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Gender Revolution
by Sarah Kirsch
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Illustration: Helen Tosteson
The Raging Grannies are seemingly little old ladies in vintage patterned dresses and large sun hats, but their words and songs cut strikingly deep into the core of progressive issues at protests and marches. The Grannies are a multi-national organization of older women fighting and speaking out for what they believe in, like saving the environment, promoting peace and women’s reproductive rights through parody songs. READ MORE...
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Illustration: Helen Tosteson
by Alexandra Meyer
RESOURCES
Illustration: Ella Ruder
Photo credit: Gayatri Malhotra, Unsplash
by Ella Ruder
by Meryl Hubbard
by Sarah Kirsch
Photo credit: Sex Out Loud
by Meryl Hubbard
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Photo credit: Ella Ruder
by Ella Ruder
RADIO SPECIAL
Photo credit: Wix Media
by Alexandra Meyer
RADIO SPECIAL
Raging Grannies protest for women's rights through song
by Alexandra Meyer
TRANSCRIPT
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Raging Grannies: “We’re the Raging Grannies of Madison, Wisconsin!”
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Alexandra Meyer: The Raging Grannies are a multi-faceted activist group, originating from Canada. Since its inception nearly 40 years ago, various smaller groups of grannies - called gaggles - have emerged all over the United States and Canada. They use humor and parody songs to try and get audiences active in social and political issues, to fight for what they believe in and to give a voice to the voiceless in our modern society.
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Director of the Madison Grannies Deborah Lofgren and one of its lead songwriters Kathy Miner gave a glimpse behind the scenes into what goes into their songwriting and costume creation. From the initial idea until it’s ready to be marched down State Street in Madison during a protest, there are a few steps that must be taken to achieve that goal. The first being the unified look and costume making.
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The costumes that the Madison Grannies have adopted over the years generally consist of long colorfully patterned dresses, kitchen aprons, large sun hats, political buttons and sparkly shoes. There is no hard and fast rule that members must strictly abide by, but the gaggle tries to achieve the old Wisconsin farmer chic, as Deborah describes.
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Deborah Lofgren: “I would say that the Madison grannies kind of go into, kinda like the farmer type of costumes you know, with aprons like you’ve been in the kitchen. I direct with a feather duster. We have, you know, we have buttons on our costumes and on our hats, which is pretty much- I look at it as, kind of like, we’re Wisconsin farmer grannies.”
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Alexandra Meyer: Kathy mentioned that physically portraying the look of a stereotypical little old lady can be disarming to audiences on the street, which lends itself well to the shock value of what their songs are about and what they are fighting for.
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Kathy Miner: “We’re riffing on the stereotype of sweet little old ladies. We sing lyrics like, “Take your freakin’ fracking drills and get ‘em out of town!” and we surprise people with our sassy lyrics.”
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Alexandra Meyer: These sassy lyrics cover many injustices facing the world today. Topics like gun control, Black Lives Matter, oil fracking and women’s reproductive rights have been turned into powerful lyrics to be sung and chanted to get people talking. Kathy discussed the songwriting process she goes through for each of her ideas.
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Kathy Miner: “Usually a phrase will come into mind that just fits to a melodic phrase. We do use familiar tunes almost always, we make a few exceptions, but we’re using tunes like, I don’t know, “Mary Had A Little Lamb” and the “Battle Hymn of the Republic” because that’s half the battle. If we already know the melody, then all we have to do is teach ourselves the words.”
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Alexandra Meyer: Using familiar tunes lends itself well to audience support, as lyric sheets are passed around at demonstrations and it’s encouraged to sing along with the Grannies. Deborah chimed in and gave a comparison that definitely fits with their mostly humorous genre.
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Deborah Lofgren: “We’re a little bit like Weird Al to be honest with you.”
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Alexandra Meyer: Due to potential copyright claims because of the parody nature of their songs, here are just some of the lyrics to the Raging Grannies “Abortion Cheer,” read more like poetry, in which they are fighting against the recent overturning of Roe v. Wade by the United States Supreme Court.
