1 00:00:05,240 --> 00:00:07,240 Speaker 1: Hey, this is Anny and Samantha. I will put my 2 00:00:07,240 --> 00:00:09,000 Speaker 1: stuff I've never told you product if I heart to you, 3 00:00:18,680 --> 00:00:24,000 Speaker 1: and welcome to another edition of book Club Pride Month edition. 4 00:00:24,120 --> 00:00:26,400 Speaker 1: Although we do talk about this stuff all the time, 5 00:00:26,920 --> 00:00:29,639 Speaker 1: so I will say this is a pretty recent book. 6 00:00:29,640 --> 00:00:33,879 Speaker 1: It came out in twenty sixteen, so spoilers if you 7 00:00:33,920 --> 00:00:37,840 Speaker 1: haven't read it. We are talking about Gabby Rivera's twenty 8 00:00:37,840 --> 00:00:41,920 Speaker 1: sixteen book, Juliette Takes a Breath. It is an award 9 00:00:41,960 --> 00:00:44,640 Speaker 1: winning book. It's really a highly reviewed that. It was 10 00:00:44,640 --> 00:00:49,080 Speaker 1: partially inspired by Rivera's own coming out and feminist journey 11 00:00:49,120 --> 00:00:52,640 Speaker 1: at the age of nineteen, and it is a really 12 00:00:52,680 --> 00:00:56,120 Speaker 1: great coming out story. It's a great coming of age story. 13 00:00:56,200 --> 00:01:00,520 Speaker 1: It's a great figuring out your whole deal story. It 14 00:01:00,600 --> 00:01:04,200 Speaker 1: has themes of family, of being Puerto Rican in America, 15 00:01:04,280 --> 00:01:06,800 Speaker 1: of trying to learn and grow but also realizing what 16 00:01:06,880 --> 00:01:11,800 Speaker 1: doesn't work with you, and finding your own voice. By 17 00:01:11,840 --> 00:01:15,839 Speaker 1: the way, we have talked about Gabby Rivera before because 18 00:01:15,840 --> 00:01:20,520 Speaker 1: she also wrote the solo series America about America Chavez 19 00:01:21,040 --> 00:01:26,240 Speaker 1: for Marvel. So we've done two episodes on America Javaz 20 00:01:26,680 --> 00:01:30,600 Speaker 1: check those out. Who is and this is a quote 21 00:01:30,640 --> 00:01:35,440 Speaker 1: from Rivera's website, a portal punching queer Latina powerhouse. So 22 00:01:36,920 --> 00:01:41,280 Speaker 1: also Rivera hosts Joy Uprising, which is a podcast that 23 00:01:41,560 --> 00:01:45,360 Speaker 1: quote brings together her favorite revolutionary humans to honor joy 24 00:01:45,440 --> 00:01:49,800 Speaker 1: in a chaotic world. So that's cool. And this work 25 00:01:49,920 --> 00:01:52,400 Speaker 1: was adapted into a graphic novel, and we were just 26 00:01:52,480 --> 00:01:56,280 Speaker 1: talking about that. I don't think that episode has come 27 00:01:56,320 --> 00:01:59,680 Speaker 1: out yet, but we were just talking about how we 28 00:02:00,040 --> 00:02:05,360 Speaker 1: joy graphic novels that don't necessarily fit into what you 29 00:02:05,440 --> 00:02:08,280 Speaker 1: might think a graphic novel should look like. So I 30 00:02:08,320 --> 00:02:12,760 Speaker 1: think that's really cool. So let us get into the plot. 31 00:02:13,280 --> 00:02:18,120 Speaker 1: This story largely follows queer Latinx teen Juliette, who has 32 00:02:18,120 --> 00:02:21,040 Speaker 1: grown up in the Bronx, surrounded by her family, like 33 00:02:21,080 --> 00:02:23,919 Speaker 1: has never left the Bronx. During her first year of college, 34 00:02:23,960 --> 00:02:27,960 Speaker 1: she discovered the book Raging Flower Empowering Your Putty by 35 00:02:28,000 --> 00:02:32,400 Speaker 1: Empowering Your Mind by Portland, Oregon based white feminist Harlow 36 00:02:32,440 --> 