"WELCOME TO THE March EDITION OF THE OSA JEDI NEWSLETTER – YOUR UPDATE ON THINGS RELATED TO JUSTICE, EQUITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION. THIS MONTH, WE’RE spotlighting Betty davis, writing about the tennessee drag bans, what's up with the term womxn, and more!" -- THE TELEGRAPH STAFF
Tennessee Bans Drag Shows; Queer Art Under Attack by Ava Rukavina
Early this March, Tennessee’s state senate signed a bill banning drag shows on public property. The bill, like many other proposed anti LGBT+ laws that have been popping up recently, uses pretty broad language in an attempt to dance around its inherent homophobia. The document outlaws “adult cabaret” performances, more specifically defined as “male or female impersonators who provide entertainment that appeals to a prurient interest” on public property, or in any place where minors could be present. This law effectively prohibits any drag shows from being put on in all of Tennessee at all as there are very few places where minors are not permitted. According to a Tennessee law children are even allowed in bars so long as they are accompanied by an adult over the age of twenty five. In addition to this, even in drag shows that aren’t at all sexually explicit, it could be argued, as many conservatives have, that the very action of expressing gender fluidity is inherently sexual or inappropriate.
The Tennessee drag show ban is just one of many in the recent wave of anti LGBT+ bills being debated across the nation, and as we’ve seen with this law, support for them is only increasing. U.S. lawmakers continue to suppress queer art and trans healthcare without repercussion and they must be stopped.
What’s Up With The Term Womxn? by Orion Songster
The term womxn is a term used to describe women and woman-aligned people without including the word “man”, and also being more inclusive to people who do not fit perfectly within the binary description of woman. It is often used for transgender women, and in the acronym MMIW (Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women/Womxn). Another common alternative spelling is womyn, although that has recently been used by TERFs (Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminists). Womxn has shown to be quite controversial in the past few years, with some people backing it and telling others that it’s inclusive, and others saying that it could be transphobic, or it’s just too annoying.
The use of womxn is part of a larger argument, where the language of identity has been rapidly evolving. One you have probably heard is Latinx, a gender neutral alternative to the words Latino and Latina. This word, although widely popular with communities of white allies, has been criticized by the actual Latin community many times, with only 2-3% of the community actually using it. This topic remains fiercely debated. You can love or hate (or love and hate) the usage of these words, but in the end it’s all a matter of trying to be more inclusive.
Early this March, Tennessee’s state senate signed a bill banning drag shows on public property. The bill, like many other proposed anti LGBT+ laws that have been popping up recently, uses pretty broad language in an attempt to dance around its inherent homophobia. The document outlaws “adult cabaret” performances, more specifically defined as “male or female impersonators who provide entertainment that appeals to a prurient interest” on public property, or in any place where minors could be present. This law effectively prohibits any drag shows from being put on in all of Tennessee at all as there are very few places where minors are not permitted. According to a Tennessee law children are even allowed in bars so long as they are accompanied by an adult over the age of twenty five. In addition to this, even in drag shows that aren’t at all sexually explicit, it could be argued, as many conservatives have, that the very action of expressing gender fluidity is inherently sexual or inappropriate.
The Tennessee drag show ban is just one of many in the recent wave of anti LGBT+ bills being debated across the nation, and as we’ve seen with this law, support for them is only increasing. U.S. lawmakers continue to suppress queer art and trans healthcare without repercussion and they must be stopped.
What’s Up With The Term Womxn? by Orion Songster
The term womxn is a term used to describe women and woman-aligned people without including the word “man”, and also being more inclusive to people who do not fit perfectly within the binary description of woman. It is often used for transgender women, and in the acronym MMIW (Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women/Womxn). Another common alternative spelling is womyn, although that has recently been used by TERFs (Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminists). Womxn has shown to be quite controversial in the past few years, with some people backing it and telling others that it’s inclusive, and others saying that it could be transphobic, or it’s just too annoying.
