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Home , Linda Sarsour, Opal Tometi, Patrisse Cullors, Trayvon Martin

Table of Contents

1 Revolution Girl Style Now! A woman’s guide to protest, , and civil disobedience from fierce babes who have been there before.

9 Reclaiming Her Time Congresswoman Maxine Waters of shares how to reach the votes to impeach. By Jamia Wilson

12 Don’t Get Mad, Get Elected! A primer for women who are curious about candidacy. By Jill Miller Zimon

18 AMERICAN WOMAN Women’s March co-chair is helping keep the #resistance alive. By Sarah Sophie Flicker

20 Desperately Seeking Meet three brave women who use detective work to expose dark money, border injustice, and hate groups. By Ian Allen

26 The Road Ahead Groundbreaking author, academic, and activ- ist weighs in on womanhood in the era of . By Lux Alptraum

30 Politically Correct During these troubled times, we could all use a crash course in Civics 101. By Elizabeth King

34 From Russia With Love Nadya Tolokno, of the Russian feminist punk band Pussy Riot, shares her wisdom on turn- ing art into protest. By Erika W. Smith a feminist guide to the resistance Table of Contents

1 Revolution Girl Style Now! A woman’s guide to protest, activism, and civil disobedience from fierce babes who have been there before.

9 Reclaiming Her Time Congresswoman Maxine Waters of California shares how to reach the votes to impeach. By Jamia Wilson

12 Don’t Get Mad, Get Elected! A primer for women who are curious about candidacy. By Jill Miller Zimon

18 AMERICAN WOMAN Women’s March co-chair Linda Sarsour is helping keep the #resistance alive. By Sarah Sophie Flicker

20 Desperately Seeking Social Justice Meet three brave women who use detective work to expose dark money, border injustice, and hate groups. By Ian Allen

26 The Road Ahead Groundbreaking author, academic, and activ- ist bell hooks weighs in on womanhood in the era of Donald Trump. By Lux Alptraum

30 Politically Correct During these troubled times, we could all use a crash course in Civics 101. By Elizabeth King

34 From Russia With Love Nadya Tolokno, of the Russian feminist punk band Pussy Riot, shares her wisdom on turn- ing art into protest. By Erika W. Smith 44 . feb/mar 2017 . BUST Revolution Girl Style Now!

Experts on protest and resistance give their best advice for women who want to flex some political muscle over the next four years and beyond

ILLUSTRATED BY Nicole Miles

n 2016, a presidential campaign based on xenophobia, bigotry, , racism, transphobia, and fear won Donald Trump the presidency. And since then, he’s populated his administration Iwith people who preach more of the same, which means voices of resistance need to be louder than ever. Of course, that can be easier said than done. That’s why we’ve put together this handy guide for creating real change. Whether you want concrete ways to organize your community, tips for making the most of a protest, inspiration from female activists of the past, or just some sweet tunes to inspire you while toppling the patriarchy, this resource will be one you can turn to for the next four years. Because getting complacent is not an option. As author and political activist Barbara Ehrenreich said, “No matter that patriotism is too often the refuge of scoundrels. Dissent, rebellion, and all-around hell-raising remain the true duty of patriots.” Ladies, it’s time to raise hell.

45 they Fought the law A primer on women and civil disobedience By Amber Ramanauskas

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, a seamstress and NAACP is unjust can help bring attention to an issue as well as insti- activist, boarded a bus in Montgomery, AL, taking a seat just be- gate changes in the law. But knowing what could lead to arrest, hind the “whites only” section. When the bus filled up and the and what the consequences may be, is crucial. Trespassing driver ordered her to move so a white man could sit she refused, or disobeying a police officer’s order to disperse are two typi- challenging Jim Crow laws. Parks was arrested, inspiring a 381- cal transgressions that could get you cuffed. The legal conse- day bus boycott and a case that went to the U.S. Supreme Court, quences of arrest depend on a variety of factors, including if which found bus segregation unconstitutional. “People always you are on state property versus federal property (which de- say that I didn’t give up my seat because I was tired,” Parks said. termines whether state or federal laws apply to your case), “No, the only tired I was, was tired of giving in.” Indeed, her re- your citizenship status, and how disobedient your actions are. fusal to acquiesce was a deliberate act of civil disobedience. If you plan to get arrested, carry valid ID and alert a friend so There are many ways to protest within the law. But non- they can be prepared to post bail and contact an attorney. Go- violent civil disobedience, or principled action that purposefully ing limp, or resisting arrest could add to the severity of your risks arrest, is deeply woven into the fabric of America (just look charges. Know that you have the right to remain silent. You do at the Boston Tea Party and the Declaration of Independence). not have to write or sign any statements or speak to any pros- And women have long used the tactic as well. In 1630, Anne ecutors, district attorneys, or the police. Keep in mind that ar- Hutchinson was expelled from the Massachusetts Bay Colony rest and incarceration can result in loss of Pell Grants or feder- for standing up for religious freedom. In 1872, before U.S. wom- al benefits, impede employment and professional licenses, and en had the right to vote, Susan B. Anthony was jailed for casting create immigration consequences for non-citizens. Thankful- a ballot. And in the 1950s, social activist Dorothy Day refused ly, most protests have legal collectives that can help advise you to take shelter during government-mandated air-raid drills, an on the probable consequences and coordinate bail collection. anti-war action that got her hauled away in a police wagon. Do your homework; knowledge is power. Getting arrested for peacefully defying a law you believe Amber Ramanauskas is a public defender in .

march, sisters Tips for effective protesting By Eleonor Botoman

Keep this handy list of guidelines lic property. Blocking entrances or pri- ings. Police will put up barricades to force in mind the next time you hit the streets. vate property may lead to arrests. twisted, convoluted routes that confuse marchers. Look for exit strategies. Arm Yourself with Phone Numbers. Pick Your Battles. If cops are yelling to Sharpie important digits on your arm. If get off the sidewalk, you should probably Keep an Eye on Your Friends. Set up a you’re arrested, you’ll be able to contact comply. You don’t have to be sweet to of- buddy system and meeting points. your family or a lawyer (e.g. the National ficers, but don’t antagonize them either. Lawyer’s Guild Arrest Hotline, 212-679- Document Safely. If you see police 6018) without a cellphone. Pack Properly. Bring a charged phone, abuses, you have the right to film them. ID, money, vital medicine (e.g. inhaler or Back up your footage in case your phone Dress Smart. Wear comfortable shoes. EpiPen), bandages, and water. Put togeth- is damaged. If you’re unable to film, take Layer long-sleeve T-shirts to reduce pain- er a pepper-spray treatment kit: milk (in a down names and badge numbers. ful exposure to pepper spray or rubber spray bottle) relieves burning; Dawn dish bullets. If you’re going to the front, con- soap and water (in a small bottle) helps Help Each Other. Everyone has the sider wearing goggles and covering your clean chemicals off; and a small hand tow- right to protest, including children, the nose and mouth with a kerchief. el for patting (not rubbing!) affected areas. elderly, and the disabled. Keep an eye out for those most vulnerable, including Know Your Rights. Although the First March Effectively.Avoid creating gaps. people of color and LGBTQIA folks. Amendment protects our right to as- Cops will cut in to an open space to break Eleonor Botoman is a politically active semble, make sure the protest is on pub- up the crowd. Be aware of your surround- sophomore at Barnard College.

46 . feb/mar 2017 . BUST the making of a movement A Q&A with , co-founder of By Lisa Butterworth

Patrisse Cullors was only 17 when she staged her first ing our neighbors, having circles, talking, creating together. We protest, after getting harassed in a park for being with her girl- need to be able to be responsive, not just on but also friend. In 2013, in the wake of ’s acquittal for in the streets. I also think we need an inside/outside strategy. We killing unarmed black teenager , she, along with need to build real political power, whether it’s aligning ourselves and , helped found Black Lives Matter, with legislators we trust and believe, or taking some of our own an activist movement that now has more than 40 chapters in the folks and saying, “I think it’s time for you to run for mayor, for U.S., Canada, Australia, and the U.K. Here, she tells us how to ac- State Assembly.” tuate change, what women bring to organizing, and how to fight in the face of despair. Do you think women bring something unique to com- munity organizing? How much should intersectionality be considered Always. And I don’t think it’s because it’s biological, in the sense when organizing? that we’re natural nurturers. But I do think because of our social- It should be the basis on which we understand how we organize. ization and our relationship to patriarchy, our understanding of We are not one-dimensional. I’m not gonna show up to a confer- how to bring people together has everything to do with the team ence about race and just talk about being black. I am a black, versus the I. queer woman who was raised poor, and how I organize, under- stand the world, and how the world understands me is because What advice do you have for women who want to take of all those things. action post-election? Where can we start? Honestly, anywhere. If you have a local Black Lives Matter chap- What tips would you give for making sure groups wel- ter, join it. Do a Google search: women’s organizations in my city. come people of different ethnicities, nationalities, If they don’t exist, start one. Start a meetup group that’s able to and backgrounds? really have a conversation about this current moment; talk about There’s no easy answer. On one hand, it’s about the people who your feelings, process, and then join something that is about are organizing being educated enough about why it’s important changing the current conditions that we live in. that we’re all at the table. On the other hand, it’s about people’s intentions. In this moment, it’s imperative that across race, What would you say to those who might feel overwhelmed gender, sexuality, and citizen status, we should be building to- by the amount of social change work that needs to be done? gether. Not to dissolve the specificities that come with being Feel overwhelmed. It’s overwhelming. And remind yourself black or latinx, but to say we’re up against a bigger problem. Our that there are so many more people who want to see this place movements have to come together and figure out,How do we better off, who want to live in a world where black lives actu- ensure that Trump—and the team he’s built—doesn’t get anoth- ally matter, where being Muslim doesn’t designate you as ter- er four years in office? rorist, where your native lands are protected and free from cor- porations, where children can live their lives without being What real change have you seen from your BLM work? gunned down in the street. So many of us want to see that. Re- We’ve changed the culture. We’ve made it a popular conversation mind yourself that we can feel overwhelmed today, and then we and that is so huge. People believed that the rise of a black presi- gotta work tomorrow. dency meant that we lived in a post-racial society; I couldn’t dis- agree more. Black Lives Matter allowed for a new cultural phe- nomenon around what blackness is. Our movement has also put elected officials on notice and we’ve seen legislative change. But we’ve also seen a great rise in white nationalism. It’s not a coinci- dence that a Trump would be able to develop at this time. Histor- ically, whenever have said enough is enough, white nationalism has risen. We can’t divorce history from this moment.

