not take long for the women to be “sized up”. Hillary Clinton was criticized for not looking feminine enough, sticking to pant suits in monotone colors. On the cover of magazines there were fashion show-downs of Sarah Palin, Michelle Obama, and Cindy McCain. Stories everywhere were popping up about how much these women were spending on their clothing. Sarah Palin was criticized for being nothing more than a pretty face, and was attacked about her experience. It was obvious that the beauty ideal played greatly in this election, there was more rage about how the women looked than what was being said. These women had the perfect opportunity to stand up for women everywhere and not conform to the beauty ideal, but it became political. Instead of denouncing the criticism about her femininity Hillary Clinton brightened up her makeup and wardrobe. Sex sells and we even see that playing out in the political scene.

The Third Wave has made great progress in trying to break down this beauty ideal. We have said enough is enough and taken on campaigns to show real women, and real beauty. The Third Wave has said it is ok to be lesbian; it is ok to be big, which breaks the beauty deal. The Third Wave has produced magazines like “Bust”, which no longer have perfect models on the cover, but real women and real issues. Magazines like this are not looking to the advertisements of beauty products to keep them in print. We have achieved a lot in this Wave, but the beauty ideal still needs to be broken down. Society has to stop viewing women as a sex object, but as strong, beautiful women inside and out.

Gay Marriage: The Personal is Political (by Jessica Osborn) Spring 2009

2009-05-11T12:40:00.000-07:00

The zine I created takes a harsh look at how everything political is personal. Beginning with the recognition of individuals who try to suggest that the two are not linked, I try to create a dialogue which shows that that is clearly not the case. By speaking from my own voice, I am trying to show how much it matters considering that I am silenced by mainstream society. On the 'personal" page, the first page, I try to remind readers of the struggles a gay individual faces and make my main statement: For me, the government's laws which discriminate against me, the political, is very personal. On the second page, the "political" page, I give examples of how the laws of Florida, specifically, are full of nothing but discrimination. This is symbolized by the "x"s and the check mark. Overall, I would hope that these pages would encourage readers and viewers to take a moment and reflect on the tremendous amount of power lawmakers have over our happiness and satisfaction with life, which is very personal.

This zine relates to Third Wave Feminism because it represents a different type of female than just the white, middle-class. It aims to work towards the equality of gay individuals, men and women, because equality is something Third Wavers want to see given to all citizens.

And The Oscar Goes To/ Depression (by Heather Valmy) Spring2009

2009-05-11T12:34:00.000-07:00

My personal zine page is about women affected by depression. There are so many health issues that affect women more than men. This particular issue has affected me and the women in my family. My goal with this page was to highlight the importance of this problem that often goes overlooked. I think when many people think of “women's health” they think mainly about reproductive health or diseases only affecting the body but rarely is mental health considered a forefront issue and research for treatment is not where it could or should be.

Although the disease of depression dates back to antiquity most of the medical and therapeutic advancements have happened over the past 20 years. There have also been many advancements for women pretty much along the same time line. It has also been argued that perhaps the advancements for treating depression has come out of necessity of more unhappy people, specifically women, and that perhaps they are more unhappy due to feminism itself. The argument is that marriage and family were things that would make a woman happy and the advancements of feminism is the culprit to the large numbers of melancholy females. Now that women frequent the workplace, can have abortions and don't have to be stay at home moms any more they supposedly have more to stress about which makes them depressed. If that was true than wouldn't the numbers be switched around? Wouldn't men be the ones predominantly suffering this sadness?

During my research one statistic hit me hard, it said more than half the population believe depression is a personal weakness, once again, showing that people indirectly think women are the weaker sex. I have been struggling with this disorder for 6 years. I wish I could put people in my shoes to endure it for just an hour when I'm at my worst. Women however are twice as likely to seek treatment for depression than men. Is that weak?

I chose to put the lyrics to the Fiona Apple song “Sullen Girl”. As I'd mentioned in discussions I was always a huge fan of hers and part of it was because I felt like there was another artistic yet troubled woman that understood what it was like to feel a deep sadness and yet make a beautiful song inspired by darkness.

My political zine page is on female film directors. As a student minoring in film, it bothers me how few of these female artists go unrecognized, most notably in the U.S. The “politics” of the film industry unfortunately has the odds stacked against women. I chose to put pictures of some very talented women directors (Sofia Coppola,Jane Campion, Kimberly Peirce and Loveleen Tanden) whose work proved Oscar-worthy but never quite got them the personal recognition they deserved. I also wrote a couple of paragraphs speculating on why I think this is so (also based on some research).

While my two pages aren't closely related I do think they both address issues in Third Wave Feminism. We bring up issues like body image and how it affects women and I think it is something that is definitely linked to the high number of depressed women, sure we have rights now but the media won't allow us to enjoy them unless we look a certain way. Depression is caused and manifested in many ways. I chose to use song lyrics to show the importance, both to me and women everywhere, of women-made art. There is a certain kinship we feel despite not knowing each other personally. This relates to my political zine page because if not enough women are allowed to make movies (a form of art we can all relate to in our daily lives) than the messages in them will continue to be patriarchal and the woman to woman connection is lost.

Dear Daughter/ Public Service Message (by Catherine Worthington) Spring 2009

2009-05-11T12:26:00.001-07:00

I decided to write a personal letter to my daughter as my contribution to the personal page for the zine. There is nothing more personal then the bond between mother and daughter. While I feel like I was born a feminist, I was never an activist or vocal to others about my beliefs. My newfound knowledge of feminist theory from this and other Women’s Studies courses have changed that. Feminism is no longer a bad word to me and I wanted to find a way to communicate that to my daughter.

I talk to her about this class and many of the things that I learn. She is not much younger then many of my classmates and she has helped me understand the perspective of the world through younger eyes, just as my classmates have done. I chose the letter as a way to help her understand my perspective. She actively participated in my design. She is an artist and I asked her to draw the picture of the hand with the key to feminism. When I completed the letter, I read it to her. She approved the use of her photos and has given me thumbs up on the zine.

Through this class, I have found another way to communicate with my daughter. She ROFL when I told her the OMG story in a class posting. (She doesn’t approve of my use of the spoken term OMG because I am too ‘old’). She is learning to accept that I don’t need to be compartmentalized into the ‘mother’ role all the time and that it is ok for me to be her friend, sometimes. There may be tensions between 2nd and 3rd wave feminists but I’m glad that, related to feminism, there are no tensions between my daughter and I.

The mother/daughter connection is similar to 2nd wave and 3rd wave feminist theories and their connections. I think that my message to my daughter shows that I started a path with my daughter but at the same time, have given her freedom (the keys) to take her own path. I think 3rd wavers have received the same from 2nd wavers. I’m not sure that either of them realizes it. We each may choose different paths, but we both will keep moving.

I wanted to do a political page about the tensions between 2nd and 3rd Wave feminists. I personally feel a stronger connection to 2nd wave because that is when I became aware of feminism. I was too young (and naïve) to be an activist for feminism but I did take the political message personally.

I am too old in many ways to be considered a 3rd wave feminist. However, my voyage into the study of women has me immersed in 3rd wave feminism. I feel that I am too old to be a 3rd waver, yet too young to be a 2nd waver. I am inter-generational and that is why I feel like I can see both sides. For this class, I am taking my personal feeling about the tensions between waves and making a political statement.

I think that 2nd wave feminists feel judged by the 3rd wavers. I feel like the 3rd wave feminists feel criticized by the 2nd wavers. They both have very similar feelings and I think sometimes there is too much focus on the difference between the waves and not enough focus on what is the same between the waves. I chose the message on each coin to show my perception of what I think each side feels towards the other.

I created my zine page in order to show that each side is part of a bigger picture and that each side is part of a whole. I chose Betty Friedan as the figure of the 2nd wave coin (note it has two stars) because she really started 2nd wave in 1963 with her book, The Feminine Mystique. I chose Rebecca Walker for the 3rd wave coin (note 3 stars) because she is the one to ‘coin’ the phrase 3rd wave. I chose 2009 however, as the date for 3rd wave because that is the date of this class and that is the year I became a part of the 3rd wave.

I am not a 2nd wave feminist. I am not a 3rd wave feminist. I am a feminist. Isn’t that enough?

How the Military Defines “Be All That You Can Be” For Females (by Gwen Rhodes) Spring 2009

2009-05-11T12:23:00.000-07:00

Although it wasn’t without its frustrating moments, I had loved the time I was in the military. I was a member of the S.C. Army National Guard, went active for awhile and then back National Guard. A large part of the reason I liked it was because I enjoyed my role as a journalist and I enjoyed the opportunity to write and travel. I got in to help pay for my education and to use the skills I was learning in college as my major was Journalism. I considered myself a feminist and felt strongly that I could handle the whispers of “Whore, Dyke, Bitch, ‘just-looking-for-a-husband’” comments that were the common refrain when I joined in 1979.

It was a devastating blow for me when I returned from Desert Storm to discover that all of a sudden I was a persona non grata because I had contracted a serious illness. I lost a tremendous amount of weight, was fighting debilitating and often embarrassing side effects of the illness and the meds they tried to treat it with and no one wanted to deal with it. I ended up falling in the group that became known as the mysterious illness vets. I had previously been sexually assaulted and had been in a military vehicle accident in which I was seriously injured, all of which were swept under the rug because it made the National Guard/Army look bad.

