Tag: sexism

Hypocrite You Say? Posting Sexy Photos is NOT an Invitation for Sexism or Trolls

    K Ghislaine
Beerlover_boobowner

Last year I wrote an article for Medium, with regards to this pervasive myth that it’s easier for woman to write about sex than men, and if you haven’t already, I do hope you give it a read for a little extra context for what I want to rant a bit about on here.  And perhaps, I will be able to formulate these rants into a more cohesive article for medium. But, for the time being, I want to address this hypocritical murmur I am hearing with regards to my boob forward images, and my hard stance against sexism and harassment.  I am body and sex positive, and no that does not mean that I or anyone else who creates content, is therefor open to sexism or harassment.  And the irony is not lost on me that I am writing this rant only a week after boldly re-claiming my power, but I guess, my boldness adds fodder to the trolls and hypocrite criers.  Ugh.

When I post boobs and beer on Instagram, that is my celebration of two things I love. And when I post bonus content on my Patreon (for a small subscription or one time fee) it is because, I deserve to get a little kickback for all the free content I put out there. Plain and simple. And yeah, admitting that I deserve a little money for what I do, is a tough thing to write down, and own.  Phew, glad I got that out of the way. And now onto the hypocrisy of it all.

One of the little notes I sent myself when mulling over how I wanted boobs, beer, and vinyl to look and feel was “Sex and nudity should be normalized, fun, and playful”. And yes, I send a lot of little notes to myself in between writing sessions. The thing about this one is, it is important to me that my images not just be sexy, shot in the best lighting ever, or even filtered. Why? Because real, and raw is who I am, with an element of playful and random.  That to me, is the key to embracing body positivity and normalizing nudity and the enjoyment of the naked body.  Of course with IG, nudity of any sort is forbidden, so I have to work within the parameters of their platform.  Which is perfectly fine with me, and presents a fun little challenge of riding that fine line.

But there are a few things I need to get right out there in the open.  There is nothing hypocritical about my strong stance against sexism and my fun desire to be sexy and playful with my photographs and selfies.  If you, have ever thought that I bring on the harassment and abuse myself due to my content that I put out into the world, YOU ARE THE PROBLEM! Let me be very clear, we cannot become a sex positive culture if we shame people for putting out content that is sexual  or suggestive in nature.  As I wrote in my Medium article, it is not easy putting intimate content out for public consumption. Trolls are the worst, and stalkers, are real. I have feared for my safety a number of times over the years, and even changed my nudity policy for my blog articles (if you’re a regular reader, I know you’re sick of me writing that down, but it still irks me that I had to do that).

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I have tried to understand the correlation between writing the word sex and getting trolled. I just don’t understand. Why when people read the phrase sex positive do they short circuit and assume that I’m down to fuck or that I want to talk about sex and my personal life with strangers? I call it trolling simply because it’s something that rational people in the real world would never do. Anonymity creates a seemingly safe space for creeps.  And I put content out, in a lot of places, thus there is a never ending stream of violations towards my privacy, sanity, and sexual well being. And no, it should not be this way, nor should I simply accept the fact because I write or photograph “sex” themed content at times.  And yet, in the real world, actual acquaintances of mine believe that this is par for the course and I bring this on myself. Ugh!  But I don’t do this simply for attention, and definitely not for the money.  I do this because it’s what I want to write about, what I am passionate about photographing, and what fuels me. 

And there is another element to this, a much more personal one.  Yesterday, I was in a terrible mood, and you know what made me cheer up? Taking the time to grab a beer, put on a silly bikini to match a vinyl cover, and plan a little photo shoot in my living room.  I got my brain to think about something fun, had tunes going, and cracked a beer.  Doing this little selfie absolutely got me out of my head, and brought some playfulness from my living room, and after I shared with those on my social media. It was truly a mental boost for me. And how in the world can that be wrong?

So, if you are one of those in the background thinking that I bring on harassment or sexism myself, it is time to look in the mirror and reflect on why you hold onto those misguided values. I dress for my own pleasure, and I take photos to bring me joy.  If you in turn believe that I deserve my trolls, or it should be expected in today’s day and age, please let me know, and I will provide you with some amazing resources to help shake you out of that frame of mind. Putting myself out there is rarely easy.  It is often uncomfortable, and hot damn do I wish some days that people would appreciate the work and pay me fairly for it. With that all aside, I more often than not, understand that what I do is important. And that there is value in what I put out there, and I remain hopeful that one day the effort will pay off. Or at the very least, I can stop ranting about all those who call me a hypocrite.

