portland, oregon.
is my home.
this is where i belong.
with the hippies.
individualists.
feminists.
artists.
musicians.
students.
professionals.
smokers.
drinkers.
mormons.
nonsmokers.
sexually active.
abstinent.
thesbians.
dramatics.
revolutionaries.
followers.
tattooed.
pierced.
women.
men.
organic produce and natural meat.
rain.
clouds.
seasons.
foliage.
pedestrians.
cyclists.
this is home.
through the vagina monologues, i've learned so much.
and changed so much.
the women involved are so amazing.
every single one has a story to tell.
their experiences have led them to where they are in life, and it's beautiful.
it's beautiful to be surrounded by amazing, strong, beautiful, confident women.
that all came together for a cause.
to end domestic violence.
to bring awareness to the severity and commonality of domestic and sexual violence.
to arouse passion and stir up the hearts and minds of all involved.
my heart and mind was stirred.
too many times a woman is put down, shut out, ignored and beaten for...nothing.
nothing but her womanhood.
too often a woman is seen as a sexual object to "hit and quit."
too often a woman is told to look a certain way, to act a certain way, to please the men.
too often a woman is disrespected because of how she dresses.
too often a woman is written off for having convictions and passion.
too often a strong woman is degraded for her fervor and vigor.
we're told to be coy, sweet, cute, quiet and modest.
we're told to be easy, to let the men sleep with us, that we owe them after a date.
we're told to be skinny. we're told to be blonde haired and blue-eyed.
we're told that if we are the archetype for beauty that we will be accepted.
we're tormented by beauty magazines and rap songs.
we're tortured by our partners.
we're heckled by society.
our sexuality is constantly under scrutiny.
we are forced into a mold that nobody really fits.
we scrutinize the celebrities for having eating disorders when if they gained an ounce, they'd be "fat" or "letting themselves go" and we completley
ignore
the eating disorders that run rampant in the underskirts of society.
violence and oppression is all of this.
there needs to be a revolution.
too many have died.
too many have been raped.
too many have been put down.
too many have a horrible sense of self and body image.
too many scrutinize themselves in the mirror every single day.
too many are angry.
too many have been abused.
too many live in self-hatred.
too many blame themselves.
too many have been beaten.
too many are bruised right now.
too many are in horrible living situations.
too many have no self-confidence.
too many are gone.
this is ending.
it's 2008 and still,
1 in 3 women will be sexually or domestically abused in their lifetime.
change.
it starts with a story.
it continues with power and rhetoric.
change.
it starts within.
---
don't
ignore me
because of my anatomy.
don't
hate me
because i don't conform to your ideal woman.
don't
beat me
because i stick to my convictions.
don't
rape me
because i wear a short skirt, because i like my body, because i'm not afraid to be proud of who i am.
don't
fuck me.
don't
disrespect me
because of my god-given womanhood.
don't
tell me i'm wrong
because i disagree with your chauvenistic ideals.
don't
tell me i'm overreacting
when i feel disrespected or hurt or angry.
don't
write my emotions off as PMS
because i feel more intensely than you wish to acknowledge.
don't
overlook me
because i won't fuck you, because i respect myself.
don't
change me
because i disagree with your opinions and views.
don't
step on me
because i'm smaller than you.
don't
bother looking at me
if you only see me as a sexual object.
don't
acknowledge me
if it's only after i've lost some weight.
don't you dare
write me off.
my heart is big.
my convictions are strong.
my passion is real.
my feelings are to be respected.
i am a force to be reckoned with.
i am 5'4", but my heart and passion make me taller and stronger than you.
i am beautiful.
i am socially overweight.
i struggle.
i fight.
we are here. we are fighting. we will not conform to your ridiculous social norms.
we are beautiful.
this is where i belong.
with the hippies.
individualists.
feminists.
artists.
musicians.
students.
professionals.
smokers.
drinkers.
mormons.
nonsmokers.
sexually active.
abstinent.
thesbians.
dramatics.
revolutionaries.
followers.
tattooed.
pierced.
women.
men.
organic produce and natural meat.
rain.
clouds.
seasons.
foliage.
pedestrians.
cyclists.
this is home.
through the vagina monologues, i've learned so much.
and changed so much.
the women involved are so amazing.
every single one has a story to tell.
their experiences have led them to where they are in life, and it's beautiful.
it's beautiful to be surrounded by amazing, strong, beautiful, confident women.
that all came together for a cause.
to end domestic violence.
to bring awareness to the severity and commonality of domestic and sexual violence.
to arouse passion and stir up the hearts and minds of all involved.
my heart and mind was stirred.
too many times a woman is put down, shut out, ignored and beaten for...nothing.
nothing but her womanhood.
too often a woman is seen as a sexual object to "hit and quit."
too often a woman is told to look a certain way, to act a certain way, to please the men.
too often a woman is disrespected because of how she dresses.
too often a woman is written off for having convictions and passion.
too often a strong woman is degraded for her fervor and vigor.
we're told to be coy, sweet, cute, quiet and modest.
we're told to be easy, to let the men sleep with us, that we owe them after a date.
we're told to be skinny. we're told to be blonde haired and blue-eyed.
we're told that if we are the archetype for beauty that we will be accepted.
we're tormented by beauty magazines and rap songs.
we're tortured by our partners.
we're heckled by society.
our sexuality is constantly under scrutiny.
we are forced into a mold that nobody really fits.
we scrutinize the celebrities for having eating disorders when if they gained an ounce, they'd be "fat" or "letting themselves go" and we completley
ignore
the eating disorders that run rampant in the underskirts of society.
violence and oppression is all of this.
there needs to be a revolution.
too many have died.
too many have been raped.
too many have been put down.
too many have a horrible sense of self and body image.
too many scrutinize themselves in the mirror every single day.
too many are angry.
too many have been abused.
too many live in self-hatred.
too many blame themselves.
too many have been beaten.
too many are bruised right now.
too many are in horrible living situations.
too many have no self-confidence.
too many are gone.
this is ending.
it's 2008 and still,
1 in 3 women will be sexually or domestically abused in their lifetime.
change.
it starts with a story.
it continues with power and rhetoric.
change.
it starts within.
---
don't
ignore me
because of my anatomy.
don't
hate me
because i don't conform to your ideal woman.
don't
beat me
because i stick to my convictions.
don't
rape me
because i wear a short skirt, because i like my body, because i'm not afraid to be proud of who i am.
don't
fuck me.
don't
disrespect me
because of my god-given womanhood.
don't
tell me i'm wrong
because i disagree with your chauvenistic ideals.
don't
tell me i'm overreacting
when i feel disrespected or hurt or angry.
don't
write my emotions off as PMS
because i feel more intensely than you wish to acknowledge.
don't
overlook me
because i won't fuck you, because i respect myself.
don't
change me
because i disagree with your opinions and views.
don't
step on me
because i'm smaller than you.
don't
bother looking at me
if you only see me as a sexual object.
don't
acknowledge me
if it's only after i've lost some weight.
don't you dare
write me off.
my heart is big.
my convictions are strong.
my passion is real.
my feelings are to be respected.
i am a force to be reckoned with.
i am 5'4", but my heart and passion make me taller and stronger than you.
i am beautiful.
i am socially overweight.
i struggle.
i fight.
we are here. we are fighting. we will not conform to your ridiculous social norms.
we are beautiful.