What are the most effective ways BLM has actuated change? Is it social media, organizing in the streets? It’s all of it. We need to use all tools right now. What a powerful tool social media is, but we also need to be door knocking, meet-

47 come together A how-to By Mikki Halpin

There’s a saying in community organizing that if you to learn to deal with citizens who have mental health issues want to be an activist, walk out your front door, go to your is a lot more likely to get a response than, “I want to do some- neighbor’s house, and start talking. It sounds simple, but thing about Aleppo.” People want to do good things and they that’s basically it. Community organizing is some of the most like to be involved in good things. You are doing them a favor. hands-on, sustainable, results-oriented kind of work you can Let your passion ignite theirs. do to change the world, and you can totally do it. Here’s how: Do your thing. It will be frustrating. Bands will flake on fun- Define community any way you want to. Maybe for you, draisers. You will have to go to your local councilperson 20 “community” literally is the people on your block who want to times to be taken seriously. You will begin to hate everyone get composting collection started. Maybe it’s a citywide group who stands in your way. Keep going. Persistence is how you that wants to work to reopen ERs in neighborhoods that lack turn impossibilities into possibilities. them. Maybe it’s your friends on , or the people who re- Do another thing. In the course of spond to your appeal. Working within my your fund drive, escort program set Or a bunch of strangers who up, legislative advocacy, or whatever come together based on a shared community is the kind you do, you’ll see more ways and plac- interest and a great idea. Who- es you can help. Keep working on the ever you feel comfortable with of activism that I find local level but also look into ways you and share inspiration and goals can make structural change on your with is your community. the most rewarding and issue. If you started out doing a pen pal program with juveniles in prison, What’s your big picture is- sustainable. If you’re maybe next you want to look at the sue? Pick one thing, whether it’s way sentencing laws in your state are reproductive rights, food inse- new to “activism” as a affecting juveniles, or advocate for curity, immigrant safety, hous- guards in juvenile institutions to get ing, war, water, environment, thing, it’s one of the best better mental-health training. prison reform—choose some- thing that speaks to you. You ways to get started. For me, working within my communi- can go broad here. ty (which I define in different ways at different times) is the kind of activism Do your homework. Look into your issue, especially on the that I find the most rewarding and sustainable. If you’re new local level. What are the needs and challenges for success in to “activism” as a thing, it’s one of the best ways to get start- that cause? Who is already doing good work? Talk to people. ed. You can totally change the world—just walk out the door. Go to some meetings and learn. What takes something big like “abortion” and turns it into a manageable issue to tackle? Mikki Halpin is the author of It’s Your World: If You Don’t Like It, Change It, and runs the Action Now newsletter, tinyl- Set a goal. Find one thing that could make a difference; don’t etter.com/actionnow. decide on your own (see above). Does your local food pantry need an iPad to better track donations? Can you get the per- son in your state legislature who keeps introducing trans- phobic laws out of office? Is there an abortion clinic that needs escorts? Or a hospital in Syria that needs $40K to keep operating for one year?

Enlist others. This is the knocking on doors part! (You can also use email.) And this is when it’s helpful to have a dis- crete goal. Asking someone to help you flyer for a fundraiser for 20 hospital beds or set up training for the local precinct call of duty

Take direct political action by simply picking up the phone By Emily Ellsworth

Since November, one message has become clear: Be calm and polite. It’s OK to be nervous. You don’t need people don’t want to wait for the next election to act, and to make the phone call long for it to be effective. social media activism isn’t going to cut it. I worked for Con- gress from 2009 to 2014 in a state office. My primary role If calling isn’t an option, send a personal email or was to listen to constituents and make sure the representa- a letter. Make it as unique to you as possible so it will tive got their messages. I learned that many people thought be read and properly recorded by a staffer. Keep it suc- their tweets and Facebook posts had a more significant cinct and include what action you’d like to see from effect than they actually did. If you want your voice to be your representative. heard, you actually need to use your voice. Here’s how to ef- fectively call your elected official: The first call is the most uncomfortable. If you’ve never called your representative before, you might not know what Gather names and numbers. Know who your federally to expect. As someone who took those calls for six years, I elected officials are. You have two senators and one mem- can assure you that most offices know that it’s uncommon ber of the House of Representatives. Find their phone num- for people to call or contact their representative. They will bers by typing in your address at callyourrep.co. be kind, take your message, and offer a statement from the representative if one is available. After you’ve made your Stick to one message per call and one call per mes- first call, the next ones will be easier. Remember, the staff sage. If using a script is helpful, create one with this for- is there to listen to your message and make sure your elect- mula: state your name and the city you live in, explain the ed officials listen as well. one issue you are calling about and what you’d like your representative to take action on (use specific examples Emily Ellsworth is a former Congressional staff member. such as bill numbers), wait for a response from the staff- Her ebook Call the Halls: Contacting Your Representative er, and then explain why this issue affects you personally. the Smart Way (callthehallsguide.com) has even more info.

show them the money( or your time )

Donate to or volunteer with these crucial organizations

American Civil Liberties Union Everytown for Gun Safety National LGBTQ Task Force (aclu.org) Working through litigation (everytown.org) A non-profit advocating (thetaskforce.org) Founded in 1973, it’s the and lobbying, the ACLU was created for common-sense gun laws. oldest org in the U.S. promoting civil rights “to defend and preserve the individual for gay and transgender communities. rights and liberties guaranteed to ev- International Refugee Assistance ery person in this country.” Project (refugeerights.org) A group Planned Parenthood working for the rights of refugees around (plannedparenthood.org) The embattled Center for Reproductive Rights the world. number-one provider of sexual and repro- (reproductiverights.org) A legal advo- ductive healthcare in the U.S. cacy group using Constitutional and The human rights laws to advance repro- (policy.m4bl.org) A collective of more She Should Run ductive freedom. than 50 organizations, including Black (sheshouldrun.org) A non-profit working Lives Matter, organizing around the needs to get more women into public service and EarthJustice of black communities. elected positions of leadership. (earthjustice.org) This environmental law agency fights for wildlife and land National Immigration Law Center Southern Poverty Law Center preservation, healthy communities, (nilc.org) This L.A.-based organization is (splcenter.org) A legal advocacy orga- and clean energy. dedicated to defending and advancing the nization fighting for civil rights and rights of low-income immigrants. against hate.

49 those who came before us

A brief, inspiring list of women’s movements that forced change By Patricia Affriol

Women have been shaking things up and creating Applebee’s Lactation Sit-In It’s illegal in Kentucky to real change all over the world for as long as the patriar- ask a woman to cover up while breastfeeding, but that chy’s existed. It’s a powerful thing when we put our minds didn’t stop an Applebee’s manager from asking Brooke together and speak out against oppression. Just look at Ryan to put a blanket over her breasts while she was feed- these examples for proof and motivation. ing her child. So in 2007, she organized a “Nurse-In,” with hundreds of women breastfeeding uncovered at more than Washerwoman Strike In 1881, thousands of black laun- 30 locations of the restaurant chain throughout the coun- dresses working in Atlanta, GA, went on strike for higher try, causing Applebee’s to immediately say that all nursing pay. It began as a small protest of 20 women and quickly moms are welcome. grew to 2,000, thereby inspiring cooks, maids, and nurses to demand higher pay as well. The city caved, granting the Polish Abortion Demonstrations Last year, Polish legis- women the wages they deserved. lators proposed a law that would completely ban abortion, even in cases of rape and threat to the mother’s life. In pro- Australian Pub Protest Women in Australia weren’t test, on October 3, women across the country refused to go allowed to drink in bars (the few pubs that accepted female to work or do household chores, shutting down businesses, patrons forced them to sit in a separate area and frequently schools, and government offices for the day. Thousands of charged them more). But in 1965, Merle Thornton and women dressed in black and marched in the streets, shock- Rosalie Bogner marched into a pub and ordered a drink. ing politicians who immediately did an about-face and vot- When the barman denied them, the women chained ed down the ban. themselves to the bar for the night, prompting a change in the law. Iceland Wage Gap Strike Despite being an incredibly progressive country, Iceland still lags behind on equal pay. Liberian Sex Strike In 2003, after 14 years of violent So on October 24th, 2016, women walked out of work at civil war, women in Liberia decided they’d had enough. exactly 2:38 p.m. (when 72 percent of the workday was That’s when Leymah Gbowee mobilized women to peace- finished) to symbolize the amount women are paid in fully protest with sit-ins, public demonstrations, and… comparison to men. Although nothing concrete has been a sex strike, meaning they purposefully abstained from passed, the government has pledged to make closing the getting it on with their partners. Their actions inspired gap a top priority. the warring parties to negotiate a peace deal and paved the way for the country’s first female head of state, Ellen Patricia Affriol is an editorial intern at BUST and a regu- Johnson Sirleaf. lar contributor to bust.com.

sounds of the revolution Change-making music for fueling the fight By B-Side Brujas

1. “Viva La Raza” - zapata 7. “Free At Last” - lee moses 2. “Rat Race” - ralfi pagan 8. “Tell It Like It Is” - s.o.u.l 3. “Pa’ Los Chicanos” - poncho sanchez 9. “Anacoana” - cheo feliciano 4. “Get Involved” - george soule 10. “O-o-h Child” - five stairsteps 5. “Stand Up and Be Counted” - ghetto kitty 11. “This Land is Your Land” - sharon jones & the dap kings 6. “Power To The People” - curtis mayfield 12. “The World (Is Going Up In Flames)” - charles bradley

B-Side Brujas is an all-female-of-color vinyl DJ group based out of Oakland, CA, heavily influenced by soul, funk, old school, Latin, and Brazilian genres.

50 . feb/mar 2017 . BUST our bodies our choice The most fundamental way we can fight for our reproductive rights By Amelia Bonow

In early December 2016, Ohio lawmakers stealthi- addressing the toxic cultural conditions that have landed ly pushed two abortion bans through their legislative ses- us at the precipice of eradicating abortion rights. It’s time sion. One, dubbed “The Heartbeat Bill,” would’ve banned to make our communities, our workplaces, and our fami- abortion at six weeks, before many women even know lies places where women can discuss their abortions and, they’re pregnant, with no exception for rape or incest. If in doing so, help those around them develop a more com- not vetoed by Ohio governor John Kasich, it would’ve been plex sense of compassion. the most extreme restriction in the country. Instead, Ka- Making incremental changes in the way we discuss sich approved a law that bans abortion at 20 weeks, re- abortion is going to look different for everyone. It might gardless of fetal viability. In an interview with Al Jazeera, simply mean telling your family members that you are Ohio Representative Jim Buchy was asked the most in- pro-choice. It might mean that when abortion comes up nocuous gotcha question of all time: “What do you think with your co-workers, you take things out of the abstract makes a woman want to have an abortion?” Buchy paused. by describing the ways that you’ve seen abortion help “I don’t know,” he answered. “It’s a question I’ve never women live their best lives. It might mean you decide to even thought about.” talk about your own abortion in ways that have tradition- ally been deemed inappropriate, which is pretty much all of them. With legal abortion on the chopping block for the first The most basic level of time in a generation, these suggestions might seem trivial and they certainly won’t be sufficient. But the most basic level of culture change occurs in conversations—online, culture change occurs in on the subway, at your book club, in a bar. And as a soci- ety, it seems that we only decide to grant full human rights conversations—online, on to disenfranchised groups once we realize that people like them are simply the people that we know. It shouldn’t be the subway, at your book our job to teach people to listen, and framing disclosure as political imperative is problematic as hell. But finding club, in a bar. ways to have a real conversation is the most reasonable place to start.

Unwanted pregnancies happen—a lot—to every kind Amelia Bonow is the founder of Shout Your Abortion, a de- of woman: rich, poor, Democrat, Republican, devout, sec- centralized network of individuals talking about abortion ular. And one in three women will have an abortion in her and creating space for others to do the same. lifetime, for all sorts of reasons. Lawmakers are making decisions so fundamentally out of touch with the needs, values, and actual lives of their constituents in part be- cause many anti-choice crusaders like Buchy have nev- Change-making music for fueling the fight er thought about why women have abortions. Just as the concept of rape culture would seem outrageous to some- By B-Side Brujas one who doesn’t think they know anyone who has been raped, banning abortion might seem fine to a person who doesn’t think they know anyone who has had one. Banning abortion at 20 weeks probably seems reasonable if you’ve never had a conversation with someone who was forced to deliver a fetus with catastrophic abnormalities. Culture cannot see policies as inhumane if their human casualties are kept a secret. Politically, we are locked into a rough ride for four, maybe eight years. In addition to fighting to cling to the le- gal protections of Roe v. Wade, it’s time to double down on

51 Reclaiming Her Time

51 Reclaiming Her Time

Congresswoman Maxine Waters currently serves as the U.S. Representative for California’s 43rd district. But in these troubled political times, she also serves as a beacon of hope, a force for change, and a powerful voice for the #resistance

By Jamia Wilson // Illustrated By Mercedes deBellard

Representative Maxine Waters, the former chair of the Congressional Black Caucus and the senior-most black congresswoman in the House, has been speaking truth to power for over 25 years. When the intrepid lawmaker is not making headlines for being one of the lone righteous voices advocating for the impeachment of Donald Trump, she’s taking action on Capitol Hill and in her home district—South Central, . A modern-day oracle who has been described as “always on the right side of history” by author and trans-advocate Janet Mock, Waters is a visionary who has championed the ideas and leadership of next-generation thinkers throughout her ca- reer. Long before she gained internet notoriety for “reclaiming her time” while questioning Trump’s double-talking Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, she was an advocate for divestment against apartheid-era South Africa, a sage stateswoman who opposed the Iraq War, and has remained an unflinching force against injustice. On a Friday morning in September, I caught up with the policymaker over the phone. Before we got started, I asked her if I could join the chorus of millennials who affectionately refer to her as “Auntie Maxine” out of admiration and re- spect, and she obliged. The Missourian-turned-Californian, now 79, then shared her pro-tips for running for office, cam- paigning for issues that matter, laughing at haters, and getting Trump out of the Oval Office.