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“Listen up! We must have a choice!
Well, come on, Retro-publicans, trying to help women again
You’re sure that we won’t do what’s best
With a positive pregnancy test
So you rolled up your sleeves, came up with a plan
Enforcement in vigilante hands!”
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The song ends with a very empowering sentiment:
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“Well, come on people throughout the land
Join with us and take a stand
Supreme Court did not hesitate to pull the plug on Roe v. Wade
A woman’s body is all her own
We demand they leave us alone!”
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Raging Grannies: "We still know how to holler, we're not giving up!"
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Alexandra Meyer: The Raging Grannies believe that fighting for women’s rights and other causes is crucial, especially with their age demographic, as Kathy mentioned.
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Kathy Miner: “The older you get the more you realize that time is finite and we need to speak out. There may not be all that many tomorrows for any given one of us and for that reason we need to speak out today and we’re less afraid to do that.”
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Alexandra Meyer: And because of copyright, the Grannies do not make a single penny from their work, which truly shows just how strongly rooted in activism these courageous ladies are: marching and joining protests and demonstrations all over southern Wisconsin and fighting for what’s right, no matter what.
RESOURCE
by Ella Ruder
At the intersectionality of freedom
RESOURCE
Tales and Truths: the myths and realities of reproductive topics
by Meryl Hubbard
Click below to learn about topics like pleasure and safe sex!​
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​Gender expression by UW students resists the gender binary
by Sarah Kirsch
SIDEBAR
Your pronoun lesson of the day: using any pronouns
As referred to in this piece, a few interviewees use any pronouns — Anna specifically saying “any pronouns, so they, he, she.”
Using any pronouns is as easy as it sounds: using any pronouns when referring to an individual. It is not sticking to one pronoun but rather interchanging pronouns as you refer to them. When I refer to Anna in the day-to-day, I switch from “They’re a cool person” to “He is my friend” to “I know her.”
If you are unsure about what pronoun to use for someone, just ask! It’s better to be cautious than to accidentally use the wrong one.
If you are searching for practice with pronouns, explore this practice website or research more on your own.
For more information on pronouns in general, check out this glossary by NPR or this informational page about what pronouns are and why they matter.
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Gender identity has sparked conversation in recent years across the United States. At the University of Wisconsin-Madison, you can discover these topics at drag performances, on student profiles through pronouns or around local coffee shops in conversation. Two individuals based in Madison spoke on their connections to gender identity and expression, and they discussed how it plays into the active resistance of the gender binary.
The gender binary categorizes gender into only two options of male and female. This is seen by clothing being categorized into “masculine” or “feminine” or boys being historically assigned the color blue while girls are assigned the color pink. Gender expression and identity, whether it be identifying as transgender, genderqueer, non-binary or genderfluid, actively resists the traditional gender binary that many in the U.S. have grown up with.
Whether it be through dressing androgynously, using gender-neutral pronouns or removing gender stereotypes in everyday activities, the gender binary can be challenged. Some students at UW-Madison already do this daily.
Anna Thompson (any pronouns), a history student at UW-Madison, finds gender to be created through action rather than something that defines who they are.
“My actions create my gender identity, instead of vice versa. To zoom out and explain what I mean in a broader sense, we are compelled to perform gender in two extremes because the gender binary system has been constructed to appear fixed. But if gender is more malleable than it appears — and I believe it is — a different repetition of acts would create a different gender,” Thompson said.
Thompson, who identifies as non-binary or genderqueer, believes that the two descriptors they use for their gender identity are very similar for themself. However, they typically use non-binary more often because it is more known.
Gender identity is defined as one’s internal sense of self as masculine, feminine, a blend of both, neither or something else, according to Gender Spectrum. People that identify as their assigned sex at birth are often referred to as cisgender.