00:02:36,840 Speaker 1: Brisbane or Brisbane. It was a really important book to her, 37 00:02:37,000 --> 00:02:39,359 Speaker 1: so she writes to Harlow that's how the book opens, 38 00:02:39,760 --> 00:02:43,240 Speaker 1: explaining how much it impacted her, how many questions she has, 39 00:02:43,480 --> 00:02:47,520 Speaker 1: and asks for an internship Harlow offers her one for 40 00:02:47,639 --> 00:02:54,080 Speaker 1: college credits, where Juliette would be helping with Harlow's next book. 41 00:02:54,680 --> 00:02:57,400 Speaker 1: At the same time, juliet is struggling with deciding whether 42 00:02:57,520 --> 00:03:00,240 Speaker 1: or not to come out as a lesbian to her family. 43 00:03:00,960 --> 00:03:05,280 Speaker 1: She is in love with her girlfriend and she is 44 00:03:05,320 --> 00:03:09,440 Speaker 1: weighing on her She hasn't come out. She does come 45 00:03:09,480 --> 00:03:12,720 Speaker 1: out the night before she leaves her Portland, and it 46 00:03:12,760 --> 00:03:16,000 Speaker 1: has mixed results, but especially her mom is not cool 47 00:03:16,000 --> 00:03:19,800 Speaker 1: with it, calling it a phase and kind of walking 48 00:03:19,840 --> 00:03:24,800 Speaker 1: away and closing herself off. So Juliette goes to Portland, 49 00:03:24,880 --> 00:03:27,320 Speaker 1: is picked up at the airport by Harlow, who is 50 00:03:27,520 --> 00:03:33,280 Speaker 1: immediately like a hippie, astrology or a white woman. From here, 51 00:03:33,320 --> 00:03:37,280 Speaker 1: we learned that Juliette has anxiety and asthma, and when 52 00:03:37,320 --> 00:03:42,640 Speaker 1: Harlow changes the assignment to it's still for the book, 53 00:03:42,880 --> 00:03:46,840 Speaker 1: but she changes the assignment to tracking down women based 54 00:03:46,880 --> 00:03:49,720 Speaker 1: on scraps of information that Harlow has collected over time. 55 00:03:49,800 --> 00:03:54,880 Speaker 1: Juliet freaks out, only compounded by the hostility of another 56 00:03:54,920 --> 00:03:58,360 Speaker 1: person staying with Harlow named Fenn, and the general lack 57 00:03:58,400 --> 00:04:02,160 Speaker 1: of people of colored. Juliette does her best tracking the 58 00:04:02,240 --> 00:04:05,840 Speaker 1: women on these scraps, developing an interest in the librarian Kira. 59 00:04:06,560 --> 00:04:10,720 Speaker 1: At the same time, her girlfriend is avoiding her, not 60 00:04:10,800 --> 00:04:14,400 Speaker 1: answering her text calls. Juliette is introduced to a lot 61 00:04:14,440 --> 00:04:17,479 Speaker 1: of new ideas and terms, and Harlow takes her to 62 00:04:17,560 --> 00:04:22,960 Speaker 1: an Octavia Butler writing class, where juliet writes a sci 63 00:04:22,960 --> 00:04:26,279 Speaker 1: fi story and then witnesses an awkward encounter with Harlow 64 00:04:26,360 --> 00:04:29,880 Speaker 1: lecturing other white women. Maxine, a black woman who is 65 00:04:29,920 --> 00:04:34,760 Speaker 1: in a poll relationship with Harlow, asks Juliette about it later. Eventually, 66 00:04:34,839 --> 00:04:40,000 Speaker 1: things culminate into Harlow using Juliette in a racist, tokenist 67 00:04:40,040 --> 00:04:44,440 Speaker 1: way to prove she is what she, as a white feminist, 68 00:04:44,440 --> 00:04:48,680 Speaker 1: has done and has done the work. Juliette panics at 69 00:04:48,680 --> 00:04:54,960 Speaker 1: being used like this and by someone she respected, and 70 00:04:55,000 --> 00:04:58,680 Speaker 1: she books a flight to