Feminist Newsletter GR Serve Day - May 28, 2015 GR Feminist Club: Women in Nerd Who We Are & What We Do Culture By Maddy Broderick and Clara Levy around the world. This past year, we By Maddy Broderick As future Feminist Club raised money for several organization, ¨Nerd Culture” has never presidents, this club has meant a lot to one being the Survivors of Acid Trust been more mainstream than today. us over the past 3 years. Feminist Club International, which raises money for When comic books, video games, is dedicated not only to the discussion women who are victims of acid attacks. and movies with ¨nerdy” themes first and education of Feminist ideas, We also had a toiletries drive to benefit came out, they never had the reach that intersectionality, and sexism around the Safe House Shelter in Bloomfield they do now. Between ComicCons in the world, but has also become a safe for victims of domestic abuse, and last San Diego, New York, and Toronto, space for anyone to come and express year we ran a clothing drive for Oasis Star Trek conventions, and the rise in themselves and their ideas, regardless Women’s Shelter in Paterson. We hope popularity of cosplay, nerd culture has of gender identity or sexuality. to extend our outreach over the next never been less, well, nerdy. The stigma We do important work. few years, finding more charities and around nerd culture has almost entirely Feminist Club works hard to reach out causes, and hopefully getting more alleviated. Nerd culture and pop culture to all students in the school, because students involved. have become virtually intertwined. Feminism is for everyone. The door Feminist club is all about This has lead to more people becoming is open every Thursday beginning at creation, education, and change. We interested in this culture. However, it 3 in Room 225, and all students are create projects (and sometimes crafts!), has also lead to the shutting out of a welcome to come and talk with us. we educate others and ourselves on group of people: women. We share movie clips, poems, songs, issues going on in the world, and we Women are constantly and pictures of Joe Biden on occasion. try to make change happen in and out questioned when it comes to their We talk about not only sexism, but its of our community. I strongly encourage love of all things nerdy, they accused intersections with race, class, sexuality, anyone interested to stop in on a of being ¨fake geek girls¨ who are just gender identity, and how it affects us meeting next year and see what it’s all into nerd culture for the attention. Girls and the world we live in. about, because Feminism really is for in comic book stores are constantly Outside of discussions, we also everyone. questioned, asking if they just came for work to help women affected by sexism their boyfriend, brother, or other male figure, and constantly being quizzed on their knowledge. How many times have you heard someone ask a girl ¨You like this thing? Ok, name all these facts about this thing” t o prove that they are ¨real fans¨. Why do we as society insist on girls proving themselves constantly and have to turn to men for validation to say ¨Ok, you can be part of this¨. Girls and women should not have to be subjected to constant judgement and testing when they walk into a store or a convention. With the popularization of cosplay (that is, dressing up like a character from a movie/book/comic/ “I need Feminism because I want to live in a world where “like a girl” is a compliment” Photo by Olivia Broderick (Continued on Page 3) Feminism and Music By Julia Sterling Hole is an alternative rock dissolved later on, they paved the way Many people think that band from the ‘90s that explicitly talked for women in rock (Allmusic.com). feminism is a niche culture, but this is about feminist ideas and issues like Joan Jett, who became a solo artist untrue. Many famous people, including body image and sexual exploitation, after the breakup of the Runaways, many musicians, have declared and is often considered as part of the is a self-declared feminist. She has themselves as feminists, including Riot Grrrl movement (MTV.com). discussed the lack of women in rock Taylor Swift, Wanda Sykes, Laverne The Riot Grrrl movement is a feminist and bias against women in the rock Cox, Tina Fey, Nicki Minaj, Amy movement that emerged from the world, and in her Rock and Roll Hall Poehler, Kurt Cobain, Emma Watson, American alternative and punk music of Fame acceptance speech stated that Beyonce, Joan Jett, and Courtney scenes in the ‘90s and the third-wave “[rock and roll] is a meaningful way to Love. Now, here’s some music to help feminist movement. It started with the express dissent, upset the status quo, you with your moral law. formation