‘Can You Really Be a Queer Muslim?’: Intersectionality and the Complexity of Identity
Where Are Our Heroes? A Look at the Lack of Working-Class People in the Creative Industries
I never realised that class was going to be such a big hurdle for me when I was younger. Then I got older and started studying music at college, and my eyes were opened to the existence of elitism and the prevalence of discrimination in the world…
The Witch, The Wicca, and You: A Brief History of a Feminist Symbol
Even though the classic image of the witch – complete with warts, hats, and broomsticks – is European in origin, almost every nation on Earth has some witchery in its mythos. Witchcraft has always been linked to the elements and the magic of the Earth, serving as a way to connect with nature. It is easy to speculate that the practitioners of old were driven by the idea that there must be more to this world than what we see…
Reclaiming ‘Woman’, to Realise ‘Not’: Coming Out as Non-Binary
Was I proud to be a woman? I was, and I wasn’t. Some days, I was proud. Other days, I was uncomfortable. To be a woman is to be strong, in my eyes. I wanted to be strong like that. I am not a woman, though. Woman-ly, maybe. Feminine, some days. But woman? Not so much.
Life Through the Lens of an Aspie: How My Asperger’s Syndrome Shapes The Way I Experience the World
It is true that we Aspies tend to fixate on particular subjects or hobbies. Inspiration comes to me in the weirdest moments; it channels itself into outlets that I am passionate about, namely fashion, music, and writing. I find myself writing stories and poems, composing my own music, and even creating and altering my own clothes…
Descent into Gilead: Examining the Growing Trend in the Suppression of Women’s Rights
A while back, I was listening to a podcast with Margaret Atwood. The interviewer asked about Atwood’s inspiration for The Handmaid’s Tale and whether it was still relevant today; Atwood responded that it was painful to admit how relevant the book still is…
Shaving, Sex, and Stereotypes: My Battle with Internalised Misogyny
As a feminist, it’s easy for me to condemn misogyny and take an active stance against any person, institution, or legislation that allows misogyny to thrive. It is by far less easy to take an active stance against the personal actions that I take, unintentionally, to enforce harmful misogynistic attitudes…
I Am No Longer Subjugating My Queerness: My Struggle Against Internalised Homophobia, Class Anxieties, and Compulsory Heterosexuality
I often experience my internalised homophobia as a kind of funhouse. As I walk through and try to find a way out (or rather, a way to come out), trick mirrors and shifting floors suspend me in a state of endless motion; I lose my path, unable to stare issues directly in the face, constantly ricocheting between and turning from them.
Little Witness: My Story of Growing Up Around Domestic Abuse
Representation and Identity in the Music Industry for Women, Transgender and Non-Binary People
It’s particularly true now that obstacles are being removed for a lot of artists through different streaming platforms, social media and so on. However, even though ideas about identity and diversity are being readdressed, we need to question the way that this is being done and how it might marginalise underrepresented groups in a different way. It has become very apparent that the movement to engage more women, non-binary, and transgender people in the music industry is extremely profitable – underrepresented groups are at risk of becoming a commodity…
We’re STILL Waiting: Why isn’t My Professor Black Yet?
I Am More Than My Assault: How Trauma Impacts Identity
The Problem with Ableist-Driven Narratives: Why I Don’t Feel Lucky as Someone with a ‘Mild’ Disability
Passive Objects or Active Creators? The History of Women in the Art World
We Are Progressive Women. Are We Leaving Men Behind?
I Am No Longer Bridget Jones: Overcoming Internalised Misogyny and the Need for Male Validation
How I’m Befriending My Worst Enemy, Time.
Mother’s Day: For the Mothers Who Have Lost
Women In The Media: Why We Shouldn’t Accept ‘Damsel In Distress’ Stereotypes
Muslim And Queer: The Internal Struggle Of Existing As A ‘Living Taboo’
‘Man Up’!
Grow a pair... Have some balls… Don’t be a pussy… A boy takes off his nail polish for fear of being called ‘gay’... I wonder why it is such a bad thing. Society has made it an insult to be seen as feminine because, in turn, this means you are weak. Young boys don’t wear pink... Boys laugh compliantly at “women belong in the kitchen” jokes… Harry Styles wearing a skirt is, according to some, single handedly ending the era of manly men. What does it even mean to be a manly man?