Miami to see her cousin, Ava, 71 00:04:58,839 --> 00:05:01,359 Speaker 1: who has long been telling her to come visit and 72 00:05:01,360 --> 00:05:04,719 Speaker 1: they can talk about all these big ideas. There, Juliete 73 00:05:04,720 --> 00:05:07,840 Speaker 1: reconnects with her aunt, who her mother claimed was gay, 74 00:05:08,640 --> 00:05:11,960 Speaker 1: and Ava, who answers her questions about a whole host 75 00:05:12,000 --> 00:05:17,240 Speaker 1: of intersectional feminist topics, and Ava takes Juliette to a 76 00:05:17,279 --> 00:05:21,040 Speaker 1: party for queer people of color. While there, Juliette feels 77 00:05:21,200 --> 00:05:25,880 Speaker 1: happy and free. She leaves her EX message because yes, 78 00:05:25,960 --> 00:05:28,320 Speaker 1: by this point they have broken up. It was like 79 00:05:28,360 --> 00:05:31,559 Speaker 1: a letter that her center. It was like I found 80 00:05:31,560 --> 00:05:36,440 Speaker 1: someone else. We're broken up. And then her EX responded again, 81 00:05:36,600 --> 00:05:39,279 Speaker 1: was like I made a huge mistake. I'm so sorry. 82 00:05:39,320 --> 00:05:41,440 Speaker 1: We have to talk, and Juliette's like, actually, I'm good. 83 00:05:41,880 --> 00:05:46,080 Speaker 1: So she leaves her ExM message saying, yes, I hope 84 00:05:46,160 --> 00:05:49,280 Speaker 1: one day we can be friends, but I we're not 85 00:05:49,320 --> 00:05:53,719 Speaker 1: going to get back together. She and her mother make amends. 86 00:05:54,360 --> 00:05:57,000 Speaker 1: Juliette goes back to Portland, where Harlowe tells her that 87 00:05:57,040 --> 00:06:00,600 Speaker 1: she and Maxine have broken up and that she's been 88 00:06:00,680 --> 00:06:05,520 Speaker 1: jealous of Maxine's other partner, and offers Juliette acupuncture as 89 00:06:05,560 --> 00:06:10,000 Speaker 1: a sort of non apology. Juliette talks to the people 90 00:06:10,040 --> 00:06:13,360 Speaker 1: of color like Maxine about Harlowe and eventually confronts her, 91 00:06:13,920 --> 00:06:17,040 Speaker 1: telling her how much that whole thing hurt her, how 92 00:06:17,120 --> 00:06:22,800 Speaker 1: racist she'd been, how Juliette felt guilty for not saying 93 00:06:22,800 --> 00:06:27,400 Speaker 1: anything but that Harlowe's work was important to her. Then 94 00:06:27,440 --> 00:06:29,920 Speaker 1: she has a moment in the river, because this all 95 00:06:29,960 --> 00:06:34,840 Speaker 1: happened over a hike where she accepts everything she's learned, 96 00:06:35,160 --> 00:06:37,600 Speaker 1: all what the women have taught her, and how much 97 00:06:37,680 --> 00:06:40,400 Speaker 1: she still has in front of her, and she takes 98 00:06:40,400 --> 00:06:46,560 Speaker 1: a breath and she returns home with writing ideas in mind. 99 00:06:47,560 --> 00:06:52,839 Speaker 1: That's verridence. So there are a lot of big themes 100 00:06:52,880 --> 00:06:58,000 Speaker 1: in this book. One of the biggest is feminism. Here's 101 00:06:58,040 --> 00:07:01,719 Speaker 1: a quote from the opening from the letter that Julia 102 00:07:01,839 --> 00:07:06,200 Speaker 1: writes to Harlow. But I'm writing to you now because 103 00:07:06,240 --> 00:07:09,600 Speaker 1: this book of yours, this magical Labia Manifesto, has become 104 00:07:09,640 --> 00:07:12,840 Speaker 1: my bible. It's definitely a reading from the book of 105 00:07:12,880 --> 00:07:15,920 Speaker 1: white lady feminism. And yet there are moments where I 106 