BUST: For Women With Something To Get Off Their Chests

Highlights from the She the People Presidential Forum

By Emma Davey In Feminism On Apr 25, 2019

Yesterday, She the People hosted a presidential forum at Texas Southern University in Houston, featuring eight of the Democratic candidates: Cory Booker, Julian Castro, Kamala Harris, Beto O'Rourke, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Tulsi Gabbard and Amy Klobuchar. She the People describes itself as “a national network connecting women of color to transform our democracy...elevating and amplifying the voice and power of women of color as leaders, political strategists, organizers, and voters.” The event was… Read more

Week Of Women: April 26-May 2, 2019

By Lydia Wang In Entertainment On Apr 25, 2019

We’ve got an amazing line-up of fresh pop culture picks to bring you from April to May! From Jenna Wortham to female politicians to Stevie Nicks making history, it’s a pretty great week of women. Here are just some of our top choices. MOVIES/TV Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony The 2019 ceremony will be premiering on HBO! Celebrate Stevie Nicks and Janet Jackson earning their rightful spots in the Hall of Fame this Saturday, April 27. Knock Down the House In this highly buzzed-about documentary, filmmaker… Read more

Lunachicks Recall Fighting Sexism with Sisterhood

By The LUNACHICKS In Music On Apr 25, 2019

We formed the Lunachicks in 1988 as teenagers—four best friends from New York City who were obsessed with music and each other. Being in a band allowed us to devote all our free time to both of those things. That was the extent of our agenda. We had no idea what we were in for. Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth caught one of our earliest gigs and wanted to produce us. We didn’t know who they were and never heard of Sonic Youth, not to mention we could barely play our instruments, but it didn’t matter. Holy… Read more

The Girls' Guide To Morongo Basin, California

By BUST Magazine In Living On Apr 25, 2019

A few hours from Los Angeles, 40 minutes north of Palm Springs, is the Morongo Basin, home to a handful of high desert small towns that act as an escape for city folk and boast a community of artists and outdoors lovers. Places like Joshua Tree, Morongo Valley, Yucca Valley, Landers, and Twentynine Palms are notoriously affordable by Southern California standards, making them a draw for many women—a cool, safe place where we can also own property. It’s no surprise, then, that many of the local businesses are… Read more

Director Aly Migliori’s Feminist “Twist” On The Thriller Genre

By Molly MacGilbert In Movies On Apr 25, 2019

The sky is black, the suburban streets are lit only by sporadic street lights, and your only way home is by your own legs and wits. To some, this would be an inconvenience; to others, it’d be an endangerment. Gender tends to play a role in this distinction. The tensions—and potential terrors— that can permeate girls’ everyday experiences are so ingrained, they are often dismissed. Director Aly Migliori’s third short film, the 10-minute thriller Twist, illuminates the unspoken, the unseen, and the uncertain in the female… Read more

Gaby Dunn And Allison Raskin On Female Friendships, Mental Health, And Dating: BUST Interview

By Kat McQuade In Entertainment On Apr 25, 2019

Gaby Dunn and Allison Raskin are paving the way for female comedians on the Internet. Starting out as fan favorites on BuzzFeed, in 2015 the comedy duo left the company to start their own popular YouTube channel Just Between Us (JBU). The channel was an instant hit with its advice show format and numerous skits in which the two portray exaggerated versions of themselves. In each episode, they discuss topics including feminism, friendship, LGBT issues, and dating. Both women are hilarious, but as they’ve been moving… Read more

Mall Jewelry Stores Have Been A Diamond Mine Of Pay Discrimination And Sexual Harassment

By Francesca Volpe In Feminism On Apr 24, 2019

If you’ve ever set foot in a mall or turned on a TV, you’re probably familiar with the words: “Every Kiss Begins With Kay,” “He Went To Jared” and “Zales: The Diamond Store.” You’ve probably seen the cheesy, heteronormative commercials involving a man surprising his wide-eyed girlfriend/fiancé/wife with a sparkly piece of jewelry, illustrating his love and devotion to her. And, as a result of these commercials, you’re probably familiar with the notion that this is how you treasure women--with sweeping gestures… Read more

