Connecting Women to Nature

Art by @ForestFreckles

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Lina Fernandez: Young Activism Knows No Age

At seventeen years old, Lina Fernandez has used her voice to spread awareness about voting rights as well as protest anti-feminist policies in the United States. A Key West, Florida native of Cuban-American descent, she is currently a high school student in Homestead, FL. She has dedicated her time this year to spreading awareness about the 2018 midterm elections and voting rights

Hook-Up Culture in College

Although I consider myself a feminist, only recently have I began to notice the anti-feminist ways that my friends and I discuss our love lives, or lack thereof, in a college setting.

SKINS

Underneath the all the others is a skin she never has to put on- And never gets to take off no matter how much she wants to. She was born with it- This one is the foundation. Already precisely tailored.

Putting Down the Beauty Pageant Rulebook

“I know that I've got big ears and a big forehead and that my hair sticks up. But I'm happy with myself. I'm not necessarily trying to win a beauty pageant here.” -Clay Aikem

Why No One Should Be Surprised That Facebook Turned Out To Be Shady

GIGO: Garbage In, Garbage Out. A common concept often used in computer programming. Now though, it has been coined by sociological analysts to explain a common phenomenon in business: if something starts off with bad information or intentions, it will ultimately end up going to bad places.

Self-Lover

I learn now- the gestures of care, the hand between legs and the slow kisses of selfish tenderness.

How To Be An Ally and Support The LGBT+ Community After Trump’s Attacks

Trump and his administration are planning on narrowing the federal government’s definition of sex, a direct attack on the transgender community. Under the federal law, Title IX, no person shall be excluded from participation, denied benefits, or be subjected to discrimination based on their sex.

Fear of the Angry Man

“No, I’m not interested,” is never that simple. Why do men try to pursue you and then act like you’re trash for not wanting them?

Izzy Escobar: Empowering Women Through Song

Eighteen-year-old singer-songwriter Izzy Escobar is using her work to create positive social change. Izzy strongly identifies with the #MeToo movement and hopes her songs can inspire and empower others facing similar situations of domestic violence.

The Ten Commandments of Feminism

For anyone learning the ropes of feminism, it can be beneficial to embrace a set of principles, or an “honor code”, so to speak. Over the years, I’ve been able to learn tiny things that have helped me become a stronger woman, and handle difficulties that come my way.

A Graduate’s Guide to Change

In an interview with recent graduate Reeves Trivette, the trials and tribulations of adjusting to post-college life were discussed. She went in depth with how her path changed along the way and how she is still experiencing massive changes in her job interest

18 Songs to Get You Through the 2018 Midterm Elections

There’s a lot to fix, so pop in your headphones, get your ballot ready, and blast these feminist tunes.

Rude Girl

So I say, reclaim the right to be rude! Not being nice all the time doesn’t make you a bad person. Being protective of your space and choosing when and who you want to interact with, is healthy and can be a way of guarding yourself.

A Verse of Imbalance

She struggles with distinguishing the real from the imaginary. An unknown hand paints pictures in her mind, oil-based; a canvas of illusion the strongest rain fails to wash away.

Collateral Damage

Every day she repeats the mantra, “I am not the men who have let me down, although my brain tries to say it’s so. I am the legend of my mother, and her mother, and hers. I am my ancestors who came before me. I am my mother, I am my sister, I am me.”

#WhenIWas

What hashtag will get the message across? Which story will be shocking enough? How many is too many? #NowIAm Tired of learning. #NowIAm Ready to speak.

Silence

I’m prescribed a dose of silence; my doctor says I’m overwhelmed by constant sound. “You can’t save the world,” he says, yet he dedicates his life to defying humanity’s fate.

Why Every Day Should Be #MentalHealthAwarenessDay

One of the main details that bugged me about the Mental Health Awareness Day deluge was how the majority of the posts I saw were addressed at an ambiguous “you.” Most of the public dialogue about mental health is similarly externalized, spewing statistics, advice, or encouragement to the “other” who needs saving. Here’s the truth, though: Mental health—or lack thereof—is something we all deal with.

Female Fall Activities

From letting body hair grow to great lengths to popping vitamin c in prep for flu season.

Our Votes Count

Our votes are loud and they are clear, our votes determine what we want for the forthcoming years.

Femintimacy: Fanfiction and the Need for Feminist Porn

I remember bruises on my thighs, hands around my throat. I remember hair-pulling, pushed against a wall. I am surprised at how much aggression can turn some men on. And I’m surprised at how I’ve come to expect it, so much so that when someone is gentle with my body, I’m almost surprised, expecting them to handle me roughly, to take pieces of me and crush them.

A Travel Journal: Observations on Gender in Bali, Indonensia

This trip was also different than anyone I’d been on, because in addition to capturing every inch of the space around me with my Canon camera, I had another agenda. I was going to observe how the women figure into Balinese society. What role do they play? Are they respected, treated as equals?

A Look Behind: The Make Muse Team

One of the greatest pleasures of identifying as a feminist is being a part of a group of women who share the same beliefs and values as yourself. Each person, however, has their own story to tell on how they became a feminist and what identifying as one means to them.

Corporate America’s War on Hair

I had the opportunity to sit down with an intern who was recently offered a high-paying job at a finance corporation. She described her personal journey with her natural hair and how corporate America is stifling this movement.

A Letter to the Little Girl in My Shoes

As someone with eighteen years of vivid wisdom, my past experiences have slowly shaped me into becoming the person I am today. This kind of experience can only be taught through time itself, and this is the constant weakness of an innocent child. In her own naive youth, I want to highlight my own experiences as a female, and give my younger cousin advice on how to navigate life when there isn’t necessarily a road map available.

The Anthropologist Looks at Me

She others herself

in the mirror

a ritual of scrutiny -

what should be scraped off,

what sticks to the fingers.

In Defense of Print Journalism

It is time to reexamine women’s magazines in 2018. It is time that more publications pivot towards a more holistic approach to print media—one driven by connection and passion, not ad sales. It is true that this switch would require us to completely rewire the way that we think about women’s media, but maybe that is also a good thing

The Date that Changed the Game

Potentially, the fact that I was put off by her height could be written off as a physical preference, like preferring redheads over brunettes or any other normal attraction preferences which everyone has. But I wasn’t put off by the tall men I’d had relationships with. The more I considered my attitude towards dating men and women as a bisexual woman, the more inconsistencies I found.

The Bechdel Test: Then and Now

The Bechdel Test serves as a litmus test for women in film—from their physical presence onscreen to the quality and depth of their characters. The test is not designed to determine whether a movie is feminist or even good, but rather to gauge the representation of women in film. It's important to note that many films may only partially pass the Bechdel Test, by meeting some of the requirements but failing to meet others.

SUNSHINE GIRL

A script by Morgan Gjoen.

Author: Alyssa Cassarino

Alyssa's art is known as ForestFreckles. She is a 24-year-old, Austin vegan artist. She creates prints, paintings, drawings, as well as hanging wall decorations, inspired by both nature and strong women in the hopes of the people looking at her art feel closer to nature and more confident in who they are.

Beauty & BodySubmissionJuly 6, 2018Content, Art