In Handmaid's Tale, the environment has basically gone to shit and the women have to pay for it. How, you ask? Well, they become baby-making machines. Yes, women have always had that special talent, but this time it's against their will. In many countries, that is a woman's primary duty. In the U.S, it's a choice.We know that gender exists, but how long until it becomes a memory?

"I'm not lesbian, but i'm dating a woman." Wait, What? Yes, that's right. Jesica Tenaglia, 24, believes that she fell for her partner because of her personality, not because of her gender. "I saw past the fact that she was a female. I think a lot of people are starting to do that. Because so many lines are blurred now, I really don't know how to act differently with a male. I dont love her because she's a female, I love her because of the way she loves me. No guy has treated me like she has. I think people just want to be loved. If she were a male, I would feel the same way. People in our generation are starting to get that." If the future of our country starts to embrace this way of thinking, what exactly does that mean? Will gender all together cease to exist?

Many schools have begun to include gay/lebian couples in their story books to teach children that they have a choice of sexuality. Being so taboo only 50 years ago, there really is no telling just what changes may come with such a radical society.

Independent. It's something women love to claim they are. Women are growing in the world with higher numbers of executive and management level positions. It hasn't always been this way, and it was hardly expected to happen. Men have always been seen as the bread-winners and hard workers while women were seen as only the nurturing figure at home. Currently, many households across the United States have the higher income coming from the female in the home. As this used to be a reason for concern, it is now a badge of honor that not many women brag about.

    Because positions are endlessly attainable to women, the definition of how a woman should 'act' or 'live' has gone quite blurry and, well, astray. From models to CEO's, women are in the workforce with questionable or applause-worthy titles. Since women are able to work at their own will, roles in the home have changed.

Working is no longer exclusively for men. For women, it has become a 'second' role, depending on how you look at it. Yes, women go to work and make executive decisions, but that doesn't mean they don't still cook and clean. Matter of fact, this is still expected at home for most couples.

So have the roles really changed all that much? For women, the role has expanded. More responsibilities to take on is one way of looking at it.Taking weight off the male and sharing it with his female counterpart is another way of seeing it. Whatever way you choose to see it, a shift has taken place in gender relations, and it will probably continue to shift.

GENDER RELATIONS

The world is always in motion, especially when it comes to gender relations. But just how are roles defined and what does it mean for the future?

iSHYNE!

Do you Shyne? If so, we want to know about it!

The Shyne Awards is a premiere awards ceremony that celebrates the positive achievements made by young adults ages 13-19.  The annual event hosted in Pittsburgh celebrates and spotlights young people who are shyning examples in the region. Financial scholarships are awarded each year to select honorees. 

The Shyne Awards is Accepting Nominations NOW forThe 7th Annual Shyne Awards!

The family friendly event features a national celebrity, red carpet event, the best in entertainment, and of course, young people who shyne!

For More Information and to obtain an Official Nomination Form, we invite you to visit:

www.iSHYNE.org

1.855.55.SHYNE

ART TALK:

K I K I  V A L D E S

Friday, December 7th 

Moderated by: Michael Margulies

King and Grove Tides Hotel 1220 Ocean Drive, Miami Beach, FL 33139.

7:00–8:30 pm

Time:

Location:

My grandmother Carolyn Sue Hunt

By: Dalton Hunt

My Grandmother Carolyn Sue Hunt

       My grandmother lived with her mom, and dad in Waco, Texas. She went to Robinson, and graduated from Robinson. She stayed in Robinson with her family. Then later on in life she met her husband, and then had a kid. When I was born I came into their family, and started to get to know them.

     When my grandmother was just a little kid she loved playing with her dolls all the time, and she carried one big one with her all the time. She always carried it to town when she went to town with her mom, and dad. One day she was walking with her mom, and she got tired of carrying that one big doll that she loved so much. Then she said to her mom “mom can you please carry this for me?”, and her mom always would say “yes I will, but I will not carry it again!!”  Well every time she toke it to town with them and she would ask her mom to carry it, and she was only carrying it for about an hour then she got tired of it.