How To Finesse The Best Reproductive Health Care During The Trump Years

By BUST Magazine In Sex On Apr 24, 2019

IT’S BEEN NEARLY 50 years since the United States Supreme Court decided Roe v. Wade, the landmark case that protects a woman’s right to abortion. The 1973 ruling didn’t guarantee your abortion access, however; instead, it set up a legal framework that lets states regulate the procedure and timelines—ostensibly in the name of “protecting” your health and the viability of the fetus. In short, while your choice may be constitutionally protected, in the decades since Roe, anti-choice legislators have chipped away at… Read more

Saudi Women Uber Drivers Now Have The Choice To Decline Men Passengers

By Gretchen Sterba In Feminism On Apr 24, 2019

It was just less than a year ago in June 2018 when the ban on women driving in Saudi Arabia was lifted, and now, Uber is piloting a new feature for their female drivers–giving them the choice to reject men passengers and pick up women riders only. The new feature, called Women Preferred View, will roll out this fall and is available for all female drivers, according to CNN. In a recent study done by the rideshare company in partnership with marketing research leader Ipsos, findings show that 31 percent of those… Read more

How The 19th Century Recognized Their Obligation To Proper Animal Welfare

By Mimi Matthews In Living On Apr 24, 2019

There was no official Earth Day in the 19th century, but scholars, essayists, and theologians often pondered the solemn duty that man owed to the natural world. Admittedly, these ponderings were not generally focused on environmental issues such as the effects of greenhouse gases. Instead, those in the 19th century—and Victorians especially—focused on conservation and man’s treatment of animals. The 19th century was a turning point in terms of how Western society viewed the treatment of animals. In 1800, the first… Read more

All Retrogrades Are Not The Same—5 Astrologers Explain Why Pluto Retrograde Might Be The Energy We Need

By Lisa Stardust In Living On Apr 23, 2019

From April 24th until October 2nd, metamorphic planet Pluto will be moonwalking backwards in the sign of Capricorn. Pluto entered the pre-retrograde zone on January 1st and will exit its post-retrograde degrees on January 23rd, 2020. We are retracing our steps along the path of personal evolution, transformation, and even interpersonal relationships. It’s important to note, that most of us have Pluto retrograde in our natal charts. As Astrologer and Host of “Ghost of a Podcast,” Jessica Lanyadoo, states, “All… Read more

DAWN Continues To Flex Her Versatility On "New Breed"

By BUST Magazine In Music On Apr 23, 2019

DAWNnew breed(Local Action Records) DAWN (aka Dawn Richard) opens her fifth solo album, new breed, with a My So-Called Life reference. If that’s not reason enough to listen to it in its entirety, then what is? Well, her hypnotic voice is another reason, as evidenced by cuts like the title track and “Dreams and Converse.” Meanwhile, songs like “Spaces” and “Sauce” thoroughly utilize strong production to show the versatility of her vocals. Even the “Outro” is full of vibes. Considering Richard has co-written and… Read more

Netflix's "Someone Great" Highlights The Power Of Bouncing Back With Girlfriends

By Jacinda Mia Perez In Movies On Apr 23, 2019

Someone Great, written and directed by Jennifer Kaityn Robinson, is the feminist-friendly Netflix film that disrupts the paradigm of a traditional rom-com. It’s a story that speaks to a generation living in an age of individualism, a time when self-love has reached an unprecedented level of importance. The self-love revolution has boosted our emotional intelligence, which has made us question the patterns and values that our parents and grandparents lived by. This is not a story about a man and woman who were meant to… Read more

How Well Do You Know Penny Marshall? Take This Quiz To Find Out!

By BUST Magazine In Feminism On Apr 23, 2019

When actor/director/producer Penny Marshall passed away at the end of 2018, the world lost a comedy giant whose work changed both TV and film forever. Think you know what drove Penny to do it her way? Then take the quiz! 1. Carole Penny Marshall was born on October 15, 1943, in what N.Y.C. borough?a. Brooklyn b. Queensc. The Bronx d. Staten Island 2. Penny’s most famous acting role was on the sitcom Laverne & Shirley. What character did she play?a. Laverne b. Shirleyc. Neither d. Both 3. Which of the following… Read more

Big Freedia Hustles In Salt Cathedral’s “Go And Get It”

By Kat McQuade In Music On Apr 22, 2019

Today the New York-based Colombian duo Salt Cathedral (Juli Ronderos and Nicolas Losada) released the music video for their latest single, “Go and Get It.” The song features LGBTQ rapper–and BUST fave– Big Freedia and singer Jarina de Marco. As a hustling anthem for the immigrant experience, Salt Cathedral says: “Since we came to this country we worked to open doors constantly by hustling like crazy. Having Jarina and Freedia be part of this and bring their magic into it makes the message and emotion extra powerful. We… Read more

