shy

about

[jessicachastainsource]

Jessica Chastain photographed by Camilla Armbrust for ES Magazine (2017)

[tennismilk-deactivated20171225]

Something I noticed when I was stripping was that the younger, “hipper,” generally white patrons I came into contact with were by far the most vested in the whole “emotionally invasive performance of enthusiastic consent” thing. They all wanted to hear how I was doing it because I was “empowered” or an “exhibitionist” or just “a slutty sexual deviant that just does this for fun.” Like, I can’t even tell you how many times I actively encouraged this or worked it into a spiel, because nothing kills a sale like a pang of conscience alerting men that maybe this smart, seemingly stable girl doesn’t want to be here. I think that thinking I was “into it” somehow made it easier for them to feel like they weren’t just giant losers paying for sex.

I am entirely convinced that men only care about women being “empowered” by things like sex work because its easier on their ego as consumers, not because they give a shit about our wellbeing. Sex positive feminism is a dream come true for these men - all the benefits of exploiting women as sexual commodities without any guilt or stigma for being a creepy ass john.

[hungrychirpers-blog]

[disgustinganimals]

lies

[keithharing-legend]

Art Legend Keith Haring

[kochamchleb]

[aclaywrites]

Two Women in Love, 1937

[siobhanblank-deactivated2019011]

[onewillow]

This Autumn, let something die.

A worry, a relationship, a project that has run its course. Let go of anxiety over the future. Let go of guilt.

Let go of other people’s dreams for you. Let go of the fear that happiness or success or love or joyousness somehow isn’t for you.

Let go of feeling unwanted. Go outside, can you feel how deeply your presence is craved here?

Let go of the small and burdensome things. Gifts never opened. Keys without a lock. Broken earrings, old love letters, the ephemera on your fridge.

As David Whyte writes, “Anything or anyone that does not bring you alive is too small for you.” This Autumn, let go of all the clothes you have outgrown.

Let go of comparison.

Let go of doubt.

Let go of the feeling that you are somehow not good enough.

Because every imperfect apple that lays soft in your hands, and every ray of low Autumn sunlight that warms you through woolens will tell you a different story, a much truer story. The story that you are more, much more, than enough. That you bless this world simply by being alive.

[pintoras]

Elizabeth Forbes (Canadian, 1859 - 1912): First love (via Bonhams)

[factoseintolerant]

in Germany, Holocaust survivors come to our schools to talk about World War II, we study the events extensively, we visit concentration camp sites to understand the horrors of the past. it’s an integral part of our education. there’s never the question of “well, there were many sides”

to see people march through the streets of Charlottesville with swastikas on their flags is not only surreal, but terrifying. learn your history and understand it. there’s no room for debate or dialogue when it comes to nazism. it’s not “just” an opinion. it’s dangerous and destructive and can never be underestimated

[sapphicisms]

if you’re butch in public you’re showing kids what kind of woman they can be. you’re a marvel and an open door. you are something they might have thought was impossible. you are the proof little butch girls need that they can exist grown up and happy and handsome without changing a single thing

[rad-feminism]

a lot of young girls dont consider the truly intricate association between a woman’s femininity (and expression of it) and her personhood. when you’re raised to perform elaborate methods to look presentable (makeup, skin care, shaving, waxing, etc) you see them as the norm and can very easily forget that your natural state is your ideal state. its easy to grow up hating your natural self and developing a dependency on make up, and often it does genuinely make you feel good to buy new makeup, try new products, try new looks because you’ve developed this relationship with looking a certain way and theres no quick way out of it. this “good feeling” doesnt stem from an innate need to put on concealer or feel terrible if you didnt have the time to and still have to leave the house. the need to have unnaturally clear skin, dark long lashes, blushing cheeks- it has eurocentric origins yes , but its also very much a reminder that our self esteem is very closely controlled by a select group of industries that heavily profit from our dependency. It’s more than that though. Men find ways to associate femininity with our respect. Punishments to misbehaviour always include threats of taking that away from us- when I was a child my father would threaten to shave my head, and I recently found out this isnt an uncommon occurrence. Shaving a womans head and parading her naked is something that was done by the French, the Spaniards, and probably all over the world. Men believe that this conformation to femininity is what makes us women- which is an extremely disrespectful theme that is being carried forward by mainstream liberal feminism. Womanhood is not defined by a set of beauty standards imposed on us by men to begin with, it is being born with a vagina and having that affect you every day of your life. It is all the unique experiences that negatively impact the quality of your life solely because you are a woman. There’s no need to defend the choice to wear makeup or be feminine. We need to step up for the butch women, the gnc women, the women brave enough to tell the world that they dont care who is watching or what anybody else wants. They have taken their personhood into their own hands. They are the ones who need our support and respect.

[adayinthelesbianlife-deactivate]

NYC Pride March, 1980s Lesbian Herstory Archives

[deftonesqueen]

[stielle]

Horns and spots? How does that….?

[cindeer]

It’s a Sika deer! They’re known as the spotted deer, they don’t lose their spots when they mature!

[vaticanrust]

Patti Smith

[jjbrozier]

Dr. Seuss, 1941

[lovelysuggestions]

In this day and age, the fact that the value of the lives of people of a certain race can be even questioned is outrageous. For all of our brothers and sisters of color in Charlottesville and all over the world, our thoughts are with you. This is terrorism. Keep fighting, we will stay alongside you.

[tsoki]

Don’t forget your jewish siblings, lest we forget the literal origin point of nazism.