      One day before they left the house her mom told her “you can bring the doll but I am not carrying it” Well she brought knowing that she would not want to carry it, but she toke it anyways and like always she didn’t want to carry it. Well she didn’t want to carry it so she asked her mom if she would carry it. Well she got mad and told her “now I told you that I will not carry the doll again!!!”

       Well like always she toke it again and carried it, and then when they got back home she was told “you will not bring it to town again” Well she never brought it again, and so she brought a smaller doll this time, but surprisingly she carried it all the time and didn’t, so she got to keep bringing that one small to town!!!

K I K I   V A L D E S

"Bull's Head"

(Oil, cut canvas on wood panel) 2010

BOOTH #217

Miami Project Fair in Midtown for Art Basel

Dec 4th - Dec 9th. NE 1st Avenue and 29 Street. Miami FL, 33137

M I A M I   P R O J E C T

               The first SlutWalk came into being as a reaction to the Toronto Police Froce's view on sexual assault. An officer had been speaking at a local law school's campus safety information session and advised: "women should avoid dressing like sluts in order not to be victimized”. Toronto locals demanded an apology and explanation but received neither. They were tired of victim-blaming, slut-shaming, and sexual profiling and policing and without a word of remorse from the police force, they organized an event where their voices could be heard. 

                On their website they give, in detail, why they decided to react in such a way: "Historically, the term ‘slut’ has carried a predominantly negative connotation. Aimed at those who are sexually promiscuous, be it for work or pleasure, it has primarily been women who have suffered under the burden of this label. And whether dished out as a serious indictment of one’s character or merely as a flippant insult, the intent behind the word is always to wound, so we’re taking it back. “Slut” is being re-appropriated." (http://www.slutwalktoronto.com/about/why)

               Upon taking my first Women's and Gender Studies class at Rutgers University I was assigned the task of creating a social action project. I've always been one to have lofty goals and try to achieve more than may be feasible given constraints such as time, but that's never stopped me from trying. Since my task was to implement a SOCIAL ACTION project, I'd be damned if I didn't do something as active and in your face as possible so in the fall semester of my Junior year I attempted to host a SlutWalk at Rutgers. I can admit that I was very naive in my aspirations but I had a very eager and helpful group of girls assisting me on my project.

               Turnout the day of the walk was much less than expected but if our efforts could have made a difference in one person's life it was all worth it. Despite this, a friend of mine that attended the walk provided me with a megaphone, which I was totally unprepared to use but definitely helped us gather some attention even as a small group. During this time in my life I was still adjusting to being more vocal and while I had big opinions, I wasn't always comfortable with voicing them in the most noticeable way (you'll notice there is a slight awkwardness in the way I speak in the video).To this day I still feel awkward watching myself on film and listening to myself try to voice my opinions to the public. While I may never grow out of that I am so proud of where I have ended up and I believe that this was a big stepping stone in my life that got me to where I am today.

               I can honestly say I am proud of our efforts that day. Initially I was extremely disappointed with the turnout and almost wanted to give up, but walking from Cook/Douglass to the steps of Brower on College Avenue, megaphone blaring, felt really empowering. I stood up for something I believe in and took up a leadership role to try to make an idea of mine a reality. My time spent working on this project helped me become more comfortable with myself. Being able to voice my opinion on such a level made me feel like I had more control and this mentality has carried over into other aspects of my life. No one can stop me from saying what I want, from feeling the way that I feel, or from loving my body and my mind. People's misconceptions shouldn't matter. It's okay to speak out and it's okay to look different from what mainstream society may expect, it is more important to foster acceptance and understanding.            

               With that in mind, take a look at the video I've posted. It was filmed by a friend that was in a different Women's and Gender studies class at the time who turned my project into one of her own. She created a video that gives you some clips from that day as well as a brief explanation of the walk and even some Q&A between the two of us. While it is edited, it is still a pretty raw documentation of the experience.