Your high school classmates in the ’50s predicted she was uneducated, was always interested. She followed the you’d become Speaker of the House during a time news and the ward chairmen who made the rules in St. Louis. when it was hard to imagine a woman of color in that I learned from her involvement in politics. After I moved position. What leadership strengths have you always to California, I started working at Head Start [a pre-school had that you think helped you in your work and life? program for low-income families] after the federal govern- I came from a large family. I was one of 13 kids and we were ment adopted a “war on poverty” initiative to help create op- always in a friendly competitive situation where we were portunities for people who were working towards a better life. competing for our mother’s attention, and who was going I became an assistant Head Start teacher and we lobbied to to wear what clothes and when. We always participated in ensure we got the resources we needed, like supplies and bet- sports. I attended the community center in the evenings ter pay for teachers. This brought me into contact with elected and almost every day in the summer. I played basketball officials and led me to become a better organizer. During those and volleyball and I’m a good swimmer. Those activi- days, the people who organized around education and welfare ties gave me the ability to meet challenges, feel confident rights were mostly African-American women who were bold enough to get people to listen to me, feel strong enough to and outspoken, and who went to city hall and school board speak up to people in power, manage difficult situations, meetings. I fell in love with them and what they stood for. I and never back down just because I am a woman. internalized what I learned from them. Later I went to work for a city councilman and became How did you become politically active? his chief deputy. And then when a legislator in Sacramento I’ve always been interested in politics. My mother, although decided to retire, I was urged by women to run for that office.

50 . dec/jan 2018 . BUST We organized a campaign that was run by women, and we are saying it, you will start laughing, and you’ll understand did creative and innovative things because we were running more than anything that they don’t have the right to say what against the establishment, we were running against the men, they are saying. When you can laugh about people who have and the seat I was running for had already been identified by the audacity to criticize you, you are almost there. People who the establishment as one for a man to run for. We went up criticize you want to shut you down, want you to go away, and against them, and that was the first office I was elected to, don’t know how to deal with you intellectually. I get criticized. the California State Assembly, back in 1976. The right wing has organized to try and shut me down. It doesn’t matter to me. I keep right on going. What does mean to you? I served for 14 years [in the California State Assembly], and You spoke at the historic Women’s March, and you during that time I became involved in the feminist move- also partnered with their team on the Women’s Con- ment. I was involved in the National Women’s Conference vention whose theme, “Reclaiming Our Time,” was that was created when President Carter was elected. All inspired by your words. Tell me about being part of the these women, led by Bella Abzug and Gloria Steinem and Women’s March movement. Patsy Mink, got together to exercise influence on the Carter I was thrilled to be involved with the Women’s March fol- administration. I met Gloria Steinem at that conference and lowing the inauguration. It was inspiring. It was exciting. I she invited me to serve on the Ms. Foundation board. Work- was a part of the early feminist movement where we were considered “bra burners” and “man haters” “People who criticize you want to shut you down, and on and on. I’ve always been concerned that there’s been a gap between what we want you to go away, and don’t know how to deal with were doing back then, and now. It seemed you intellectually. I get criticized. The right wing has as if there was a move to encourage women to have careers in corporations where the organized to try and shut me down. It doesn’t matter rules were: you dress well, you do well, you speak well, and you don’t make any waves to me. I keep right on going.” because you don’t want the men thinking you hate them. There was a big lull in the ing for the Ms. Foundation, I had the benefit of seeing pro- feminist movement but it has now been reinvigorated. That posals coming in from various women’s organizations. I took march with over 750,000 women sent a strong message that some of those proposals to the California legislature, and women do care. We care about freedom of choice and the that helped me develop policy around the ideas that were ability to have all different kinds of careers. It was a great being shared. Serving on the boards of both the Ms. Foun- experience for the country and for women. dation and on the Essence Magazine board taught me a lot about negotiation and how to analyze public policy. Now I’m Your commitment to fighting for the impeachment of grounded and know a lot about who I am. And I try to use my Donald Trump is steadfast and unapologetic. How can voice to say things I believe in, even when it is not popular. everyday people join the fight? People say he should be impeached, but I don’t have people You have said you will not be intimidated and you al- adopting resolutions of impeachment and sending them to ways prevail. That inspires me and many other wom- the House and the Senate. Just think, if there are organized en—specifically black women—every day. I’ve been efforts, and you get people to sign in on a resolution of im- told I am too angry, too loud, and too much for refusing peachment from women’s organizations, labor unions, and to make myself small to make others feel comfortable. churches, it would have a great impact on both the House How do you keep going in the midst of attacks, threats, and the Senate and with both Democratic and Republican and insults to your dignity and humanity? leadership. They need to see these letters and organized First of all, women should try very hard to get in touch with efforts to support impeachment coming in. Obstruction of themselves. Who am I? What do I really like? What would justice and collusion are the basis of why we want impeach- I like to do? Who are the people I respect and look up to and ment, and others are adding Joe Arpaio [the former sheriff what qualities do they have that I can internalize? Build confi- who Trump pardoned] and the lack of response in Puerto dence, get in touch with yourself, get grounded, examine your- Rico to the list. We have put together our resolution on im- self and be who you want to be. Put yourself in places where peachment, and it includes the basics of the emoluments people are doing what you want to do. African-American [the clause of the Constitution that restricts members of the women particularly will be called aggressive. They will talk government from receiving gifts from foreign states with- about your looks and will say anything. But once you have out the consent of the United States Congress]. Let’s keep confidence and you like yourself, it doesn’t matter what other spreading it around to House and Senate leadership, both people are saying. And often when you look at the people who Democrat and Republican.

52 . dec/jan 2018 . BUST 48 . june/july 2017 . BUST It’s no secret that our government is full of old, white men. The time is now for us to get in there and change that. This running-for-office primer will have you hitting the campaign trail in no time

By Jill Miller Zimon // illustration by camila rosa

ou can’t scan social media right now pated in a “Getting Ready to Run” training program. Andrea without seeing headlines about women running Dew Steele, the president and founder of Emerge America, for office, a phenomenon known as the “Trump an organization that offers running-for-office training cours- bump.” And it couldn’t happen a minute too es for Democratic women, says applications for their ses- soon.Y Women remain dramatically underrepresented in sions increased 87 percent after Election Day. And according elected offices across every level of government. According to , more than 11,000 women have to Pew Research Center data, women comprise just 19.4 reached out to women’s candidate training program Emily’s percent of the U.S. Congress. A corresponding report from List this year saying they are interested in running for office. Pew notes, “While this share is nearly nine times higher The general understanding among organizations striv- than it was in 1965, it remains well below the 51.4 percent ing to get more women in office, is that men wake up and say, of women in the overall U.S. adult population.” Plus, with “Hmm, I think I’ll run for office today,” while women say, “I’m Trump in the White House, not only is getting involved not experienced enough, I don’t have the right education, more important than ever, but it also goes to show that ap- I can’t raise the money,” and a bunch of other excuses. But parently political office—even the highest in the land—re- chances are, like many women, you’ve already been advocat- quires very few qualifications. ing successfully for yourself, for issues, and probably for Thankfully, the election lit a fire under our collective ass. others without ever realizing that those proclivities and that Less than 24 hours after the January 21 Women’s March on experience make you a viable candidate to run for office. Washington, 500 women gathered at a D.C. hotel and partici- As a 46-year-old, freelance-writing mother of three

49 school-aged kids involved in a variety of causes and my kids’ an incumbent in a primary for the Ohio statehouse, and then schools, I didn’t see it either. Then I realized my city, an ran the state senate general election campaign for a first- east side suburb of Cleveland, OH, had an unconstitutional timer, a full-time working mother of two young kids. In other ordinance about political yard signs. I got them to repeal it, words, you can run for office, too. And you should. What bet- and a local weekly paper named me “the most influential ter way to have your voice heard by our government, than by person in town.” “Ha!” I replied, but my husband urged me being in government yourself? Plus, for many offices, besides to stop emailing the mayor about what I thought he should citizenship, voter registration, and residency requirements, be doing, and instead, run for office so I could do it myself. the main qualification is passion. So once you’re adequately Although I didn’t go for the mayor’s job, nine months later, I encouraged, how do you begin? Here are answers to give you won a seat on the City Council. Since then, I’ve run against a good start. Because when women run, women win.

Office Space

What Kinds of Positions Are Out There?

nce you’ve made the decision to survey election or rules for eligibility, and more. It’s critical to spend time opportunities, you need to ask yourself how reviewing these rules and deadlines. Challenging a candi- much time you want to spend in the job once you date’s filings or eligibility is one of the first ways opponents win, and how much time you’re willing to carve will try to knock you off before has even begun. Do Oout in order to do so. Whether you’re running for a school you live in the right location for the office you’ve selected? board or Congress, the only difference is a matter of scale: Have you lived there long enough? Are you running with How much money can you raise, and how many volunteers your legal name or have you changed it to maximize recog- can you attract? Additionally, are you ready to give up your nition, a move that might draw attempts to disqualify you? day job, or are you planning on keeping a hand in your career People get thrown off ballots for these and other reasons. outside of elected office? You’ll want to settle these ques- Make sure you’re not one of them. tions at the start, so voters can tell whether as a candidate, You should also gather info about whether a position you have a fire in your belly. If you truly don’t, and aren’t has a salary or stipend, how much it might be, how many willing to make some sacri- hours it takes to do the job, fices, don’t run yet. whether the time commit- According to U.S. Cen- Whether you’re running for a school ment is defined by a city sus data from 2012, there board or Congress, the only difference ordinance or simply past are around 90,000 state and practice, how many com- local governments, with is a matter of scale: How much mittees you’ll have to be on more than 511,000 elected money can you raise, and how many (and their time commit- offices. Barely two percent ments), and so on. Often, of Americans ever run for volunteers can you attract? thanks to a lot of open data these seats, and those aren’t on public sector salaries bad odds, if you think about it. The options range from the and positions, an internet search will turn up this informa- local level (school board, city council, and county commis- tion. But two other quick ways to get answers are to attend sioner), to the state (treasurer, auditor, attorney general, meetings of the political body you hope to join and ask and governor), and federal (senator, representative, and, of current officeholders questions, and to check the entity’s course, president). The “everything in between” can also charter or ordinances, especially the sections that describe vary by location, with advisory neighborhood commission the responsibilities. My city’s finance director jokingly told seats in Washington, D.C., township supervisors in Pennsyl- people that I spent 100 hours per week working for the city vania, and even dogcatcher positions in Vermont. council in my first year. While that’s not entirely true, I did Start your research at runforoffice.org: type in your often wake up in the middle of the night and write emails to address and up pops a full list of elected seats in your area. him with all sorts of questions and ideas because the first Each one is hyperlinked to a description, complete with year is the toughest, thanks to the learning curve. In reality, information about the seat’s next election, the dates for fil- very few local elected jobs are full-time, unless the relevant ing your declaration of candidacy, “application guidelines” law says so. The National Conference of State Legislatures

50 . june/july 2017 . BUST (ncsl.org) has a great map that highlights how dramatically for information. In many cases, you’ll need to go retro and different states are when it comes to their legislature’s work pick up the phone—much of running for office still relies on hours. California, New York, and Pennsylvania are among people and paper. the few states that employ full-time, well-paid staffs. How- As you browse the titles and timeframes, remember ever, statewide offices like treasurer, attorney general, and that there is never a perfect time or perfect seat. Winning auditor are usually full-time. elected office is about making your own luck and remem- Matters of pay vary just as widely. In New Hampshire, bering that people who want to see you in office also want state legislators make $200 (!) per two-year term. Mean- to see you do the things you need to do in order to get into while, in Ohio, state legislators’ base salaries are around office: maybe you want to start with an appointment to a $60,000, while the city of Cleveland’s council members nonpaying local, county, regional, or state board or com- earn $74,000. My experience in a small suburb? From 2010 mission. These positions won’t require the time or money through 2013, my annual council salary was $8,200. So it needed to run for larger office and are usually posted on really can range from pennies on the hour to having five- your local government’s website either through open calls figure expense accounts. for applicants or in a listing of open spots. Often times there You should verify any info you find with a visit to your are forms online that you can submit to show your inter- county board of elections and your state’s secretary of state est once something comes up. If you don’t hear back, call. websites. Other options include contacting your local or This advice is going to apply to every step along the way to state political party. They usually maintain lists of elected becoming president: you will have to be the aggressor. You individuals, though they’re not always posted on their web- cannot wait for people to call you back because you’re wor- sites, many of which are outdated and challenging to scour ried about pestering or nudging someone.

