FruityBiNature Magazine September 2021

FruityBiNature Magazine September 2021

Fruity Bi Nature

Queer Arts and Fashion Edition Issue #2

Finding Queerness In Shakespeare

Interviews with the Iconic drag queens: Mia E Z'Lay, Patty Bourrée, and Mz October May Lay

Finding Accountability in Politics

Table of Contents

The Original Queen of Drag

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The Mz. October Interview

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Appropriation vs. Appreciation

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How the 20 Fashion Cycle is Changing 11

Resale, Gentrification, and the Future of Thrifting

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The Issue with Accountability in Politics

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The Mia E. Z'Lay Interview

Getting to Know Hemp

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Reinventing the Wheel: Cannabis History

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Health or Hoax

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The Process of Healing

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Lil Nas X: Breaking the Mold

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Searching for Queerness in Shakespeare

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The New Artist in the NFT Scene

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The Patty Bourrée Interview

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Building Your Financial Home

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The Original Queen of Drag By Jon Casey

T h e a r t o f d r a g p e r f o r m a n c e , m e n d r e s s i n g a s w om e n f o r e n t e r t a i nm e n t , i s a n a n c i e n t p r a c t i c e w i t h a n h o n o r e d h i s t o r y . F o u n d i n mo s t e v e r y c u l t u r e o n t h e p l a n e t , d r a g h a s b e e n u s e d f o r e v e r y t h i n g f r om r e l i g i o u s c e r e mo n i e s , t o c om e d y , t h e a t e r , e n t e r t a i nm e n t , a n d e v e r y t h i n g i n b e t w e e n . F r om t h e p e r f o r m a n c e s o f S h a k e s p e a r e t o J a p a n e s e k a b u k i a n d t h e G r e e k d r a m a s , t h e r e i s a r i c h h i s t o r y o f m e n d r e s s i n g a s w om e n f o r p e r f o r m a n c e . D r a g h a s l o n g b e e n a c u l t u r a l t o u c h s t o n e i n t h e mo d e r n L GB TQ+ c ommu n i t y . T h e r e l a t i v e l y mo d e r n t e r m “ d r a g q u e e n ” i s a f a i r l y r e c e n t a d d i t i o n t o t h e l o n g h i s t o r y o f c r o s s - d r e s s i n g p e r f o r m a n c e . T h e f i r s t p e r s o n t o u s e t h e t e r m w a s W i l l i a m D o r s e y S w a n n . S w a n n , a n A f r i c a n - Am e r i c a n w h o w a s b o r n i n 1 8 5 8 , w a s r a i s e d a s a s l a v e i n H a n c o c k , Ma r y l a n d . T h e f i f t h o f t h i r t e e n c h i l d r e n , h e w a s f r e e d f r om s l a v e r y b y U n i o n s o l d i e r s a f t e r t h e Em a n c i p a t i o n P r o c l a m a t i o n b e c a m e l a w o n J a n u a r y 1 , 1 8 6 3 . H i s p a r e n t s b o u g h t a f a r m a f t e r t h e C i v i l Wa r , a n d S w a n n w e n t o n t o h a v e h i s f i r s t p a i d j o b a s a w a i t e r i n a h o t e l . W i l l i a m D o r s e y S w a n n w a s a n a c t i v i s t w h o w a s a r r e s t e d s e v e r a l t i m e s i n p o l i c e r a i d s . O n A p r i l 1 2 , 1 8 8 8 , h e w a s p a r t o f t h e f i r s t d o c um e n t e d c a s e o f a r r e s t s f o r i mp e r s o n a t i n g a f e m a l e i n t h e U . S . H e w a s f a l s e l y a c c u s e d a n d c o n v i c t e d f o r “ k e e p i n g a d i s o r d e r l y h o u s e , ” o r r u n n i n g a b r o t h e l i n 1 8 9 6 a n d w a s s e n t e n c e d t o 1 0 mo n t h s i n j a i l . U p o n h i s s e n t e n c i n g , h e r e q u e s t e d a p a r d o n f r om t h e n P r e s i d e n t G r o v e r C l e v e l a n d . T h e p r e s i d e n t d e n i e d t h e r e q u e s t , b u t S w a n n w a s t h e f i r s t Am e r i c a n c i t i z e n o n r e c o r d t o p u r s u e l e g a l a n d p o l i t i c a l a c t i o n i n d e f e n s e o f t h e L GB TQ c ommu n i t y ’ s r i g h t t o p e a c e f u l l y a s s e mb l e .