It was doubly painful because I had trusted many of the people I had worked with and known for many years. My mother was a National Guardsman as well. She retired from civil service where she worked for the S.C. Adjutant General, the leader of the National Guard. I had grown up knowing many of the people in the Guard and then had spent 14 years working with the members of my unit, (public affairs units usually have very little turnover.) So when I went to these people for assistance after the assaults, after the accident and after I came home with an illness, I trusted them to help me. Instead they treated me like a pariah and began saying I was trying to stir up trouble and “women had no business in the military,” and many other comments that were hurtful and hateful. I was flabbergasted, and though I had experienced plenty of the sexual harassment suffered by women in the military, I still did not expect these people, some of whom I entrusted with my life in Panama, Honduras and Desert Storm, to turn on me so viciously. I ended up suffering Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Military Sexual Trauma (MST.)

My personal zine page addresses the personal connection I had in the military. The pictures are of what I consider positive experiences, while the words reflect the less pleasant side. I was considered a good soldier, often referred to as gung ho, and I was skilled in my job. None of those things mattered when I became a “problem” and most of the comments would make it seem that it was directly related to my being female.

My political zine page addresses some of the current issues women have in the military. I have now been out since 1993. The day I left the military, I also discovered my military husband was having an affair with a subordinate. The military did not address that either, treating it as standard behavior, because unfortunately, it was. The double standard in the military regarding personal relationships is alive and well. Men can do it, women are made to look like whores if they go along, bitches or lesbians if they don’t and are expected to keep their mouth shut in any case. Women are flat out afraid to come forward and report because they are told it will ruin their career, and make them look less of a soldier because they can’t “hack it.”

Despite greater numbers of women currently in the Armed Services, most of these things have not changed since I got in 30 years ago. My page includes quotes from recent news reports and commissioned studies which claim that rather than things getting better, the military has still got the same gender-related problems and it is a place for 3Wave activism to make a difference.

Sexuality/ man-GINA ME (by Melissa Aileen López) Spring 2009

2009-05-11T12:13:00.000-07:00

My zine pages address and explore the issue of sexuality. I approached the personal page and the political page in a way that would express my personal and political perspectives as a 30-year old, heterosexual female Latina. I believe that my approach illustrates that sexuality relates to third wave feminism in that it is complex, encompasses various subject areas and part of mainstream culture in the United States. In addition, I believe that my personal page and political page demonstrate that the personal is political and the political is personal.

My primary goal was to create a personal page that would address the personal nature of sexuality from my perspective. The central focus of my personal page is a poem. I wrote to explore, define and mock my sexuality. In addition, the poem expresses my frustration of managing my sexuality in the context of the stereotypes and misconceptions that are attributed to male sexuality as compared against female sexuality. I think crossing this line or blurring it demonstrated the freedom of third wave feminism. The background for my personal page is a picture of me that I took which I believe is a subtle expression of my sexuality. In addition, my personal page includes pictures which illustrate key terms or phrases in my poem.

My secondary goal was to create a political page that would address the political nature of sexuality from my perspective. I used quotes from the media and other sources, posters and images to demonstrate my political focus. The political page also uses a picture of me as the background as a subtle link between the personal and the political. The material I used for this page also attempts to demonstrate the continuous flow of sexuality as an issue than transitioned from second wave feminism to third wave feminism.

Love Should Never Hurt (by Crystal Batista) Spring 2009

2009-05-11T12:06:00.000-07:00

I have been a victim of intimate emotional violence. It has taken me years to grasp this one fact, but now I am no longer in denial. I know how women of violence feel, and for many years I have often blamed the victim of violence instead of realizing the truth. Women trust men, they want to love, and they don't want to believe that their man would hurt them. Writing this zine has impacted my own views for my own relationships and women in general. Love should never hurt, and now I believe that.

My personal zine page addresses this personal connection a woman feels when she is being abused physically and emotionally. She doesn't want to leave the relationship because she believes her partner will change. Love is strong, and women being abused do not want to believe that it is happening to them; everyone but not them. My personal zine page shows the feelings a woman has; the words are the emotions running through her head. Hate, control, trust, loyal, lies, all adjectives for her feelings. Women also tend to blame themselves and wonder if there is something they did to deserve it. The black represents the resentment, hate, mourning, and sometimes death; the red represents the blood caused by domestic violence.

What could spark activism and creativity in the minds of those viewing my zine pages? It toke me many days to think of the answer to this; I thought of what would cause me to speak up. Images spark controversy but they also show people what many never would want to see. The images of women hurt and physically abused shows the reality of domestic violence. Putting these graphic images in my zine would motivate people to grasp the power and pain that women face everyday by men they trust. I also decided to place many statistics that many would never know and be surprised and shocked to find to be true. Showing my zine pages to my peers opened their eyes to domestic violence and gave me a sense that I had a voice and now learned how to use it to motivate people around me. I used the same red and black color scheme for the same reasons as my personal zine. The quotes "Fear is what she feels", and "Secrets are what she keeps" had a huge impact on those who saw my zine and connected the images to the feelings of the women in them.

Domestic violence is a huge part of American women and women world-wide. It is something we must not ignore and something we must always have in our minds. Every 15 seconds a woman is beaten. We cannot forget those who live in fear; we must act now. For the sake of our future, for the sake of women, for the sake of feminism.

Love should NEVER hurt.

Gender Inequality (by Erika Handler) Spring 2009

2009-05-11T12:00:00.000-07:00

The first image is my personal image. This is personal to me because women should have the same job equalities as men. This hits me in the personal sense because my mother used to work in Burger King as a cook, cashier, dish washer, and well everything else you could imagine. She never got a raise that was well suited for the work she did, and if she did, the raise was somewhere around .10 cents. I believe that the new men that would get hired would earn more than her. She would ask for a raise and they would never give it to her. She had more time with the company than most of the workers. The image represents a woman who is thinking of gender equality in the workplace.

The second image represents all the women that experience gender inequality. Inside the pink circle is where all the women are and outside the pink circle are the men. Every image that I use represents gender inequality. How women are angry at this issue is the central point. The reason they can’t move up is because of the glass ceiling effect.

When is Enough, Enough? Vs. My Body My Choice (by Tanyi Colon) Spring 2009

2009-05-11T11:55:00.000-07:00

Too Thin to Be In/ Once Upon a Time (by Jessica Leto) Spring 2009

2009-05-11T11:41:00.000-07:00

Where to begin? That is the question that. It is everywhere. We turn on the television. There it is. We pick up a magazine or a newspaper. There it is. We go to a fashion show. Yep, there it is. Concerts, check, there it is. It reminds me of that old rap song. Whoop, There it is. Except this “it”, is the crime of skinny. Yes, it should be a crime, declared illegal. It should have legal recourse and criminal actions. Skinny is not in. Skinny is a bad word not a good word. We really don’t stand a chance in the war on skinny. We worship the size zero and spend our days measuring the caloric intake of each food particle we consume. We buy products that are labeled “zero fat” “zero trans fat” or simply a simple convenient package of a “100 calorie pack” because we are too stupid, too lazy or too uninformed to realize what a single serving is and should be. We run to the gym to take classes with names like “washboard abs” Have you seen a washboard? It is a thin stick of wood. That is all it is. Feminism is not about size. It is about mind. It is about who you think you are not who someone tells you to look like. Our real feminist goals are to make us equal with all, not try to be equal to the models we see in print ads that weigh no more than a small puppy. Puppies are cute but I don’t want to look like one. Why do we have a show called “The Biggest Loser? Why can’t it just be called something like “Lets Get Healthy So We don’t Die of Stroke or Heart Attack?”

Interestingly enough, these two major leading causes of death in women, stroke and heart attack are brought on not only by being obese but also by being anorexic or bulimic. As long as we view our outer appearance as what makes up the sum of our total beings, we are going to try to morph ourselves into whatever mainstream media feels is popular. Feminism has to stand for more than how we look. It has to be about how we feel. We didn’t struggle through the fight for the right to vote to get to this point in our battle. We want to be battling for equal rights for all, not how to be equal to a size zero. It has been suggested that women use eating disorders to combat the power of the feminine ideal. I don’t think it is for that reason that women starve themselves. It is to fit in with what society has deemed acceptable. I believe you can be a feminist and still be starving yourself to death. We need to engage in feminist thinking and disengage from the images that the media portray of women. These are toxic to self-esteem and do nothing to further the advancement of feminism. Some experts equate the power of feminism to eating disorders. Suffering from an eating disorder is the ability to control your life by controlling what you consume. It has nothing to do with true feminist goals.
Feminists do not seek to control lives; they seek to exert control over what they can do with their lives, not what they do TO their lives. True empowerment is the ability to listen to and act on our own inner voice. True liberation is doing what's right and not being bound by societal pressures or restrictions. True freedom is identifying with our inner being and not being confused by the media’s interpretation of what our outer being should or should not be. Throughout history, women have sought to be beautiful and have appraised their value according to who was the most beautiful. In our time, there's something obsessive and twisted about how this quest has manifested itself. Our identity as feminists has to be more than what we see in a three-way mirror. It has to reflect the long history of feminism that we are privy to. If we are so liberated, why aren’t we happy. Happy with who we are and most important of all what we look like.

