“Femme Voices” Spotlight: Island Couple, Shannon and Shanika

Posted on April 22, 2019 by The Glam Femme-inist

Shannon and Shanika, our next “Femme Voices” spotlight, are a femme couple living and loving in their native island, Jamaica. Shannon, a nursing student, and Shanika, a musician, are best friends and consider themselves to be twin flames after being reconnected via one fateful Instagram DM. They talk to us about their dreams and aspirations as individuals and as a couple. Their view on relationships and their energy-focused self-care methods allow them to have the capacity to love one another effortlessly, in the midst of an environment that isn’t exactly receptive to who they are. Shannon and Shanika share the things they are passionate about and their inspiring love story below!

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“Femme Voices” Spotlight: Birth Worker, Sunny of “Yoniverse Talks”

Posted on March 25, 2019 by The Glam Femme-inist

Sunny is this week’s “Femme Voices” feature! Founder of “Yoniverse Talks”, Sunny is a birth worker who started her business after realizing how poorly women of color are treated when they seek medical treatment and the skyrocketing mortality rate of Black women during childbirth. Sunny offers many services, teachings, and products to help women through their fertility issues, childbirth journies, and even their trauma. Yoniverse Talks is centered around the idea that women of color must rally together to work towards healing and gaining access to safer and better quality healthcare.

Read on for more about Sunny and Yoniverse Talks!

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“Femme Voices” Artist Spotlight: Photographer, Zoha Van de aarde

Posted on February 25, 2019 by The Glam Femme-inist

Zoha Van de aarde is this week’s “Femme Voices” feature interview. They are a photographer whose art is both provocative and beautiful. Zoha primarily photographs women of color, as they believe they deserve more representation, especially in a light that showcases who they are and not how the outside world perceives them to be. A creative at heart, Zoha constructs their shoots from concept to completion and enjoys collaborating with their subjects on different themes. In this way, they endeavor to inspire those who view their art and those involved in helping create it.

Read more about this gifted photographer below the break!

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“Femme Voices” Artist Spotlight: Interview with Visual Artist, Avery Webster-Hobbs

Posted on February 4, 2019 by The Glam Femme-inist

Credit: Andre Cerezo

Avery Webster-Hobbs is our next “Femme Voices” feature interview. This artist uses bold colors to paint pieces that celebrate the feminine form. She focuses on a more natural aesthetic in her portraits, both with the backdrop and the figures that are the center of her “Femme Fuzze” designs. Avery’s art challenges the status quo on what is acceptable for those who possess a femme identity. As someone who values the support of a community, she uses her artistry to partner with small businesses in Brooklyn and encourages other artists to put their work out there as she has done.

Read below to learn more about Avery!

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“Femme Voices” Feature: Interview with Multifaceted Intern Doctor, Sipho-Sabo

Posted on January 28, 2019 by The Glam Femme-inist

This interview is very meaningful to me because when I came across Sipho-Sabo’s Instagram (@batwoman_z), I was struck with how confidently she embraces all aspects of her identity. I admired that and wished I had known someone like her when I was younger. This interview is important because although Sipho-Sabo is in the beginning stages of her career, and will no doubt change the world someday, right now I know there are other queer Black girls who need to hear that it’s OK to fully be yourself, on your own terms.

Read on to learn more about Sipho-Sabo!

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“Femme Voices” Spotlight: Interview with Fashion-Forward Health Educator, Tanekwah Hinds

Posted on November 27, 2018 by Patricia Martin

It is my pleasure to introduce the next “Femme Voices” feature, Tanekwah Hinds, a health educator and community organizer who uses her fashion choices to challenge the binary aesthetic. Not only does she have a great personal style, but she is also the Women’s Health Program Coordinator at Fenway Health, which is dedicated to the health of the LGBTQ+ community in Boston.

In this position, Tanekwah was honored with the Healthy Community Leadership Award from the Boston Alliance for Community Health (BACH) for all of her work the past year, which included organizing several events in the community. We asked Tanekwah about her work and the intersection between personal style, identity, and well-being. Click below for our interview with her!

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“Femme Voices” Artist Spotlight: Interview with Illustrator, Decolonial Killjoy

Posted on November 12, 2018 by Patricia Martin

Nandi (aka @Decolonial_Killjoy) is a very talented and passionate queer artist in Vienna whose art immediately caught my eye on Instagram. When I saw how she seamlessly infuses her creativity with social justice and empowering others, I knew that I had to share her work and her story with The Glam Femme community. Click below for her full interview!

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Fashion: A Creative Passion (Coverage of En Noire, Walk, and Small Boutique Fashion Shows)

Posted on March 5, 2018 by The Glam Femme-inist

While fashion can be glamorous and fun, the reality is it’s a lot of hard work that requires tons of dedication and persistence. Whether you’re a designer, a model, or a stylist, adding a bit of creativity and a lot of luck can give you a successful career. The past couple of months, I’ve attended several fashion shows and I got to see firsthand how fascinating, beautiful, and exhausting the fashion industry can be. But like other creative endeavors, it is a business that is fulfilling in its many rewards but cannot always be measured by traditional standards of success. Read on to see all of the fabulous runway looks and some behind-the-scenes interviews!

The Glam Femm*inist @ En Noir Fashion Show, Philadelphia

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My Holiday Wishlist – Gifts Under $100

Posted on December 15, 2017 by The Glam Femme-inist

As adults, the holidays are more about spending time with family, friends, and loved ones than receiving gifts. In fact, in my family, we do a Secret Santa gift-exchange so that the focus isn’t on fighting through the massive crowds at the mall and stressing out, trying to find the perfect present for each and every family member. So, because of this, I usually don’t spend a lot of time thinking about what I want for the holidays.

But this year, I decided to go old-school, if even just for myself, and make a holiday wishlist just like when I was a kid. All but one item is under $100 and there’s a good mix of practical and fun stuff too. So if you’re still stuck trying to find the perfect gift for your impossible-to-buy-for loved one or if you’re looking for a holiday gift for yourself, check out my list!

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“Chill out, it was Just a Joke.” – Is America Getting too Sensitive?

Posted on August 15, 2017 by The Glam Femme-inist

I get so annoyed when people complain that America is “getting too sensitive”. What does that even mean? Is it wrong to respect humanity so much that we get upset if anyone commits mental and emotional violence on others with their words and actions? Is it wrong to be concerned that negative ideologies, beliefs, and stereotypes are being reinforced by the media or people who simply like to hear themselves talk?

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy fun and “ratchet” music and TV or a (thoughtful) satire or a sarcastic joke as much as the next person but sometimes humor and entertainment value are used as excuses to continue to cast a blind eye on how marginalized groups are treated and viewed in this country. Sadly, the unwillingness to learn about others takes precedence over understanding others’ experiences in order to simply treat people better. And it doesn’t stop at entertainment and social media. There are many offensive things that take place in our everyday lives that have been so accepted that it is hard to convince people of their harmful nature. Things like work and school micro-aggressions, exclusionary practices, and cultural and ethnic erasure and homogenization are just a few ways we have ingrained ignorance into our existence.

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