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S w a n n w a s a l s o k n o w n t o h a v e b e e n c l o s e w i t h F e l i x H a l l a n d P i e r c e L a f a y e t t e . T h e t w o m e n w e r e b o t h f o r m e r s l a v e s a n d f o r m e d t h e f i r s t d o c um e n t e d m a l e s a m e - s e x r e l a t i o n s h i p b e t w e e n e n s l a v e d Am e r i c a n s . F r om t h e 1 8 8 0 s t h r o u g h t h e 1 8 9 0 s , W i l l i a m D o r s e y S w a n n o r g a n i z e d a s e r i e s o f “ B a l l s ” o f t e n r e f e r r e d t o a s “ D r a g s , ” i n Wa s h i n g t o n , DC . E v e n t u a l l y , h e c a l l e d h i m s e l f “ T h e Q u e e n o f D r a g ” a n d t h u s o u r mo d e r n t e r m d r a g q u e e n w a s b o r n . T h e s e s e c r e t i v e , i n v i t e - o n l y e v e n t s t h r o w n b y S w a n n w e r e mo s t l y a t t e n d e d b y m e n w h o w e r e f o r m e r s l a v e s , d a n c i n g i n t h e i r s i l k a n d s a t i n d r e s s e s . I f y o u k n e w t h e r i g h t p e o p l e , y o u m i g h t h a v e b e e n a b l e t o g e t a q u i e t i n v i t a t i o n i n y o u r l o c a l YMCA o r o t h e r m e n ’ s s p a c e s . T w o o f S w a n n ’ s b r o t h e r s a l s o p a r t i c i p a t e d i n h i s d r a g b a l l s . A f t e r W i l l i a m s t e p p e d b a c k f r om o r g a n i z i n g b a l l s , o n e o f h i s b r o t h e r s c o n t i n u e d m a k i n g c o s t um e s f o r t h e d r a g c ommu n i t y . T h e f i r s t ‘ Q u e e n o f D r a g ’ p a s s e d o n i n H a n c o c k , Ma r y l a n d i n 1 9 2 5 . I n s t e a d o f mo u r n i n g t h e p i o n e e r i n g b r a v e r y t h a t S w a n n e x h i b i t e d , l o c a l o f f i c i a l s b u r n e d d o w n h i s h om e . W i l l i a m D o r s e y S w a n n ’ s l e g a c y , h o w e v e r , w a s n o t s t a mp e d o u t s o e a s i l y . T h r o u g h t h e r e s t o f t h e c e n t u r y a n d r i g h t u p t o t o d a y , t h e d r a g b a l l s c e n e h a s n o t o n l y s u r v i v e d b u t f l o u r i s h e d . Mo r p h i n g i n t o d r a g c o n t e s t s , d a n c e s , a n d “ t h e b a l l r o om ” c omp e t i t i v e s c e n e s , t h e o l d d r a g b a l l n o t o n l y e n d u r e d , b u t g a v e b i r t h t o s e v e r a l o t h e r s u b c u l t u r e s a n d s c e n e s w h i c h h a v e b e e n a m a j o r f e a t u r e o f t h e L GB TQ C ommu n i t y f o r o v e r 1 0 0 y e a r s . I f y o u h a v e e v e r w a t c h e d R u p a u l ’ s D r a g R a c e , a t t e n d e d a d r a g s h o w o r b r u n c h , l e a r n e d t o v o g u e , o r c omp e t e d i n a ‘ f a c e ’ c h a l l e n g e , y o u a r e r e a p i n g t h e b e n e f i t s o f W i l l i a m D o r s e y S w a n n ’ s l e g a c y .

Rooted in the Past, Branching into the Future

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APPROPRIATION VS APPRECIATION: FASHION FORWARD

By Beatrice Spencer

The Comme Des Garçons Appropriation of Cornrows In January 2020, Comme Des Garçons landed themselves in hot water for their Fall and Winter collection. During the show, models who were predominantly white were seen styled in blonde wigs with cornrows. The cornrow is a protective hairstyle for black cultures originating in Africa. The braids have a rich cultural importance in black cultures globally. The Comme Des Garçons show hair stylist Julien d'Ys said he was inspired by the “Egyptian Prince” look and he didn’t mean to offend anyone. These wigs were worn on white models in a company that has a history of discrimination of black models. Victoria’s Secret Show and its History of Appropriation The Victoria’s Secret Show has seen controversy over the past few years for a repeated history of appropriating clothing from different cultures. Starting in 2010, the show included a “Wild Things” segment where models walked the runway with geometric shapes, animal prints, and surrounded by men wearing sarongs. These looks were meant to resemble indiginous peoples' culture. The looks contribute to the idea that indigenous people are “wild” and “savage,” equating them as less than civilized. Historically, indigenous people globally have been viewed as subhuman, torn from their families, and subjected to violence and genocide. The rhetoric of “wild and savage” indigious people is incredibly damaging and disrespectful. Later in 2012, Victoria's Secret repeated this same behavior with a show where white supermodel Karlie Kloss walked the runway in a Native American warbonnet. It clearly showed that they had not learned from their behavior in 2010 when they repeated the same degradative actions.

Fashion is now at a place in the modern world where we can see diversity and celebrate it. The market wants brands to recognize them, not this beauty standard that has created unrealistic body standards. However, these brands begin to push to a point where they think they know the consumer; pushing the boundaries to a point where they appropriate a culture's dress and garb. Appropriation happens quite often in fashion. But what is the line between appropriation vs. appreciation? To start off, let’s define what cultural appropriation is: “The unacknowledged or inappropriate adoption of the customs, practices, ideas, etc. of one people or society by members of another and typically more dominant people or society.”-Oxford Dictionary An example of this would be a white person wearing a Native American headdress at a music festival. The Native American headdress, also known as a warbonnet, is earned. Each piece of the headdress is carefully crafted. The headdress is taken from its culture and used in a place where it would be inappropriate to wear. Now let’s define cultural appreciation: “Cultural appreciation is when you earnestly seek to learn about or explore a different culture. You learn. You listen. You strive to understand. You seek to honor its beliefs and traditions.” The fashion industry has a long history of appropriating fashion. So let's dive into examples of this occurring.

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Gucci Appropriating the Sikh Dastar Gucci has caught its share of controversy in the past. In 2018, the brands Fall show featured a Sikh turban, otherwise known as a dastar, on white models. The dastar is symbolic for Sikh members, as it is an article of faith that represents equality, honor, self- respect, courage, spirituality, and piety. It is a holy garment that is pivotal to the Sikh culture. However, in the Gucci show the models were wearing this holy garment not in homage to the Sikh culture, but rather as a fashion accessory. The turban was sold as “Indy Full Turban” at a hefty price of $750. Now Gucci is not only appropriating this garment, but they are also charging an insane price for a garment that should be accessible for all. The dastar isn’t being honored but ripped from its symbolic meaning and sold at a price that is inaccessible to the majority of Sikh people.

Isabel Marant Appropriating Mexican Culture In the fall of 2020, Isabel Marant got called out for her appropriation of traditional Mexican designs. In her Fall-Winter collection 2020/2021, the brand was selling Mexican traditional patterns in many of the articles on her website. The Mexican Cultural Minister Alejandra Frausto Guerrero published an open letter, demanding an explanation from the luxury designer: “In the 2020-21 Etoilé winter-fall collection, designs that belong to the Purépecha culture of Michoacán appear. Some symbols that you took have a profound meaning for this culture… These symbols are very old and have been conserved thanks to the memory of the artisans.” However, this isn’t the first time Marant has appropriated Mexican culture. In 2015, Marant released a dress that closely resembled the embroidery of the Mixte people from Santa Maria Tlahuitoltepec. Marant copied their traditional blouse, a huipil. Rather than acknowledging the origins of her dress, she claimed the dress was “bohemian inspired.”

How should the fashion industry be held accountable?