Everything You Need To Know About Elizabeth Warren's Student Loan Debt Erasure Plan So Far

By Gretchen Sterba In Living On Apr 22, 2019

If Elizabeth Warren wins the 2020 Election, college students and those carrying student debt will rejoice everywhere. On Monday, the Massachusetts senator announced her plan to use her wealth tax to wipe out most student loan debt, and eliminate tuition for all public two and four year colleges (an idea initially introduced by Bernie Sanders during the 2016 election). Her plan would also create a fund of at least $50 billion for historically black colleges and universities. According to CNBC, the Democratic… Read more

"F*** Tradition": Brienne of Tarth Gets Her Due On "Game of Thrones"

By Kat McQuade In TV On Apr 22, 2019

This past Sunday, everyone’s favorite woman warrior, Brienne of Tarth, was officially knighted. Now Ser Brienne, Game of Thrones fans can take comfort in the fact that Gwendoline Christie’s iconic character now has the respect and title she deserves. Game of Thrones has been both praised as a feminist show and criticized as being un-feminist. The past two seasons have garnered critical acclaim for the feminist themes presented in the show, with the majority of the surviving leaders being women. In the second episode of… Read more

Lizzo's Audio Went Out Again This Weekend At Coachella — But She Still Killed It

By Gretchen Sterba In Entertainment On Apr 22, 2019

Lizzo is having a triumphant weekend: she released her album Cuz I Love You last Friday, which went to number one on iTunes (and surpassed Beyonce’s Homecoming album), but when Coachella’s audio went amiss during her set last Sunday, she didn’t miss a beat. “If they ain’t gonna get the music right, I’m gonna get the music right... That’s why I got my music major,” she said during her set, as she continued to trudge through her hit single “Juice” with her flute, nicknamed Sasha, in tow. She performed the rest of the… Read more

This Designer Mined Her Heritage To Make Modern, Meaningful Clothing

By BUST Magazine In Style On Apr 22, 2019

FAMILY TIES In September 2017, Lesley Ware, a Brooklyn-based designer, educator, and author (Sew Fab and My Fab Fashion Style File), drove her then-83-year-old dad from her hometown of Muskegon, MI, to Lexington, KY, where her enslaved ancestors had lived in the mid-1800s. “Dad showed me where he, his father, and his grandfather had farmed; the home of the only Black doctor in town; the place where he collected rocks with his older sister Etta; and even a tree near where his mother had given birth to him,” she says. “I… Read more

Abjects Refuse To Hold Back On "Never Give Up"

By BUST Magazine In Music On Apr 22, 2019

ABJECTSNever Give Up(Yippee Ki Yay) For a jolt of straightforward garage-punk, Abjects has your number. With band members hailing from Spain, Japan, and Italy, the group began in London in 2013 where it began mixing driven, occasionally thrashy classic punk with glints of J-Pop sensibilities, and three-part harmonies as rallying cries. The pacing on the Spanish-language procrastination track “Mañana” nods enthusiastically to the Monks. Elsewhere, buzzing, tense riffs are reminiscent of the Cramps with pleasing chord… Read more

Jenna Wortham from "The New York Times" is a Total Boss on BUST's "Poptarts" Podcast

By Emily Rems In Poptarts On Apr 22, 2019

Jenna Wortham is a technology reporter and staff writer for The New York Times Magazine. She co-hosts the New York Times podcast Still Processing with Wesley Morris, and just before her rise to fame at the Times, she was one of BUST’s superstar freelancers, interviewing Diablo Cody, Solange Knowles, and Sarah Silverman for us all in 2008 alone. We are so thrilled by her success and in this episode of BUST’s Poptarts podcast, we chat with her about Black excellence in pop culture, the importance of self-care while… Read more

11 Mystical Items To Treat Yourself To This Spring

By Lisa Stardust In Living On Apr 19, 2019

As we graze through Spring, we encounter major astrological phenomenons such as the retrograde, planetary changes, and the discovery of the Black Hole in space. The best way to survive the upcoming cosmic energy is to use the following projects to aid in such transformational energies—if only to help us manifest our goals and to get our seasonal groove back! Let’s start off our list with “White Sage” from The Hoodwitch to cleanse ourselves, our homes, and personal space. The act of lighting sage, call smudging, gets… Read more