Thompson thinks gender is a combination of how they conceive themself and their actions as well as how others conceive Thompson and their actions. To them, clothing is an affirming way to present in a way that is true to themself.
“Everyone constructs their gender every day. Some of us just have a little more fun with it. It’s about creating our own lives the way that we want them to be,” Thompson said.
Not only can clothing be a great way to express gender or lack of a gender, but using the correct pronouns can be an affirming method as well. In a study done by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), 56% of respondents that are a part of Generation Z know someone who uses gender-neutral pronouns.
Gender-neutral pronouns or neopronouns are not as new of a concept as some may assume. Kate Bornstein using ze/hir for a character in her 1996 novel “Nearly Roadkill,” Jane Austen’s use of gender-neutral pronouns in her 1813 book “Pride and Prejudice” and Geoffrey Chaucer using “they” as early as 1386 in “The Canterbury Tales” are examples of how these pronouns are not a new thing.
Thompson finds using any pronouns to be affirming to their gender expression.
“It’s not a what, but a how. Rather than what I say my pronouns are, the real significance lies in how people use them,” Thompson said.
Thompson finds gender to be a part of their identity but not their entire identity. This is similar to drag performers.
Drag is a form of entertainment that often involves exaggerated or highly styled clothing and performances. Drag performers typically have a name and character different from their real identity, according to The National Center for Transgender Equality.
Being genderqueer, transgender or non-binary are not equivalent to dressing in drag. While some drag performers do identify as one of these while not in drag, the Center highlights how they are not synonymous.
For Aristotle (any pronouns), a UW-Madison student and drag performer, gender identity is something parallel to drag.
“I often do gender-bent drag, which involves not shaving my chest or legs. This involves less padding and a knowing juxtaposition of gender. When dressing up in my normal life, I also gender-bend, but on a more pared-down level,” Aristotle said.
As a non-binary individual, Aristotle’s favorite part about drag is that it allows them to perform through gender. Although there are many anti-drag bills being proposed across the U.S., such as Tennessee’s recent ban on minors at drag shows, Aristotle sees drag as a basic right of freedom of expression.
“No drag queens or transgender people have been arrested for sexually abusing children, but many religious leaders have. If this was truly about children, there’d be a stronger effort to address the issues that are truly harming children in this country, such as a proliferance of mass shootings,” Aristotle said.
Aristotle also sees drag and gender expression as an important form of resistance to the gender binary.
“Any resistance to the norms can be controversial, but it is necessary in order to free us all. The stringency of the gender binary and of a lack of allowance for freedom of expression oppresses us all, regardless of our expression,” Aristotle said.
Currently, there are no bans on drag in Wisconsin. In Madison, there are several upcoming events intended to celebrate drag through various performers.
Both Thompson and Aristotle believe that the gender binary is causing more harm than good to the drag and genderfluid communities.
“I do not believe that no longer enforcing the gender binary is a slippery slope to total chaos. Why should it be? I think a world without gender binary would be a less violent place, because whether you like it or not, violence is one of the chief tools used to enforce the binary,” Thompson said.
To break the binary is to challenge the two-option system the U.S. currently operates under. Like Thompson and Aristotle, many are already taking part.
Raging Grannies fight for women's rights and social justice through turbulent times
by Alexandra Meyer
The Raging Grannies are seemingly little old ladies in vintage patterned dresses and large sun hats, but their words and songs cut strikingly deep into the core of progressive issues at protests and marches. The Grannies are a multi-national organization of older women fighting and speaking out for what they believe in, like saving the environment, promoting peace and women’s reproductive rights through parody songs. A gaggle of Grannies popped up in Madison, and members Deborah Lofgren and Katy Miner believe strongly that, in the current turbulent climate with the overturning of Roe v. Wade, history is unfortunately repeating itself.
Both entering the organization nearing 12 years ago, Lofgren and Miner have found a creative outlet to speak their truths and stand up to injustices they have faced many decades previous. Miner and Lofgren spoke about their personal experiences with bodily autonomy, or lack thereof, in the period right before the original 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling.
