BroadcastHER
Abortion Law Opinion
By Amber Peacock
The state of Alabama is trying to pass a law, making abortion illegal and any doctor that is willing to perform abortions, to be sentenced to 10 years in prison and those who perform the procedure to be sentenced to life. This law is causing a lot of controversy right now everywhere. So many women are angry and beginning to protest. But why should we be forced to carry a child that we don’t or can’t have? If a woman decides to have an abortion that is her choice, it shouldn’t be taken away. Most women who decide to have an abortion are because of the following reasons, either they were a victim of rape, they are to young to be responsible for a child or they know they are unfit or unprepared to care for a child. Women are giving this right for a reason so why take it away? I understand that some women and men have their beliefs about abortion being murder or a sin, however they shouldn’t force the abortion law on all women just because it’s something they don’t believe in. Men don’t know everything that a women’s body goes through before, during and after a pregnancy, emotionally and physically. Abortion is a women’s choice and right that shouldn’t be taken away by anyone. This law being passed is a matter of celebration for many prolife positioners, this marks their second victory since the heartbeat laws passed. However, we should not make the mistake in thinking that because these states are passing these laws means their decisions are right and not being skewed by religious or party influences. I exhort you to think of this issue logically, without any emotion or personal beliefs and determine for yourself “Is this law a violation of women’s rights?”
The broadcastHER section aims to provide a feministic point of view on social and political issues. To be a feminist is not to think women are better, but rather an attempt to transcend from stereotypical gender roles. Intersectional Feminism accepts and fights for other social issues such as people of color and the LGBTQIA community. We must "lift as we climb", as explained by Angela Davis
Do You Know?
Jameela Jamil
Jameela is the newest face of feminism today, as she inspires women everywhere on Instagram. She preaches about body expectations for women. She shows women that all women are beautiful, stretch marks and all. She talks about the airbrushing that industries force upon celebrities when doing photoshoots, making unrealistic expectations for fans to follow. She has shown and inspired so many women, to be themselves and love their body for the way it is. All women are beautiful and that’s what she’s bringing to life on social media. I can encourage you to follow her Instagram @jameelajamilofficial
Feminine Hygiene in Prisons
By Amber Peacock
Menstrual products that are given out in prisons are usually really poor quality and don’t give off much protection. Also, some prisons only give out a certain number of menstrual products that are never enough for a women’s menstrual cycle. Because of this, most women will either get stuck wearing the same maxi pad for most of the days there on their period or they are forced to improvise menstrual hygiene products such as using, toilet paper, maxi pads as tampons or notebook paper. These unhygienic substitutions can result in bacterial infections, toxic shock syndrome, sepsis, and death. Most prisoners have the option to buy better quality products, but they are usually unaffordable. Access to these products for prisoners in state facilities across most of the US is limited. Not only is it unhygienic, its embarrassing for the women to have to deal with. A woman by the name of Topeka K. Sam was a prisoner, she developed blood clots that were so severe that when she would get her period she would bleed through the pads shed be given. Keep in mind that they did not give out enough maxi pads as needed to begin with. So, she asked if there was any way she could get something thicker. They made her put her used bloody pad into a bag, and take it to a male staff member. He would decide whether she bled enough to receiver thicker products. It took 5 months for Topeka to receive thicker products. That’s just humiliating and unnecessary. Women shouldn’t have to suffer for natural things that our out of our control. Their serving their sentences. The least the prisons could do, is give out the proper feminine products that are needed.
Why female lead movies shouldn’t be controversial
By Danielle Rodriguez
Since Captain Marvel was released, there has been so much controversy around it. Especially because the movie shows off Marvels first ever solo female lead. During an acceptance speech Brie Larson stated, “I don’t want to hear what a white man must say, I want to hear what a woman of color, a biracial woman, must say about the film”. A lot of people took this statement offensively. People are beginning to say that she is a man hatter. I can agree that the way she worded it sounded wrong, but to judge her about something that has nothing to do with the actual movie she’s staring in is a bit much. People have also been pointing out little things that don’t even matter. Such as, how she doesn’t smileenough in the trailers and how she doesn’t have the” exaggerated” superhero look.