Real Advice From Real Candidates

Nickie J. Antonio spective work on the front end. to get it. Show up, pay attention, do minority whip, Why are you running? What’s im- your homework. Have a full under- ohio state representative portant to you? Where does [your standing of what’s going on so that “Make peace with fundraising. desire to run] come from? Getting when you do show up, people will You are not asking for a handout. crystal clear on your motivations is know you have a valuable voice.” You are asking for a partnership going to make your campaign vis- because you’re asking someone ceral and authentic at a time when Emilia Strong Sykes to help you help the community. that’s what people are looking for.” assistant minority whip, You’re asking someone to partici- ohio state representative pate in their democracy through Sara Spock Carlson “As a woman of color, people do not their sharing of resources and that candidate for ferguson expect me to be the legislator when includes financial resources.” township supervisor, I walk into the room and that often ward 3, pennsylvania leads to some very uncomfortable Janine Boyd “If you’re feeling tentative, start conversations for the person who ohio state representative small. Meet your neighbors, find assumed I was an intern, page, staff “No matter what, take care of out about the issues on their person, wanderer, or vagabond. But yourself. Yoga, running, walking, minds. Attend council and town- it’s not my duty to make them real- cooking, spending time with loved ship meetings to learn more ize that there are women of color in ones or girlfriends or guyfriends, about your community and the positions of power.” writing, reading, joining a choir— inner-workings of local govern- whatever it is that helps you stay ment. Know your strengths and Faith Winter innovative. Focus, refocus, stay on passions, and get involved in local colorado state representative course, think outside the box, and chapters of organizations sup- “I hate when people say you need remain diligent, while also keeping porting those causes.” thick skin to be in politics. I don’t healthy and sane.” have thick skin. In fact, I want peo- Stephanie Howse ple to run who feel the hurts, pains, Alejandra Campoverdi ohio state representative joys, celebrations, and struggles of former congressional candidate “Stop waiting to be invited to the their community. I tell women, ‘You and women’s health advocate table because if you’re waiting for don’t need thick skin. You can be “Make sure that you do the intro- an invitation, you are never going like me and have resilient skin.’”

51 prep talk

What to Do Before Throwing Your Hat in the Ring

s you become familiar with the options, Another preparation basic includes assessing your there are a number of questions to keep in networks. You are going to need lists of people who you mind. What do you like to do, and what’s re- will ask for money (most of which will go toward voter quired of the role? What area would you have outreach, like mailers and ads), who you will ask to vol- toA represent and who lives in those communities? Is an unteer, and who will walk across fire for you. Do you have incumbent going to be running or will it be an open seat contact information collected already, or do you need to do (which can be easier to win)? Who might your oppo- a lot of information gathering? Be prepared to make these nents be? How do you feel about asking people for mon- lists as complete as possible as early as possible, because ey to help you win? What you will find yourself going does your schedule look back to them repeatedly like and are you willing Whatever aspects might cause you throughout your run. This to be realistic about plan- anxiety, anticipating and planning ahead advice was given to me ning your time around a about three months before campaign? How will en- for them is the key to making it all work I announced my run for tering the campaign af- and leading you to a win. city council, and the time fect a significant other, put in then literally helped your children if you have me raise tens of thousands them, or other people you might take care of? of dollars, and earn tens of thousands of votes. You can answer some of these questions on your This litany of considerations may seem overwhelm- own, but for many of them, you are going to want to ing, but no single response to any of these questions speak to people with experience—either in elected of- should make you consider yourself disqualified. Instead, fice, helping people run for office, or both. Talk with they are factors to be taken into account from the outset. these folks early on, but don’t let them scare you. You Whatever aspects might cause you anxiety, anticipating want them to tell it like it is and help you put together and planning ahead for them is the key to making it all the best plan possible. work and leading you to a win.

trail blazing

Launching a Political Campaign

he most important step to complete needs, whether it’s just to get an idea of this life, or before you launch your campaign will for hands-on skill training. be developing your campaign plan. The I attended three different programs before I won elements of that plan should be, at a my city council seat, and completed two others while Tminimum: a budget, a fundraising plan, a messaging I ran for the Ohio statehouse. The costs will vary plan, a campaign team, research on yourself and your from free (for some webinars) to a few hundred dol- opponent, and a voter contact plan. A running-for- lars. But scholarships do exist and many programs office training program (see our resource sidebar for are aggressively seeking women, people of color, and options) will inevitably cover each of these elements millennials. State and local political parties, women’s and I highly recommend finding one suited to your caucuses, and higher education institutions are in-

52 . june/july 2017 . BUST creasing their offerings as well. paign plan, you don’t have one. In my experience, that Books and online resources, like downloadable is true. And the reason is that your opponent is going handbooks and manuals, are helpful, too. One pa- to do everything she can to keep you from sticking to perback I keep by my bedside (really) is How to Win your plan. If you don’t have it written down, it is far a Local Election by former Ohio judge (an elected easier to get thrown. position), Lawrence Grey. His style is informal yet As you pull together your strategy and effort, complete and the book’s full of examples and samples keep in mind that running for office involves mak- of communications to constituents, calculations for ing hundreds of decisions, often one right after the determining the viability of a candidacy, and check- other. It’s not for the faint of heart. But what will lists to make sure you stay on track. keep you going is one simple question that is espe- One adage you will often hear throughout your cially important now: If you don’t run, are you ready research is that if you don’t write down your cam- to accept the alternative?

get your learn on

Bold Progressives New American Leaders Project boldprogressives.org newamericanleaders.org Who: All genders, Progressives Who: All genders, Nonpartisan, Focus on first- and What: Support and training programs second-generation Americans What: Training program (“Ready to Lead”) Rutgers University’s Center for American Women in Politics Run for Something cawp.rutgers.edu runforsomething.net Who: Women, Nonpartisan Who: Under-35-year-olds, Progressives What: Voluminous information on women and What: Will direct people to trainings by other politics, training programs organizations; some campaign contributions forthcoming; networking, advice, support EMILY’s List emilyslist.org She Should Run Who: Women, Democrats, Pro-Choice sheshouldrun.org What: Support, training, and funding for Who: Women, Nonpartisan candidates nationally and locally What: Portal to nominate women to run for office; support and training; new online program “She Higher Heights Should Run Incubator” targets girls, their parents, higherheightsforamerica.org and women at the “thinking about it” stage Higher Heights Leadership Fund higherheightsleadershipfund.org Victory Institute Who: Black women, Progressive victoryinstitute.org What: Support and networking opportunities Who: Openly LGBTQ, Nonpartisan What: Support and training Ignite National ignitenational.org Vote Run Lead Who: High school and college women, Nonpartisan voterunlead.org What: Training and support to increase civic Who: Women, Nonpartisan engagement and service in public office What: Support and training; free webinars

Latino Victory Project Wellstone Camp latinovictory.us wellstone.org Who: Latino men and women, Nonpartisan Who: All genders, Nonpartisan (leans progressive) What: Supports and trains candidates What: Widely considered one of the best training programs and support organizations

53

What is something you wish folks knew about you that no one ever asks? I don’t get to talk about my kids enough in the press. My son is about to go to college, I have american a daughter who is a junior in high school, and I have a daughter who is in seventh grade. They are the reasons I do this work. So often, people see me as this activist speaking on behalf of this whole group of people, when in woman reality, I’m trying to protect my children. How does being a mom inform the work you do? How do you talk to your kids Social justice activist and Women’s March about this stuff? Being a mom informs every part of my work. co-chair Linda Sarsour gets real about hard It’s why I come to the movement with a lot of love in my heart. I come to the move- conversations with her kids, what’s next for the ment seeing other people’s children as my movement, and why the resistance is female own children. And the work I do requires a lot of hard conversations with my kids. My daughter asked me many times grow- ing up, “Why do they hate us?” And I say to her, “No, not everybody hates us. They don’t By Sarah Sophie Flicker // Photo by Kristen Blush hate you. They just don’t understand a lot of parts of you.” Being able to take how kids You may not know Linda Sarsour by name, but it’s likely you recognize the are feeling and contextualize that in a way 37-year-old civil-rights champion as one of the most visible co-chairs of the that makes them feel good about themselves Women’s March on Washington. The native, a daughter of Palestinian is important. Why do I stand up for black immigrants, began her career in activism by joining the Arab American Associa- lives? Why do I support immigrants who are tion shortly after 9/11, while her three children were small, eventually becoming undocumented? Because it helps my kids their executive director. And advocating for the Muslim community—she was understand that these are our neighbors, our instrumental in getting N.Y.C. public schools to observe two important Islamic family, our community. I invest in those hard holy days—was just the beginning. She’s a defender of women’s rights, a politi- conversations. I think it’s important. cal progressive (she endorsed ), and a criminal justice reform advocate as well. So the big burning question is, where do As one of the Women’s March national organizers, I spent months working you see the resistance going? together with Sarsour, and quickly came to see her as the backbone of our move- The Women’s March was the catalyst. We ment. At a time when simply wearing a in public is a revolutionary act, she brought every single issue to the forefront is incredibly outspoken, making her a lightning rod for sensationalized headlines, and showed the whole world that we can say, online trolls, non-stop vitriol, and overblown controversies that try to under- “Black Lives Matter,” we can support our mine the work she does. While weathering these storms, she comes through undocumented brothers and sisters, we can consistently to lead and nurture. I have been enraged by the amount of hateful stand up for LGBTQIA rights and women’s rhetoric she has been subjected to—she’s been unfairly accused of everything rights, and we can protect our Muslim broth- from anti-Semitism to anti-feminism—but even more painful has been witness- ers and sisters all at the same time—and we ing the terrifying level of threat (including death threats) that she and her family can continue that work moving forward. The have had to face. Sarsour always advocates for vulnerable communities, so it was resistance is female. It’s led by women. It is no surprise that a large group of progressive groups launched an #IMarchWith- full of radical love. It is full of fierceness and Linda campaign to show their solidarity. it’s gonna be consistent. We’ve already proved As our country grapples with extreme Islamophobia (emboldened by our that. There is so much more to come. current administration), Sarsour is constantly showing up not only for her own community (she helped raise funds for the burial of Nabra Hassanen, the teen What does it mean when you say the murdered after leaving a Virginia mosque), but also for many others, continu- resistance is female? ously organizing for fair minimum wage, , voter engagement, Women bring a lot of love and language women’s rights, and a myriad of other causes. She is a tireless problem solver and that brings people together. We have seen unflagging advocate on behalf of marginalized people. At the Women’s March, we the power when women lead. We are often cited the famous Coretta Scott King quote, “Women, if the soul of the na- always negotiators, consensus builders, tion is to be saved, I believe that you must become its soul.” In my mind, Sarsour storytellers, and those skills are in fact truly embodies this soul. Here, we sat down as friends and fellow mothers, and what are fueling the resistance and making spoke about things Sarsour rarely gets to talk about in the press. It was a pleasure. it stronger right now.