In Catching a Wave it says “girls struggle to reconcile the perception of others with their self perception.” How can we expect young girls to be feminist when they look to pop stars and models who weigh nothing as the look they aspire to? Women's contributions to society have always been more than what they look like. The real tragedy is that this fact still is unrecognized. I am not saying that being conscious of our body image is not feminist, but to try to model ourselves after the unattainable image that society might have at the moment, distracts from our whole. Throughout the waves of feminist history, we all have heard one cry. We want to be treated equally and have access to everything afforded us by law. We want nothing separate as to gender. The desire to be thin simply because society (and this is mostly the mainstream media) tells us this is how we should look destroys the years of fighting for our personal rights. You might argue that if we want to be thin, this is the basic tenet of feminism, do what we want, but thin to be in is not what our feminist foremothers wanted for us.

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Once upon a time in a land not so different from the Land of Oz, lived a girl. This was not any ordinary girl. This girl was a magic girl who needed nothing to survive. NOTHING. How could that be? Well, listen to this very true, very scary tale of a girl who only wanted to fit. Fit in: her clothes, her environment, her life. She wished for many things, but most of all she wished she was in a land of nothing. Zero, negatives, empty city. Now, as all of you remember, Oz was a magical place but in reality, it was only a made up kingdom ruled by a man who hid behind a curtain. Well, this girl decided that she could have the appearance of whatever she wanted if only she could live life like Oz. She needed to be someone on the surface and someone else inside. She went to a special school where she learned very special things. She learned the art of being pleasing. Each day was broken up into pleasing classes. Morning was how to be pleasing. Afternoons were how to look pleasing. She learned to cook too. Special cooking classes designed to keep her “special” There was cooking with no fat 101. Cooking with no oil 102 and the most important class of all cooking with no calories. There was also an advanced class for only the most special of girls, “How to Move Food on Your Plate and Make Everyone Think You Are Eating”. She was the top student in this special class. This was her favorite class and she loved her teacher Mrs. Nofatti. She excelled in each class and her reward at graduation from “special” school was to be able to speak at graduation. Miss Minnie, as everyone at school referred to her (for this was her name, she went by her middle name, her first name was Skinnie) decided she needed to look especially good for this momentous occasion so she visited the spa. She had a wrap. This was a special wrap for a special girl. The wrap removed all the impurities from her body and even removed some of her body. She felt very very special.

At graduation, all eyes were on her ( even though she could easily be seen with one eye only). She was a very special very skinny girl who had everything she ever wanted. She had spent the night before this special day, eating and purging. One of her most special activities. It had made her feel all lightheaded and as if she were floating on clouds. Just the way a special girl should feel. Well she got dressed for her special day in her special dress. This was a special dress because of course it was size 0000. Everyone waited with anticipation as she ascended the stairs for her speech. She looked out and started to speak but the room started spinning and she couldn’t hold on to the podium because her fingers were so weak and she started to slip down down down to the ground. As she descended she made very sure she fell into a very special heap of bones. Everyone rushed to the stage. Someone screamed to call the doctor. The doctor came and lifted her up (with one hand after all she was very specially skinny) and took her to the clinic. No one ever heard of Miss Minnie again. The rumor is that she went to a “special” place for girls who had trouble with food reality. Well the moral of this story is be careful what you wish for…you just might get it!

Please feel free to add comments, rants, raves, shout-outs, outrage, dismay…

I am thinking of a fairy tale,
Cinder Elephant,
Sleeping Tubby,
Snow Weight,
where the princess is not
anorexic, wasp-waisted,
flinging herself down the stairs.

I am thinking of a fairy tale,
Hansel and Great,
Repoundsel,
Bounty and the Beast,
where the beauty
has a pillowed breast,
and fingers plump as sausage.

I am thinking of a fairy tale
that is not yet written,
for a teller not yet born,
for a listener not yet conceived,
for a world not yet won,
where everything round is good:
the sun, wheels, cookies, and the princess.

2% of women aged 15-30 suffer from anorexia.4% suffer from bulimia. Other illnesses such as body dismorphic disorder, self-harm and binge eating are also prevalent among young women. A 1998 survey found that young women between twelve and fifteen found that over half listed appearance as the biggest concern in their lives. Magazine pictures are electronically edited and airbrushed.

yes you can die from not eating, think of Darfur…

“There's nothing negative about being a plus,”"YOU CAN NEVER BE TOO RICH OR TOO THIN… (or can you?) (is this what we really want to look like?)

Media Vs. Feminism/ Trafficking in Human Beings (by Jill Wingate) Spring 2009

2009-05-11T11:34:00.000-07:00

I am turning 40 this year. Despite my best attempts to regard this event as just another birthday, I find that it is an occasion that has inspired a review of my successes, failures, good and bad habits and worldviews. I have come to the realization that several of these so-called failures and bad habits of mine are in fact, circumscribed as such by the popular media. For example, one “failure” that I have defined is my weight. I have never been happy with it. Like many women, I am barraged by images of the feminine ideal – tall, thin, with flowing long tresses. I am none of those things. Yet I have allowed the media to dictate to me how I think I should look, and as a result, I never quite measure up. Another perceived “failure” is my decision to not have children. Though this is a personal choice that many women make, I was not able to find any positive representation of this choice in the popular media.

My personal ‘zine page addresses these media representations of women and compares it to my own representation of what feminism is. As I was creating my ‘zine page, I noticed that the only representations of women in their 40’s that could be considered positive involved references to “cougars”, mid-life makeovers, and actresses’ miraculous ability to regain their pre-baby figures. The message comes through loud and clear; aging women have no place in popular media unless they rigorously maintain their “girlish” figures. Bearing children is deemed acceptable, but only if Mommy drops her baby-weight within a month of delivery.

There are several positive aspects of turning 40. One of them is the wisdom and self-acceptance one achieves with age. I have finally tuned out media dictates and have gained the confidence to become a woman who I really like. I don’t know if the confidence allowed me to be the outdoorsy, athletic person I have always wanted to be, or if all the hiking, camping and kayaking I have done has infused me with confidence. If I wrote a chapter in Turbo Chicks, it would be about the connection that I have found between physical wellness and emotional strength. My definition of feminism would read “the ability and willingness to be who you are”. Who I am is represented under the “This is What a Feminist Looks Like” section of my ‘zine page.

My political ‘zine addresses the global issue of human trafficking. Human trafficking is a growing crime that is devastating to women as well as men. Women are often trafficked for sex or forced labor. This is not a foreign issue; trafficking has been reported in every state in the U.S. Last semester, I teamed with two organizations, Florida Coalition Against Human Trafficking and The Emancipation Network, to coordinate awareness programs at my workplace. This type of grassroots activism is a hallmark of Third Wave Feminism. The personal is political. By gathering a group of coworkers and discussing an issue that I feel strongly about, my actions were the embodiment of that statement. My ‘zine includes consciousness-raising information, suggested websites to learn more, and an example of how a group of New York women made the connection between the personal and political.

Women in Film (by Justine Hilton) Spring 2009

2009-05-11T11:27:00.000-07:00

My first love is film, so I knew I wanted to do my zine pages on the role of women in film. I took the course “Women in Film” last semester and found that there actually are good, quality films out there powered by women, but unfortunately you really have to look hard to find them. Today, there are so many films that add to the female stereotypes that do nothing to help feminist desires. I think my topic relates to Third Wave Feminism since our culture takes such importance in art, like film. The more we support films that degrade women, the more young girls think that this is acceptable. My goal is to have everyone look at the films the y are watching and noticing that women do not get the feature roles they deserve. If there were better roles out there then we, as a female audience, would be able to see ourselves in these movies and would feel more connected to cinema.

My personal page is a collage of my favorite actresses. I chose only current actresses because they are the women that make quality films now to help feminism. In my collage I included Keira Knightley, Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johansson, Penelope Cruz, Kate Winslet and Cate Blanchett. I think that these women make amazing films and are known for both their talent and their beauty. I included a quote that I feel describes these women as actresses very well; all these actresses want are quality roles to use their talents like their male counterparts do. Here are some of my favorite movies from these actresses: Atonement, Closer, Lost in Translation, Volver, Revolutionary Road, and Elizabeth. Everyone should check those out!

My political page I decided to look at some common stereotypes of women in film. The three I chose were the “ditzy blonde,” the “femme fatale,” and the “damsel in distress”. These stereotypes are responsible for pigeonholing incredible actresses to roles that are not of substance, many times because those are the only roles available.

Dear Anorexia (by Melissa Ford) Spring 2009

2009-05-11T11:18:00.000-07:00

My rationale for choosing this topic has so much to do with my own self discovery and how its lead to my strong opinions and my pride in feminism. I have struggled my whole life with an eating disorder, and I decided four years ago to take action and turn it into a better version of me. When I began recovery I went through a lot of phases, and you can even read those phases throughout my college essays. I first was angry and resentful, and gathered a lot of information on the media and its influences. I moved on to write about it relating to psychology and physiology (as it pertains to my major). Last semester I wrote a paper on the contradiction between having an eating disorder and being a feminist, and I remembered reading "The Body Politic" by Abra Fortune Chernik. It helped me to realize that I can make my bittersweet struggle into my own theory. It made me stronger, and I have separated myself from anorexia, but I've also learned from it. I wanted to share that in these zine articles.

