How Misogynoir Shows Up In Our Lives: A Wear Your Voice Reading List

Properly addressing misogynoir requires the dismantling of both patriarchy and white supremacy, as well as uprooting capitalism and colonialist thought. Our politic at Wear Your Voice has always been and will forever be rooted in an intersectional feminism because we recognize

Jun 26, 2020

Identities

The Domestic Violence I Survived Taught Me The Importance of Prison Abolition

So often, the criminal justice system retraumatizes victims of domestic and sexual violence, further magnifying the harm inflicted. TW: This essay contains discussions and descriptions of intimate partner violence By Michelle Zacarias When I was 22-years-old I became wrapped up in one

Mar 10, 2020

What Nina Simone Taught Me About Intent And The Many Lifetimes Of Impact

Identities

Nina Simone On Intent And The Many Lifetimes Of Impact

Nina Simone’s impact on the world sustains even when it was a far fetch from what she originally envisioned for herself. By Hess Love “I’m just a soul whose intentions are good, oh lawd, don’t let me be misunderstood.” Nina Simone is good

Feb 21, 2020

Culture and Entertainment

Misinformation Campaign #JusticeForJohnnyDepp Proves We Still Don’t Believe Survivors

The swift reaction to coddle Johnny Depp and condemn Amber Heard is indicative of the resistance survivors still face when coming forward about abuse. Content note: This story discusses domestic violence and situational partner violence. Last weekend, #JusticeForJohnnyDepp was trending on

Feb 7, 2020

Rape Culture

‘Surviving R. Kelly’ and the Abusers Who Hide Behind Him

We have to remember that this cultural moment is about far more than the despicable things R. Kelly has done, and we cannot allow others to use him or anyone else's more visible forms of misconduct in order to deflect from their own.

This essay contains discussions of r/pe and sexual violence against minors, sexual harassment, and domestic abuse. “Surviving R. Kelly” aired on Lifetime last week, in which women who were preyed on by R. Kelly spoke about the abuse they experienced and witnessed. Several celebrities also made appearances to criticize the singer and his abuses against girls and women. Among them were rapper Joe Budden, radio host Charlamagne Tha God, and music journalist Touré. These three men spoke with conviction about how appalled they were by the details of R. Kelly’s case, and I’m sure they were very convincing to viewers in their admonishment of him despite their own unsavory behavior. Not only has Charlamagne tweeted horrible “jokes” about R. Kelly and statutory rape in the past, but he has also admitted to drugging and date raping a woman and has another rape allegation against him from a woman who says he assaulted her when she was just 15 and he was 22. Joe Budden’s former girlfriend detailed how he physically abused her. Even though the charges were eventually dropped, the rapper did plead guilty to a disorderly conduct charge connected with the incident. Furthermore, graphic photos of his accuser’s bruises around her neck released by TMZ certainly provide evidence of violence. This week, Touré was publicly accused of aggressive sexual harassment by a makeup artist who used to work with him. She spoke up because she saw him in “Surviving R. Kelly” and commented on the irony of him appearing to discuss the singer’s sexual violence after having participated in sexual misconduct himself. She provided screenshots of his apology in a private message to her, which included “Please don't talk badly about me! I'm so ashamed to think of that happening.” Touré issued this response to the public accusation: “On the show, our team, including myself, engaged in edgy, crass banter, that at the time I did not think was offensive for our tight-knit group. I am sorry for my language and for making her feel uncomfortable in any way. As a lead on the show, I should have refrained from this behavior. I have learned and grown from this experience.” Knowing about the allegations against and confessions of Charlamagne and Joe Budden, and now learning about the disgusting behavior of Touré and his shitty apology, seeing them appear in the capacity they did in “Surviving R. Kelly” is dubious, to say the least. This unfortunate juxtaposition has helped me put words to something that has bothered me for over a year now. It starts with Aziz Ansari and the public responses to a woman's account of a "bad date" with the comedian from 2017, in which “Grace” detailed how he made her increasingly uncomfortable with his sexual advances towards her as the night progressed. It was certainly a polarizing moment, with some speaking up to say they had also experienced that kind of treatment on a date and others missing the point by excusing his behavior because they perceived his sexual aggression as normal.