of female-fronted punk rock stir up revolution, and fight for human One example of a mainstream bands such as Bikini Kill, Heavens rights”. Jett’s music throughout her feminist song is one called “None of to Betsy, L7, Babes in Toyland, and career has contained feminist themes in Your Business” by the rap duo Salt- Bratmobile. These bands confronted the lyrics. N-Pepa. “None of Your Business” sexism head-on and addressed other Music, especially rock, discusses double-standards, shaming issues such as sexuality, racism, and continues to play a role in the feminist women for their sexuality, and judging patriarchy (British Library). Though it movement. Feminist music encourages people. Salt-N-Pepa ask, “Who are was mostly an underground movement, good attitudes towards women, and is you to judge?” and say, “If I wanna Riot Grrrl is widespread, with branches very important to the movement. take a guy home with me tonight/it’s of Riot Grrrls still in existence all over none of your business.” (AZ Lyrics). the world. Women are constantly shamed for The Riot Grrrl movement Our Feminist being comfortable with their sexuality, claim Joan Jett as an inspiration. Joan but Salt-N-Pepa say that a woman’s Jett, a rock star, is a female pioneer sexuality is her own business and in the male-dominated world of rock Club Playlist no one else’s, which is absolutely a music, and was the first female artist feminist attitude. In more recent years, to own and control a record company. By Julia Sterling and Nina Singer Beyonce has become a poster child for In the 1970s, Joan Jett was playing popular feminist music. In her song guitar in an all-female band called the • Run the World (Girls) - Beyonce “Flawless” (featuring Chimamanda Runaways. The Runaways were ahead • Bad Reputation - Joan Jett Ngozi Adichie), she defines a feminist of their time, but unfortunately were • None of Your Business - Salt N as “the person who believes in the dismissed by audiences because of Pepa social, political, and economic equality their youth and because of their gender. • Run Fast - The Julie Ruin of the sexes”, which is undoubtedly a The Runaways sang about rebelling, • You Don’t Own Me - Lesley Gore feminist attitude (AZ Lyrics). Her song sex, and partying (Biography.com), • Secrets - Mary Lambert “Run the World (Girls)” is a female- which was completely unheard of at the • Celebrity Skin- Hole empowering anthem which “goes out time for girls, and was unfortunately • Cherry Bomb - the Runaways to all the women getting it in”, and is a considered too unsettling by many • Handsome and Gretel - Babes in steadfast example of feminist music. Americans. Though the Runaways Toyland • Freak Like Me- Halestorm • Keep Your Head Up - Tupac • Husbands - Savages • Modern Girl - Sleater-Kinney • 9 to 5 - Dolly Parton • Asking for It – Hole • Bo$$- Fifth Harmony • Gloria - Patti Smith • Glory - John Legend • Shake It Off - Taylor Swift • Flawless - Beyonce • Criminal - Fiona Apple • Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around - Joan Baez • Unpretty - TLC “I need Feminism because all women are cool” • U.N.I.T.Y - Queen Latifah Photo By Maddy Broderick Feminism in the Classroom By Ms. Balaschak have come a long way, the are still teach. When discussing literature, for Classrooms are an important not as active in class discussion as example, English teachers can not only part of a democratic society, one that their male counterparts. The article choose to include content by writers fosters empowerment of a diverse set “Gender Gaps in Achievement and from diverse backgrounds, but they of voices and ideas. The classroom Participation in Multiple Introductory can also address the perspective of should be a place that provides a safe Biology Classrooms” published in traditionally marginalized characters in place to honor those ideas. Feminists the Fall 2014 edition of Life Sciences stories. Though the English curriculum have long looked at education as a Education states that, “...although is comprised of mostly male authors, means of preparing all students to females on average represent 60% English teachers can still choose to participate equally in society. Feminists of the students in these courses, their honor the perspectives of female look at several factors to ensure that all voices make up less than 40% of those characters like Viola in Twelfth Night, genders are supported and encouraged heard responding to instructor-posed Curley’s Wife in Of Mice and Men, and in a classroom environment. questions to the class, one of the most Elizabeth Proctor in The Crucible. Teachers need to make sure all common ways of engaging students in For educators and students, students’ voices are honored, and that large lectures” (Eddy).