In my first article, I write a letter to my eating disorder, as many people do in group therapy or inpatient, but I had never done before. It didn't come out as aggressive as I thought it would have been. It actually really empowered me. I also scanned and used a variety of mediums in which I have made art about my struggle. I've learned that art is activism, and its one of my strongest outlets. The next page quotes "The Body Politic" and truly has inspired my recovery. It also has a picture of one of my art pieces. I want to be strong enough as a feminist and as a person, and I can't do that in the throws of anorexia. The quote from the second page has become my mantra. In this assignment, I tried to put all of my strengths in, so I could share them and help people, and I have truly helped myself in making it.

Arab Feminism: It's Not an Oxymoron/ My Feminist Glasses (by Maureen Parent) Spring 2009

2009-05-11T11:03:00.000-07:00

My political zine page is about Arab Feminism. Rationale: In one of our readings in Catching A Wave it said how Famous Arab heroines were portrayed in the West as mindless harem kittens and told of stereotypes that are made of Arab women that are not positive ones and are not accurate ones. The Western public only knows what the media shows them so my targeted audience would be the Western public. My goal is to show the stereotypes of Arab women in comparison with the truth and educate the public. There are real Arab feminists out there. When I mentioned Arab women to my husband he described the stereotypical image of all Arab women being veiled head to toe all the time, all being submissive to the men, and sexualized. This is because of the media’s representation and biased coverage. Here is the personal being political. My husband’s personal view is the view of many people and the public needs to be enlightened. Even American feminists often treat Arab feminists as backward, third world women who do not know what is going on. Arab women feel that they are devalued by American feminism because of this. Arab feminists are real women making a difference in their culture. A real Arab woman represented in my zine is Jordan’s Queen Rania, who challenged Middle East broadcasters to help change common misconceptions in media and advertisements. Another Arab feminist depicted, Dr. Thoraya Ahmed, has said that “It has been taken for granted that Islam and traditional Saudi society have inhibited women’s progress.” The final woman I display is Debbie Almontaser who chartered and became founding principal of an Arabic-immersion public school. These are three third wave feminists making a difference today and there are many more. Therefore, the words “Arab Feminism” is not an oxymoron.

For my personal zine page I have a page of third wave feminism ideas written on a paper and the words are blurry, except for the part that can be viewed through the glasses on top of the paper. (My high school daughter helped me with the graphics on this page) Rationale: The words represent third wave issues, terms and ideas. The glasses represent the ways that feminism becomes clearer to people, and me personally. In our readings I learned that feminist awakenings happen through institutional spaces, women’s studies classrooms, textual encounters, and grassroots activism. My own awakening was through the women’s studies classes I have been taking at UCF. Before taking these classes I had not even thought of feminism or feminist issues and was just living in my little bubble, oblivious to the many issues brought out in my learning experiences. My goal is to show women and future feminists that these different educational settings and encounters make feminist issues and ideas clearer to people, as represented in my zine. How can people act if they are not even aware of the issues or ways of thinking? Some of the third wave issues represented in the zine picture are: backlash against women, abortion, birth control, rape, sexual harassment, common exposure to the pressure of some of the same problems, searching more than arriving, a return to the personal, including more than excluding, lesbian and gay rights, synthesizing old and new theories, a young feminist is self defined, cultural dominance of post feminism, exploring more than defining, and Arab feminism. This last issue of Arab feminism is connected to my political zine and is something I never would have even thought about were it not for the academic ‘glasses’ that I put on.

2009-04-29T19:35:00.000-07:00

2009-04-29T19:29:00.000-07:00

2009-04-29T19:22:00.000-07:00

2009-04-29T19:21:00.000-07:00

Media Bullshit/ Skinny Girl Stick Figure (by Megan Incorvia)

2009-04-29T18:59:00.000-07:00

Dichotomy of a Latina's Sexuality/ What Are These? (by Liani Ramos)

2009-04-29T18:57:00.000-07:00

Birth Right/ Brave Bodies (by Abigail Malick)

2009-04-29T18:52:00.000-07:00

Communication Through Globalization/ Beyond American Feminism (by Ross N. Templeton)

2009-04-29T18:29:00.000-07:00

To Protect & Defend??? yeah right./ Dear Bigotry (by Arielle Schwartz)

2009-04-29T18:24:00.000-07:00

Same-Sex Marriage: Undoing Oppression through Third Wave Feminism

Connecting the personal to the political is easier than attempting to separate the two. I ask myself “what defines the personal?” The personal can be constructed around my identity. For instance, my identity consists of being a scholar, an activist, a feminist, a friend, a daughter, a sister, a lesbian, a future mother, a future attorney, and a social, political, and economic justice fighter. The political is inexorably linked to the personal aspects of our daily lives. The personal is political, and as an individual who recognizes that, it is my duty to “change the world through our personal relationships... and politics” (Karaian and Mitchell 290).
The rationale behind my zine was to question the oppression of those in the gender and sexually queer community, and focus on the arguments made against same-sex marriage. I believe it is my responsibility to stand up for the individuals who have been victimized as a result of homophobia and bigotry. The goal for my political zine is to question the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA hereafter) and other constitutional amendments that legitimize their legislation by stating that DOMA will “protect the definition of marriage as the union of one man and one woman.” In the United States specifically, patriarchal traditions such as marriage have been historically defined and regurgitated in order for procreation to proceed and normal family values to be upheld.
Gender specific policy and societal rules of regulation concerning how individuals are supposed to live their lives straightjacket the freedom of individual self expression. Being queer is more than just sleeping with someone of the same gender. Being queer means that the second you want a job, health insurance, a loan, a car, a drivers license, a marriage license, an identification card and a library book, you are asked to check a box classifying your sex organs. Gender and sexuality should be a personal matter allowing an individual the opportunity to name themselves. Therefore, constitutional amendments codifying marriage should be understood in relation to those differing identities. We spend our entire lives claiming our personal identity and the second an individual decides that there aren't enough boxes you are cast out and marginalized as an Other, rather than another: Sorry ladies, there can only be one female in this relationship. Application denied!
No one fits neatly into categories. Gender and sexuality are diverse and “as soon as you try to pin people down, you leave people out” (Karaian and Mitchell 17). My personal page reflects the idea that those who oppose same-sex marriage just cannot come to terms with the reality that there are people who do not reflect the majority’s lifestyle. There are other ways to live. However, there are those who do not approve of alternative lifestyles or just simply diversity, and as a result, those who do not conform are made to suffer loss. Denying the queer community marriage rights is part of a larger system which treats sexual and gender minorities like they are inferior and thus second class citizens. Discriminatory legislation reinforces bigotry and as a result, conditions the ignorant teenager from Laramie Wyoming that it is acceptable to tie seventeen year old Matthew Sheppard to a fence, pistol whip him, and leave him to die in the freezing temperatures.
The political and the personal page connect because it is impossible to separate the personal from the political. The personal is political and as a lesbian, I will fight for gay rights. As a woman, I will fight for reproductive rights. As an individual with white privilege, I will fight to end racism by rejecting my unearned privilege. As a middle class scholar with open access to the academy, I will fight politically for those who may not gain the opportunities that I have held. Because of my personal identity, I have a political responsibility to change oppressive institutions that have yet to evolve past patriarchy and heterosexism.
I feel as if my identity is the epitome of the third wave. Third wave feminism recognizes the “multiple constantly shifting bases of oppression in relation to the multiple, interpenetrating axes of identity” and focuses on the “creation of a coalition politics based on these understandings— understandings that acknowledge the existence of oppression” (Drake and Heywood 3). Third wave acknowledges the necessity to continue the consciousness raising of oppression by being aware of how we currently benefit from our predecessors turbulent pasts. When you connect the personal to the political, you are making a contribution to further social, political, and economic equality. By recognizing the interconnectedness of all human characteristics, regardless of age, race, nationality, political ideologies, religion, gender identification, sexual orientation, geographic location, abilities, and/or anything else that may grant you privilege and allow you to move more freely throughout the world, you are acknowledging the very essence of the third wave. My zine sends the message that political oppression based on personal identity is a form of hatred that must be questioned and rejected beyond recognition. I ask the oppressor to “walk a day in my shoes” and then maybe they will stop judging me.

References

Drake, Jennifer, and Leslie Heywood. Third Wave Agenda: Being Feminist: Doing
Feminism. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1997.

Karaian and Mitchell, et. Al. Talking Young Feminisms: Turbo Chicks. Canada: Sumach Press, 2001.