Grief, Aliens, And The Apocalypse Converge In “Starfish”

By Deborah Krieger In Movies On Apr 19, 2019

“My name is Aubrey Parker. I broke into my dead friend’s apartment. Who the fuck are you?” Aubrey (Virginia Gardner) says combatively to a walkie-talkie she found by her friend’s bed in a wood-paneled, cabin-like dream of a bedroom. It’s New Year’s Eve and Aubrey’s best friend Grace is dead, leaving behind a group of mourners, a tombstone with the epitaph “Always Right,” and a secret task that she expected Aubrey to be able find out about and carry out. In response, Aubrey has barricaded herself in Grace’s apartment,… Read more

"Little Woods" Is A Stunning Film About Sisterhood

By BUST Magazine In Movies On Apr 19, 2019

Little WoodsWritten and directed by Nia DaCostaOut April 19 Writer/director Nia DaCosta’s first feature film is a drama centered around two sisters, Ollie (Tessa Thompson) and Deb (Lily James), living below the poverty line in fictional Little Woods, North Dakota. Ollie is on probation after an arrest for illegally bringing prescription pills for her terminally ill mother (and a few others) over the Canadian border. Since her arrest and her mother’s death, Ollie has been getting by selling coffee and breakfast food and… Read more

The Unbelievable True Story Of Mata Hari, The Original Femme Fatale

By F Yeah History In Living On Apr 19, 2019

Mata Hari’s life has blockbuster written all over it. Honestly, it’s Oscar bait at its finest: A SMALL TOWN GIRL FINDS INTERNATIONAL FAME AS AN EXOTIC DANCER AT THE TURN OF THE 20TH CENTURY. SHE TAKES LOVERS FROM ACROSS EUROPE AND IS PRIVY TO SECRETS OF GLOBAL SUPERPOWERS. BUT HER GLITTERING WORLD COMES CRASHING DOWN WHEN SHE IS DISCOVERED TO BE A GERMAN SPY. SHE IS CAPTURED, IMPRISONED, AND TAKES HER FINAL BOW IN FRONT OF A FIRING SQUAD IN A SMALL CORNER OF FRANCE. It’s Hollywood gold dust! A blockbuster biopic in the… Read more

The Shondes' "True North" Video Is A Mashup Of Tradition And Activism

By Francesca Volpe In Music On Apr 19, 2019

Passover starts tonight, and you can kick off the celebrations like The Shondes do in their music video for “True North,” from the band’s 2016 album, Brighton. Formed in 2006 by best friends Louisa Rachel Solomon and Elijah Oberman, the Brooklyn-based feminist rock band are known for their gritty, riot grrrl sound, Jewish influences, and political activism. The video smoothly weaves themes of peace, liberation, acceptance, and identity with Passover traditions. Shots of the band (featuring Solomon on vocals/bass,… Read more

"Family" Is Full Of Laughs (And Juggalos)

By BUST Magazine In Movies On Apr 19, 2019

Family Written and directed by Laura Steinel Out April 19 In Family, protagonist Kate (Taylor Schilling) is so hyper-focused on career that she puts family last—and believes her co-workers should, too. She makes fun of her assistant for letting her adult brother move in with her; she voices doubts that a colleague about to take maternity leave will ever return to work; and she advises a new hire that to get ahead, her job has to become her entire life. Then she gets a call from her brother: his wife has a family… Read more

9 Of TV's Best Unproblematic Male Characters

By Gretchen Sterba In TV On Apr 19, 2019

We live in a world with a multitude of fictional male characters on television who are problematic faves. Take Luke Danes from Gilmore Girls, who has a history of slut-shaming Lorelai and spewing homophobic comments. Or Ezra Fitz from Pretty Little Liars — super hot, but also stalks a 16-year-old girl when he’s her teacher. And Jim Halpert from The Office can be adorable and highly favored, but sometimes he can straight up be a dick to Pam, like when he makes huge, life-altering decisions without her. Sometimes, we… Read more

Stealing Sheep Addresses Life In The Digital Age On "Big Wows"

