Greetings, Dames Nation!
We are Ally and Amy, co-instigators of #girlgang. We are endlessly happy to be asked back by our beloved Dames, though we look a little different than the last time we edited this fair newsletter. We have recently transformed our Tumblr-based blog into a newsletter of our own! Never fear, though, we are still a community-focused project committed to feminism, inclusivity, and the joyful dismantling of the patriarchy. In our monthly missive you’ll find a sharp cocktail of news, history, and thought all centered on the voices and experiences of women, trans, and non-binary folks. If you enjoy our writing here, there’s a good chance the newsletter is For You.
In Memoriam: Rachel Evans Held
Before jumping into the meat of this newsletter, we (both Your Dames and your guest Dames) wanted to share a few remembrances about Rachel Evans Held, a writer and speaker who worked tirelessly to make Evangelical Christianity more inclusive, more sincerely just, and more progressive. She passed away very suddenly last weekend at age 37 and whether this is your first time hearing of her or whether she’s been a vital voice in your life, sharing a few pieces that highlight her legacy felt very necessary.
Ruth Graham’s obituary at Slate is a powerful overview of her life.
From Laura Turner at Buzzfeed, there is a welcome mix of personal recollections and wide-scale perspective.
The public legacy that Rachel leaves is the gift of seeing a 2,000-year-old religion with fresh eyes. She did not fall prey to the cynicism that beleaguers so many former evangelicals when their faith changes. Instead, she cultivated hope. “Cynicism may help us create simpler storylines with good guys and bad guys," she wrote in her book Searching for Sunday, "but it doesn't make us any better at telling the truth, which is that most of us are a frightening mix of good and evil, sinner and saint.”
And finally, “How Rachel Held Evans really should be remembered” by Sarah Bessey and Jeff Chu for The Washington Post, is a particularly heartfelt tribute.
Ally’s Semi-Serious Link Round-Up
Call Your Girlfriend is a favorite podcast at #gg HQ, and they recently aired an episode entitled Demystifying Disability. Hosts Ann Friedman and Aminatou Sow turned the mics over to Kelly Dawson and Emily Ladau, two writers who also have physical disabilities. The two women discussed everything from experiences in their everyday lives with physical disabilities to how frustrated they are to be relegated to inspiration porn. For me as a person without physical disability, this was an opportunity to listen and learn and I encourage you to do the same. The full transcript of the episode is also available.
I was recently able to hear Jessica Wilkerson speak to promote her book To Live Here, You Have to Fight. Dr. Wilkerson writes about women who were activists in Appalachia in the 1960s and 70s. These women, caretakers of their children and their families and their homes, took a stand to fight for the rights of the people all over their region. Women, as is the case in many movements, were the backbone of the war on poverty. I came away inspired and can’t wait to dive into her book!
Friends, this has been a bit of a difficult week for me personally, so I just want to leave you with a round-up of a few small things that are giving me joy:
Our friends over at Bellwether Friends are doing Chuckstravaganza in the month of May! Check out the hashtag on Twitter and Instagram to join in the shoe party!
I just found out that there are ENAMEL PINS to go with Katie O’Neill’s outrageously adorable book, The Tea Dragon Society and I may need them all.
This tweet. It is me. That is all.
Amy’s Lizzo Obsession Link-Round Up
I cannot stop listening to, thinking about, or looking at Lizzo. She dropped her great new album ‘Cuz I Love You last month and it is packed with self-affirming, shower-belting jams. In addition to being a badass rapper with amazing pipes, Lizzo has been an love of mine since I stumbled on her What’s Underneath video. As a fat woman deep in her body liberation journey, I am often moved to tears by Lizzo’s unapologetically joyful love of her own body and its sexiness. Her recent nude spread in Rolling Stone is an un-retouched inspiration.
I know the Met Gala is a problematic, but man do I live for this fashion event. Take your award shows and red carpets, give me the over-the-top, theme-heavy, swing-wide Met Gala every time. This year’s theme was ‘Camp,’ a fun turn from last year’s grandiose tribute to Catholic imagery. My fave looks are inevitably the highly stylized (like Lupita Nyong’o n Versace), message focused (like Lena White in Pyer Moss), and gender defying (like Dame favorite Harry Styles in Gucci). The true Met Gala star, though, is and ALWAYS will be Billy Porter, who this year was carried in on a golden litter by six shirtless men while wearing a golden headpiece, 10 foot wings, and gold leaf shoes.
Lastly, I am inspired by Dame Margaret’s recent link about Astrology Queers to share some of my favorite Astrology Trash. (I am, afterall, an astrology queer, myself.) After a long adolescence and early adulthood of being Very Serious about astrology, I have moved into LIVING for memes and Sign callouts. Try co-star or Sanctuary (I am still in search of a good app for Android users!) to learn about your chart and then dive into delightful @trashbag_astrology or the slightly less trashy @nadinejane_astrology. (I am a Sagittarius, Leo rising, in case you wondered.)
Over at #girlgang HQ lately we’ve been talking a lot about self-care. Part of resisting is making sure you are well enough to resist, but we wouldn’t be doing right by our community if we failed to examine that and remember that everyone has different levels of access to that wellness. Self-care is a highly individualized thing, and that doesn’t just mean bath bomb preferences and ice cream flavors. Race, gender, sexuality, neurodivergence, and disability all make self-care look different for each person and we want to highlight some lovely resources and thought that reflect that! Long story short, we wouldn’t be the Two Bossy Dames’ anarchist little sister if we didn’t remind you that:
We can’t fall into the trap of capitalist self-care. Self-care is about making sure you’re WELL, not just spending money on products the way beauty companies want you to.
Self-care is more than just luxury items. Tending to our emotions and boundaries are essential to caring for ourselves when society demands so much of us.
Self-care tends to be highly feminized but trans, masc, and non-binary folks need self-care too. Here’s an article about self-care and beauty rituals for trans and non-binary people.
That’s it for us, gang! Thank you so much for having us and we hope you’ll subscribe to #girlgang and come say hi on Instagram and Twitter!
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