66 . aug/sept 2017 . BUST DESPERATELY SEEKING SOCIAL JUSTICE

When the highest officials in government don’t have your back, the work of private citizens who do is all the more crucial. Meet three women who are working to make our world a better place by exposing dark money, border injustice, and hate groups

BY IAN ALLEN // ILLUSTRATION BY ASHLEY SEIL SMITH

HEN DONALD TRUMP swept into was previously none, bringing their discoveries about the White House this past January, the unsavory side of political influence, escalating border he left those of us who prioritize facts, tensions, and radicalized racism to the attention of re- transparency, immigrant rights, and porters, lawmakers, law enforcement officers, and activ- Wequality feeling overwhelmed and unsafe. In an ideal ists. Sometimes change comes quickly, but more often situation, the government would be addressing our con- than not, the enemy counters or simply adapts to the cerns, but since the new administration is merely exac- changing environment, and the war wages on. As Martin erbating them, many are looking to private-sector advo- Luther King, Jr. said, “The arc of the moral universe is cacy groups for help. That’s where Lisa Graves, Vicki B. long, but it bends towards justice.” One thing, however, Gaubeca, and Heidi Beirich come in—three brave and is immediately clear: Armed with facts and hell-bent on brilliant social justice detectives working diligently to protecting the public, these women are soldiers in the keep America great. They seek to shed light where there cultural trenches, and we need them now more than ever.

60 . APR/MAY 2017 . BUST 61 LISA GRAVES THE DARK MONEY DIVINER

don’t know what Donald Trump thinks, aside from what he tweets, but I think he is deeply deceitful and decep- “I tive. Throughout the campaign, he talked about draining the swamp, and instead, he’s stocking the swamp and locat- ing it in the Rose Garden, just outside the White House,” says Lisa Graves. And she would know. Graves is the Executive Director of the Center for Media and Democracy (CMD), a “The funders of watchdog group with a nose for sniffing out corporate bad guys, enlisting whistleblowers, and shedding light on secre- ‘Independent tive, misleading campaign contributions, known as “dark money.” She’s the country’s foremost expert on big-money Women’s political shenanigans, with decades of experience in govern- ment. (She served in Janet Reno’s Justice Department, and worked with Senator Patrick Leahy to vet President George Voices’ weren’t W. Bush’s nominees to the federal bench.) Graves comes off as congenial and polite, but don’t let her well-cultivated de- independent, meanor fool you—she’s a legit badass. Working out of an office in Madison, WI, Graves and her and they weren’t gang of 12 staff members hound D.C. baddies at every turn, constantly looking, as Graves puts it, to “uncover corporations women. It was and CEOs who want to keep their influence on politicians and on public policies secret from ordinary Americans, whose actually fewer rights and opportunities are being undermined.” They truly follow the money, which means extensive research in-office than a dozen and in the field, resulting in about 3,000 public records re- quests each year for information from state and local govern- wealthy men’s ments, which gives them the ability to scrutinize communica- tions between corporations and public officials. Graves points voices.” to “the terrible Citizens United decision” for generating so much work—the 2010 Supreme Court case on campaign fi- nance brought about a huge change that enabled wealthy indi- viduals and big corporations to pile unlimited amounts of cash on political campaigns, without disclosing their identity. Graves offers up, as a particularly gross example of this kind of dark money, her 2012 discovery of the funding sources of a non-profit group called Independent Women’s Voices. The group, which is still in existence, first stepped into the spotlight by throwing its weight behind conservative Scott Brown’s bid to replace liberal lion Ted Kennedy in the Senate. Massachusetts was suddenly flooded with pro-Brown robo- calls and TV ads featuring these “independent women’s voic- es.” Graves and her team looked into public records, which, at the time, revealed a list of the non-profit’s top contributors. “The funders weren’t from Massachusetts, they weren’t in- dependent, and they weren’t women,” she says. “It was actu- ally fewer than a dozen wealthy men’s voices.” Graves’ group

62 . APR/MAY 2017 . BUST blasted press releases to the media, revealing that almost 90 percent of IWV’s funding came from men, and that all of their donors were Republicans. Laughing a little, she adds, “It’s hilarious and outrageous.” The organization has since changed their privacy settings, but these traditional dark money contributions have, in recent years, been “enhanced” by an even more treacherous trend. “In 2011, right after the Tea Party election, a lot of states became more right-wing, and a lot of right-wing legislation started passing really quickly,” explains Graves. “It turned out [those right-wing lawmakers were funded by a] group called the American Legislative Exchange “I remember a time when Council, or ALEC, which had been operating for a number of years in obscurity.” Fueled by the money of notorious we were just neighbors billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch, the organiza- tion was bringing together corporate lobbyists and elected with Mexico. But the state officials for highly secretive meetings. In the meet- ings, lawyers from member corporations would propose narrative about Mexico legislation that served their business interests—often in direct opposition to public interests—and the lobbyists has changed dramatically. and legislators would then vote on these “model bills.” If the proposed bill was approved, the legislators would It’s very discouraging.” dutifully introduce it on the floor of their state legislature to become law, and ALEC would reward them with lav- ish campaign contributions. One bill was even submitted by a lawmaker still on ALEC letterhead (oops). Graves was among the first to pull back the curtain on the group, revealing their deeply disturbing practices and member- VICKI B. GAUBECA ship list. As a result of their exposure, Coca-Cola, Ford, Expedia, the AARP, and Enterprise Rent-A-Car were THE BORDER RIGHTS FIGHTER among the corporations to cut their ties to ALEC. Sadly, ALEC is still around, cranking out corporate- written bills, which, Graves concedes, “is symbolic of the icki B. Gaubeca is taking a decidedly rational ap- normalization of corruption that has infected public policy. proach to the Trump dilemma. “I think a lot of us are Many of the most regressive, right-wing CEOs and com- Vjust sort of like, OK, reality has set in,” she says, “and panies have used it to advance their narrow and extreme now we have to figure out the difference between the political personal agendas.” It’s a trend that will surely only increase. rhetoric and what might happen.” As Director of the Regional “They were thrilled with Trump’s election,” Graves says. Center for Border Rights for the American Civil Liberties “They were jubilant at their meeting last year, about the Union (ACLU) of New Mexico, located in Las Cruces, she is idea that they have ALEC people influencing the govern- tasked with keeping an eye on the officials who regulate those ment, at every level, including the Trump administration. going back and forth across the U.S.’s southern border. It’s eas- A number of people who he has chosen for leadership posi- ier said than done. The U.S. Border Patrol is one of the largest tions have strong ALEC ties, including his Vice President, police forces in the world, with 21,000 agents. Gaubeca’s group Mike Pence.” Luckily, this only inspires Graves to work is on call 24/7, traveling the border, inspecting immigration- harder. “Even though we live with a post-fact President, holding facilities, compiling research data, giving guidance to most Americans are not beyond facts and care deeply about law enforcement, and occasionally bringing lawsuits, looking wanting our world to be a better place,” she says. “I funda- to correct illegal behavior on the part of the government. Now, mentally believe in democracy. Some might think that’s her job is about to get much more difficult. naïve. But I feel like the core principles of our democracy “The Border Patrol union came out in strong support of are under assault.” Trump. It was the first time they ever came out in support of

63 a candidate,” Gaubeca says with a sigh. During the Obama region, and Gaubeca works tirelessly to mitigate the fallout. years, her organization was able to get a number of reforms Now, however, there’s mounting pressure on the progress in place, including the new requirement that immigration she can make. officers safeguard and inventory the belongings of deported “Build the wall!” is now a familiar refrain. Gaubeca individuals. She wonders whether the union’s support of scoffs good-naturedly at the ignorance behind the chant, Trump was pushback for the progress she’s fought for. But and explains that “the wall” already exists, except in places one of her biggest battles is fighting the public’s miscon- “where you physically can’t build a structure, because there ceptions about the border. “People think that it’s violent is a river, or a canyon, or sand dunes. Or, it’s just an unin- or that we’re just a rural, arid desert,” she says. “Few know habitable place that, to get there, would be like walking in that there are 15 million people living here, some in large the desert for days.” But there’s a bigger issue. The wall is urban areas like San Diego and El Paso, which are among a “solution” to a problem that doesn’t exist. Net migration the safest cities in and are vital centers of trade, from Mexico to the U.S., according to Pew Research data, commerce, and tourism.” Of course there are problems, is currently at a negative, with more Mexicans leaving the too, with conflicts arising between border agents and the States than coming in. Gaubeca is wistful in her contempla- communities they serve. The worst cases are violent: Since tion of the disparity between this reality and its percep- January 2010, at least 50 individuals have died at the hands tion. “I remember a time when we were just neighbors with of U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials, according Mexico. But the narrative about Mexico has changed dra- to ACLU reports. At least 19 of those were U.S. citizens, matically,” she says. “It’s very discouraging.” Yet, Gaubeca is and six were people standing on Mexican soil. When asked optimistic. “My hope is that we can get back to being neigh- why these shootings happen, Gaubeca says flatly, “In most bors,” she says. “I do think that we have these fundamental, of them, [the officers] allege that the person was throwing core principles of justice, and equality, and that’s not neces- a rock.” She explains that the border patrol’s go-to legal sarily true for other countries in the world. I’ve seen that defense is that “the agent was standing on U.S. soil, but the that’s not always true. But, I still believe it’s true. I still be- bullet landed in Mexico, so, well, that’s outside of the U.S. lieve we can get there. I think that’s what keeps me going.” Constitution.” She adds, with no small amount of sarcasm, “I suspect that there’s some underlying racism in it since I don’t think that argument would fly if that person was a Canadian citizen standing on Canadian soil.” Soil, and the laws governing particular patches of it, HEIDI BEIRICH underpins the broader fight Gaubeca finds herself in the middle of. There is an archaic statute still on the books, THE NEO-NAZI HUNTER which allows the border patrol to set up checkpoints “within 100 miles of the border.” They started going up a couple of decades ago. “It’s really preposterous that they eidi Beirich is the Director of the Intelligence even exist,” she says. “Traffic is pulled over and the border Project at Southern Poverty Law Center and is, patrol agent goes up to your window and asks, ‘What is Hamong other things, America’s top neo-Nazi hunter. your citizenship?’” Graves points out that, according to “I lead the division that tracks hate and extremist groups,” ACLU research, the checkpoints have resulted in “very she explains. “We have a team of 16 people who work con- few arrests of immigrants who were in the United States stantly to monitor their websites and publications. Our without proper work authorization. The vast majority are goal is to compile this information for the public, so we are American citizens, arrested with small quantities of drugs.” all aware of what these folks are up to and the threat they The community pushback against the checkpoints is often pose.” SPLC’s quarterly publication, the Intelligence Report, motivated, in part, by day-to-day concerns that wouldn’t provides comprehensive updates to law enforcement agen- even occur to most Americans, like the dramatic drops in cies, the media, and the general public. real estate values caused by the huge traffic snarls around During Donald Trump’s bid for the presidency, his cam- the checkpoints, or the impact on local retail. “People don’t paign, on multiple occasions, posted or repurposed materials realize that a lot of Mexicans travel up to do their shop- that could be traced back to the kind of groups Beirich tracks. ping in the U.S.,” she says. But the checkpoints, and their There was the anti-Semitic image of Hillary Clinton with a propensity for , are too frustrating for many. Jewish star and money, under the banner, “History Made: This has had a chilling effect on the economies of the border Most Corrupt Candidate Ever!” Then there was Pepe the

64 . APR/MAY 2017 . BUST “People don’t realize the size of the white supremacist movement. Stormfront— the oldest and largest hate site on the web— has 300,000 registered users.”