By BUST Magazine In Music On Apr 19, 2019

STEALING SHEEP Big Wows (Heavenly Recordings) On Big Wows, Stealing Sheep departs from the familiar, exploring life with technology in the digital age. The band excels both instrumentally and lyrically, building neon pop with drum machines, synthesizers, and sequencers. There is serious storytelling here that plays between optimistic and cynical, with a conversational bend that makes each track easy to hang onto. “Girl” gives a percussive nod to Oingo Boingo, while “Just Dreaming” turns inward. The single, “Jokin’ Me,”… Read more

Week Of Women: April 19-25, 2019

By Lydia Wang In Entertainment On Apr 18, 2019

It’s Beyoncé week! If you’ve already seen the Netflix doc and listened to the album start to finish, don’t worry: we have a lot of other recs for you this week, too, from a new Tessa Thompson film to even more music by Lizzo. Enjoy! MOVIES/TV Homecoming Out now on Netflix, Homecoming offers a full and behind-the-scenes look into Beyoncé’s Beychella performance at last year’s Coachella. Stay tuned for more coverage on BUST.com. Little Woods Tessa Thompson and Lily James play sisters grappling with financial struggles in… Read more

Sunflower Bean's Latest EP Is Pure Fun

By BUST Magazine In Music On Apr 18, 2019

SUNFLOWER BEAN King of the Dudes (Mom + Pop) On Sunflower Bean’s new EP, King of the Dudes, the New York trio abandons some of the gloom of its debut EP, Show Me Your Seven Secrets, and strikes out toward something that sounds a lot more like fun. “King of the Dudes” is a ’70s-tinged kiss-off anthem, “Fear City” burbles over with one of the best melodic hooks the band has ever produced, and “Come For Me” features bolts of four-on-the-floor guitar that sound like (dare I invoke him?) early Prince. At times, the gender… Read more

Danielle Paige Is Bringing Women’s Stories To The Forefront Of Comics

By Isabel S. Dieppa In Books On Apr 18, 2019

During the dawn of comics we usually learned the origin story of female characters through the point of view of their male counterparts. Lois Lane exists in relation to Superman, and the same goes for other famous women in comics—it has taken a long time for female characters to have their own autonomy. DC Ink is changing this in a large way. The new imprint geared towards YA audiences has launched an entire series of graphic novels with all-new origin stories, written by women, starring women. The first to launch the… Read more

Kristen Roupenian Lives Up To The Hype In "You Know You Want This"

By BUST Magazine In Books On Apr 18, 2019

You Know You Want This: “Cat Person” and Other StoriesBy Kristen Roupenian(Gallery/Scout Press) Author Kristen Roupenian became an overnight literary sensation last year with the publication of her short story “Cat Person” in The New Yorker. But her new collection proves that her meteoric rise is backed up by an exacting eye for power and sexuality, desire and shame, and public versus private moments. A man grapples with his relationship history after his latest breakup turns violent. A woman tries to overcome her urge… Read more

From Blasey Ford to Kavanaugh: The Highs And Lows Of TIME’s 100 List

By Zoë Naseef In Entertainment On Apr 17, 2019

Reading the TIME 100 Most Influential People List was a roller coaster of emotions. Many people took to Twitter this morning to point out the insensitivity of having Christine Blasey Ford on the same list as her perpetrator, Brett Kavanaugh. The list has some very exciting highs like Tessa Thompson writing about Brie Larson, and Emma González writing about Greta Thunberg, and some low lows like Chris Christie writing about Donald Trump, and Rod Rosenstein writing about William Barr. Although the list is technically… Read more

These Easter Bonnets Were Must-Haves In The Late 19th Century

By Mimi Matthews In Style On Apr 17, 2019

In the nineteenth century, Easter Sunday was an occasion for ladies of all classes to don their most fashionable bonnets. Some of these bonnets were specially bought for the holiday. Others were old bonnets made up with new trimmings. In either circumstance, Easter bonnets were as essential to celebrating Easter as were eggs and bunnies. An 1889 edition of the Ladies Home Journal even went so far as to declare that it was “an accepted fact that every woman who can buy or make a dainty bonnet for Easter-day must wear… Read more

Advice From An Entrepreneur On What Venture Capital Is And How To Get It

By BUST Magazine In Living On Apr 17, 2019

KAT SCHNEIDER WAS four months pregnant when she took a hard look at her pre-natal vitamins and didn’t like what she found: unnecessary ingredients and questionable sourcing. She saw a hole in the $36 billion vitamins and supplements market and her entrepreneurial spirit kicked in. Schneider raised $1.3 million on the strength of her idea for Ritual—a high-quality, sourcing-transparent, subscription-based vitamin service for women. She had worked in venture capital (VC), which made her fundraising effort easier, but… Read more