With cultural appropriation running rampant in the fashion industry, how do we combat this? Cultural appropriation brings light to an even larger issue, the fashion industry is run by the same people, white cishet people. We are finally getting to a place in the world where we are bringing people to the table who have long been forgotten. Look at the way in the past five years the modeling industry has been reshaped with more visibility from queer, trans, and diverse ethnicities walking the runway. Models such as Ashley Graham, Adut Akech, Hunter Schafer, and MiMi Tao have been taking over runways worldwide. While companies are seeking diversity to showcase their designs, the internal structure of these companies need to change. The examples in this article correlate with a disconnect between these companies and the people they are trying to sell to. These large companies transcend the fashion industry with their trends translating into cheaper fast fashion in brands such as Zara, H&M, and Urban Outfitters. The appropriation of traditional clothes hurt culturally and economically the communities that the design was stolen from. Generations of people have hand crafted these designs with intention. For large companies to come in and steal the designs and export the manufacturing to a factory where the people are exploited is a crime. It degrades the people whose cultures are intertwined into the fibers of the garment.

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How the 20 Year Fashion Cycle is Changing By Grace Jenkins

Decline. At this point, everyone has it. They might still wear it, but no one is going to buy it in the same volume that they used to. During this time, major sales will take place in order to get rid of current stock. Not only this, but production will also come to a halt. Obsolescence. Now, people do not like or wear this trend much at all. It is no longer sold in stores, not including the exception of thrift stores that now may carry it.

In the past few years, we have seen fashion cycles speed up quite a bit. While this may be news to some, others may have noticed that there isn’t really a dominant set of trends lasting nearly as long as they used to. We’re used to seeing trends in terms of about five to ten years, meaning some will last a whole decade. This is where we get things like colorful, hippy-inspired clothes from the 60s, retro from the 70s, and padded shoulders from the 80s. All of these trends lasted long enough that we now associate them with that decade. Today, fashion is a little different. With the uprise in social media influencers, there has been more of a trend market than ever before. While we used to follow fashion shows and models to see what is in style, now we can look to countless Instagram and TikTok stars to keep us in the loop. What ends up happening is that the trends are rapidly cycling; we’ve seen the 80s, 90s, 2000s, and even 2010s come back into style for short periods of time. This is brand new for this industry. These styles, in previous times, would have cycled back after about 20 years. There are various theories for why this happens, such as designers taking inspiration from their parent’s closets, among others. Wherever the inspiration was that struck those who decided to bring old trends back isn’t important. However, it is important to see what has changed to make this cycle happen faster. Let's first take a look back at what fashion cycles can typically be expected to look like.

Fashion cycles have five stages: Introduction, rise, culmination, decline, obsolescence.

Introduction is when a small batch is created to test the market. This could be an entirely unique trend, or it could be an alteration of a previous or existing trend. Rise is when the trend gains momentum. There has been a positive response from the introduction, meaning that production will continue and retailers will begin to place large orders. At this time, other brands will start to hop onto the trend and make their own versions. It is also the point in the cycle when fast fashion will enter the market, creating the same styles at a fraction of the price, but also at a fraction of the quality. These are the kinds of pieces that will not last very long, so they are extremely congruent with the rapid nature of fashion today. People will buy the cheap article of clothing, wear it only a few times, for it to then fall apart. Then they won’t feel guilty about throwing it away, as no one else could get use out of it anymore. Culmination is when the trend reaches its peak. Everyone is wearing it, people are excited about it. This phase no longer lasts very long, as one can imagine. Therefore, brands will work to extend this period by introducing new colors or variations on the existing trend in order to keep people buying more.

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You may be asking yourself, why is this a problem? I like fashion and I get bored easily, where’s the downside? There are many reasons this is not an ideal situation we’ve found ourselves in, with the we’ve found ourselves in, with the environmental damage being the first on the list. Not only is the textile industry the second-largest polluter after oil, but it even causes 10% of the world’s carbon emissions. These numbers are massive, and the culprit at hand is the fast fashion industry. Rather than buying a nice, higher-end coat that will last you for the next 20 years, people are now opting to buy cheaper articles of clothing that they might only keep for a season or two. While many people do donate their clothing, much of this is ending up in landfills every year. Not only this, but the articles of clothing that do not meet certain standards to be donated are also being thrown away, nated are also meaning many of the clothes will never have the chance to get reused.

In terms of my own clothing suppliers as a college student, I understand the draw of fast fashion, it’s so inexpensive! However, I know that However, I know that most of what I would buy from somewhere like Shein wouldn’t last very long, and would likely fall apart or get donated within a year or two. Because of this, I try to shop at thrift stores as much as I can. In the future (when I’m not a broke college student) I would like to be able to support sustainable brands that utilize amazing techniques for production that limit the amount of water it takes to make a single garment, reduce carbon emissions, etc. In the meantime, I will continue to do what I can to shop as sustainably and ethically as I can on my sustainably and ethically as I can on my current budget.

We would love to hear from you! Do you thrift, shop sustainably, or is much of this news to you? What trends are your favorite right now, what trends do you think are dying, what trends are you predicting to come back into fashion? Let us know!

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Resale, Gentrification, and How They Affect the Future of Thrifting BY DY L AN KN I P P L E

Thrift stores originated as an effort to revolutionize charity and the stigmas faced by its recipients. Prior to the advent of thrift stores, people in need were simply given necessities as handouts. While they were thankful to have food and clothing provided to them, it came with the embarrassment of needing to accept charity. Companies like Goodwill and the Salvation Army sought to eliminate this embarrassment while still providing the less fortunate access to things they need. The thrift store became the perfect answer. The opening of these stores provided much needed job opportunities in less affluent areas, and the nature of collecting donated clothes allowed them to be sold at prices affordable to the communities they served. This allowed low-income earners the chance to participate in consumer culture and avoid the stigma surrounding accepting charity. Thrifting has seen a rise in popularity in recent times, and for good reason. As the younger generations take more interest in sustainability and fashion, they find thrifting right at the intersection of the two. Simultaneously an affordable way to get into the trend of vintage and retro fashion, and stick to the environmentalist’s favorite motto “reduce, reuse, recycle,” thrifting has become a go to for filling out one’s closet. But as the thrifting market continues to grow, it brings with it changes that not everyone is happy about.

