Every few weeks, the internet tells me I don’t exist. I’m a bisexual woman in a monosexual world, and that means I am constantly fighting for my identity to be recognised and taken seriously. Bi+ erasure takes many forms. More so than any other orientation, we bi+ folks face demands to “prove” our identity (often by disclosing our sexual histories.) If we refuse these invasive questions, or if our answers aren’t to the asker’s satisfaction, it is taken as proof that we are not really bisexual. Many people still believe that bisexuality is a pitstop on the way to identifying as gay or lesbian, rather than a complete and complex identity in its own right.

Author: Jess Amy Dixon

Category: LIFE

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The ‘Period Positivity’ movement is creating space for more open and honest discussions about periods, but for some, menstruation can be a traumatic experience - which is why Natracare is encouraging a more nuanced conversation. ‘Period Positivity’ is a progressive movement for many, and in the last few years, we’re seeing more conversations than ever about periods. You only have to quickly flick through a social media feed and women’s weeklies to see post upon post dedicated to topics surrounding menstruation, including how it relates to further social and environmental issues. These taboo topics are finally allowing half of the population to confidently ask questions and seek the right answers about their periods.

Author: Sharna Waid

Category: LIFE

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This article is sponsored by Natracare. Natracare is a cruelty-free, vegan, plastic-free, biodegradable, and compostable period and intimate health products company campaigning for better choices for people’s bodies, the environment, and the animals we share our home with. To join Natracare’s open, honest, and shame-free conversation about periods and keep creating space for gender-inclusive conversations about periods, read the Shades of Red zine here.

As more and more people around the world receive their vaccinations against COVID-19, it feels like an end to the pandemic is finally in sight. Images flash through my mind of a world where masks exist only as dust-covered relics, stuffed haphazardly into a random drawer, entangled in a mess of black and white cables. Life suddenly feels like it’s about to go back to normal, and the sense of freedom that we’re on the cusp of reclaiming is something none of us ever want to give up again. And we won’t have to, until the next pandemic.

Author: Jack McGovan

Category: ENVIRONMENT

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Over the past year, you may have picked up a brush or baked your own bread, or you may have enrolled in a virtual arts and crafts workshop. Craft has played a major role in our lives while we were stuck at home, which is also proven to be good for our mental health - with psychological benefits ranging from stress relief to enhanced confidence. Tabara N’Diaye, founder of La Basketry, hosted many of these workshops throughout the pandemic, connecting customers to the joys of traditional basket weaving.

Author: The Spill

Category: ARTS

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When you hear the word ‘K-Pop’, you may think of talented singers with bright hair and unrivaled dance moves. At some point during the past year, you may have taken a dive into the K-Pop side of ‘stan Twitter’ (where millions of accounts of K-Pop superfans reside), and seen countless fancams of BLACKPINK’s Jisoo or BTS’s Jimin, littered under top trending hashtags. On that day, without realising it, you may have been witnessing an online activism campaign - disguised under vibrant outfits and hypnotic choreographies.

Author: Bashirat Oladele

Category: CULTURE

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Not long ago, I came across an image on Instagram. It featured 5 different elements within the ‘female reproductive organs’ map, with letters attached to them, to match with their actual names: womb, vagina, cervix, ovaries, and vulva. Alongside the picture came a simple question: “Can you name these?” And it got me thinking. Why? Because I wondered, could I confidently say what was what? And if the options were not offered to me, would I even be able to answer what each one was, off the top of my head? I’m ashamed to say this, but I probably wouldn’t. But then, I thought, when was the last time I actually had to figure out what the attributes of my birth sex were, and when did I learn any of this?

Author: Shems Rocha

Category: SELF

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Every June, Canadians celebrate National Indigenous History Month, to honour the heritage, contributions, and cultures of First Nation, Inuit, and Métis communities across the country. The US celebrates Indigenous Peoples' Day every 11th October, while the rest of the world commemorates World Indigenous Day each 9th August, raising awareness of the needs of Indigenous peoples -  their traditional knowledge, voices, and wisdom. But that’s definitely not enough.

Author: The Spill

Category: CULTURE

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In Black Transhuman Liberation Theology, published in 2019, author Philip Butler evokes “the construction of a practical approach to liberation for Black folks through the combination of technology and spirituality”. In the book, Butler explains how this theology must engage current and emerging technologies to dismantle systems of oppression. That Black spirituality, Black biotechnology, and technological advancements coming together “may prove to be the perfect tool in the fight for liberation now, and well into the future.”

Author: Tali Ramsey

Category: CULTURE

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Since Seaspiracy came out, millions of people have been considering giving up fish or changing the way they consume it, and the conversation around overfishing has finally opened wide. We talked to Shameek Upadhya, co-founder of Omvits, a British vitamin and supplements brand that creates sustainable and cruelty-free Omega-3 from algae that will protect our planet for future generations.

Author: The Spill

Category: ENVIRONMENT

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Welcome to the fifth instalment of My Coming Out, a monthly interview series sharing the unique stories of people all over the world, who came out as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, or questioning. This month we chat with Emma Flint (she/they), a 30 year-old freelance writer and journalist, who identifies as genderfluid and abrosexual.

Author: The Spill

Category: SELF

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