“Menstrual Surveillance” - The Dark Side of Fertility Tracking Apps

By Emma Davey In Feminism On Apr 17, 2019

In case you forgot that we are living in a surveillance state and being a woman or nonbinary person in general sometimes sucks, here’s a gentle reminder that the period tracking app that you might be relying on (for obvious reasons) might have an agenda that you don’t know about. Ovia Health is a family planning app that can help people monitor their fertility and pregnancy, but according to the Washington Post, companies can pay to access their employees' information. The data is aggregated and anonymous, though that… Read more

Mercury Rev's 'The Delta Sweete Revisited' Is A Timely Reimagining of Bobbie Gentry's Masterwork

By BUST Magazine In Music On Apr 16, 2019

MERCURY REVThe Delta Sweete Revisited (Partisan Records/BellaUnion) In 1967, Bobbie Gentry released her epic “Ode To Billy Joe,” and quickly became a star. Gentry’s follow-up album, 1968’s The Delta Sweete, was a sophisticated, swampy, country-rock opera about life in the Deep South. Now, 50 years later, indie band Mercury Rev and an all-star cast of musicians has resurrected the often-overlooked collection. There are several standout vocal performances here, including Hope Sandoval’s “Big Boss Man,” Lætitia Sadier’s… Read more

The Secret Clothes-Designing  Life of Amelia Earhart

By BUST Magazine In Style On Apr 16, 2019

Eighty-plus years after her death, Amelia Earhart is still the world’s most famous female pilot. It’s easy to understand why. The first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic, she died doing what she loved in a 1937 attempt to circumnavigate the world. To finance her flying habit, Earhart authored books, gave lectures, endorsed products from chewing gum to luggage, and penned articles for Cosmopolitan, then used her celebrity to support the Equal Rights Amendment and encourage other women to fly. She did all this while… Read more

Priests Sacrifice Their Punk Past On "The Seduction of Kansas"

By BUST Magazine In Music On Apr 15, 2019

PRIESTS The Seduction of Kansas(Sister Polygon) Though Priests has been playing seething, smart post-punk since 2011, it was 2017’s Nothing Feels Natural that proved the band is making the most interesting political music around. The Seduction of Kansas ups the ante with dizzying guitar work and a critical, smirking outlook, examining artifacts of Americana that distort as you get close. Opening banger “Jesus’ Son” proclaims, “I’m young and dumb and full of come...I think I’m gonna hurt someone.” The poppy title track… Read more

Why Trump Attacking Ilhan Omar Is An Issue For All Women Of Color In Congress

By Gretchen Sterba In Feminism On Apr 15, 2019

When Donald Trump posted a now-viral video on Twitter last Friday, intermixing Representative Ilhan Omar with the World Trade Towers ablaze, he blatantly created anti-Muslim propaganda. In the video, Omar rightfully expresses the Islamophobia she has endured, as well as many Muslim Americans, since the 9/11 attacks. “CAIR [Council on American-Islamic Relations] was founded after 9/11 because they recognize that some people did something,” Omar says in the video. Omar is cut off by shots of the Twin Towers burning and… Read more

Amber Heard Provides New Detailed Accounts of Violent Abuse By Johnny Depp

By Elise Zimmerman In Feminism On Apr 15, 2019

In August of 2016, Amber Heard made a brave decision and divorced her abusive husband Johnny Depp. Following the allegations of abuse, many people did not believe her. Unfortunately, it’s a tale as old as time—people choose not to believe victims not only as a way to justify their continued support for abusers, but also out of a downright lack of empathy. Later, in December of 2018, Heard wrote a detailed opinion piece for the Washington Post that delved into her own experiences as a victim of domestic abuse, without… Read more

Trump's Transgender Military Ban Goes Into Effect

By Kat McQuade In General On Apr 15, 2019

Back in January, the Supreme Court decided to revive Donald Trump’s ban on transgender military personnel. The edited version of the ban went into effect this past Friday. Under the ban’s terms, transgender individuals must receive an official diagnosis of gender dysphoria and have had it submitted by April 12th to continue serving openly. If not, transgender members of the military must serve as the gender they were assigned at birth or be forced to leave service. Around 15,000 transgender people will be affected by… Read more