Miner, during her early 20s, was working while her friends attended college. She had met and was dating a man going to college on the east coast. She spoke about how frustratingly difficult it was to obtain the revolutionary birth control pill during that time. Wisconsin was the last state in the union to legalize “the pill” for unmarried women in 1974. She believes strongly that birth control should be widely available to help prevent unwanted pregnancies before conception even occurs.
Lofgren told a harrowing tale of when she was in her early 20s as a student at UW-Madison. She and a few others had contacted the underground Jane Collective in Chicago and sought an abortion. She had to travel to another state to receive necessary health care in a seedy and frightening environment. Both Lofgren and Miner’s experiences are unfortunately not unique for many women of the time, and both have even gone on to have children of their own.
The Raging Grannies originated in Canada in 1986. Since then, hundreds of groups, or gaggles, of grannies sprung up all over North America. Lofgren is one of the current directors of the Madison Grannies and Miner is one of their head songstresses. They joined in 2011 after the election of Scott Walker in Wisconsin. They both needed an outlet to speak out, and the Grannies welcomed them. Both Lofgren and Miner are not strangers to protests, as both had fought against the Vietnam War and supported the original Earth Day celebration in the 1970s. Being in a group of like-minded women in their age cohort really helps them talk through their thoughts. It also brings a sense of togetherness when they sing their songs during protests and marches. However, being in a group does not insure complete immunity from police interference as Miner mentioned.
“A few of us were among the people who were arrested,” Miner said, discussing a recent protest at the Capitol in Madison.
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Lofgren thinks it is freeing, especially in older age, “I also found that being older gives you freedom. I don’t have to worry about being fired if I’m arrested…I have a certain amount of freedom and I feel that it's important to use that freedom to push for justice.”
Because they lived before the era of safe abortions and women’s healthcare, Lofgren and Miner know how frightening and utterly frustrating living in a world that’s absent of these things is.
Lofgren said, “My first response was heartbreaking but even more than that is anger. I am really mad. I am really angry that women are again pawns. That women are again used politically.”
She continued,
“These men don’t give a shit about women or babies. You can tell that by everything else that they’ve done: not covering childcare leave, not covering education. They don’t give a shit about us.”
Women’s reproductive abilities are just one piece of the puzzle that is being a woman and embracing femininity.
When asked about what it means to be a woman, Lofgren responded, “To me, it means being a lovely and kind person who cares about everything: her environment, her family, her community and is willing to stand strong and say,
"This is what I believe in. This is what I'm willing to fight for. This is who I am. I am not what you want to make me. I am not what the law says I have to be, this is who I am. This is what I believe. This is what I will do." It’s freeing in a way.”
Miner agreed and added that being a woman inherently makes us stronger, and our innate ability to grow a new life is what sets us apart, “the ability to grow a new life within your body, and bring that out into the world. That's a miracle. That is an amazing thing. It's something men can't do…And it's a wonderful thing. But it should always be a wanted thing.” She continued to state that being pregnant, while a beautiful thing, should always be voluntary and never forced like it is in today’s rocky political landscape.
Through their humorous songs and exaggerated costumes, the Raging Grannies have taken part in some of the most crucial issues facing our system in the past 40 years. Members of the Madison grannies have been fighting for even longer. These Grannies are truly rooted in activism and will continue to fight for what they believe for the rest of their lives.
Knowledge is empowerment: How hard conversations foster sexual autonomy
by Meryl Hubbard
SIDEBAR
Sex Out Loud employees are trained by medical professionals in peer counseling. They work with the Rape Crisis Center and PAVE at UW-Madison to help students who have experience with sexual assault and violence. Not all of the people that work for Sex Out Loud are mandated reporters, according to Warren. Therefore, people who are struggling with a sexual assault or rape experience can feel comfortable reaching out to Sex Out Loud. Sex Out Loud can offer certified help for students in need and start them with clinical, legal and therapeutic resources.