Challenge Time: I want each of you to give a shout-out to someone who embodies a sex positive trait that you admire, or someone you admire for the content they create! Comment on this post, Twitter, Facebook, or wherever you read this blog!

Writing About Harassment and Sexism

    K Ghislaine

Re-Claiming My Power

Boobs and Beer

I often say the words, “I have no choice but to be a writer”. While this sentiment is often a playful one, born out of the randomness that makes up my life, putting together my recent article on Sexism and Harassment in Craft Beer really drove the point home. I anguished for nearly two weeks writing it. I ended up with nearly 7 pages of draft paragraphs and notes.  And, I cried, raged, drank, and even had a few nightmares mixed in.  Coming face to face with all the sexism and harassment that I have faced over the years was brutal. Writing it down on paper made it real. And I had to make decisions about what I wanted to go public with, and what I was going to one day delete and just pretend never happened.  It made me feel raw, vulnerable, and quite alone.

But here’s the thing, as soon as it was published, a weight was lifted off my shoulders.  I was able to let go, and break free of so much anger that had been building up in me. Not only did I put myself out there as a real person, but, I created a plan of action on my Instagram which celebrates beer and boobs in an ethical way. And that is why I write.  That is why I went through all the pain, and anguish.  To come to a place where I could share my thoughts, and create a clear path for what I want my future to be.  Re-claiming my power.

(affilate link)

I have always wanted to normalize conversations and images about sex, and sexiness. I can’t pretend I do not have boobs just so I no longer invite sexism or harassment. That’s not a solution.  What I can do is talk about it, take fun and sexy photo’s, put content out into the world that I enjoy, and then talk about it. When a person crosses a line or boundary, we can talk about it, educate, and create a more sex positive environment. Again, this will not happen by turning a blind eye to the problem, or censoring the issues.

This behind the scenes post was going to include all the moments I didn’t feel safe putting out there to strangers about my sexual harassment in my Medium article.  But, instead, I was able to delete all the pain, and get really excited about the possibilities that putting myself out there in an authentic way has. This, is why I write. This is why it’s important for me to speak up against sexual harassment, and sexism.  It’s not a choice, it’s just who I am.  Writing empowers me, and knowing how much relief I have in publishing that article, I think it’s time to get that book finished… don’t you?

If you want to help fuel my writing needs, please consider subscribing to my Patreon.  And yes, next month is going to be vinyl, boobs, and beer on IG with NSFW on BreakingAway (Patreon)… enjoy!

Rage, Calling Out BS, and Sex Positivity

    K Ghislaine
Sipping Sex Positivity… or Coffee

I wanted this post to be about May’s sex positive challenge that I will be running on Twitter, IG, and Facebook, but, in light of what happened yesterday on Twitter, I feel this article is very important to write and share.

An account I follow shared a harmless meme, asking what people’s preferred body hair style on woman. It could just as easily been about any pubic hair customization for that matter and I would love if someone had one for all sexes. But, I digress. A commentor made an off the cuff remark in regards to their personal preference following it up with, they wouldn’t ever pick the fully shaved one as they are not an 8 year old girl. I went into full rage mode. OK, first I asked them to consider editing the post, but they doubled down, and I went off in classic me RANT mode.  For full details of the interaction if you’re curious please check out my Twitter.  But to the point of this article, let me share (unedited) my takeaway of the events, after I had a chance to reflect and sleep on it:

“In light of what happened yesterday and my raging on here, I want to make a quick clarifying statement. I love history, and spend the majority of my spare time reading and exploring it. It is through knowing our past that we can shape the future we want. This works in a historical sense, as well as in our individuals lives. The mistake we do not want to make, is holding onto outdated ideas and allowing them to remain normal. It is up to each of us to call out sexism, bigotry, hatred, and any statement that is no longer ethical by today’s standards. Do not repeat the mistakes of the past. Learn, grow, and shape your vocabulary to be forward thinking and inclusive. And if you make a mistake, own it, correct it, and do not repeat it! “

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I changed my whole writing schedule for this blog post, because when sexism, racism, bigotry happen, we must stand up and react. This is a shared responsibility of all members of society.  And pieces like this are an integral part of being a sex positive individual. I am constantly learning, taking accountability for my past and current actions, and growing as a person.  I expect the same of my community. I have zero patience for people who double down on archaic or problematic stances or beliefs. I scream into the void, that we can do better.  We can incorporate all the mistakes from the past into a better future for ourselves and the generations to come!

Thank you for reading, liking, sharing, and constantly challenging me to grow into the sex positive individual I am, and I know we can all be. And if that doesn’t get you excited for May’s 30 day sex positive challenge, then I don’t know what will! Ha!