THIS IS THE FUTURE THAT LIBERALS WANT

You know it's going to be a quality post when the title is based on a meme (1/2 jk).

Listen. I pride myself with being honest when I write, so let me set the record straight: this is the blog post I have been trying to avoid making, and it scares me shitless that I'm literally typing it right now, sans outlines or drafts.

It seems so easy to live as if you're in a bubble, especially on the internet. It can be so easy scrolling past headlines, all of which bear bad news anyway, and continue to live like nothing's wrong; let's talk about clothes or feelings or teenage angst or something else, can't we just be normal teenage girls for a second?

But normal teenage girls don't just sit around and talk about clothes and feelings and teenage angst and something else, especially in this world - whoever planted the notion that we don't deserve a seat at the adults table? It's all so easy, covering our eyes whenever something slightly upsetting comes on the news; all so easy to pretend that whatever's happening doesn't affect us even in the slightest. You're a teenage girl, you shouldn't worry about that.

The societal stereotype that teenage girls are hormonal and irrational and however the fuck movies portray us as not only hurts our chance of ever being taken seriously, but also makes us afraid to speak out in the first place. By taking what we believe in and crumpling it, scoffing what do you know anyway, you unknowingly minimize our voices. Do you know how much guts it took for me to write all this? I'm so afraid of talking about social issues because what if I get it wrong? What if my activism doesn't matter enough and my interests, yet again, get diverted to clothes and feelings and teenage angst and something else? Desensitized at the face of oppression - that's what we're expected to be, and unfortunately, what we've become.

Apathy has no difference with siding with the oppressor, and staying silent at times like these is what makes us easy to tyrannize. Lalalalala I can't hear your maltreatment and victimization because I'm covered with all this privilege! Global warming isn't real because I was cold today! World hunger is over because I just ate! You've probably heard this already, but let me just say it one more time: just because it isn't happening to you, doesn't mean it's not happening. Surprise - the world doesn't actually revolve around you!

Fighting against oppression has never been made more accessible. Feminism isn't a top secret underground social movement with top secret meetings in top secret places; it's a trend. It's in the streets, it's in your twitter feed, it's on your favorite movie star's latest interview. Feminists are not just UNICEF ambassadors or humanitarians who can erect schools in third world nations - it's anyone who cares. And you're telling me, that despite all this, you remain neutral?

Stay aware. Google is literally a free thing that literally exists right there in your hands, and sure, not everything you read on the internet is true, but that doesn't mean nothing in it is real. Activism in the 21st century is not only on the streets; it's on screens, 24/7, 365. Take part.

I know we're far from winning, but the only time we lose is when we stop resisting. Today, we fight - until tomorrow and the day after that and the day after that and all the days to come. We fight until the future we want becomes the present we have.

Anyway, what better way to celebrate International Women's Day than with pictures of ourselves (inspired by one of my favorite quotes ever) and this unstructured spontaneous essay fueled by my perpetual rage against people who still think feminism is an agenda by lazy liberals who just want free tampons?

These photos are outtakes from my latest post for Unfurled Mag and!!! can u believe!!!! ya girl made it to an online magazine as a staff contributor!!!! The editorial staff are currently taking a break but posts will be published on a more regular interval soon, so watchu still doin in my crap blog when you can read everything on there!!! amaze i love humans so much

And!! as part of my writing resolution or whatever the fuck, I promise I will write better shit with more positive messages I swear I swear. I wrote this in like two hours on a whim so let me publish it before I regret it.