Most of these complaints are bizarre and can come off as sexist. Larson herself even asked, why should female superheroes grin or smile all the time, while the male superheroes look stoic? The fact that Brie herself is a feminist, some fans objected stating that Marvel hired a “politically vocal” actor. However, there are flaws to that statement since, Josh Borlin, Chris Evans, and Mark Ruffalo are all very political. So, the fact that the fans are upset about Larson being a feminist, is astounding to me. All these male actors seem to get a free pass in situations like this. But Brie doesn’t? How is that fair, especially since in the comics, Larson was casted according to type to follow. Which suggests, that the real issue is fans don't like a woman being political, or that they object specifically to feminism itself. Larson’s problem isn’t that she doesn’t want white men in the audience, it’s that she wants to see women among them from all different racial backgrounds.
In an interview she states that she doesn’t want to take opportunity’s away from men and give them to women, but merely “To bring more seats up to the table," she was forced to clarify. "No one is getting their chair taken away. There’s not less seats at the table, there’s just more seats at the table.” Instead of focusing on the political side of this, you should just enjoy the film. I don’t think that there should be so much controversy around this movie, it doesn’t matter if Brie Larson is a feminist. What matters is how she’s Marvels first solo female superhero. it’s a huge accomplishment, but the only thing fans and critiques are focused on is bizarre and sexist comments about how Larson is outside of her character. Her political decisions weren’t brought into the film so, it shouldn’t affect the film at all.
Even before it was released there were a lot of bad reviews about it on Rotten Tomatoes. Since then, they have changed the algorithm, but a lot of people wanted it to fail because of unacceptable opinions, such as, “she doesn’t fit the character” but it seems that they just don’t like how politically vocal she is. When I went to watch it, I didn’t see anything wrong with it. I went with my younger brother and he thought it was amazing to finally see a female lead instead of the usual male lead. He didn’t see anything wrong with it, he thought it was well made and amusing. There wasn’t any controversy when wonder women came out so, I don’t see why this film should be any different.
Body Expectations
By Amber Peacock
Why is it considered normal to have a skinny waist, a big butt and a bigger sized chest when in reality, its unrealistic. In our society, were we follow celebrities on social media and value everything they do. It’s put in our minds that women are supposed to look a certain way or else they aren’t beautiful, but that is not true! We are all meant to look different from one another. We as women are all beautiful, whether you are short, tall, dark, light, skinny, or thick. You are beautiful! We need to STOP following these unrealistic body expectations. Most celebrities use airbrushes and get fillers or spend thousands of dollars for unnecessary surgeries. I’ve recently come across celebrity, Jameela Jamil a new face for feminism. She is such an inspiration when it comes to body expectations. She has been calling out industries for airbrushing her photos when it was unnecessary and unwanted. She is a beautiful women so why should photographers feel the need to airbrush her pictures. Not only is she a feminist, she’s an inspiration. She’s a women who helps other women feel powerful and good about themselves. No women should feel ashamed about their body, we are all different. Individuality is what is amazing and beautiful about a women. Not being airbrushed and photoshopped. Every women is different and that is what makes us all beautiful.
Do You Know?
Malala Yousafzai
Malala Yousafzai is a Pakistani spokesperson for women’s rights and more specifically to educational rights for women. She was shot in the head by gunman and luckily survived the gunshot wound. Since the accident she has become a leading spokesperson for human rights, educational rights and women’s rights. That’s a lot! She has become such an inspiration to so many people around the world. She has received peace awards and a Nobel Peace Prize in 2014. Her story is amazing and inspirational.
Feminism Around the World
BY AMBER PEACOCK
We talk a lot about feminism and equality and we get into what it all exactly means to us, but what does feminism and equality mean to other people from different areas of the world? What we know about feminism, is that everyone has their different opinions about it. Some think of it as women being superior to men, or hating males. Others think of it as being equal to men and wanting everything to be equal between a man and a woman. So, the question is, are other people’s opinions the same as ours? Or are they different? Let’s find out. We’re going to talk about feminist in these different areas of the world; London, Mexico, Columbia, and more. So, what do people think feminism mean from these areas. In London most believe, it’s someone who believes in the equality of both sexes. In Mexico most believe, it’s someone who believes and fights for equal rights. Sounds familiar to what we usually hear when we talk about feminism. But in some other places it can be different. In Columbia most believe, it’s someone who puts one gender above the other. But remember these are all just people’s opinions and different opinions are really good because we are all not supposed to think the same. If you are interested in learning more about what being a feminist means in different areas of the world, click on the video below!