The concept was wildly successful at what it was designed to do and thrift stores started popping up not only all over the country, but all over the world. Nowadays, the majority of cities and towns will have at least one thrift store. But as thrift stores grew in size and number, so did the audience that was paying attention to them. The middle class, previously the target for donations to thrift stores, took up an interest in shopping at them as well. For middle class youth, thrifting was a way to deviate from social norms and create their own unique style. Middle class adults could find the styles from their past nostalgia made them yearn for, or build a sensible wardrobe while saving money they can invest in other parts of their life. As these approaches grew in popularity, thrift stores changed from affordable stores for low income communities, to stores for anyone looking to revamp their style on a budget. In today’s culture, with the evils of fast fashion, sustainability, and affordability on everyone’s mind, the interest in thrifting has skyrocketed. Rebellious youth still see thrifting as a means to defy social class, vintage fashion has arguably become more popular than modern fashion, and middle class families are still looking for ways to pinch pennies. Thrifting satisfies all these needs. In fact, the demand for thrifted clothes has expanded past the supply of thrift stores themselves and into a blooming resale market.

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Peer to peer buying and selling apps like Depop host an innumerable amount of people who thrift in bulk in order to flip their finds for profit on their web stores. The popularity of vintage clothes and styles means people are willing to pay a premium for rare finds, and considering the low prices the clothes are sold for at the thrift store, these resellers have the potential to make impressive profits. For example, if you thrift a vintage t-shirt from a popular band, it can be sold for $50 (sometimes more) online. This profit margin, combined with the thrill of searching for rare items that generate those returns, is leading to more and more people thrifting in mass and operating resale web stores as an income stream. This boom in interest in thrift has been vastly beneficial from a business perspective, with the second hand clothing market excepted to reach $64 billion by 2024. This mouth- watering sum has some people excited for the future, but for others, it is a major cause for concern. Many feel that the boom in the popularity of thrifting among the middle and upper classes and the routine bulk buying that comes with resale is pushing out the population that thrift stores were originally invented to help. The general consensus is the unnecessary overconsumption resulting from thrifting for fashion and resale purposes drives up prices and lowers selection for the low- income people who actually need to shop at these stores. Average prices at thrift stores have been on the rise over the past 10 years, although only marginally. Those concerned about the ethicality of thrifting also point to the fact that thrift hauls and overconsumption driven by resale opportunity actually works against the environmental friendliness that contributed to thrifting’s popularity in the first place. The reality of gentrification, resale, and their relationship with thrifting is a little more complicated. When it comes to rising prices, this is a reality with the potential to damage the accessibility of low-income consumers if the trend continues. As things stand currently, however, the price increases have been small and can be explained by a number of factors. Inflation is always the first candidate when it comes to prices increases over time, and certainly can’t be ignored. The increase in the market size of thrifting also scales to operating costs, with bigger stores and more employees needed to keep up with demand. The argument that overconsumption for resale purposes lowers selection for people that need thrift stores also has its holes. The biggest hole being that thrift stores generally can’t sell all the donations they receive. While thrift hauls certainly make for less choice at thrift stores, the danger of thrifts actually running out of clothes is wildly overstated. In fact, many thrift stores have to package and resell their excess inventory themselves. So while you can argue that resellers might take all the best clothes, no one can really claim they don’t leave anything behind for those in need either.

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The relationship between gentrification, resale, and thrifting is unclear as of now, but as the market continues to grow, so will the issues that people are concerned about. While price hikes and low inventory aren’t an immediate danger, they can become one if we don’t keep an eye on them. Don’t worry, you don’t have to stop thrifting; just try to take a little more conscience approach. Don’t buy more than you need or will actually wear, even if it is cheap. Chances are if you’re on the fence about something, you probably won’t wear it. Instead of buying it because of the price low and it sitting in your closet forever, leave it for someone that will get use out of it. If you are interested in the resale side of thrifting, try not to over buy and keep track of how often you thrift. It might be tempting to stock up because of the prices, but if you end up with more clothes than you can sell, it hurts you and the people who could have gotten use out of them. As the market around thrifting continues to boom, it’s important to step back and see the whole picture. If we can do that, we can ensure thrift stores don’t grow out of the realm of accessibility for the low-income communities they were designed to help.

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H OW L I T E R A T U R E H E L P S U S F I N D O U R I D E N T I T Y

I ' m ba r t end i ng r i gh t now , wh i ch i n v o l v e s f i e l d i ng a l o t o f t ep i d , un i n t e r e s t i ng que s t i on s abou t my pe r s ona l l i f e : am I i n c o l l ege ? Wha t d i d I s t ud y ? Wh y wou l d I e v e r l e a v e Pa r i s ? And , God , wha t d i d y ou t h i nk y ou we r e go i ng t o be ab l e t o do w i t h a gende r s t ud i e s and c ompa r a t i v e l i t e r a t u r e deg r e e ? Wi t h a t he a t e r mi no r t o boo t ? I ' v e de v e l oped a s en s e o f humo r abou t i t and ma k e t he s ame j o k e s t ha t a s s ho l e boome r s wan t t o ma k e be f o r e t he y c an ma k e t hem . Us ua l l y t he y ' l l t i p me be t t e r . When t he s ub j e c t o f Sha k e s pe a r e c ome s up , s pe c i f i c a l l y t ha t I wan t ed t o de v o t e t he r e s t o f my l i f e t o s t ud y i ng i t ( ' i t ' be i ng t he bod y o f wo r k , t he my t ho s , l e s s s o t he man ) , I am me t w i t h t he s ame que s t i on : wh y doe s i t ma t t e r ? I ha v e a s p i e l I u s ua l l y go on , abou t how t he a t e r i s a l i v i ng do cumen t and we c an c on t i nue t o r e i n t e r p r e t a wo r k o f t he a t e r f o r a s l ong a s we c a r e t o k e ep i t a l i v e . The momen t t he c o r pu s be c ome s s t agnan t i s t he momen t t he c o r pu s d i e s . The t r u t h i s t ha t ma y be i t doe s n ' t ma t t e r , i t j u s t ma t t e r s t o me . I ha v e doub t s , a s I a s s ume e v e r y one doe s . Wha t c an i t r e a l l y ma t t e r when we ’ r e i nhe r i t i ng a d y i ng p l ane t and a s o c i a l s y s t em i n t en t on mu r de r i ng t he non - wh i t e and non - we a l t h y . “ You ’ r e go i ng t o d i s appe a r t o a c ademi a i s l and , ” a c cu s e s a f r i end , who be l i e v e s a s t ud y o f Sha k e s pe a r e de s t i ne s