The use of womxn is part of a larger argument, where the language of identity has been rapidly evolving. One you have probably heard is Latinx, a gender neutral alternative to the words Latino and Latina. This word, although widely popular with communities of white allies, has been criticized by the actual Latin community many times, with only 2-3% of the community actually using it. This topic remains fiercely debated. You can love or hate (or love and hate) the usage of these words, but in the end it’s all a matter of trying to be more inclusive.
A Spotlight On Betty Davis, by Vivien Mansbach
Funk singer Betty Davis was born in Durham, North Carolina in 1944, and moved to New York City at 16, where she was immersed in the culture of Greenwich Village as well as the folk music scene of the early ‘60s. She became involved in the music and fashion industry at a young age, mingling with the likes of Jimi Hendrix and Sly Stone. After releasing a few singles, she began to focus on her modeling career, but returned to music after realizing how shallow and ‘brainless’ she felt in that industry. She met Miles Davis in 1969, and featured on his album cover for Files of Kilimanjaro. Their marriage was short but full of color; he wrote brilliant tributes to her, she introduced him to the styles of psychedelic rock, and they thrived together in the vibrant culture of ‘70s New York. Theirs was an amicable split, and he continued to be ‘inspired by her spirit’ many years later.
Meanwhile, Davis began recording her debut album, Betty Davis, with a group of west coast funk musicians. The two subsequent albums, They Say I’m Different and Nasty Gal, were smash hits, full of unabashedly sexual and empowering lyrics, featuring her wild, untamed voice of funky eloquence and controversy. Ultimately, she paved the way for the empowerment of Black women outside the white patriarchy and infantilized stereotypes of women of color. Today she is remembered fondly as a trailblazer of early Afrofeminism and a maker of psychedelic, empowering, boot-stamping Fem - funk.
Method Acting Is Not An Excuse for Problematic Behavior, by Elias Dickey
Method acting, a technique in which actors overcommit to a character even when the cameras aren’t rolling, has increasingly been an excuse for problematic behavior. The technique was originally designed to evoke genuine reactions from character to make a film more realistic. Actors now make a habit of isolating themselves from their families, starving themselves, massively overeating, and generally committing to a character that isn’t themself. Not only can this be harmful to the actor themself, but other people as well, since method actors feel they’re entitled to hurt other actors onset, like Dustin Hoffman in Kramer vs, Kramer (who slapped and personally verbally abused his co-star) or Joe Pesci in Home Alone (who broke the skin of 9 year old Macaulay Culkin’s finger). The film industry doesn’t help, if anything encouraging the creation of characters with physically and mentally extreme characteristics. Concerningly, several actors (namely but not limited to Taryn Manning) have admitted to have gone method to portray racist or homophobic characters, creatin a stressful work environment for fellow actors and film crews. In no other craft do people intentionally sacrifice their home life and relationships for a paycheck, but with the excuse of method acting, actors have the freedom to blame any messed-up behavior on commitment to a role.
Catcalling: A Common Occurrence That Needs to Stop, by Bee Ahlers
Did you know that 94% of women have been whistled at? Or even 75% were followed by a stranger in public, 45% said they have been targeted with a sexist comment at least 25 times in their life. No matter what they’re wearing, how they’re walking, or how they’re talking, it’s never okay to sexualize women.
For me, I’ve been catcalled several times. Whether I’m in sweatpants and a hoodie walking my dog, or maybe I’m in a crop top and jeans, it still happens. Sometimes it makes me feel scared to go outside because I don’t want to be honked at by older men or whistled and yelled at. Most of all, I don’t want to feel unsafe just because I’m a woman walking down the street.
Lots of people, men especially, think that cat calling someone is a compliment. While some women may take it that way, it almost always makes women feel uncomfortable. I was eleven when I was first cat called by a man who was driving past me. A man who looked over twenty years older than me was yelling at me from his car while I was just trying to cross the street. How is that supposed to make me feel good about myself?