The Evolution of Feminine Fashion
By Amber Peacock
20’s- The roaring 20’s, where women started expanding their wardrobes! Women began wearing shorter, more sequenced, lower waisted dresses. Mostly worn by flappers, they’d put the finishing touch; the bobbed hairstyle.
30’s- Unlike the 20’s, the 30’s fashion was more accessorized by wearing silk scarves, gloves, faux or real fur, buttons and bows. The dresses went back to being a bit longer than the 20’s era but the bobbed hairstyle was still the look every woman needed to have.
40’s- The 40’s fashion was all about creating the perfect hour glass figure. Women would create this effect by wearing shoulder pads with high waited tops and A-line skirts that came down to the knee. Women could also make this effect with high waisted, wide leg pants.
50’s- The 50’s was a very popular era that consisted of a full skirt or tea length dresses. Also known as a 50s swing dress. Another look was the form-fitting sheath dress, or as we call them pencil skirts and dresses. Both styles were modest.
60’s- 60s fashions are where A-line miniskirts, shift dresses, texturized tights, low heeled flats or tall boots, swing coats and floppy hats were a style must in the sixties. Our current trend for retro sunglasses is also inspired by the 60s era
70’s- For women, the Hippie look of the 60s carried over into the 70s. This style included bell bottom pants, frayed jeans, midi skirts, maxi dresses, Tie dye, peasant blouses, and ponchos
80’s- 80’s fashion for some reason became more expensive than ever before. This style consisted of very bright and vivid colors and prints. 80’s was a time to express yourself. Whether you wore bright neon colors, headbands, leg warmers and parachute pants or jean jackets, fishnet leggings, chains and darker clothes. It was all a part of the 80s experience
90’s- 90s was the time for grunge. When bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden rose became more mainstream, so did the grunge fashion. This look included darker colors, plaid flannel shirts, stonewashed or ripped jeans, Doc Martens, combat boots, Birkenstocks, and high-top sneakers.
2000’s- Early and mid 2000s fashions, included items such as denim miniskirts, whale tail, hip-huggers, boot-cut jeans, tank-tops, ripped jeans, hoodies, cargo pants, white belts, cropped jackets, capris, infantile dresses, and Crocs.
2010- This era was considered the hipster fashion era. Consisting of denim skinny jeans, galaxy print crew neck sweatshirts, leggings, trouser dresses, romper suits, pastel colored skinny jeans and metallic dresses.
2019- This era is very comfy and casual. The 19 style consists of vans, skinny jeans, t-shirts, crop tops, floral print, V-neck shirts, leggings and sweaters. This era has a lot of colors choices as well giving people more options.
Do you know?
Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe, the blonde bombshell, actress, model, singer and the most popular sex icon of the 50’s. Marilyn was a brave and inspirational women. She changed the way a women body was views. She showed the world that you don’t have to be thin to be beautiful. Marilyn bravely revealed sexual abuse she had faced as a chip and an adult. Marilyn once said “a girl knows her limits, but a wise girl knows she has none”
LGBTQ+ Journey's
By Amber Peacock
DHS students open up about how they spoke their truth.
“When I was about 12, I came out in 7th grade. I came out to my friends first. I told my cousin first before anyone else. No, I didn’t always know because, I dated guys before I was even interested in girls. I really knew when I kissed my first girlfriend, I knew I was into girls and not guys. Coming out was very nerve racking, I didn’t know what people would think. I’m the L in LGBTQ, I’m a lesbian. It was a struggle because, having a Jehovah witness grandma was hard. I don’t really face any struggles today, just everyday people who hate on LGBTQ people.”
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Vihaney
“The summer of freshman year was when I came out. I told my friends first. The first person I told was one of my closest friends. No, I didn’t know because I dated a lot of girls before I was into guys. I knew when I started talking to a guy that I liked. It was kind of scary, because people judge. I don’t really label myself as anything, I’m just me. I had to learn how to not give a f**k about what others say or think, now I don’t worry about anything today because I don’t care about other people’s opinions.”