Frog, a cartoon hijacked by white supremacists, who made citizens being able to vote, until those things were upended.” an appearance on Trump’s shoulder in a mock-movie poster Beirich’s job is also getting harder, due as much to advertising “The Deplorables!” Beirich’s team led the fight to changes in technology as to changes in the White House. draw attention to the importance of these incidents, harness- “With Dylan Roof, the Charleston church shooter, we have ing the power of SPLC’s social media and press machine, to our first-ever completely online-radicalized white suprem- hold Trump and his supporters accountable for their incrimi- acist mass murderer. He had no connection to groups at all. natory associations. “Although we like to think that Donald He went online, he read websites, and that’s how he learned Trump is this phenomenon that came out of nowhere, he’s to hate black people,” she says. “It’s literally a kid who spent not,” Beirich says. She argues that racism has always been a two-and-a-half years in his room reading what his stepmom part of conservative tenets. “If you think of conservatism as called ‘Internet evil.’ I’m not sure how you find that guy.” conservation of existing principles, then, if the status quo is Southern Poverty Law Center is located in Montgomery, to discriminate on the basis of race, that becomes something AL, in the heart of the Deep South. Does she worry about you are conserving, right?” she says. “I don’t think it’s a [coin- her safety? Well, sorta. “At my home, I have to deal with cidence] that Republicans have been the ones to attack affir- cameras, and sometimes security guards, protecting me,” mative action, bussing policies, and so on.” Beirich says. “Most of the white supremacist leadership Southern Poverty Law Center categorizes far-right knows me by photo, and I know that because they put ter- hate groups into 11 different categories: anti-immigration, rible things about me on the Internet.” She laughs when anti-LGBT, anti-Muslim, anti-government, Christian iden- she says this, but the danger is clearly real. There’s a track tity, Holocaust denial, Ku-Klux Klan, neo-Confederate, record of violence against SPLC; about 40 people are cur- neo-Nazi, racist skinhead, and white nationalist. “People rently in prison for trying to either blow up the building don’t realize the size of the white supremacist movement,” or kill co-founder Morris Dees. “We get anonymous death Beirich says. “Stormfront—the oldest and largest hate site threats and hostile phone calls and shitty emails all the on the web—has 300,000 registered users.” If you include time,” Beirich says. “Sometimes they specifically name other sites, “we’re talking about a few million people.” Beirich people like me and sometimes they don’t. It’s a reality that views them as an “existential threat” to the United States, we take into account.” stating, “White supremacist thinking, since the founding of Like Graves and Gaubeca, Beirich draws courage from the country, has always been the thing that has hampered her convictions: “It’s a little hard to explain. But you be- real democracy. Whether it’s slavery, the way our voting was come very passionate about things that you know are just so warped by slavery and the three-fifths rule, or the re-imposi- wrong, and yet they live on, regardless of how many times tion of black oppression after the Civil War, which really was they’ve been shown to be destructive and terrible,” she says. legal until the mid-1960s when we passed the Civil Rights “We’re talkin’ about things like genocide here. To think Act and the Voting Rights Act and the Immigration Act,” she that that stuff lives on is just, a) unacceptable, and b) some-

PHOTO: VALERIE DOWNES/SPLC PHOTO: VALERIE says. “We didn’t have a real democracy, if you just think about body’s gotta take care of it. Somebody’s gotta do it.”

65 The Road Ahead

Writer and activist bell hooks helps us process the post-election state of feminism, and tells us how to move forward in the era of Trump

By Lux Alptraum // Photos by Jesse Fox

56 . feb/mar 2017 . BUST 57 was supposed to be a wasn’t shocked. Patriarchy has not been deeply challenged banner year for women; the enough and changed. It was just about patriarchy getting a 2016 year female voters helped Hill- publicly sanctioned voice and silencing a feminist voice, as ary Clinton finally break through that “highest, hardest if there was this war that was going on. And then patriar- glass ceiling” to reach the Oval Office. Instead, Americans chy could feel like, “We are going to win this war.” up on November 9 to discover that Donald Trump, It’s funny because one of my best women’s studies col- a ruthless personification of the patriarchy, had been leagues here at Berea would always be frustrated with me elected president. As many disillusioned feminists tried because I would tell her that I felt very strongly that sex- to make sense of what it all meant, BUST reached out to ism and misogyny actually posed a greater threat to black one of the pioneering voices of intersectional feminism, women and all women than racism. She just thought, and one of the movement’s most influential thinkers: au- “Well, that’s ridiculous.” She’s black. The night of the thor and activist bell hooks. For more than three decades, election she called me and was like, “You’ve been right all hooks has examined the overlap between racism, clas- along.” The sexism is so deeply, deeply embedded. If you sism, and sexism, publishing more than 30 books on the think about public discourses on race in this past year, topic (including Ain’t I a Woman: Black Women and Femi- where are the big public discourses on feminism? They nism and Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center). She don’t exist. also founded the bell hooks Institute at Kentucky’s Berea College, which works to better understand “the ways So many progressive organizations primarily hire systems of exploitation and oppression intersect.” Here, white men. It wasn’t lost on me that Bernie Sand- we chat with hooks about the rise of Trump, the problem ers’ senior staff was primarily white men. with benevolent patriarchs, and where we go from here. Bernie Sanders isn’t saying anything about feminist politics. He’s not integrating any kind of feminist poli- It’s hard not to feel like Trump’s election is a huge defeat, a sign that America is eschewing feminism for someone who openly rejects women’s bodily au- tonomy and the idea that women have value outside of their appearances. It’s absolutely evident that so much of the anti-Hillary Clinton campaign was rooted in misogyny and woman hating, and that in many ways she became a symbolic “I felt very representation of feminism. So many patriarchal men, especially white men, really felt like feminism had taken strongly that something from them. And I think for those groups of people, Hillary Clinton losing was a sense of victory, like there’s been a they were getting some patriarchal power back. But patri- archy has no gender. There were many, many women who did not support Hillary Clinton or vote for her. We can’t feminist backlash see this as being about one, individual, male misogynist and hater, but the whole structure of our society. Masses going on for some of people really hate and fear empowered women.

It feels like we had a false idea of the progress wom- time. Why are we en had made, and this is a reminder that there’s so much work to do. shocked? I wasn’t Exactly. I felt very strongly that there’s been a feminist backlash going on for some time. Why are we shocked? I shocked.”

58 . feb/mar 2017 . BUST smart and analytical woman who will of course have a voice that’s heard. Even though so many people were deeply moved by Michelle’s speech sup- porting Hillary Clinton in New Hamp- shire, even that speech still contained this heteronormative mom-ism idea. As though sexism outrages us because it offends our sense of decency, and not that it offends our sense of justice, of what women and girls deserve. We saw that happening again and again, this focus on a patriarchal mom-ism.

Even when there’s not misogyny, there’s so much benevolent sexism— in the response to the whole “grab her by the pussy” thing, men expressed their outrage over the incident by saying things like, “That could have been our wives and daughters he was talking about.” To me, that’s just as problematic as the sexual objectifica- tion they were denouncing. And it reinforced a heteronormative vi- sion of decency, not a powerful, passion- ate argument for justice and for where we bell hooks at the bell hooks Institute in Berea, KY stand as people who are advocates of fem- inist politics. Which is not about whether you’re a mom or not, it’s about the whole question of whether we can exist without tics into his vision. I think the important thing is that we being seen as second-class citizens. This heteronorma- see this as the continuum of patriarchal power reassert- tive vision of parenthood is part of that. ing itself, and not as though Trump invented it or makes it possible—because it has been there. It’s been there, in Where do we go from here? What advice do you have Hillary Clinton’s husband and all of these men—except for feminists who want to smash the patriarchy? that Hillary Clinton’s husband and be- I think that we have to restore feminism as a political came the benevolent patriarchs. They’re the patriarchal movement. The challenge to patriarchy is political, and men we can love. not a lifestyle or identity. It’s as if we have to return to Early on, when Barack Obama became president, people very basic education for critical consciousness, around were asking him, “Well, is Michelle Obama going to influ- what visionary feminist politics really is about. And let’s ence you, is she going to come to meetings?” I kept waiting face it: visionary feminist politics is not about having a for him to say, “She’s as much a citizen as anybody else woman president. It’s about having a person of any gender and she has a right to her opinions and thoughts.” Instead, who understands deeply and fully the need for there to be he went along with the idea that no, she will be doing her respect for the embodied presence of males and females, wifely, motherly duties. And not, yes, this is an amazingly without subordination.

59 46 . apr/may 2017 . BUST politically correct

Does our current political situation have you wishing you’d paid more attention in civics class? This 101-style breakdown of the U.S. federal government will fill in the blanks so you can understand who’s got what power, and how you can change things

By elizabeth king illustration by molly egan

Government is confusing. If we’re going to talk politics, it’s important to note that right off the bat. This stuff is messy and complicated, and it’s easy to get bogged down in all the rules and minutia. But don’t worry; it’s possible (and more important than ever) to get a good grasp on how it all works, especially since the basics haven’t changed since 1787 (for better or worse). And you know what they said on Schoolhouse Rock: knowledge is power! There’s a lot of back and forth about whether the United States’ government is a democracy (a government by and for the people) or a republic (where the “supreme power” lies with the people who have the right to vote for leaders). We can actually consider ourselves a democratic republic. However, it’s important to note that we don’t have a direct democracy, where laws are decided and leaders are elected based on a majority vote by the people. We have a representative democracy, which means we vote for leaders who make policy decisions for us. Some of these leaders nominate other leaders without our vote at all, and they can be found throughout the three branches of government: the executive branch, the legislative branch, and the judicial branch. Each branch is subject to the Constitution, that ol’ “We the People” missive, which laid out the laws that govern the nation and established the branches, meant to check and balance each other’s influence and power—more on that later. First, let’s dive into each branch: who the heck is running our government and what are they responsible for?