00:07:16,000 --> 00:07:19,520 Speaker 1: see my round browns in your words. I wanted more 107 00:07:19,560 --> 00:07:23,760 Speaker 1: of that, Harlow, more representation, more acknowledgment, more room to 108 00:07:23,840 --> 00:07:27,280 Speaker 1: breathe the same era as you. We are all women, 109 00:07:27,640 --> 00:07:30,120 Speaker 1: we are all of the womb. It is in that 110 00:07:30,400 --> 00:07:34,080 Speaker 1: essence of the moon that we share sisterhood. That's you. 111 00:07:34,080 --> 00:07:37,080 Speaker 1: You wrote that, and I highlighted it, wondering if that 112 00:07:37,320 --> 00:07:40,280 Speaker 1: was true. If you don't know my life and my struggle, 113 00:07:40,320 --> 00:07:43,200 Speaker 1: can we be sisters? Can a bad white lady, like 114 00:07:43,280 --> 00:07:46,200 Speaker 1: you make room for me. Should I stand next to 115 00:07:46,240 --> 00:07:49,760 Speaker 1: you and take that space? Or do I need to 116 00:07:49,840 --> 00:07:52,520 Speaker 1: just push you out of the way claim it myself 117 00:07:52,600 --> 00:07:54,600 Speaker 1: now so that one day we'll be able to share 118 00:07:54,640 --> 00:07:59,480 Speaker 1: this earth, this block these deep breaths. So I like that, 119 00:07:59,520 --> 00:08:01,320 Speaker 1: like getting to the end, we do. You know what 120 00:08:01,400 --> 00:08:04,720 Speaker 1: happens both with Harlow but also with the like taking 121 00:08:04,720 --> 00:08:09,400 Speaker 1: a breath, that whole theme throughout that she takes that 122 00:08:09,480 --> 00:08:15,680 Speaker 1: breath at the end, and that does you know from 123 00:08:15,720 --> 00:08:17,480 Speaker 1: the second you read it, you're like, oh no, don't 124 00:08:17,520 --> 00:08:21,200 Speaker 1: meet your heroes. When you're like first introduced to Harlow, 125 00:08:21,240 --> 00:08:25,640 Speaker 1: you're like, oh no, no, no, no, like ooh, which 126 00:08:25,880 --> 00:08:29,520 Speaker 1: leads us to white feminism and racism, which is a 127 00:08:29,560 --> 00:08:33,920 Speaker 1: big topic of discussion in this book. Here's another quote. 128 00:08:34,640 --> 00:08:37,440 Speaker 1: Harlow made it seem like those white girls had to 129 00:08:37,440 --> 00:08:40,120 Speaker 1: give us something, I replied, turning my head up a little, 130 00:08:40,520 --> 00:08:43,120 Speaker 1: like as if we couldn't do our thing without them. 131 00:08:43,520 --> 00:08:46,800 Speaker 1: See you get it? She said, she being Maxine here. 132 00:08:47,679 --> 00:08:50,800 Speaker 1: Space isn't theirs to give to us. Nor is Harlow 133 00:08:50,960 --> 00:08:54,320 Speaker 1: separate from those girls. They are her, she is them. 134 00:08:54,760 --> 00:08:57,319 Speaker 1: White allies need to keep that distance out of their 135 00:08:57,320 --> 00:09:00,880 Speaker 1: community education. Damn. But like at least she said something, right, 136 00:09:00,920 --> 00:09:04,600 Speaker 1: I asked. Maxine raised an eyebrow, shaking her head. Her 137 00:09:04,679 --> 00:09:08,160 Speaker 1: rich full laugh wrapped me up. These sweet potatoes and 138 00:09:08,240 --> 00:09:11,440 Speaker 1: mushrooms weren't trezo and a side of toastonaise, but they 139 00:09:11,440 --> 00:09:14,679 Speaker 1: were love. I joined in with my wheeze laugh. Her 140 00:09:14,679 --> 00:09:17,760 Speaker 1: shoulders heaved up and down with each breath. She'd fit 141 00:09:17,880 --> 00:09:21,000 Speaker 1: right in at the breakfast table back home. Maxine dapped 142 00:09:21,000 --> 00:09:23,920 Speaker 1: at her eyes with her napkin, in all love and seriousness. 