I t s e ems u s e l e s s t o a r gue t ha t # Sha k eRa c e i s c onc e r ned w i t h t ha t v e r y que s t i on , t ha t c r i t i c a l r a c e t heo r y , po s t c o l on i a l t heo r y , que e r t heo r y a r e o f p r ime impo r t anc e t o man y o f t he p r e emi nen t Sha k e s pe a r e s cho l a r s cu r r en t l y wo r k i ng . I f i nd my s e l f l oo k i ng f o r que e r ne s s i n Sha k e s pe a r e . Ac t i v e l y s e a r ch i ng f o r wo r d s o r omi s s i on s t ha t c ou l d be c l ue s , t ha t c ou l d be p r oo f , t ha t I , we , ha v e a l wa y s be en he r e . No one w i l l a c cu s e me o f dwe l l i ng t oo much on s e x and de s i r e when I r ema r k t ha t Be a t r i c e ' s s pe e che s a r e r i f e w i t h s e x ua l i nnuendo , i f we on l y c a r e t o l oo k f o r i t . L oo k i ng f o r and f i nd i ng s e em t o be two d i f f e r en t t h i ng s . The f i nd i ng wou l d imp l y t ha t i t i s t he r e t o be f ound , i n t en t i ona l , t e x t ua l , e xp l i c i t , i f s ub t l e . Bu t t o l oo k f o r i t , t o s e e k i t ou t , we l l , t ha t ' s a me i s s ue t hen , i s n ' t i t ? I am f o r c i ng my s e l f upon t he t e x t , t he cha r a c t e r s , t he peop l e . F o r c i ng my de s i r e s and my wan t s and f i nd i ng wha t i s no t t he r e . Bu t i f I we r e t o t e l l y ou t ha t I f i nd my s e l f i n t he J a i l e r ' s Daugh t e r , t he t r auma t i z ed , name l e s s g i r l who f i nd s he r s e l f i n l o v e " be y ond l o v e , and be y ond r e a s on , o r w i t o r s a f e t y , " wou l d y ou t e l l me t ha t I am f i nd i ng s ome t h i ng t ha t i s no t t he r e ? I f I p r o j e c t my s e l f on t o he r y e a r n i ng and de s pe r a t i on , i f I l a y awa k e t h i nk i ng o f t he man who l i k e s me , bu t no t enough , dwe l l i ng on t he un r equ i t ed and p i n i ng , am I s e e i ng s ome t h i ng t ha t i s no t t he r e , on l y be c au s e i t wa s no t wr i t t en t o s u i t me and my c i r cums t anc e s ? When doe s t he s e a r ch be c ome d i s c o v e r y ?

me t o a l i f e r emo v ed f r om r e a l wo r l d c onc e r n s , i n t e r e s t ed on l y i n ab s t r a c t s u f f e r i ng . Ma y be .

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" A L L T H I S T I M E I K N EW . N O M O R E D E F L E C T I N G A C C U S A T I O N S T H A T M Y Q U E E R N E S S I S R E A L L Y A P H A S E , O R C U R I O S I T Y , O R E X P E R I M E N T A T I O N "

"ONCE , HE K I SS ' D ME , I LOVED MY L I PS THE BETTER TEN DAYS AFTER . "

Wh y s hou l d we no t d i s c o v e r ou r s e l v e s i n o t he r s ? I s t ha t no t one o f t he g r e a t g i f t s o f t he a t e r , one o f t he g r e a t e s t e x e r c i s e s i n empa t h y ? " T i s odd s he w i l l ne v e r a f f e c t me . " Th i s i s f ami l i a r . " Thu s much f o r l aw , o r k i nd r ed . " You ' r e go i ng t o l oo k a t me and t e l l me t ha t t he r e ' s no que e r ne s s t o be f ound i n cha s i ng a l o v e t ha t de f i e s s o c i a l no rms , f i l i a l p i e t y , and t he l aw ? The J a i l e r ' s Daugh t e r cha s e s ma r t y r dom , s he pu r s ue s a l o v e t ha t s he doe s n ' t e v en be l i e v e c an r e s u l t i n a happ y c onc l u s i on . " I f t he l aw F i nd me and t hen c ondemn me f o r ’ t , s ome wenche s , Some hone s t - he a r t ed ma i d s , w i l l s i ng my d i r ge And t e l l t o memo r y my de a t h wa s nob l e , Dy i ng a lmo s t a ma r t y r . " . We ’ r e l ed t o be l i e v e t ha t Pa l amon ha s k i s s ed he r , on t he l i p s , no l e s s . J u s t onc e . We a l s o know t ha t Pa l amon ha s l ong s u r r ende r ed h ims e l f t o a s t a t e o f pe r pe t ua l imp r i s onmen t . He ha s cho s en s t o i c i sm , and e xpe c t s no change i n h i s c i r cums t anc e s , and t hu s f o r e s e e s no c on s equenc e s i n r a i s i ng t he hope s o f a y oung g i r l .

Wha t ’ s a k i s s i f i t ’ l l ne v e r go f a r t he r ?