This is a PSA to all women and girls that you are not alone, it’s not okay for you to feel uncomfortable being in public. Women should be able to feel safe walking around and not let an older man who makes a comment about us or our bodies ruin our day and our confidence. But it’s so hard when we’re living in a society that deems it acceptable to try and hit on or whistle at little girls because they think it’s a “compliment.”
Funk singer Betty Davis was born in Durham, North Carolina in 1944, and moved to New York City at 16, where she was immersed in the culture of Greenwich Village as well as the folk music scene of the early ‘60s. She became involved in the music and fashion industry at a young age, mingling with the likes of Jimi Hendrix and Sly Stone. After releasing a few singles, she began to focus on her modeling career, but returned to music after realizing how shallow and ‘brainless’ she felt in that industry. She met Miles Davis in 1969, and featured on his album cover for Files of Kilimanjaro. Their marriage was short but full of color; he wrote brilliant tributes to her, she introduced him to the styles of psychedelic rock, and they thrived together in the vibrant culture of ‘70s New York. Theirs was an amicable split, and he continued to be ‘inspired by her spirit’ many years later.
Meanwhile, Davis began recording her debut album, Betty Davis, with a group of west coast funk musicians. The two subsequent albums, They Say I’m Different and Nasty Gal, were smash hits, full of unabashedly sexual and empowering lyrics, featuring her wild, untamed voice of funky eloquence and controversy. Ultimately, she paved the way for the empowerment of Black women outside the white patriarchy and infantilized stereotypes of women of color. Today she is remembered fondly as a trailblazer of early Afrofeminism and a maker of psychedelic, empowering, boot-stamping Fem - funk.
Method Acting Is Not An Excuse for Problematic Behavior, by Elias Dickey
Method acting, a technique in which actors overcommit to a character even when the cameras aren’t rolling, has increasingly been an excuse for problematic behavior. The technique was originally designed to evoke genuine reactions from character to make a film more realistic. Actors now make a habit of isolating themselves from their families, starving themselves, massively overeating, and generally committing to a character that isn’t themself. Not only can this be harmful to the actor themself, but other people as well, since method actors feel they’re entitled to hurt other actors onset, like Dustin Hoffman in Kramer vs, Kramer (who slapped and personally verbally abused his co-star) or Joe Pesci in Home Alone (who broke the skin of 9 year old Macaulay Culkin’s finger). The film industry doesn’t help, if anything encouraging the creation of characters with physically and mentally extreme characteristics. Concerningly, several actors (namely but not limited to Taryn Manning) have admitted to have gone method to portray racist or homophobic characters, creatin a stressful work environment for fellow actors and film crews. In no other craft do people intentionally sacrifice their home life and relationships for a paycheck, but with the excuse of method acting, actors have the freedom to blame any messed-up behavior on commitment to a role.
Catcalling: A Common Occurrence That Needs to Stop, by Bee Ahlers
Did you know that 94% of women have been whistled at? Or even 75% were followed by a stranger in public, 45% said they have been targeted with a sexist comment at least 25 times in their life. No matter what they’re wearing, how they’re walking, or how they’re talking, it’s never okay to sexualize women.
For me, I’ve been catcalled several times. Whether I’m in sweatpants and a hoodie walking my dog, or maybe I’m in a crop top and jeans, it still happens. Sometimes it makes me feel scared to go outside because I don’t want to be honked at by older men or whistled and yelled at. Most of all, I don’t want to feel unsafe just because I’m a woman walking down the street.
Lots of people, men especially, think that cat calling someone is a compliment. While some women may take it that way, it almost always makes women feel uncomfortable. I was eleven when I was first cat called by a man who was driving past me. A man who looked over twenty years older than me was yelling at me from his car while I was just trying to cross the street. How is that supposed to make me feel good about myself?
This is a PSA to all women and girls that you are not alone, it’s not okay for you to feel uncomfortable being in public. Women should be able to feel safe walking around and not let an older man who makes a comment about us or our bodies ruin our day and our confidence. But it’s so hard when we’re living in a society that deems it acceptable to try and hit on or whistle at little girls because they think it’s a “compliment.”