143 00:09:24,040 --> 00:09:26,000 Speaker 1: She slowed down and looked at me square in the eye. 144 00:09:26,720 --> 00:09:29,440 Speaker 1: You know, just saying something is good enough until it 145 00:09:29,520 --> 00:09:35,040 Speaker 1: isn't at all. So I think, also going back to 146 00:09:35,080 --> 00:09:37,960 Speaker 1: that first quote we read where she's talking about like 147 00:09:38,040 --> 00:09:41,480 Speaker 1: taking space or like pushing out of the way, that 148 00:09:42,320 --> 00:09:49,600 Speaker 1: hearkens back to this this moment in this quote, and 149 00:09:49,640 --> 00:09:53,199 Speaker 1: there are a lot of there's a lot of conversation 150 00:09:53,320 --> 00:09:57,560 Speaker 1: about like microaggressions and tokenism, and Maxine and Harlow's relationship 151 00:09:57,600 --> 00:10:02,120 Speaker 1: is really interesting where they seem to kind of push 152 00:10:02,160 --> 00:10:05,120 Speaker 1: each other a lot, that keep coming back to each other. 153 00:10:06,200 --> 00:10:09,360 Speaker 1: But also it's like Harlow doesn't know so much about vaccine. 154 00:10:10,240 --> 00:10:11,800 Speaker 1: So it's a little hmmm. 155 00:10:12,440 --> 00:10:14,679 Speaker 2: I think this all really just takes place in an 156 00:10:14,760 --> 00:10:20,080 Speaker 2: understanding that because a lot of white feminists take under 157 00:10:20,080 --> 00:10:22,079 Speaker 2: the pressure that they must be a savior. She does 158 00:10:22,120 --> 00:10:25,000 Speaker 2: talk about being a savior and having that savior complex, which, 159 00:10:25,040 --> 00:10:28,520 Speaker 2: you know, anybody who is marginalized knows this feeling that 160 00:10:28,600 --> 00:10:30,360 Speaker 2: people who come in with like I have to stand 161 00:10:30,480 --> 00:10:31,760 Speaker 2: up for you, and I'm going to do this for 162 00:10:31,800 --> 00:10:34,120 Speaker 2: you and I and and if they're not getting the 163 00:10:34,160 --> 00:10:37,400 Speaker 2: appreciation they think they deserve, then they feel like they're 164 00:10:37,400 --> 00:10:38,360 Speaker 2: the next victims. 165 00:10:38,400 --> 00:10:39,760 Speaker 1: They're the victims of this situation. 166 00:10:40,200 --> 00:10:42,240 Speaker 2: And that's what Maxine talks about, is like, this is 167 00:10:42,280 --> 00:10:44,600 Speaker 2: why you this is what you're doing. You're not doing 168 00:10:44,640 --> 00:10:48,000 Speaker 2: this to be an ally. You're doing this to get 169 00:10:48,480 --> 00:10:51,560 Speaker 2: to be the center of the conversation again. And that's 170 00:10:51,600 --> 00:10:54,720 Speaker 2: that level. Because two white girls complained that the space 171 00:10:54,760 --> 00:10:57,520 Speaker 2: that they had gone to an event was for black 172 00:10:57,520 --> 00:11:00,199 Speaker 2: and brown people and that white people were well come 173 00:11:00,240 --> 00:11:02,720 Speaker 2: to join, of course, but this was not their space. 174 00:11:03,000 --> 00:11:05,640 Speaker 2: This is for them to observe. And then two white 175 00:11:05,640 --> 00:11:07,720 Speaker 2: girls complaining about like why can't it just be all 176 00:11:07,760 --> 00:11:10,480 Speaker 2: about every you know, all of us as is unity 177 00:11:10,920 --> 00:11:13,120 Speaker 2: and this was always the problem to begin with because 178 00:11:13,160 --> 00:11:16,200 Speaker 2: when it's quote unquote all of us, it means white centered, privileged, 179 00:11:16,240 --> 00:11:20,559 Speaker 2: white centered problems and again leaving out any marginalized person, 180 00:11:20,640 --> 00:11:24,680 Speaker 2: specifically black people and black and brown people in general. 