Many people think have spent at least 14 years living in the U.S., and are 35 years Executive of the executive branch as or older. The president is allowed to serve only two terms, for the most powerful part of the a total of eight years (which feels kind of like forever at this Branch government, and in some ways point, doesn’t it?). it is. The president heads this It’s not the popular vote that determines the winner of branch, all of government, and the election, however, which was made blatantly clear this is also Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces. past November. Rather, the president is officially chosen by Here’s how the presidency works: every four years, elec- the Electoral College. So who the hell are these people pick- tions are held to choose the next president. But before regis- ing our president? The Electoral College is made up of party tered citizens head to the polls, politicians (and apparently representatives in each state (who are nominated and voted doctors, business people, and washed-up reality TV stars) on by state party committees). The number of college elec- who wish to run for president must file paperwork with the tors a state has is determined by its population. States with Federal Election Commission. The Constitution requires more people (e.g. California, Texas) have more electors than that presidential candidates be native-born U.S. citizens, smaller states (e.g. Delaware, Hawaii). The candidate who

47 wins the majority of the votes in the state theoretically wins A number of non-cabinet agencies reside in the execu- all of the Electoral College votes (with the exception of Maine tive branch, too, like the Environmental Protection Agency, and Nebraska, where they can be split). I say theoretically which enforces environmental regulations. And the presi- because the Electoral College does not cast their votes until dent has other advisors beyond the cabinet as well. For exam- more than a month after Election Day, and electors aren’t ple, Trump appointed Steve Bannon (formerly of right-wing required to vote for the nominee who won their state. But propaganda site Breitbart) as his chief strategist, a position electors going rogue is very rare, and unlikely to overturn the solely at the president’s discretion. The same is true for the expected results. To secure the presidency, a candidate must president’s Chief of Staff—currently Reince Priebus—and win at least 270 out of a total of 538 electoral votes. other senior advisers the president leans on for support (like While the executive branch is not tasked with voting Jared Kushner, who’s married to Trump’s daughter, Ivanka). on legislation (except for the vice president, who can break Whew! Clearly this branch has a lot going on, but there’s ties in Senate votes, à la Mike Pence’s deciding vote in the (usually) not much legislative action on this level of govern- appointment of controversial Secretary of Education Betsy ment. That’s where this next branch comes in. DeVos), the president does have the power to create policy by way of signing executive orders—hello, travel ban. These are legally binding documents that do not require pre-approval While the executive from Congress (we’ll get to Congress next) and can basi- legislative branch is made up of many cally order just about anything the president wants. Though positions filled by one federal courts can temporarily freeze orders, the only way Branch person each, the legislative to permanently kill one is to have it revoked by a subsequent branch consists of two main president or declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court positions filled by many different people. The two bodies of (more on that system later, too). Congress, the Senate and the House of Representatives, The executive branch also includes the vice president, comprise the legislative arm of government and are charged who is chosen by a presidential candidate during their cam- with deciding what becomes law and what doesn’t. paign, to be their right-hand advisor and leader of the Senate. So who fills the Senate and the House? The Senate is The VP also takes over the presidency should the president made up of two senators per state, for a total of 100. The die, get impeached, or otherwise be unable to serve. House is much bigger than the Senate, as representatives The president’s cabinet—essentially an advisory com- are determined by each state’s population size. For example, mittee of 15 positions that lead various departments—is California, the nation’s most populous state, has 53 repre- also part of the executive branch. Cabinet members are sentatives in the House (yowza), whereas 7 less-populated nominated by the president, and must be confirmed by the states (Alaska, Delaware, Montana, North Dakota, South Senate, which is literally the only requirement for being Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming) each have only one repre- sworn into the position. All cabinet members advise the sentative. These folks are lead by the Speaker of the House president on matters related to the responsibilities of their (currently Paul Ryan), who is elected by House members. respective departments, which vary in size depending on The idea is that Senators and Representatives look out for the departments’ budgets, from several thousand employees the best interests of their constituents at home. (Though (Department of Education) to several million employees the truth is, of course, much more complicated. Google (Department of—what else?—Defense). “congressional lobbying” and brace yourself.)

executive cabinet

Secretary of State: Handles foreign affairs on behalf of the U.S. concerned with health matters such as insurance and Medicaid, Secretary of the Treasury: Advises about financial, economic, and as well as welfare and income security. tax policies. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development: Oversees the nation’s Secretary of Defense: Second only to the president when it comes to housing needs, including community development and direct power of the military. affordable housing. Attorney General: Provides legal counsel to the prez, government Secretary of Transportation: Deals with policy related to transportation. agencies, and legislatures, and heads the Department of Justice. Secretary of Energy: Heads the department that deals mostly with Secretary of the Interior: Leads the department responsible for environmental policies. managing the country’s land, wildlife, and natural resources. Secretary of Education: Advises on education policy matters and Secretary of Agriculture: Runs the USDA and oversees the nation’s heads the department responsible for improving the public farming industry. school system. Secretary of Commerce: Advises on foreign and domestic commerce Secretary of Veterans Affairs: Oversees the department that provides as well as U.S. job creation. a variety of services, including healthcare, to veterans. Secretary of Labor: Heads the department that enforces laws related Secretary of Homeland Security: Advises on matters related to to workers, unions, job seekers, and retirees. protecting the U.S. from foreign and domestic terrorism; this Secretary of Health and Human Services: Heads the department department’s also responsible for responding to natural disasters.

48 . apr/may 2017 . BUST And how do these folks get their jobs in the Capitol? an additional 50 cases or so without hearing them, according Both senators and representatives are elected by residents to supremecourt.gov. The Supreme Court primarily hears of the state they represent, but in different ways, and often cases that involve interpretation of the Constitution, and at different times. Senate races occur every six years and thus have an impact on the whole country, and not just the voters registered anywhere in the state can vote in them. individuals who bring the case before the Court. This means Candidates for the House of Representatives run in their that legislation passed by Congress (or at the state level, as district, which can be thought of as a zone within a state, was the case that resulted in the legalization of same-sex and are voted on by residents in their district every two marriage), that is constitutionally questionable, can poten- years. Both senators and representatives can serve unlim- tially be heard by the Supreme Court, which can effectively ited six- and two-year terms, respectively. do away with the law. Now on to what Congress gets up to. Congress is respon- The Supreme Court uses “the rule of four” to determine sible for passing federal laws, all of which start out as bills— whether it will hear a case: if four justices think it should be drafts of would-be laws sponsored by members of Congress— heard, the parties are allowed to present their case. The Court and are then presented to the House. There, the bill is taken issues a writ of certiori, a legal order that requires the lower to a Committee of experts in the House who pore over and courts that previously heard the case to send over their re- research it; in some cases, the bill goes to subcommittee for cords. Then, each side writes up a brief before oral arguments extra expertise. Once the Committee is satisfied, the bill is are heard. Justices often ask attorneys questions throughout reported to the House, debated, and changed some more be- the arguments. When the arguments are over, the Justices fore the House takes the bill to a vote. convene to discuss the case and the majority opinion ulti- If the bill passes the House, it goes to the Senate, where mately determines the decision. One Justice on the majority it undergoes much the same treatment: it goes to a Senate side writes up the majority opinion, a document that lays out committee, is debated on the Senate floor, and is then voted all the reasons for the decision. The minority side writes up on by senators. Next stop for the bill? The White House! The their own opinion, called a dissent, explaining why they dis- president can either sign the bill, making it a law (finally!), agree with the majority. or veto it. In the event of a presidential veto, the bill can be The primary checks on the Supreme Court come during voted on once again by members of Congress. If two-thirds the Justice nomination process, but after that, the Supreme of the House and Senate vote in favor of the bill, the veto is Court’s decisions are literally the law of the land. Congress overridden and the bill becomes a law, a clear check on the and state-level legislature can pass laws that lessen the im- president’s power. Likewise, the president has a check on pact of Court rulings (like how states pass laws that make it Congress, and can veto bills that don’t fit his/her agenda. To all but impossible for abortion clinics to stay open), but only give you a sense of how few bills successfully make it through the Supreme Court can overturn its own ruling. this process, according to govtrack.us, the 114th session of Congress (January 6, 2015 – January 3, 2017) introduced i 12,063 items of legislation. The total number of enacted While all of this may seem to work out nice and neat on laws? Just 329. paper, it’s important to understand that government is messy, But what if a law doesn’t seem right, or citizens are con- and checks and balances don’t always work the way we might cerned that a law will be harmful once implemented? This hope. For example, imagine a very conservative bill presented is where the courts, located in the judicial branch of govern- to a House comprised of a majority of Republicans. A nice ment, come into play. check would be a majority of Democrats in the Senate to alter the bill’s contents or shut it down completely. However, if the Senate is also majority Republican, the bill is likely to sail The highest court through, and if the president is a Republican, the bill is likely judicial in the nation is the to become a law without any meaningful opposition. The law Supreme Court (often could always then be taken before the Supreme Court, but if Branch referred to as SCOTUS). the Court is made up of conservatives, there’s no remaining Supreme Court Justices, like recourse until the composition of federal government chang- cabinet members, are appointed by the president and approved es and the law could potentially be repealed. Remember by the Senate. However: Supreme Court Justices serve in earlier where we talked about Senate and House elections? their position for life (long live Ruth Bader Ginsburg!) or until They’re crucial. A number of seats are open in Congress and they choose to retire (they can also be impeached and removed will be voted on during the 2018 mid-term elections. Check by Congress). Getting a Justice into the Supreme Court is one to see when your Senators’ and Representatives’ terms are up major way presidents can have a long-lasting impact on policy. and if they’re facing re-election this year. Voting is the most Congress has the power and discretion to determine the size of effective way to turn the tide. the Court; it has been as few as six, though it’s been nine since Suffice it to say, a lot goes down in Washington that we 1869 (in actuality, we’ve had only eight justices since Antonin the people are not privy to and don’t have any direct control Scalia died suddenly in early 2016, but President Trump has over. But that’s why it’s super important to stay apprised of nominated Neil Gorsuch to fill the seat). current events and get involved at the local, state, and federal The Supreme Court gets around 7,000 requests to hear levels of government. The government is supposed to work cases each year, but only hears about 80 of them, and decides for us, so let’s make sure it does.

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36 . feb/mar 2017 . BUST from russia with love ♥

37 Five years ago, Nadya Tolokno and members of her punk band Pussy Riot were sent to prison for public acts of feminist activism. Today, she’s free and louder than ever. Here, she talks about rising up, getting rowdy, and pissing off repressive presidents

By erika w. smith photos by jeaneen lund // styling by kime buzelli // makeup by will lemon

utfitted in colorful dresses, tights, Trump, a yellow wig covers her brunette bob, and she frames and—most importantly—balaclavas that her large, dark eyes with red and white eye shadow. Her full hid their faces, a group of fierce young lips are covered in bright blue lipstick—lips a Russian Ortho- women became activist icons overnight dox official once said marked her as “a demon with a brain,” when they were arrested for performing a adding, “She’s a strong demon. You can tell by her lips, by her song in Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ the mouth. It means she’ll fight to the end.” Savior, protesting the repressive anti- At least in one respect he was right. In the years since her choice and anti-LGBT policies of Vladimir arrest, Tolokno has been imprisoned, gone on a hunger strike, Putin. Calling themselves Pussy Riot, the been separated from her husband and young daughter, been group was part punk band, part performance art collective, beaten, and had her eyes burned with spray paint. And she’s Opart activist group, and completely feminist. And even though still fighting against despotism—not only in her native Russia, that performance in 2012 lasted less than a minute before but also in the U.S. and worldwide. the women were pulled offstage, their lyrics—including the On the morning of November 8th, Tolokno knew some- AR phrases, “Mother of God, banish Putin,” and “Mother of God, thing wasn’t right. It was the day after her 27th birthday—a become a feminist”—led to an arrest that reverberated world- day that has always held special significance to her, because wide. Pussy Riot became an international cause celebre when besides being her birthday, November 7th was the day of three of its members—including leader Nadezhda Tolokon- Russia’s October Revolution in 1917. It’s a holiday that, when nikova, aka Nadya Tolokno—were sentenced to two years in Tolokno was a child, Putin banned out of fear of an uprising, prison for “hooliganism motivated by religious hatred.” Their replacing commemoration of the revolution with something high-profile case caught the attention of Madonna, Björk, and called “Unity Day.” It’s also the day that, before Pussy Riot, Peaches, and sparked weeks of headlines, a book, and a docu- Tolokno took part in one of her favorite protest actions with mentary. Pussy Riot was everywhere. the art group Voina: laser projecting a skull and crossbones Five years later, Pussy Riot appears to be more relevant onto the Russian Parliament. L AI Z E AD ER ; K I LLST A G E T I ER BE LT: A ; T I GHTS: styl i sts o wn . than ever. Today we have an American president who shares “The day after my birthday this year, I was waiting for my quite a few deplorable views with Putin: Like Putin, Presi- gift, which would be the first female president,” she tells me dent Trump is anti-LGBTQ, anti-abortion, anti-immigrant, over the phone from L.A., where she spends a lot of time when anti-Muslim, and anti-everything that feminists stand for. she’s not in New York or Russia. “I went to the gym and my And Tolokno, 27, recognizes it. The morning after Trump was trainer made my butt hurt so much that I was suffering the elected, she tweeted as Pussy Riot, “Putin just woke up and whole day. You know how some people have a gut feeling? I he’s screaming in fucking ecstatic happiness right now.” had a butt feeling that something was about to go wrong.” It wasn’t Tolokno’s first comment on U.S. politics—far When things did go wrong, she wasn’t surprised. “I had NT ED B Y N AD W EAR H A N D - PAI from it. In 2015, she and another member of Pussy Riot it in the back of my head. I had this irritating, small thought released a song and music video about the murder of Eric that it could happen, and all the guys around me, they didn’t Garner called “I Can’t Breathe.” And just before the election, believe that it could happen at all,” she says. “But after 16 years Tolokno released a trio of political music videos as a solo art- of Vladimir Putin, I know that terrible political things can hap- ist. Along with the girl power anthem “Straight Outta Vagina” pen. I didn’t believe that I could ever end up in prison, because and the Russian-language track “Organs,” there was a song I was like, ‘Oh no, I’m doing nonviolent, political, symbolic, called “Make America Great Again” that predicted the hor- artistic action. Nothing bad could happen to me.’ And then I rors of a Trump presidency. In the latter video, a broadcaster ended up in prison.” on “Trump News Network” announces bans on , Tolokno’s nonviolent, political, symbolic, artistic actions Mexicans, abortions, and any language other than English. didn’t start with Pussy Riot. In fact, she remembers doing a The announcements are interspersed with scenes of Trump version of protest performance art as a small child at school. posturing in the White House and police stripping and tortur- “I would take a pile of garbage to school and put it on different NT; VI NT L A U RE NT; NG; S I LK B L O US E : Y VE ST. W I L D FA previo us s pread: TUX J A CK E T: ing a protester. Tolokno plays every part. As President Donald objects—on the drawings, on the chalkboard. I saw that as the : DO LLSK I LL.C OM ; UN DER MO US E T RAP BA L A CL AVA