“Our lived experiences inform the knowledge that we have.”
Girls walk into one class room, while the boys step into the other. This is where it starts for many… separated from the beginning to learn about sex education. Whether your school preached only abstinence or instilled fear around getting STDs, secondary sex-ed only scratches the surface of what people need to know. Talking about sex is not easy, but there are ways to learn that can be fun and liberating.
“One of the great things about Sex Out Loud is that it's so sex positive. And I came from kind of a sex negative upbringing,” Mia Warren said.
Mia Warren was hired at Sex Out Loud in 2020 and will serve as the chair this upcoming Fall. Since starting at the organization, Warren has changed her career path and will be going to graduate school to study sex therapy. She also works closely with the Rape Crisis Center.
Sex Out Loud is a student organization at the University of Wisconsin-Madison that began in 1998. It is one of the longest running and most well-funded student organizations on campus, according to Warren. They offer peer to peer counseling, countless educational programs, fun workshops and social justice outreach for students.
Their mission is to promote healthy sexuality through sex-positive education and activism, according to the Sex Out Loud website. Every semester, employees are trained by medical professionals in peer counseling and can offer certified help for students in need.
A lot of people that come into Sex Out Loud come from an abstinence-only education, according to Warren. Abstinence-only does not teach about consent, contraceptives or pleasure.
Only 15% of Americans say they want abstinence-only sex education in the schools. Yet, 30% of public middle and high school principals report that their schools teach abstinence-only, according to Harvard Kennedy School of Government.
Decisions about sex education in schools are usually made at the state and local level. No federal laws mandate the type and accuracy of sex education, according to Planned Parenthood. Sex education greatly varies depending on the political and social climate of the surrounding area.
Inevitably, students have a lot to learn about safe and healthy sex. Sex Out Loud gives them a space to ask hard questions.
“I think that discomfort is also important when talking about these issues because it helps us eventually get to comfort,” Warren said.
Asking questions isn’t easy, and taking the first steps to learn more is no different.
“I think it is just hard for people to come in. So once they get to that step, I feel pretty confident in our ability to meet that person where they're at and help them out,” Jane Houseal said.
Houseal is the outreach and marketing coordinator of Sex Out Loud. As an incoming fourth-year student at UW-Madison, she has advanced her artistry through journalism and sexual education.
As a kid, Houseal was unabashed to learn more about sexuality and reproductive health. From a young age she started to educate herself in sexual autonomy by reading books, listening to podcasts and writing papers.
“I was just very, very curious from a young age and not shy about asking about it,” Houseal recalls.
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Learning comprehensive sex education earlier in life can help prevent future sexual risks, according to the National Library of Medicine. Sex topics can be destigmatized by gradually learning safe sex practices, reproductive health and consent.
“All those little steps are kind of shaking away the shame and shaking away the taboo because you're interacting with it on some level,” Housel said.
With programs such as sex jeopardy, advanced pleasure, safer sex and HIV bootcamp, people become more comfortable learning complex topics. They can turn small steps into strides by getting involved in a sex-positive community.
“The ways we provide that information are really multifaceted. We do programs like our bread and butter, which are basically like workshops or lectures. But they're usually more workshops because they're very interactive on a bunch of different topics,” Houseal said.
At Sex Out Loud people can destigmatize sex topics and develop sexual autonomy in a safe environment.
“They are intended to educate and inform, but also talking about this difficult subject, by making it fun and destigmatizing,” Warren said.
For Warren and Housel, having hard conversations does not only happen in the workshops. There are nearly 1,000 student organizations on campus, and not all agree with Sex Out Loud’s efforts. There is still a push back from other organizations, administration and people on campus.
“Even at the organization fair, someone had come up to me once and was like, ‘This is extremely disrespectful to my religion.’ That's a tough kind of thing to navigate because you would never want to disrespect anyone's personal beliefs and values,” Warren said.