This is What a Feminist Looks Like/ Forced to Fight Back (by Kevin Alvarez)

2009-04-29T18:21:00.000-07:00

Fight for Your Rights/ How Feminism Affected My Posture (by Holly Simmons)

2009-04-29T18:10:00.000-07:00

Growing Identities/ The Feminist Rad Hatter (by Cristina Calandruccio)

2009-04-29T18:05:00.000-07:00

Finding True Love: The Personal is Political (by Carly McFadden

2009-04-29T17:56:00.000-07:00

I thought long and hard about what I wanted my zine to focus on. I wanted to choose a topic that was close to my heart and that I was passionate about. I needed to know that I could put my whole heart and soul into my pages. For the longest time I could not find any one issue that spoke to me more than any other. That is until I became single.
During the process of healing after a breakup, I wasn’t thinking about homework or school at all. I thought I was being pretty useless and worthless for several weeks. Then I realized that even though I wasn’t doing schoolwork for all of those hours that I was crying in bed, gathering with friends, and calling family members to seek advice, I was actually doing research for my zine. I was actually doing feminism all of that time.
Sure, being heartbroken over a boy doesn’t really seem like doing feminism, but girls helping girls definitely is feminism to me. I was surprised to find many women offering me their support. Of course I was expecting my close friends to help, but women I am not even close to ended up talking with me for long periods at a time about my situation. I would find myself at random places and times talking to girls I had just met about how hard breakups are. Sympathizing and empathizing with each other lifted my spirits. I knew I was not in this alone. I knew there were others out there who have gone through the same thing.
I think that this is the type of activity that Jennifer Baumgardner and Amy Richards talk about in Manifesta in the chapter “The Dinner Party”. A group of women getting together to eat and drink and chat sounds innocent enough. However, when these women are strong and smart and supportive, one person’s extremely emotionally breakup can get turned into life altering discussions about female strength and the importance of sisterhood. Baumgardner and Richards write, “The concept for this chapter came out of a fierce faith that this honest communication among women is a revolutionary act, and the best preface to activism” (15). I believe that my breakup forced me to start interacting with the other feminists in my community, and I have learned more in the past month than I have learned probably in that last two years of college.
My personal page focuses on the things that I have learned from other women since the breakup. I have learned how important it is to have friends who will nurse you back to health, how we should not need a man in our life to feel complete and whole, that we can be complete and whole and happy and strong by ourselves. I have learned that people love me. I have learned the importance of a vibrator.
Another extremely important thing I have learned is that I will not compromise my self or my feminism for anyone. I cannot and will not change to make someone else happy. I am starting to see that I am happier with my feminism than with a boy who doesn’t appreciate my feminism. I think that this revelation is probably one of the most important revelations of my life.
All of this heartbreak and sadness led me to wonder, “Why do I feel so lost and alone after a boy dumped me? Why do I feel like I somehow failed?” I decided that the answer lies in societies expectations for women to find true love and get married. Girls are taught as young children that they will (and must) grow up, find a man, and get hitched. Disney movies show them to wait for their knight in shining armor to save them. Grandmas ask at family gatherings whether they’ve found a nice Jewish boy yet. Most importantly, in my opinion, the media feeds us tons of garbage making us believe that women will only truly be happy when they find the man of their dreams and tie the knot.
This is why my political page is filled with magazine cut outs. Women’s magazines dwell on finding true love. Love, relationships, love, wedding cakes, love, dating, love, the white dress, blah, blah, blah! These are the things women are taught to focus on. Magazines tell women that if they are alone than they are miserable and finding a man to hold your hand is the way to true happiness. After my newfound singleness (and bitterness), you can bet that I was pretty perturbed when looking through these magazines. Why is it that being a bride is our only path to happiness? Is THIS our only option?
I wish that instead of looking at these magazines and dreaming of their fairy tale happily ever after, girls and women will sit down and talk to one another. Talking to other strong women, whether it be friends, acquaintances, aunts, mothers, sisters, professors, random people you meet, there are women out there who can change your life. Reading a dumb magazine article about what guys crave in bed will not raise your consciousness, but talking to feminists and strengthening sisterhood definitely will.

F Word & Rrrepublican (by Andrea Ayala)

2009-04-29T17:41:00.000-07:00

'zine community

2009-02-25T07:17:00.001-08:00

If you're looking for a 'zine community, check out the following. It's like a social network site, but for specific groups.

http://wemakezines.ning.com/

More Than the Sum of My Parts (by Kelly Thibert)

2009-02-16T20:47:00.000-08:00

My zine pages collectively were about the media portrayal of women and how it basically "defines" what a person needs to look like in order to be happy or considered attractive. My political zine page is mostly just content from the media and different messages it seems to send across. My personal page on the other hand is more of an account of my struggles with the media and being able to get over what the media says to live my own life. When one thumbs through mainstream magazines or even watches a commercial on television there always seems to be a really thin, half naked woman advertising something that has to do nothing with her body. But these images can most of the time be linked back to something that makes one feel good or better about themselves and therefore maybe if one is able to be like the person in that picture then they too can have the happiness that they’ve always wanted! What I’m trying to convey through my zine pages is that the media has a huge influence on how we (all people not only women) see these things in the media and react to them. Sometimes there can be positive media portrayal of appearance, but for the most part the media tells us what’s wrong with us and ways that we can change our flaws in order to be a better, more attractive, happier person.

My political zine page contains the definition of "media". I added this into my page because part of the definition of media is "influence people widely". That’s exactly what I’m trying to get at! They’re influencing people alright, but in the worst ways possible. They’re making girls younger and younger think that they’re fat and need to be on a diet. They’re making guys think that they’re not masculine enough and won’t get a girl. So then what is the result of these images and portrayals? Well typically the females will feel bad about themselves and find a new diet or way to look slimmer because one can never be skinny enough apparently. After trimming down then it’s time to find the right clothes and makeup to make her look pretty so guys will notice her. The males on the other hand don’t feel masculine enough and might go out and start fights or get into things to make them seem "tough" because that’s what the media is telling them to be like. Also on my political page is a picture of a Barbie’s body with a television for a head. Basically what I was trying to state here was that because all of the ideas and thoughts of the television have been so engrained into this female’s head she looks the way that she does. She has an "x" on her mouth because she has no say in what she looks or acts like. She must follow the media because if she doesn’t how will she find the right guy to spend the rest of her life with? Next on my page is the Q&A portion. The question: what makes a woman sexy? The answer: losing 55 pounds of course! Again this is the same things I’ve been saying throughout this paragraph that the media is controlling how we feel we must look to be happy and successful, etc. I keep portraying the women who have changed themselves with x’s over their mouths to indicate that they have had no say in how they chose to look. They feel that it is a requirement from society. However, the woman that weighed in at 162 pounds has a smile on her face because she’s happy, and is living the life she wants. She’s not feeling miserable having to diet and workout just to get into a certain outfit that will make her boobs look better. Upon looking through mainstream magazines I saw a lot of ## ways to look amazing. All filled with a special number of tips to change your appearance in order to look amazing because you, as we know by now, are not amazing before changing your appearance. So underneath I placed what I feel a lot of these say in the end of the article, eat less. The gum add that I placed here was about getting over a craving or snack time hunger. It said to enjoy a piece of Trident Splash gum instead of having that snack you might want (even if it is a healthy snack). Messages like these are the ones that I’m angry with and feel people need to look at more carefully. A piece of gum is not a healthy alternative to a snack but it’s sad because a lot of people do it. I myself used to do it when I would go days without eating. The sugar holds you over but looking at it from a medical perspective, it’s the worst thing you can do for your body. I end my political page with a little rant in the middle using an excerpt from the spoken word artist Rafael Casal. I’m just stating that I’m angry with the media and what it’s doing to our minds, bodies and lives. I’m standing up for everyone that feels the pressure from the media, we’re going to start defining what we see as beautiful and not let some old men at a corporation determine it for us!

My personal zine page is basically an account of the two main struggles I’ve had in my life as a result of the media (as well as some events in my life). But because I felt inadequate and like the fat friend all the time, there was appoint in my life where I was anorexic and it was a really hard time for me. I didn’t accept what everyone was telling me and it wasn’t until about two years ago did I realize that I indeed did have a problem. Seeing all the beautiful women on television and in the magazines (like Cosmopolitan which I used to read every month) was not a good thing for me but I didn’t realize that anything was wrong with what I was watching or reading. Everything was telling me to be skinny and dress this certain way so I tried, and I tried my hardest until I got too sick and had to be taken to the doctor because when I tried to eat my body rejected the food. Once that problem was resolved though, it turned into a different kind of self mutilation problem which was cutting. It doesn’t help when you hear jokes on the television about how to cut the "right way" or you hear music that talks about cutting like it’s really no big deal at all. Going back through a lot of my old music I realize that a lot of it had lyrics relating to self mutilation and it was normal to me, these lyrics were just something I could relate to. So on my personal page I’ve written at the top one of the lyrics that used to be one of my favorite throughout high school. Then around the edges is an excerpt from a "story" I had to write for my therapist while I was in high school. The picture is just one I found that expresses visually how I feel mentally and emotionally. I’m slowly getting over the fact that I’m not a size two and my thighs touch one another when I walk. But I’m realizing that it’s normal. Most people AREN’T a size two and most people’s thighs DO touch when they walk. So the picture represents my fury and my attempt to move past what I’m being TOLD about my body. Now it’s my time to think for myself about my body and not have anyone else do it for me.

I feel that these two zine pages relate to third wave feminism because in the third wave the personal is political and it’s all about your issues becoming something that everyone can understand and help alleviate. It’s something that has a strong meaning to you and that you work to solve. So, because this is such a strong and sensitive topic to me it’s personal and yeah, it is political, and I’m going to fight to change it in whichever way I can.