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Anonymous Boy
“I would say I came out in 7th grade. I came out to my friends, because my family is very homophobic. The first person I told was my first girl crush in 7th grade. I feel like yes, I’ve always known, but I chose to suppress it because of my family. I would say I really I kind of started to realize something in 5th grade because I had a crush on this girl, but I didn’t realize that I actually liked her until I got older. I came out to people that I liked and were close too, most were surprised and I would get asked crude questions. It was kind of uncomfortable at first. In LGBTQ for now I consider myself the B because I have had relationships with males and females and have connections and feelings for both, I am still questioning though. Something I face is my own internal struggles especially with my religion. I also struggle with my identity, because I can’t show who I really am, because I have to act straight around my family, but I know that I’m really not. It’s like I have to suppress who I really am to please the people around me.”
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Anonymous Girl
“When I was comfortable with myself I was about 12 years old and that’s when I came out. I came out to my friends first. The first person I came out too though was my aunt’s girlfriend. Yes, I feel like I’ve always known, I really stated to realize it when I was in 2nd grade. In 2nd grade I had a dream about a girl and I knew that I was attracted girls and not guys. It was scary, everyone said they already knew but it was still scary to me. I felt like I had to change. In LGBTQ I am the L but when I first came out I refereed to myself as bisexual, I was scared to fully come out. Especially with my dad, he didn’t accept me and still doesn’t so it’s hard to dress how I wanted, or be who I wanted to be. A struggle I still face today would be, people think I’m a boy and people ask me if I want to be a boy. But I’m just Alissa, that’s who I am.”
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Alissa
“Honestly, I don’t think I was ever really comfortable, people just knew so I stopped hiding it. I came out to my sister first, she’s like my best friend. She’s the first person I ever told. Yes, I feel like I’ve always known, when I was little I always thought of girls as friends, and only friends. I started realizing who I was attracted to in kindergarten. It made me feel better, because everyone I told was chill with it and they didn’t really treat me differently. I do feel like I am more attracted to males but if there was a girl that catches my attention, I could be with that girl as well. I had to deal with a lot of bullying and being comfortable with myself. Some struggles I deal with now is usually with guys, it’s like they are uncomfortable with me. I don’t like to be labeled as gay, like when people say that I’m gay I disagree with the term because to me, it has a negative connotation. I like guys, but it shouldn’t have to be labeled.”
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Anonymous Boy
Understanding the LGBTQ+ Community
By: Amber Peacock
First, let’s talk about what the acronym LGBTQ+ means.
Lesbian- is a woman who either emotionally or sexually attracted to other women.
Gay- is a term used to describe a person who is either emotionally or sexually to their own gender and is typically used to describe men
Bisexual- is a person is either emotionally or sexually attracted to more than one sex or gender
Transgender- is a person who identifies different from which they were born with
Queer- is an umbrella term that is typically used to refer to someone who identifies as a part of the community
Questioning- refers to people who are questioning their sexuality or gender
Intersex- refers to differences in biological sex and can also be related to being transgender.
Asexual- refers to people without any sexually feelings, desires or associations
Pansexual- refers to people who can be attracted to all different kind of people regardless their biological sex or gender identity
Ally- refers to people who are not a part of the community but support and love the community
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With this comes a few more terms that can be tricky to understand but I’m going to break them down for you;
Gender Identity-a person's perception of having a particular gender, which may or may not correspond with their birth sex. (what you feel) and usually refers to intersex and transgender
Sexual Orientation-is an enduring pattern of romantic or sexual attraction to a person of the opposite sex or gender, the same sex or gender, or to both sexes or more than one gender. (who you love) and usually refers to lesbians, gays, bisexuals and asexuals
Biological Sex- the anatomy of an individual's reproductive system, and secondary sex characteristics (what you have)
Gender Expression- the way in which a person expresses their gender identity, typically through their appearance, dress, and behavior. (how you look and act)
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If you would like to learn and understand more about the LGBTQ+ click on the video below!