Due to differing levels of comfortability, Warren is familiar with tough conversations. Rather than fighting with it, she comes from a place of understanding.
“Our lived experiences inform the knowledge that we have. So I think that that is 100% valid,” Warren said.
When it comes to having those differing opinions, both Warren and Housel said they try to respond with a positive attitude.
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“We also really try to have empathy for people who may have negative reactions to Sex Out Loud, because I think that comes a lot of times from a place of them not having the knowledge that they need and them not having the resources that they need,” Housel said.
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“There's a knowledge gap there, and sex education isn't even universal,” Warren said.
Sex Out Loud continues to stand for equal access to sex education as a means of activism. By equipping people with knowledge, social reform can transpire.
“Education itself is a form of fighting towards social justice, especially when that education is aiming to be inclusive and intersectional,” Houseal said.
Walking people through ways to destigmatize sex takes time. When people do take those steps and become more educated, it can be liberating.
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“It's like collectively overcoming this injustice of not having the knowledge you need to have full autonomy over yourself and to take control of your body,” said Houseal.
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Knowledge is empowerment, and autonomy starts with having hard conversations. Sex Out Loud fosters a safe environment for people to develop agency and look at sex education through a social justice lens.
The “topless evangelist” fights for reproductive rights in Madison
by Ella Ruder
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SIDEBAR
Wisconsin’s current 1849 abortion law bans medical professionals from performing abortions unless the mother will die without the procedure, according to the Wisconsin State Legislature. At the time this 1849 law was passed, the germ theory that linked germs to causing diseases was not yet discovered, according to Johnson & Johnson, to put this into historical context. Now, medical professionals that perform abortions can receive thousands of dollars in fines and/or up to six years in prison. Third degree sexual assault can be defined as “sexual intercourse with a person without consent of that person, or sexual contact with intentional penile ejaculation with a person without consent of that person”, according to the Wisconsin State Legislature. If convicted, this person cannot be imprisioned for more than five years or fined more than $10,000, according to the Wisconsin Statues. If a doctor in the state of Wisconsin performs an abortion for a woman who has been raped, the doctor could spend more time in prison for performing the procedure than whoever raped the woman.
Market goers flood the streets of Madison looking to buy local cheese and flower bouquets, but among all the noise sits a group of protesters. Surrounded by “my body, my choice” signs with the Wisconsin State Capitol as the backdrop, a topless woman stands at the foot of the Forward statue.
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Lili Luxe, a Madison resident nicknamed the “topless evangelist”, spent 365 days protesting for reproductive rights with the help of friends and fellow activists after the Dobbs decision.
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Fear began to emerge nationwide after Politico published a leaked document stating the court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. When the news officially broke, Luxe found herself distraught and crying in her kitchen with her two daughters.
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“I think when Roe was overturned it was an outcry and a moment where we all felt like the experience of our lives just came to one sort of like bomb and crushing defeat,” Luxe expressed. “Like you're really just going to take everything from us. We already won the right and things can be taken back. I think it was just very shocking.”
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After the U.S. Supreme Court case Roe v. Wade was overturned on June 24, 2022, millions of women’s lives were in danger, according to a statement made by President Biden. This decision gave states the power to decide for themselves if abortion should be legal. The state of Wisconsin reverted back to a law passed in 1849 stating “any person, other than the mother, who intentionally destroys the life of an unborn child is guilty of a Class H felony”, according to the Wisconsin State Legislature.
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On that Friday in June, pro-choice supporters were distraught. But the following Monday everyone went back to work as usual. As reproductive rights were stripped from millions of women, it seemed like pro-choice supporters had rolled over and accepted this decision.
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But Luxe had reached her tipping point. The next day on her lunch break, she marched around the Capitol topless and sat at Forward, a women’s suffrage statue outside of the Wisconsin State Capitol. Thus began her 365 day protesting journey.
“I'm done being told my body is different, my body is shameful, my body needs to be controlled, my body is sexual,” Luxe said. “I'm not here for it anymore.”