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39 40 . feb/mar 2017 . BUST proper way of expressing my feelings about school and the way 19 while pregnant with her daughter Gera. “That’s my recipe for they wanted us to learn things.” everything in life. If you want to be more powerful, just combine Tolokno grew up in Norilsk—a mining town that has the everything that you know—and it works.” dubious honor of being the world’s northernmost city with more “After I had my daughter, I became a much stronger feminist than 100,000 inhabitants. For about a third of the year, snow than I was before,” she says. “Because for some weird reason, storms rage in Norilsk; the sun never sets from late May through when you have a baby, everybody starts treating you just as a late July; and temperatures can drop to 60 below zero Fahren- mother. I didn’t want to just be seen as a reproductive machine, heit. Besides being one of the coldest places on earth, it’s also even though I had her. I didn’t want her to think of me as a one of the most polluted, ranking eighth in the world in 2007. reproductive machine. I wanted her to see me as a person. When Over 1,700 miles from Moscow and Saint Petersburg, Norilsk your kid is really little, you have to give a lot of your life to your is by no means a cultural center. “When I was a teenager, I was kid. But you still want to do art, and you still want to study, and looking for something that would empower and excite me be- you still want to see your friends, so you have to figure out how cause I was living in a really small, provincial Russian town and you can do it all in one hour. After that, I became a much more it wasn’t easy to find these things,” she says. productive person.” Tolokno’s life changed when the city invited two contempo- Tolokno first started incorporating feminism into her art rary artists to the town for a fair. “These guys, they made me love in 2011 when she led a months-long performance piece in classical poetry and contemporary art,” she explains. As a result, which female Voina members kissed female police officers as she moved to Moscow to attend college, studying philosophy a response to the rampant violence and corruption plaguing at Moscow State University. She also got into gender studies, Russian law enforcement. “The first thing you want to do” when working on improving her English so she could read Judith But- you see a police officer, Tolokno explains, “is to punch him in ler, as there were no Russian translations of Butler’s work. the face. But because I believe in , I don’t do that, It was at Moscow State University in 2007 that Tolokno first because it will cause more violence. So it’s a gesture of goodwill: became involved with performance art and activism, joining the I wanted to kiss the police instead of punching them in the face.” art protest group Voina. It’s also where she met her husband, Male Voina members refused to participate in the action, so Tolokno gathered “a group of girls” who spent the next three months “After I had my daughter, I became a planting kisses on female offi- cers—it took a while because it was much stronger feminist than I was before, so difficult to find women on the police force. “That was when we started to be not just political, but because for some weird reason, when you feminist,” Tolokno explains. Pussy Riot came into being have a baby, everybody starts treating you later that same year. Tolokno and a friend and fellow Voina member, just as a mother.” Yekatrina (Katya) Samutsevich, had agreed to give a talk on punk feminism; while researching, they Pyotr Verzilov. The two bonded over a discussion of Buddhism got into riot grrrl, and decided to make their own Russian punk while Tolokno was helping her suitemates study for a religion feminist band. “We were listening to ‘Rebel Girl,’ the Bikini exam. “Pyotr had lived for several years in Japan, so he knew Kill song, and we basically just stole what they did,” Tolokno something about Buddhism,” Tolokno says. There was an im- says, laughing. She and Samutsevich recorded their first song, mediate spark, “And I just couldn’t help myself from talking to “Kill the Sexist,” on their phones in Samutsevich’s bathroom at him the next day.” They began dating, and she says she knew it four a.m., while Samutsevich’s dad tried to get them to stop. “I was real love when he gave her his books. “The thing that made think it was the proper environment for starting a punk band,” me fall in love with him was when he gifted me his library, which Tolokno says. “The sound quality was really shitty, and I’m so A G E BEADED BO W was precious,” she says. “It was all French philosophers, which I proud of it.”

Y; VI NT Y; adored at that time. My heart was bought with that library.” Tolokno still draws a lot of inspiration from the American riot In 2008, the couple married. And after Putin was “elected” grrrl movement of the ’90s. “They empowered me a lot because I again that year—although Putin was ineligible to run for a third found out that you actually don’t have to be perfect to make music, consecutive term, the person who did win the election, Dmitry to make art, to express your ideas,” she says. “I know it sounds Medvedev, appointed Putin Prime Minister—the group expand- pretty banal, but I know a lot of people who would just not trust ed from rallies to art performances. One notable action involved themselves. They would say, ‘No, I couldn’t do art because I don’t members of the group having public sex in Moscow’s State have the proper technique.’ Fuck technique. If you have passion, if Museum of Biology to protest Putin’s stated desire for Russian you have excitement, you can do art.” women to procreate more. “We combined art and politics,” After Pussy Riot was formed, there was no question that PI NK C APE T OP : CH RI ST I N E A LC L C O LL AR N E CKL A : OPPO L T . Tolokno says of that performance, which she carried out at age they would perform, and not just concerts. Pussy Riot—which

41 had a fluctuating membership peaking at around a dozen wom- says of the bravery she had to summon during the nine-day en in 2012—performed a handful of times before the infamous hunger strike that left her hospitalized. “You get the jitters. Cre- church performance, staging two-minute shows in the Moscow ativity came to my prison cell and I understood that finding my subway, atop luxury stores, and, most notably, in Red Square. creativity was my way to overcome. Another thought that really “We were coming from performance art backgrounds, so it was helped me when they would beat me and not allow me to eat as natural as eating or pooping for us to make performances,” or drink was that I had to go through difficult situations to get Tolokno says. “The difficult part was for us to make songs!” an understanding of how things really work. I started to think The Red Square performance brought Pussy Riot some about my prison term as an important lesson for me.” attention, but nothing close to the notoriety they received after One would assume that after her release from prison, Tolokno, Samutsevich, and Maria (Masha) Alyokhina were Tolokno would flee the country. But instead, she stayed, and arrested and sentenced to two years in prison. (Samutsevich still spends a significant amount of time in Russia, despite was released early; Tolokno and Alyokhina both served 21 being attacked twice since her parole. Tolokno and other months of their sentences.) Tolokno insists that the church members of Pussy Riot were whipped by police when they performance was not their best. “For me, it was a big disaster, attempted to stage a performance at the Sochi Olympics, and a but more of an artistic disaster because I knew we could do month afterward, along with Alyokhina, she was attacked by a better,” she says. “The action that I really loved was the one in gang of men wielding garbage and spray paint, which temporar- Red Square. So when they arrested us, I was like, ‘Why did you ily damaged her eyes. arrest us for this action? It’s not the best. You could have picked Though Tolokno now considers herself a citizen of the world, a better one!’” She also expresses disappointment that Pussy she remains a presence in Russia as well, launching an indepen- dent media platform with other Pussy Riot members and work- ing on prison reform. “I think it’s a natural thing for a human “I was scared after I was being to have some fear,” she says of her decision to stand her ground in her home country. “It’s a natural reaction; you would attacked.... But you cannot be dead if you did not have any fear. I was scared after I was at- tacked. For two months, if I was alone on the street and someone allow your fear to make your was approaching me, I would start to think about how I could run or how I could protect myself. But you cannot allow your fear to life unproductive, and it make your life unproductive, and it was really important for me to keep doing my art. Sometimes you just have to forget about it— was really important for me or learn to protect yourself. Just go take boxing lessons.” That fear may also be why Tolokno sees some positives in Trump’s election. “I love to fail, strangely,” she says, “because to keep doing my art.” it gives me energy to fight and to understand more about the world I live in. I’ve never felt more politically engaged than Riot didn’t get to carry out their next planned performance at I do now. Probably the only other time I felt this politically Parliament—where an unnamed Pussy Riot member worked. engaged was right before Vladimir Putin was about to be “When they arrested us, I wasn’t sad that I was losing my free- so-called elected for his third term.” She’s now reading up on dom,” Tolokno says. “I was sad that we weren’t going to be able political science and “trying to figure out what we can do with to do the action in the Russian Parliament, because I expected this new world we share with neoconservatives,” she says, that one to be really radical.” naming not only Trump and Putin, but also France’s Marine Once Tolokno landed in prison, however, the seriousness Le Pen, Hungary’s Viktor Orban, and Brexit. Her daughter of her situation became much clearer. After a trial that lasted Gera, now 8, also feeds her optimism. “She asked how long several months, Tolokno was separated from Alyokhina and Trump will be in power, and I told her four years most likely,” sent to a notoriously harsh women’s penal colony called IK-14. Tolokno says. “She said, ‘That’s OK, I will be 12 years old then, During her time there, she went on a hunger strike over the and while he’s in power, we will do a lot of things to stop him prison’s brutal slave labor policies and smuggled letters out to from doing hurtful things to us.’” the Russian philosopher Slavoj Žižek (their correspondence Obviously, Gera isn’t alone. Millions of us want to do what was later compiled in the book Comradely Greetings). Because we can to stop the Trump administration from doing hurtful her mail was read, Tolokno had to be ingenious about writing things. And as a veteran of political uprising, Tolokno has some her letters. She would compose them secretly while at her sew- advice—get weird. “My strange punk advice is to mix every- ing machine, then “I would be going to see my lawyer and I had thing that you know and everything that you care about into them in my panties,” she explains. “Sometimes there would be one thing, because I’m tired of all these conversations about a search and they would take them from me and I would have to art and politics. Why do you have to separate them?” she asks. write another one. It was a time-consuming adventure.” “Think about the three weirdest things that come into your T ER : N E W/ FO UN D ; EARRI NGS: S IERRA K YL I N. The experience was enough to break anyone, but speak- mind and then combine them into one artwork. If you keep it

ing to Tolokno now, it appears to have only made her stronger. minimalistic and don’t add a lot of obstructing details, believe A G E SW EA “When you don’t eat for some time, it works like a drug,” she me, it will be good.” VI NT

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