Love Your (Latin) Body (by Meagan Lorenzo)

2009-02-16T20:33:00.000-08:00

Cosmopolitan. Seventeen. Vogue. All magazines that are marketed to young women. All magazines that do not have a woman’s best interest in mind but to focus solely on maximizing profit while selling insecurities. Third wave feminism has decided not to subscribe to that which weakens their movement by taking on a Do-It-Yourself attitude and creating ‘zines to subversively spread feminist ideas and bring attention to injustices that popular culture does not want you to know about. When I selected my ‘zine topics I was sure to choose issues that not only personally affected me but issues that I cared deeply and genuinely about; when I finally decided on portrayal of Latina women in the media and women’s health/healthcare issues I knew I had found two causes that I found to be both political and extremely personal. Both issues, I feel, are linked to the largest parts of my identity as a pre-medical student and Latina woman.

As a young Dominican-American woman I have always struggled with my sense of identity as well as physical and racial stigmas whenever I ventured outside of my home. One very important contributing factor was the media and its false representations of Hispanic women. I felt it was crucial to write a letter addressing the two most responsible culprits in this matter, the media and every single ignorant individual who has ever asked me, “What are you?” in their desperate attempt to label me. In my ‘zine page I wanted to expose non-Hispanics and Hispanics who are adequately represented by the media, namely Anglo-looking Hispanics, about what it feels like to be marginalized in all aspects of your identity, an issue I have struggled with for my entire life. Another issue I was trying to bring into focus is the diversity within certain ethnic groups and the lack of knowledge of outsiders. One prime example is the fact that many people do not know that Latin people, especially those from the Caribbean are a mixture of indigenous natives, Africans, as well as European Spaniards; many Hispanics also have ancestors of Lebanese descent. Finally, besides simply consciousness raising I also wanted to encourage those who are unsure about the ethnicity of an individual to participate in dialogue and be genuinely interested in the person’s culture and history and not ignore difference nor inquire simply to end any sense of ambiguity they might have.

Third wave feminism has expanded its definition by recognizing that identity is multi-dimensional and includes racism, ableism, classism, etc. I feel that my ‘zine page on representation of Latina women addresses feminism’s concern with media representation and how that promotes objectifying women, racism, and false generalizations. This ‘zine pages addresses not only the racism of the white status quo who own the media stations but also the racism, I am embarrassed to admit, that can be prevalent in the Hispanic community. By only showing one specific type of Latina on TV and focusing on Mexican and South American culture the rest of the non-Hispanic world is led to believe that all those who do not resemble the sexy women with flowing dark locks are not Hispanic at all. Some individuals have even gone as far as to say, “But you can’t be Latin, you don’t even look it!” I guess I was unaware that my Latin heritage had been usurped from me. Also, there is a strong sense of objectification that occurs on the bodies of Latin women. According to the media, all Latin women have butts like Jennifer Lopez and hips like Shakira. These women are also supposed to be smoldering, sexual goddesses feisty and vivacious and yet subservient because of the male chauvinist culture from which they come from. It’s time to break these stereotypes!

The political ‘zine page I created was equally impacting to me as a pre-medical female student. In the last decade or so the amount of enrolled female medical students has greatly increased and still women are not getting the praise they deserve as phenomenal and knowledgeable doctors. For this ‘zine page I was most interested in bringing attention to the healthcare/health insurance systems and the manner in which many women suffer at the hands of male practitioners. Many individual are unaware that women are being charged more money than their male counterparts for the same healthcare plans and I felt it imperative for all people to know. I also wanted to encourage women to take control of their health by not only practicing healthy lifestyles but also by finding the best healthcare providers and being actively involved. When reading the specific New York Time article I referenced in my ‘zine page I was outraged that women could be forced to pay more for simply wanting to be healthy. In retrospect I felt I should have included an allusion to The Business of Being Born which also tackled the issue about how women were removed from their health care process and their bodies ignored.

Women and their relation to the healthcare field is a very feminist issue because it is not only a male-dominated field that women are now breaking into but women rely heavily on the medical field and yet are not trusted enough to analyze their bodies and know when something is wrong. Feminism also encourages women to ask questions and break the mold by finding alternative ways to live life, ‘zines and the DIY lifestyles are perfect examples; I would love my ‘zine to encourage women to refuse all healthcare that they don’t understand, try osteopathic medicine, and seek out feminist doctors.

Feminism stresses the personal being political and as such I hope that a reader of our class ‘zine would not be able to tell the difference between my pages. In my personal page on representations of Latinas in the media I believe it tackles the political issues of media regulations as well as racism in America. My political page about the inadequacies women face in the healthcare system is very personal to me because of all the women I know that are forced to give birth on their backs, facilitating the doctor’s job, my mother who had multiple cysts in her breasts but cannot get them removed because of lack of health insurance. Women I know and love are affected daily because some white man has decided that it would be too much of a financial risk to allow these women to be healthy. Feminism has changed my career path in the medical field because now that I am aware of the discrimination so many women are subject to under this patriarchal system I want to be the woman that feminists come to. I want my future patients to be informed, safe, and above all, healthy individuals.

I hope my ‘zine pages are able to adequately represent the way I feel about society and I know that by voicing my marginalization it will be the beginning of feminists everywhere rejecting an unfair system and letting all their voices be heard as well.

The Lost Ladies of the Lab (by Barbara Swift)

2009-02-16T19:34:00.000-08:00

As a woman who has spent the vast majority of her life and education studying science, the subject of (and lack of involvement of) women in the scientific community is of great interest to me. As a youth, I admired the great accomplishments of Alexander Fleming, Watson, and Crick. These scientists were the foundation of knowledge that I built my academic world upon.

This past summer I spent time at the University of California, Berkeley as a participant in a program geared towards minority populations in science. I attended the program because I am a woman and a first generation college student. By spending ten weeks with actual principal investigators, graduate students, and other underrepresented student population, I began to understand the inherent inequalities in the modern scientific world. For example, if you are a scientist in the middle of an experiment, one that may have taken years to make progress in, how do you take maternity leave? Do you postpone all of your progress and disappoint your lab members to have a baby? Do you forgo your own desire to have a family in order to have a successful career? The bottom line is that Arabidopsis (plant), Drosophila (fly), and Mus musculus (mouse) don’t care if you have to pick your kids up from day care at six; they and many others expect you to continue your research. The burden of this type of compromise is on the shoulders of many academic female scientists whose incomes depend on the mantra "publish or perish." After learning about the injustices some brilliant female scientists have experienced, I realized how science, which is supposed to be unbiased and fair, can be the exact opposite.

In my ‘Zine page, "The Lost Ladies of the Lab," I highlighted the accomplishments of a few women who were often left out of journals, textbooks, and mainstream science despite their significant achievements in the field. These women were subject to practicing science in extremely patriarchal societies, which often lead to self-doubt, reduced privileges, and in one extreme case, murder. In addition to emphasizing the female scientists of the past, I have also included relevant statistical data that illustrates the disproportionate representation of women in science, even in recent times. The juxtaposition of the ignored work of female scientists of the past and the current statistics depicts a dreary scene for the future of young women in all scientific fields. However, my purpose was beyond simply educating people about the past and current status of women in science; I hope to motivate young female scientists.

Unfortunately, by not including or mentioning women in the history of science during school (besides a select few), young females are deprived of role models for scientific achievement. I hope that my ‘Zine and the resources provided with the Association for Women in Science (AWIS) will help to fill this void. Sexist education has perpetuated the trend that women aren’t included in this extremely influential industry, despite their capabilities. My page should provide concrete evidence that females have been making scientific history since 370 A.D., and are never going to stop – even when they are represented to their fullest potential.

My second ‘Zine page, "My feminism is…," was inspired by a recent trip to visit family out of town. During this visit, I was caught off guard by the amount of anti-feminist ideals that my younger cousins had been learning from their father. I tried to combat the enormous amount of filth their minds had been filled with, but I quickly became discouraged with the large amount of work that needed to be done. I kept thinking that my work with my cousins was insignificant and that a visit with family would be so much more enjoyable if I didn’t wear my feminism on my sleeve. Luckily, my mind cleared, and I realized (again) the feminist work isn’t supposed to be easy or happy go lucky, but difficult, tiresome, and most importantly, personally meaningful. In order to construct my page, I compiled a list of all the times in the recent history that expressing my feminism had been difficult or uncomfortable in any way. I was extremely surprised to see how many specific instances I could think of that just came up in the past week.

This ‘Zine page connects the feminist idea of the personal being political. I wrote many specific instances explaining my feminism, but almost all have versatile political meanings. For example, I wrote "My feminism is spending the day making an apple pie from scratch because I want to know everything that is in my food." This seemingly insignificant action could be viewed political in a few ways. Firstly, it brings up the recent issue of food safety – especially for children – where making things for yourself seems to be the safest option. Secondly, it brings up the issue of incredible amount of pre-processed foods that is available at a fraction of the price of fresh and whole ingredients. This leads to lower income households having significantly poorer nutrition simply because they cannot afford fresh and healthy ingredients. Lastly, it could call for reclaiming the kitchen space by women who enjoy its many uses, not by those who are expected to keep it.

The Third Wave of feminism emphasizes individual experiences, and by writing my page in first person, I connected to this unique strength of the Third Wave. My feminism is distinctive, but it also shares strengths with other members of the movement. My page should compel readers to continue to embrace their own feminist actions on a daily basis, especially when these actions may make us uncomfortable. It is these experiences that make the largest impact and help define our true position in our tumultuous world.