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I ’ v e k i s s ed , be en k i s s ed b y , enough s t r a i gh t g i r l s i n c l ub s t o know t ha t k i s s e s me an v e r y l i t t l e t o peop l e who don ’ t v i ew y ou w i t h an y r e a l i n t e r e s t t o beg i n w i t h . “ God , wh y won ’ t y ou j u s t da t e women ? ” a f a i r numbe r o f f r i end s ha v e r i gh t l y a s k ed . I ’ m a f r a i d , I ’ m s h y , I ’ m no t c on f i den t , I don ’ t know wha t t o do o r how t o a c t . I ha v e be en s o de ep l y p r og r ammed b y a l i f e t ime o f r oman t i c c omed i e s and J ane Au s t en no v e l s t ha t e v en t hough I know , t o my c o r e , t o my f ounda t i on , t ha t I do wan t t ha t , t ha t I c ou l d l o v e a woman , and l o v e a woman e a s i l y , i t doe s n ’ t f i t t he p i c t u r e I ’ v e d r awn f o r my s e l f . Tha t ' s wh y I ’ m t r y i ng t o d r aw new p i c t u r e s . I r e t u r n t o t he wo r k s I l o v ed i n mi dd l e s choo l , t o t he boo k s I s i ghed o v e r , t he mo v i e s I wa t ched r epe a t ed l y , t he s onne t s I r e ad and r e r e ad and p i ned f o r a s an Eng l i s h ma j o r ( J ohn Donne , an y one ? ) l oo k i ng f o r my s e l f i n new wa y s . I t h i nk Cha r l o t t e L uc a s c ou l d be a l e s b i an . I t h i nk He l ena ’ s r e s en tmen t o f He rmi a , and he r happ i ne s s , c ome s f r om mo r e t han j u s t Deme t r i u s ’ s de f e c t i on . I t h i nk i t ’ s c o l o r ed w i t h en v y and j e a l ou s y and be t r a y a l , I t h i nk s he l o v ed He rmi a . Tho s e e a r l y mo r n i ng s i n t he f o r e s t c e l eb r a t i ng a r ound t he Ma y po l e . The pa s t o r a l f o r e s t , whe r e r u l e s don ’ t app l y , and t he y ou t h c an r un w i l d , and nob i l i t y c an e s c ape t he r i g i d e xpe c t a t i on s o f t he i r na r r ow , oh s o ha r r ow i ng , l i t t l e l i v e s . G i r l s c an k i s s g i r l s i n t he f o r e s t . I ’ v e a l l owed my a t t r a c t i on t o men t o e c l i p s e my a t t r a c t i on t o non - men f o r a s l ong a s I ’ v e l i v ed . Be c au s e my a t t r a c t i on t o men , a s a c i s - woman , i s c omf o r t ab l e , i s i den t i f i ab l e , I ’ v e be en ab l e t o f i nd i t i n f i c t i on w i t hou t ha v i ng t o s e a r ch f o r i t . I don ’ t que s t i on my a t t r a c t i on t o men . I t i s a l l owed t o p r og r e s s une x ami ned and unc on t e s t ed . The f i r s t t ime I s l ep t w i t h a woman I t oo k a t a x i home and b r o k e down i n t e a r s . I s t a r ed a t my s e l f i n t he mi r r o r and t r i ed t o s e e me t he wa y s he d i d , a s s omeone who wa s de s i r ab l e , “ ho t . ” I t hough t abou t he r s k i n , he r l augh , how s he l aughed a t me , how I d i dn ’ t mi nd . I t wa s na t u r a l . He s i t an t bu t e a s y . R i gh t .

She ’ s a mode l , he r image i s e a s y t o f i nd w i t h a qu i c k goog l e s e a r ch . I t ’ s a s t r ange t h i ng t o l oo k a t he r , de c k ed ou t i n de s i gne r , s i t t i ng f r on t r ow a t f a s h i on we e k e v en t s , and r emembe r t ha t s he wan t ed me , l i k ed me , t hough t I wa s be au t i f u l and c l e v e r . I knew , I knew , I knew . A l l t h i s t ime I knew . No mo r e de f l e c t i ng a c cu s a t i on s t ha t my que e r ne s s i s r e a l l y a pha s e , o r cu r i o s i t y , o r e xpe r imen t a t i on .

“ I won ’ t men t i on i t wa s a da t e , t hough , ” s he s t i pu l a t e s , “ I don ’ t wan t t o d i s t r a c t f r om t he s t o r y . ” “ Bu t t ha t i s t he s t o r y . ” How am I s uppo s ed t o f i nd my s e l f i n o t he r s i f I w i l l ba r e l y a l l ow my f u l l s e l f t o e x i s t i n t he wo r l d . Bu t pe r hap s t h i s i s one o f t he o l de s t t heme s i n que e r s t o r i e s : que e r ne s s b y omi s s i on , que e r ne s s e x i s t i ng i n t he un s a i d , s ub t e x t ua l , imp l i ed . Wh y , t hen , s hou l dn ’ t I f i nd que e r ne s s , que e r l o v e , whe r e v e r I c an , whe r e v e r I choo s e ? Who ’ s t o s a y I ’ m f o r c i ng t h i ng s . I n my d r e am p r oduc t i on o f Much Ado Abou t No t h i ng , Don Ped r o i s p l a y ed a s a bu t ch l e s b i an , and t he f l e e t i ng p l e a o f “ wou l d y ou ha v e me , l ad y ? ” i s imbued w i t h new me an i ng and f r e s h he a r t b r e a k . The s ub s equen t r e f u s a l i s b i t t e r swe e t and f ami l i a r . An un impo r t an t momen t , s omehow v e r y impo r t an t t o me . A f t e r t ha t i t ge t s e a s i e r t o f i nd my s e l f i n que e r t e x t s . I t ge t s e a s i e r t o f i nd que e r ne s s i n t e x t s . I c an s e e que e r ne s s i n my s e l f , I c an f i nd que e r ne s s i n o t he r s , and I c an f i nd my s e l f i n o t he r s .

I n an a r t i c l e abou t que e r ne s s I ’ m t emp t ed t o a v o i d t a l k i ng abou t my

a t t r a c t i on t o men , my l o v e f o r men , a l l t he wh i l e know i ng t ha t my a t t r a c t i on t o men ha s no be a r i ng on my que e r ne s s , i t doe s no t mi t i ga t e i t . I t ha s e c l i p s ed i t , i n t he pa s t , bu t p l e a s e know t ha t j u s t be c au s e I am cu r r en t l y i n v o l v ed i n a J a i l e r ’ s Daugh t e r - e s que un r equ i t ed l o v e a f f a i r w i t h a man who l o v e no t wan t me I am no t an y l e s s que e r , an y t h i ng l e s s t han wha t I am . My mo t he r wou l d l i k e t o i gno r e i t . A s l ong a s I l i k e men i t c an be i gno r ed . I t e l l he r abou t t he mode l , who s e l a s t name i s t oo f amou s t o e v en a l l ude t o he r e , and s he j ump s a t t he chanc e t o t e l l t he r e s t o f t he f ami l y . “ You r c ou s i n l o v e s t o name d r op , bu t he c an ’ t t op t h i s . ”

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THE NEW ARTIST MAKING A SPLASH IN THE NFT SCENE BY GRACE JENKINS

How did FEWOCiOUS get his start? Social media, obviously. How else would a digital artist garner such an audience? The first social media platform he used to display his art was Twitter, which he titled FEWOCiOUS. He started following other artists, and was soon made aware that he could actually make money from his art. Then, with the lovely education tool that the internet has become, he was able to make his own website at the age of 15 to display his art. In the beginning, he was doing small commissions for about five dollars a pop. Now, we can’t imagine being able to get an original commissioned piece from Victor for that little. He also said that his first painting sold for around $90. Around this time he was also painting shirts and selling them.