Chaka Khan's "Hello Happiness" Connects Retro And Futuristic Vibes

By BUST Magazine In Music On Apr 15, 2019

CHAKA KHANHello Happiness(Diary Records/Island Records) It’s been over a decade since the legendary Chaka Khan released a solo album. She returns with Hello Happiness, a project that blends her inimitably classic vocals with modern-day soundscapes. The title track features soul, funk, and synths, while “Like a Lady” brings a retro-meets-futuristic vibe. The distortions on “Don’t Cha Know” and “Too Hot” are nothing short of masterful. Other songs like the intoxicating “Like Sugar” and the smooth “Ladylike” prove Khan… Read more

Cutting-Edge Looks Modeled By New Orleans’ New Creative Class

By BUST Magazine In Style On Apr 15, 2019

CRESCENT CITY COOL Photographer Sarrah Danziger casted real NOLA artist, styled by other NOLA artist in this bold shoot for BUST. ALLI LOGOUT @totaltwitFilmmaker, Artist, and Lead Singer of the Band Special Interest Styled by Brandon Kafarela @tooflako Habit Chain Mail LoinCloth; Depravity Leather Custom Bra And Garter Belt; Pleaser Patent Leather Knee-High Boots; Fishnets: Model’s Own; Leather Glove: Stylist’s Own. JAMI GIROUARD @yung.hussyDesigner and Artist Styled by Jami GirouardSet By Meredith Younger… Read more

Ohio's Governor Just Signed One Of The Harshest Abortion Bills In America

By Francesca Volpe In Feminism On Apr 12, 2019

Another measure to destroy women’s reproductive rights has been enacted into law, The New York Times reports. This week the Ohio House of Representatives passed what’s known as the “heartbeat bill,” one of the most oppressive abortion bills in the country. An unquestionable attack on Roe v. Wade, the bill criminalizes performing abortions when a fetal heartbeat can be detected. The bill will now head to the Ohio Senate. Doctors who perform an abortion on a fetus with a heartbeat would be charged with a fifth-degree… Read more

Polly Rosenwaike Explores Motherhood In "Look How Happy I'm Making You": BUST Interview

By Margot Kahn In Books On Apr 12, 2019

Polly Rosenwaike’s debut story collection, Look How Happy I’m Making You, examines the period of early motherhood. Her characters are women in the throes of all aspects of reproduction—from breastfeeding to infertility, from morning sickness to abortion—and she portrays them not with the time-honored air-brush of pale pinks and blues, but in a bold palate full of contrasts, with candid, emotional empathy and raw somatic rigor. There is blood and discharge and spit-up. There are sore parts and torn parts; there are… Read more

A Men's Prison Group In California Is Learning About bell hooks

By Emma Davey In Feminism On Apr 12, 2019

There’s a group program in the Correctional Training Facility in Soledad, California that’s not your typical men’s prison group. Success Stories is a group with the goal of understanding the patriarchy, and more specifically, how it affects the lives of the inmates. The group was founded by Richie Reseda and Charles Berry in 2013. Many of the materials were largely based on bell hooks’ The Will to Change and We Real Cool. Richie, who has since been released, had been involved in intersectional feminist activism before… Read more

Kathleen Collins' Posthumous Collection Is A Necessary Read

By BUST Magazine In Books On Apr 12, 2019

Notes From a Black Woman’s Diary: Selected Works of Kathleen CollinsBy Kathleen Collins(Ecco) Relatively unknown during her life, Kathleen Collins (1942-1988) is a writer whose work was first made available in 2016 with the posthumous publication of her short-story collection, Whatever Happened to Interracial Love? Her second book, Notes from a Black Woman’s Diary, is a timely follow-up for readers already acquainted with Collins, and a brilliant introduction for new readers. These selected works, affectionately edited… Read more

In "Elsewhere, Home," Characters Grapple With Homesickness, Love, And Assimilation

By BUST Magazine In Books On Apr 12, 2019

Elsewhere, Home By Leila Aboulela(Grove Press/Black Cat) Author Leila Aboulela takes readers from Khartoum, Sudan, to Aberdeen, Scotland, and back in Elsewhere, Home, a collection of 13 stories about belonging, human connection, and the complexities of leaving home. Though Aboulela’s subjects range in age and background, there’s a link: all of them grapple with homesickness, love, and assimilation. Aboulela addresses these themes through characters including Samra, a young woman who, while flying back to Khartoum, runs… Read more