Tyranny of the Shoulds and Hair (by Sarah Taylor)

2008-04-20T15:15:00.000-07:00

(Spring 2008, Third Wave Feminisms)

The Tyranny of the shoulds comes from a psychological theory set forth by Karen Horney. What it means is that we as people struggle to be everything and we feel like we should be doing this and we should be doing that all of the time. We strive towards an ideal self that is set up by the outside world. We feel the need to be so many things, to be good people, or people of worth. It is a downward spiral because every should just leads to another and before long we do not find any value in our own selves anymore. This is something that most if not the majority of women go through living their everyday lives. Being a woman means living with contradictions and feeling those contradictions in the backdrop of what we are supposed to be starts us down on that slope of what one should and should not be.

The reason why I chose this subject the tyranny of the shoulds was this is what I live with on a day to day basis. I live my life being this and being that and it never feels as if the pieces make up a whole. And the whole time I am feeling immense pressure to make those pieces fit. What I wanted to convey to with my zine page is that tyranny of the shoulds takes over one’s thought process and make a person their own worst enemy. You feel like you are never doing anything right and that everything you do is subject to be questioned. It was important for me to convey the contradictory statements that fly through my head, haunting me and making me question everything I do. This often leads to bouts of depression and anxiety. And then the destructive “shoulds” take over and it’s hard for me to come out of it.

My goal for this personal page is to show how women often think about their lives. They often feel like they should be something or doing something. With the media displaying images of beautiful, put together, sexually in charge, but not sexually available women. The content of many women’s magazines is filled with advice of what women should do for their man, for their families, for their looks and for their lives. This often leaves women feeling like they never have it together and that their lives are not their own but belongs to everyone else. I decided to use a very simple design for the personal page because it almost mimics a letter. The way I view it is like a letter to myself. It is me writing down my circular thoughts. I felt that a page with out images would be better because the words

Although for me this is a personal issue, that affects my life and how I view things, it has political implications as well. In the larger context of things being programmed to think that you should do this and you should do that causes women to not do what is healthy for them, fearing the consequences, or backlash. It makes some women scared to go back to school for fear that they are abandoning their families, and not being good mothers. It tells women not to leave their abusing husbands because they feel they should stand by him and get him help.

Hair started out as a topic of interest after reading the assigned reading about HUES magazine and how one of the girls was black and she often felt the pressure of the “Black Barbie doll syndrome.” It made me start thinking about what is very important to black women as far as looks are concerned.

While other women worry over body image, many black women focus on hair and go through great lengths to obtain the perfect hair. This lengths include, relaxing the hair, which is a chemical process which is often more harmful the health of the hair rather than helpful. Women often spend large amounts of money to buy hair that was once someone else’s and have some one put it in their hair. Many Black women often don’t have natural hair. They feel that is too messy looking or that it is too ugly. It’s almost as if there is a self consciousness about their hair. A few years ago I had stopped relaxing my hair, opting for my curly short natural hair. At first it was fine but after a while like that I begin to feel really self conscious, and exposed. I wanted badly for my hair to be straight again. The reason I chose to do this was not for me but for my little sister. She has so many dolls and I fear the message they give her is that her own beautiful hair is not good enough of that it is ugly. Many of the television programs she watches do not feature many girls of color let alone girls of color that look to ethnic. I want my sister to grow up in a better world. Though that may seem idealistic I want her to feel like part of the general culture that makes up our society, not just a novelty or a token.

What my goals for this page was to show that body image goes beyond just the concerns of just being thin. It affects more than just white girls, and women. It affects many girls and women of color because what we see in our daily lives going through the world is that white is normative. And when women of color from Asians to Black women, is a very watered down version of their ethnicity. That’s why I have included the Barbie dolls from around the world because this is what many of the girls see. And when they look in the mirror and don’t see that doll, in many cases it is very sad for them. They just don’t feel like they are good enough.

The subject of hair, in relation to body image is a personal issue that has political implications. Although it does not involve the changing of laws and the gaining of rights it does call for a change in the way society sees people and women of color. In a perfect world that does not exist we would see the beauty of all people, but we do not live in a perfect world. But what we can do is too educate ourselves, to understand other cultures and our own and then maybe we can begin to make those changes.

Eco-Feminism and Women in Politics (by Minda Hatfield)

2008-04-20T15:07:00.000-07:00

For my zine I choose to focus my personal is political page on eco-feminism and my political is personal page on women and their role in politics. We have learned throughout this semester the importance of 3rd wave feminism and its responsibility in being an inclusive movement. I believe that 3rd wave feminists have recognized that this movement is not a narrow outlet for white middle class women to get ahead. I believe that the phrase the personal is political was coined in hopes that it would create awareness that our personal lives are ruled by political forces.
When I think of the personal being political I take the time to look inside myself and think about how I impact the whole. The personal choice that I choose to make affects others around me. I became interested in eco-feminism after learning how two classes, Philosophy of Religion and the Environment and Introduction to Women’s Studies, were so closely related. I was able to identify my own personal roles in each class and weave them together, and that is how eco-feminism began to make an impact on my life. A simple definition of eco-feminism is a social movement that regards the oppression of women and nature as interconnected. Through my philosophy class I learned the importance of how we treat nature, both living and non-living things and how destroying one part of the organism in return impacts the whole. I believe that is also true in feminism. I believe through eco-feminism, feminists began to understand that destroying our resources was detrimental to women, men and children. Our personal choices, buying a hybrid car, biking instead of driving, treating nature with respect all contribute to the personal being political.

On the other side of the personal being political is the political being personal. The decisions that others make for me, namely politicians, affects me personally. This is demonstrated through the passage of Title IX, which prohibited sexual discrimination against students and teachers in educational institutions, and Roe v Wade which allowed women the right to choose concerning their reproductive rights. Women have played a vital role in politics, which is even more evident today when we have a woman running for the most powerful role in the world, president of the United States. Ever since Hillary started campaigning, it has bothered me that people always ask the question, “Is America ready for a female president?” If we look at the state the world is in now, we can safely say that electing someone like we’ve had in the past is probably a bad idea. I want to know that my right’s, as a woman, are safe come this election. There is no room to move backwards!

If I had a hammer, I too would smash patriarchy. In the patriarchal society masculinity becomes the norm. Even women who want to succeed in their own right must become masculinized and the women of the society will value the masculine qualities and devalue the feminine qualities just as much as the men do. Thus the society becomes over-masculinized, and a false masculinity takes over. Since, the so-called female qualities are held in such low esteem, these qualities are almost systematically wiped out of society and its citizens. Consequently, our society becomes unbalanced. Aggression, competition and toughness will mark the culture. War, waste and pollution are the natural consequences. I believe destruction of the universe is inevitable. That is why I think eco-feminism and women in politics are intertwined, because having feminist women play a vital role in politics would hopefully ensure the safety of our planet through their personal and political choices.

My Christian Feminist Hips Don't Lie (by Megan Ray)

2008-04-20T14:23:00.000-07:00

(Spring 2008, Third Wave Feminisms)

I chose the topic for my two ‘zines “Hips Don’t Lie” and “Christian Feminism” because these are two things that I have struggled the most with this year. Last year after getting put on Paxil after having a slight break down involving a chicken-bus driver, a third-world country, and grape soda, I started noticing my already larger than life hips getting a little larger. This is also the point in my life where I started taking my first feminism class. As a Christian I struggled and still struggle with many questions. One of which, ‘Is it possible to be a Christian and a Feminist?’. The other one being, ‘What will Tom Cruise think of my recent prescription to Crazy Meds!’ To make sense of it all, I did my best to express myself in my personal and political ‘zines.

I’ve had a love/hate battle with my hips as long as I can remember. They have served me well during the popularity of Destiny’s Child and the era of the Apple Bottoms, but I also felt like they betrayed me during the beginning of my association with Aunt Flow and, well, now. After gaining 15lbs in the past year, almost all in my hips, this became a very sensitive area for me. However, I received compliments, which left me all the more baffled. I hadn’t fully embraced the new addition to my body until I started on the ‘zine.

A few things I included on my ‘zine were the women from the Dove campaign. The mission of the Dove campaign is to make women feel more beautiful every day by challenging today’s stereotypical view of beauty and inspiring women to take great care of themselves. If you notice, all the women in the picture are different races, ages, and sizes. To me this was very important to portray, as well as the fact that they all had hips!

My political ‘zine was based on my struggle to have the best of two worlds, feminism and Christianity. The first feminism class I took, I honestly didn’t get into. I often criticized much of the reading and authors as radicalism. However, in this course I decided to be more open minded. However was really sparked my interest was when someone posted the question, “Can I be a Christian and a Feminist?” I thought the answer would come quickly and abruptly with a straightforward NO, yet I was presently surprised with the caring response that came. From this I cracked open my bible and used the internet as a tool to guide me in where to look.

After doing this, I was even more certain now that I couldn’t be a feminist and a Christian. That night I went to a young adults Bible study and proposed the question to the group. Being that we all are English speakers living in Guatemala from different religious backgrounds, the conversation was very intense and at times uncomfortable. After the conversation settled down, our pastor opened up his Bible and shared some passages with us. The first passage he shared was Ephesians 5:22, where it states “Wives, submit to your husbands.” However, he asked us to read the whole chapter and not just one verse. If you read the whole chapter of Ephesians it tells the wives to submit to their husbands, husbands to love their wives, and children to respect their parents. Then it states for everyone to submit to everyone. From this he told us the reason this was mentioned is because most women have problems submitting and most husbands have problems loving. This brought on another round of discussion.