Trans artist Victor Langlois, who goes by the name FEWOCiOUS, has absolutely blown up recently. The 18 year old artist sold his first piece of digital media, an NFT (non-fungible token), in 2020 for just $1000 dollars. Since then, he has sold over 18 million dollars worth of his art. Victor grew up in Las Vegas, Nevada, with a family that did not support his art or his gender identity. He was frequently told that his art was ‘ugly’. He began to utilize online forms of media through his iPad, which became one of his most used media forms. Now, he also works with canvas and different types of paint to create some of his work, yet he is still best known as an NFT artist - more on that later.

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Not only has he created various types of paintings and drawings, but he has also recently come out with an NFT sneaker line with virtual sneaker brand RTFKT Studios. Within just the first seven minutes of the late February sale, they raised $3.1 million. What people were purchasing were one of three different online shoe designs going for $3,000, $5,000, and $10,000. Owning the NFT then makes one eligible for redeeming a pair of physical sneakers. This makes the purchase two different collector’s items: the NFT and the actual sneaker. We’ve all seen the sneakerheads, the people who collect absurd amounts of expensive sneakers that just end up sitting in their closet, during which time they may or may not be accruing actual monetary value. NFTs could actually offset this excessive need for physical items in one’s collection. With the NFT, you can still gloat to your friends that you spent thousands on these collectibles, yet no physical space needs to be taken up in your closet. It’s almost the ideal collectible for a minimalist. Just think of the boxes you’ll save on your next move. With all that being said, I personally can’t wait to see how FEWOCiOUS will continue to grow as an artist, as he is so young and full of potential. Not only that, but I’m also curious to see what will happen with the NFT market in the coming years. Will I be converted into an online sneaker junky? Who knows.

Take Care

When I first began researching Victor, I will admit that the idea of NFT art confused me. It’s owning an original line of code that no one else has, and I didn’t really understand why anyone would spend all of this money on the original rights to an online image. However, after watching some interviews, I started to understand some of the broader aspects I had missed. An interviewer asked why someone should value the token (in terms of an NFT), to which Victor brilliantly responded “why do you value anything?” I honestly loved how Victor could be so blunt and insightful into such an odd human phenomenon as value and collection. Why would someone want to have the original painting versus just a print? Someone could make the argument that there are textural differences in the paint, or some other little detail, but if the painting and print were virtually indistinguishable, then what even is the draw to spend astronomically more on that painting? How I see it, it boils down to bragging rights and, occasionally, people who have more money than they know what to do with. So now, instead of the original painting, people are utilizing NFTs as verification of authenticity to the art they bought. Looking more specifically at the art FEWOCiOUS creates, it is bright, bold, and fairly deep in its roots. As mentioned earlier, Victor grew up in an abusive household where he wasn’t able to be his true self. Because of this, he used art as an avenue through which he could channel all of his bottled feelings. He continues to do this, as he had a show taking his viewers though about five years of his life, which were some of his hardest and most painful times. From a distance, there is an overall appearance somewhat akin to that of cartoons or youthful illustrations - vibrant use of color, big eyes, and very expressive. Upon closer inspection, there is sadness and misery in a lot of his characters. Some have tears streaming down their face, others just have a pained and distorted appearance. While I have not heard or read anything on where the inspiration for this distortion came from, I can’t help but wonder if it is an amalgamation of the suffering he experienced and the common body dysmorphia that so often comes with being trans in a cis- normative world.

One of FEWOCiOUS's shoe designs

The Everlasting Beautiful

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Now live on FruityBiNature.com... The Fruity Bi Nature Employment Get Fruity at your next job or find your newest Fruit Fly with us! We can't wait to see you at the Fruit tree.

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FruityBiNature.com

Picture this; you are given the opportunity to have a top-tier architect work with you to help you build the home of your dreams from the ground up. Where do you start? Do you start picking out the marble tile for the kitchen floors? Choosing the colors of the paint in the upstairs bedrooms? Deciding what furniture to put in the master? Sounds fun. Of course, we know the reality is that we are a long way from those fun decisions for this dream home. Where we must ultimately start (and why the architect is so important), is the blueprint of the home. Once our architect has all of the measurements of the home confirmed, what is the most crucial part of the blueprint? Naturally, it’s the part of the home that gives us the security of structural integrity for decades to come. This is the part of the home that ensures it will survive through years of rough snowstorms, hurricanes, windy nights, severe humidity and natural deterioration. DING DING, you got it right, THE FOUNDATION. Without a properly designed, strong foundation, all of the fun things we will eventually have in the home are in jeopardy.

If all of the above makes complete sense, then let’s use that same analogy for our financial home. What are the things that people love to talk about when it comes to finances? Maybe it’s retiring young at the age of 50? Or hitting that huge return in that stock you read about on a random twitter account at 2:00am? Or maybe it’s owning rental properties throughout the country? These are all desires that sound great and all of them are doable. But how can we ensure that all of this can happen and be sustainable for years to come? The answer is making sure we have an impenetrable foundation that will give us the ability to do so! What the foundation entails are all of the strategies and products we need in our financial lives to protect against the “what-ifs” in life. Our lives do not follow perfect linear lines upwards. Unfortunately, we have dozens of things we must worry about. What are some of those worries?

1) What if during our successful working years, we become sick or hurt and are unable to have the same significant income continue to come into the household? 2) What if 3 months after we get that huge promotion we’ve been working towards, a global pandemic halts the job market completely, and inevitably forces the company to lay us off? 3) What if, even though we take such good care of our health, an unknown heart issue causes us to pass away prematurely? 4) What if another person who has no automobile insurance, while texting-and-driving, hits you causing significant damage?