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According to the law in the city of Madison, public nudity is not illegal unless one exposes their genitals or pubic area. Even with toplessness being legal, police harassed Luxe and tried to persuade her to move away from the Capitol, but they failed.
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As she continued her appearances at the Madison City Market and other local events near the square, Luxe noticed people’s reactions to her began to change.
“We just have to normalize some things and not be scared to do the work to do that. Because you can effect change,” Luxe said. “Everyone got used to seeing me [topless] and the harassment dwindled.”
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After normalizing toplessness around the Capitol, Luxe wanted to live up to her “topless evangelist” nickname. Evangelists, known for their public preaching, go out into the community to spread the word. So Luxe did just that. She mounted her bike covered in pro-choice posters and began biking topless around the city.
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Although Madison is the capital of Wisconsin, it is also home to one of the largest public universities in the nation, University of Wisconsin-Madison. Luxe’s activism has inspired students like Sarah Kirsch who came from a small town and haven’t experienced this type of activism.
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“Lili is very passionate about what she is talking about and what she is standing up for,” Kirsch said. “Honestly it made me really aspire to be like her—to be as confident and self assured as she is in what she is standing up for.”
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Since she protests in a public spaces, Luxe often interacts with people from a variety of backgrounds whether that be college students like Kirsch, out-of-towners or locals.
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On Luxe’s birthday, an older man she described as a “Monroe farm guy” approached her. At first, she believed he may have intended to harm her as concerns of being attacked were voiced by her partner. Instead, he gave her $50 for the abortion fund and talked about his support of reproductive rights and bodily autonomy.
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“We have all these stereotypes in our mind,” Luxe said. “My experience in the last year has actually taught me to never judge anyone until they actually open their mouths.”
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Other times, women of diversified backgrounds and ages shared stories of their own abortions with her, and Luxe began to realize just how common this procedure truly is. According to the Guttmacher Institute, 25% of women will have an abortion by the end of their childbearing years.
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Even when abortion was legal, Luxe advocated for reproductive rights and body positivity. Ten years ago, she began hosting a topless bar crawl to celebrate the right to be topless in public spaces.
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“It’s a way to help people feel better about their bodies. You know, taking ownership, marching and feeling confident,” Luxe said. “Most of the time with street harassment and just our general shame and fear about our bodies that's ingrained in us from when we are children, it’s very hard for fem presenting bodies to feel safe or comfortable exposing themselves in that way.”
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Although the event gained interest, Luxe expected more participants. But one obstacle remained—fear. The fear of being arrested or feeling unsafe stopped people from attending.
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In response, she began hosting smaller group brunches to encourage those who didn’t necessarily desire to be exposed in public places but wanted to celebrate themselves and their bodies. But people do not necessarily need to be protesting everyday of the year or attending topless brunches in order to have a significant impact on reproductive rights.
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Voting for local and national politicians who support reproductive rights contributes to the fight and largely impact communities.
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On July 7, 2023, news broke that Dane County Circuit Judge Diane Schlipper allowed a lawsuit challenging the right to an abortion to proceed. The lawsuit stated that the 1849 ban on abortions “does not apply to medical abortions” as they are deemed consensual, according to an AP News article. With abortion being illegal except in the case that the mother may die, medical professionals are in contact with lawyers as much as they are with patients.
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“I really look forward to when people won't have to navigate all of these obstacles and roadblocks,” Luxe said. “The harassment or the ‘we are going to take your license if you do this’ that's probably got to be a lot of stress on them [medical professionals] navigating that.”
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According to an NPR article, most medical groups and journals believe that access to abortion is a “safe health care option” and not having this option will kill women. Roe v. Wade being overturned added a whole other layer to the care process and stress onto patients, medical professionals and activists.
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“There’s so much more we can do to support each other. I don't think we are meant to figure out life alone,” Luxe said. “You need people to help you get through. And that’s how we win.”
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