Though I don’t have all the answers, something that really helped me understand Christianity and Feminism was the example of the Proverbs 31 woman. Growing up in church we are told that the Proverbs 31 woman is what we are to aspire to be, but in my case, no one explained the true characteristic of this woman to me. I just assumed that she stayed at home, took care of her children, and loved her husband and Go. If you read the chapter you will see she does all of this, but she also is a business woman, laughs at the future to come, and has a place in the political world at that time to name a few. I included some of this on my political ‘zine and I hope it will help others see that you can be a Christian and be strong.

Overall I believe ‘zines are one of the best ways to spread feminism. For me personally not only am I affecting those who read it online, but just by starting up conversation at my church group, I was able to do a form of third wave activism in one of the most unlikely places.

Privilege and Sexuality (by Jane-Anne Simmons)

2008-04-20T13:07:00.000-07:00

(Spring 2008, Third Wave Feminisms)
When I think of sexuality, it goes beyond engaging in sexual activity. Instead I have realized that as a human being my sexuality is part of my physical, emotional, intellectual and social self. My sexuality affects how I think of myself and how I relate to others, as well as how others relate to me. My sexuality is with me throughout my entire life.

Since every person is different, it is difficult to define "normal" sexuality or sexual activity. Many factors may influence sexuality, including gender, sexual orientation, hormone levels, age, and personal perspectives, such as my views on sex , religious beliefs and values. It's important for me to recognize what is normal for me; what makes me feel comfortable and satisfied--and that it may be different from what is normal for everyone else. My zine page illustrates a woman who is strong, who can be hard and smooth at the same time and still be a woman. My zine page also tells the many shoes that I wear in my life and that it is okay to be girlie once in a while—whatever makes me happy.

My sexuality is a complex aspect of my personality and 'self'. In many ways sexuality empowers me to express and display strong, emotional feelings for another person. The 'thing' that attracts me to another person may not always be sexual--it could be sense of humor, personality, 'likeability', compatibility, or intelligence.

Until recently, society's intolerance towards anyone who was not of the sexual 'norm', caused many people to repress their real sexuality. That is, many who knew and felt strongly they were gay remained 'in the closet' so as not to come up against prejudice, 'anti-gay' sentiments, discrimination and even violence.

I do not believe anyone one has truly discovered positively the cause or causes of a person's sexuality; it’s simply a personal choice, whether it be heterosexual, homosexual or bisexual. I like to think of sexuality like a pizza--there are lots of flavors, different ingredients, a variety of tastes and appearances and it’s all good.

Deciding who I am and what I want sexually is primary for me. So choosing a partner with whom I can share a long-term relationship will not always be made on the basis of sexuality, other factors will also come into play. Most importantly, I will be true to myself and my partner and not allow the family, friends or religion to dictate my preferences. In general I hope that people can learn to understand the differences in each other and simply accept sexuality as a personal choice.

The women of today can say that a lot has been accomplished in the wake of women’s suffrage--balancing motherhood, marriage, and careers; for most this is quite an accomplishment but still we have a ways to go: predominant wealth and respect are some of the words that come to mind when I think about equality among women and men.

Will life change if the 44th president is a woman? For women yes, life will improve and respect will be created. After Hillary is elected, she will institute and emphasize basic human rights in this country and worldwide to food, water, health, education, a clean environment, and freedom from violence (peace not war). “President Clinton will pass legislation guaranteeing an increase in federal funding for access to higher education and interest-free student loans for all Americans who give at least five years service to education or healthcare in high-need settings after college” as quoted in the New York Times. My zine page illustrates the positive impact our new President Clinton will have on our country; most importantly it will positively impact our daughters’ futures for generations to come and our boys will have a greater appreciation for women as both mothers and leaders.

When we wake up on January 21st, 2009, women are going to feel differently. Immediately, we will feel more respected in our public and private lives. That sense of respect will help us excel in our work, and encourage us to have the confidence to lead in our own lives. Seeing is believing: women will be more likely to step into leadership in our communities and government after we've watched a woman win the presidency. Other countries will approach us differently. When a foreign leader visits our (woman) president, he/she will always be sure to bring along women as part of the team. As a result, we will see more women in the Oval Office than we ever imagined! "Women will benefit of course, but real change is also going to come for men and boys, having a woman president will ultimately change the way men and boys walk through the world, in a very positive way." (New York Times 2005)

“On Hillary's watch, one million women entrepreneurs will reach $1 million plus in revenue--creating a minimum of 4 million new jobs, spectacular product/service innovations, and adding an additional $700 billion to the economy. Everyone will have health insurance. All Americans, not just the wealthy, will benefit from the Hillary Boom." What will Hillary do? We already know what she will do.

My Feminism and "Religion is Sexist" (by Caitlin Havener)

2008-04-20T13:02:00.000-07:00

(Spring 2008, Third Wave Feminisms)
I created two zine pages. One pertains to how I feel that I relate to feminism and the other is something that I find a sexist issue. I made these on Photoshop, Microsoft word, and paint.
The one that expresses how I feel I relate to feminism just expresses how I feel I should have a right to be and challenges anyone else who thinks otherwise. I start out at the top, as you can see, with small words just expressing my pride for my femininity. As the list goes down of phrases, I become more bold and expressing of who I am and what I find that society may not accept of me, since I’m a woman. As for the picture, that is me obviously. I used Photoshop to make it black and white and high exposed.
As for the other zine page, I apologize that I also expressed to some degree my atheist view. Yet when I saw a Baptist website that had some of these bible quotes on it as well as the headline at the top, “feminists are evil, and some of them are lesbian,” I was completely appalled. I knew that the bible was sexist before, but not to that extreme! I think that it is important that people (especially Christians) know this. I know that most people do not know about this because my family is Catholic and when I told all of them they were appalled as well. I do not know if you will post this one because it is to some degree attacking religion, but I felt drawn to choosing this issue because it really bothers me.

My zine pages are related to third wave feminism in many ways. In my zine about how I feel I relate to feminism, I take pride in my femininity, and that is very third wave. As for the other one, it expresses the third wave in that it tries to reach both waves agenda for equality.

I can relate the personal to the political for the first one in that it is political because there is a relation to sexism in the workplace where I said “I will be your boss one day.” For the second one, you see another reason why religion and government should be completely separated. Government has policies against sexism while the bible is clearly sexist.

Intertwining the Personal and Political (by Irene Culican)

2008-04-20T12:52:00.000-07:00

(Spring 2008, Third Wave Feminisms)
When I first read the assignment for the Zine pages that explained that we should create a personal and a political page, I was thrilled. I love creating art that is both personal and political, and I thought this would be a fun opportunity to express myself in two different lights. Of course, I knew that the personal is political and they would be intertwined, but I was prepared to let each take center stage. I feel as if my pages do just this: they represent their respective overall theme of either personal or political thirdwave feminism while exhibiting a secondary connection to the other.

My personal page isn’t very fancy, and this is how I intended it to be. Since it is personal, I wanted it to look like an excerpt from a diary or journal with little doodles and my own handwriting. My topic was the most personal thing I could think of- my family (or more specifically, my father). Ever since I was a child I have been dealing with things like making mothers day cards in elementary school to sharing about our moms in Women’s Studies classes. Since I was raised by my father, this was frustrating and sometimes hurtful. I felt like this was the perfect opportunity to share something I chose- the fact that my father raised me as not just a dad but as a parent, and raised me to be a feminist. He is my main feminist inspiration and proof that there is no gender to intelligence and open-mindedness. I feel like my family is in some ways the penultimate thirdwave family; Father and Daughter sharing information discussing politics, globalization, history, racism, sexism etc. openly, and I wanted to express that in a personal fashion.
My political page is definitely the more eye-catching of the two. I wanted a hodge-podge of images and text to represent the chaotic state the relationship between the environment and the economy is in today. I wanted to include contrasting images like trees and buildings (which I hand-drew in the background) in order to reinforce the struggle going on right now, but ultimately present a positive image. I researched technological portals to eco-feminism to incorporate technology and feminism in one (a characteristic of the thirdwave), and found lots of awesome sites and a video. I explored all of the sites to make sure they were complex and interesting, and then put them on my page. I also cut out ads from other Zines (maybe ads that would be found in my hypothetical Zine) that were for products for women and ecologically friendly. My hope was that someone would explore these sites and learn what ecofeminism is and how it works in the thirdwave. There are many ways women and girls can be active ecofeminists and I believe this is an important time to do so, because of the ways our globalized market is dominating the ecological landscape.
While one page may seem personal and the other political, I think that when examined further one would find that this is actually an impossible label to produce.

My personal page looks personal and is about my personal life, but we know from studying the thirdwave that personal stories together form political issues, one being men and their role in both parenting and feminist activism and ideology. My political page is about the politics of the market and ecofeminism, but by definition ecofeminism is about the connection of the female self to the Earth; what could be more personal than one’s spiritual coexistence with nature? I think that this assignment did a good job of demonstrating how intertwined the two perspectives are and allowed me to create in two similar but unmistakably different ways.