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These are all events that can be protected against by having the proper planning in place in our financial foundation. If we go box-by-box (as you see in the image below) we can attack each “what-if” with the right types of insurances, strategies, and documents. Once we have the foundation structurally sound, we are given peace of mind that all of the fun desires we have for our finances won’t come to a screeching halt when the storms of life do hit us. If any of the four listed-above scenarios do occur (or any of the dozens of other scenarios I didn’t mention), the house won’t come crumbling down over night. In fact, it will weather the storm with maybe only some minor cleanup, rather than re-building from the ground up.

At The Fortis Agency, we protect what our clients have built, then seek to grow it. We are an independent firm with zero ties to one specific company. Every client gets an in-depth and customized plan to their unique scenario. With access to nearly every insurance carrier in the marketplace, our clients have the peace-of-mind that we are approaching every situation with no biases and with the only goal of doing what’s best for them. We feel this is the only way clients should be serviced in a very overwhelming marketplace.

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FRUITYBINATURE

THE ISSUE WITH ACCOUNTABILITY IN POLITICS

To understand what makes this such a difficult issue, first let’s explore the psychology behind accountability and how it pertains to politics. In order for accountability efforts to be effective, the person in question needs to respect the audience that is holding them accountable. It also helps if the viewpoint of the audience holding them accountable is unknown. If a politician knows the views of those they are accountable to, it can lead to something known as strategic attitude shifting. Strategic attitude shifting occurs when someone shifts their stance on a topic to be in line with the social expectations. This issue is particularly relevant in our two party system. To win elections, it is important to win over the median voter. This incentivizes politicians to stay within the bounds of public acceptability.

We’ve all been there. It’s election season. You’re watching the debates, the news, the campaign ads, and one candidate’s stance on a particular policy really resonates with you. They promise to make a difference on a topic that’s important to you. So you give them all your support, you tell your friends and co-workers about them, you post about them on social media, maybe you even make a campaign contribution. Election day comes around and you show up to the polls and cast your vote for them. You celebrate when they win; finally someone who represents your ideals will be in office. But once they’re in power, months go by and they’re yet to take action. That campaign promise, the one that won you over to begin with, has gone from priority to afterthought. Your ideals are left in the cold, and you’re left confused, wondering why. This scenario plays out all to often in our politics. And seemingly every time, politicians are ready with an excuse why they aren’t acting on the policies you voted them in to enact. Unsurprisingly, according to the politicians, it’s never their fault. But Americans are starting to get tired of the charade. So how do we hold our politicians accountable? Unfortunately, the issue of accountability in politics is far from straightforward.

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FRUITYBINATURE

To further complicate things, accountability in politics is multi-dimensional. Aside from being accountable to the public, the checks and balances in place in our government make politicians accountable to their peers as well. Attempts at accountability from a politician’s peers can often backfire, especially if the peer is from an opposition party. When a politician is given criticism for their actions in the past, it can put them on the defensive, leading to something called post-decision bolstering. Post-decision bolstering is dangerous because it causes people to double down on their stance and protect their ideas as right and any differing ideas as wrong. In terms of accountability, this is bad because it results in the politician digging in on a stance those they are accountable to want them to change. Especially in our two party system, this can make bipartisanship near impossible. In the worst-case scenario, post-decision bolstering can lead to politicians tuning out their critics entirely, only giving value to the opinions of those that agree with them. This can result in politicians developing echo chambers, where they and their supporters only consider their own opinions and the view of the outside world is lost completely. This furthers the divide between the reality of voters’ desires and what actually occurs in governance. Another issue that further complicates accountability in politics is how it is structured. Typically, the people at the bottom of a power structure are accountable to the people at the top. For example, at work you are accountable to your boss because they have a higher position than you. In a democracy, the opposite it true; the people at the top (politicians) are accountable to the people at the bottom (voters). The nature of the difference in power between politicians and voters means politicians have a myriad of cognitive and financial resources to manipulate voters. Whether it is manipulating public perception of an issue or distracting from one all together, this practice is an all to common way politicians have been mitigating or all together dodging accountability for their actions.

So what tools do we have to hold our politicians accountable and how do we use them effectively? Unfortunately, realistic answers to this question are few and far between. The main tool citizens have to hold politicians accountable with is our vote. Politicians know they have no power until voters elect them into office, and the threat of losing your vote to a competitor is very real to them. But using your vote to hold elected officials accountable is complicated due to the fact it can only be done retroactively. A politician might win you over the first time by campaigning on ideals close to your heart, but once in office you learn this was only strategic attitude shifting and they have their own agenda. When it comes time for re-election, you might remember all the false promises and vote them out, but this doesn’t affect the actions they took in office. If we want politicians to be accountable while they are in office, instead of just punishing them after, we need a different approach. The best way to keep our politicians accountable is to stay involved in the political process after the election cycle. To often, people tune out of politics after an election, and our politicians know they can get away with abandoning our ideals because no one is watching. Instead, we have to stay vigilant. Make a list of your elected officials campaign promises and monitor their voting patterns and the actions they are taking to work for those causes. If you’re not satisfied with their performance, let them know! Email addresses and phone numbers to contact your elected official’s office should be readily available public information. Find them with a quick Internet search and save them to use readily. You can and should contact them when you have any concerns over how your official voted on bills in the past, or how they will vote on important bills in the future. This lets them know we are still paying attention and they don’t have free reign. This is even more effective when you get your whole community involved. Bring up your elected official’s performance with your friends and family, and remind them to be proactive in tracking their performance. Using social media as well can broadcast your elected official performance very publicly, and reach a large number of people who otherwise would not have kept track of their official’s actions. The more people active in the process of monitoring politicians’ choices in office, the more incentive they have to keep their promises. Ultimately, accountability in politics is an issue where there is more grey area than black and white solutions. It can be hard to tell if politicians are actually on your side or just pandering to your interests to win your vote. The issues of strategic attitude shifting and post-decision bolstering, combined with the fact voters can only punish politicians for breaking their word after their terms have ended make accountability in politics a difficult thing to enforce. But it is important to remember, difficult does not mean impossible. Keep yourself and your community up to date on your representative’s actions and make your voices heard and you may see your official sticking to their word after all.

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