Dominican Women are not allowed to have their natural hair
by Lizbeth Gutierrez
As we know hair is important to women of all ages, hair is kind of our way to express. We color it we straight it, curl it, perm it to make it straight or curly but imagine must straight it every day to be accepted in the community. Though most Dominicans tend to have curly, textured hair, the culture favors long, straight hair. Curly, frizzy or kinky hair is called “pelo malo,” which translates to “bad hair,” and many women feel pressured to treat it. Many Dominican kids don’t have any say over how to style their hair; their parents force them to get it straightened. You’re taught from a young age that your hair must be straight to be pretty, to get a job, to get a boyfriend, to be called pretty by your mother. It all stems from a strict hair culture in the Dominican Republic, where young women can be sent home from school or work if their hair isn’t worn in the “preferred way.” Women with untreated, natural hair can even be barred from some public and private spaces. If you’re working in a bank, you don’t want some barrio‐looking hair. Straight hair looks elegant,” the bank teller said. “It’s not that as a person of color I want to look white. I want to look pretty” some women said. And to many in the Dominican Republic, to look pretty is to look less black. Dominican hairdressers are internationally known for the best hair‐straightening techniques. Store shelves are lined with rows of skin whiteners, hair relaxers and extensions. Racial identification here is thorny and complex, defined not so much by skin color but by the texture of your hair, the width of your nose and even the depth of your pocket. The richer, the “whiter.” Even women that are in school are judged, like when Nicky asked Ligia (the mister) to reconsider, the chance of giving Nicky a scholarship. The minister allegedly told her once again that her hair made her ineligible for a scholarship. Unfortunately, they all refused. “In a country with such a large black population, not giving you a scholarship because of your afro, which is what the ministry of higher education did to me… and then we say we’re not a racist country,” she added. I think women should be allowed to wear their hair however they want, we have the right to do that and not be judged. Women should be able to have their natural hair without making the feel like they don’t belong, and have to be accepted by society.
Do you know?
Rosie The Riveter
Rosie the riveter, though she is a fictional character, she played a big part in the feminist movement. She represents all the women who worked throughout World Was 2. To this day this character is still so inspiring and is used to represent all the beautiful women in this world. This fictional female character is also an incredible reminder of the empowering women during the time of the war. Let’s never forget Rosie and the history behind her!
Feminism and Education
By Amber Peacock
Feminism, the belief that men and women should be treated equally. Education takes a big part in feminism because in history, women were just meant to be the house wife or a stay at home mom. We didn’t work, we watched the kids and stayed in the kitchen. But the we have evolved. We fought for our rights to be able to work, vote and be equal to males. It was in the 19th century that a higher education for women started becoming something. Since than we have come so far. Without education or the ambition to want to have an education we wouldn’t have been able to create something amazing for women. Sometimes we tend to forget, women didn’t have many rights not too long ago. So let’s never stop fighting for rights we deserve, and let’s never forget what women went through for us today.
Periods.
By Lizbeth Gutierrez
Why should women feel awkward if a tampon or pad falls out of their bag in public? Why should women secretively bring feminine products to the bathroom so they can change them during the day? Why should women feel uneasy talking about their periods out loud? The answer is we shouldn’t. I’m not saying you need to be freely walking around telling everyone how heavy your flow is this cycle, or parade around throwing tampons in the air, but don’t feel like you can’t if you want to. Don’t feel embarrassed or ashamed if a stranger sees the extra tampon in your bag. Don’t feel embarrassed when buying pads at the store and the employee ringing you up is a dude. Dudes need to know about periods, too. They don’t need to be as knowledgeable as women, necessarily, but they wouldn’t be in this world if it weren’t for periods, so why the heck should they blush at the sight of a tampon? I feel like today’s world make women to be embarrassed about their periods. When you start your period and you ask your friend for a feminine product you do it secretly and kind of scared and shy, when you give your friend the pad or tampon you hide it and try your best so other people don’t see it. I feel like us girls shouldn’t be ashamed of it because is part of being a woman. We should be more open about it, at least once in our life we had to have a jacket tied around our waist, and feeling insecure about wearing those white pants at the wrong time, we all have been in that position. We were taught to hide it, and not talk about it. I don’t like my period at all, but I’m not ashamed of it am not embarrassed to pull out a colorful pad or a tampon, I’m a woman and when this time of the month comes I’m not happy about it but I’m glad because It means that my body is working well.