181 00:11:24,960 --> 00:11:27,480 Speaker 2: And we're talking about like the black community and the 182 00:11:27,520 --> 00:11:30,520 Speaker 2: Latino community as a whole, because we know that's the 183 00:11:30,559 --> 00:11:33,920 Speaker 2: depth of the racism, and that there's this later privilege 184 00:11:34,280 --> 00:11:37,319 Speaker 2: and that Harlowe once again thinking that she was being 185 00:11:37,400 --> 00:11:41,520 Speaker 2: a savior coming to the rescue without hearing, without speaking up, 186 00:11:41,559 --> 00:11:44,360 Speaker 2: without actually taking time to learn, and that's that bigger 187 00:11:44,440 --> 00:11:47,560 Speaker 2: level of like see what I did for you kind 188 00:11:47,559 --> 00:11:50,600 Speaker 2: of thing. And Harlow does that again later where she's like, 189 00:11:50,640 --> 00:11:54,400 Speaker 2: of course I'm the big, bad white white lady, you 190 00:11:54,440 --> 00:11:56,960 Speaker 2: know that can't do anything again, centering herself in that 191 00:11:57,000 --> 00:12:00,200 Speaker 2: conversation instead of listening about what is going on going 192 00:12:00,240 --> 00:12:04,680 Speaker 2: on mazine talking about And then I get this taking 193 00:12:04,720 --> 00:12:09,160 Speaker 2: any scrap of what seems like goodwill and really like 194 00:12:09,520 --> 00:12:13,960 Speaker 2: and the same thing with obviously Juliette learning about feminism, 195 00:12:14,000 --> 00:12:16,720 Speaker 2: and this is someone who is a feminist who really 196 00:12:16,760 --> 00:12:19,480 Speaker 2: loves her body as a woman, and then like coming 197 00:12:19,520 --> 00:12:21,720 Speaker 2: in as like not being in love with a man 198 00:12:21,800 --> 00:12:24,439 Speaker 2: and not being centralized around men. So this is kind 199 00:12:24,440 --> 00:12:29,240 Speaker 2: of that elementary level, an introduction to feminism. So you 200 00:12:29,280 --> 00:12:31,960 Speaker 2: get really really enthralled by that and really excited, and 201 00:12:31,960 --> 00:12:34,000 Speaker 2: you want to run with that because it's something new 202 00:12:34,080 --> 00:12:36,240 Speaker 2: for you. But when you start and Maxine was the 203 00:12:36,240 --> 00:12:37,880 Speaker 2: same way, she was like she kind of said she 204 00:12:37,960 --> 00:12:40,120 Speaker 2: was worried about Julia doing the same thing Maxine did, 205 00:12:40,480 --> 00:12:43,520 Speaker 2: being enthralled with this woman who seemed like such an 206 00:12:43,559 --> 00:12:47,559 Speaker 2: open minded genius of her time, quote unquote, and then 207 00:12:47,600 --> 00:12:51,520 Speaker 2: as you start really unfolding all the layers, you realize, oh, 208 00:12:51,559 --> 00:12:56,080 Speaker 2: but that's absolutely one dimensional. Absolutely it stops at her privilege, 209 00:12:56,200 --> 00:12:58,880 Speaker 2: it stops at what she gets and she's done. And 210 00:12:58,920 --> 00:13:02,840 Speaker 2: that's that same level again with like white feminism when 211 00:13:02,880 --> 00:13:04,400 Speaker 2: we talk about it is they don't want to go 212 00:13:04,480 --> 00:13:06,240 Speaker 2: beyond when they get their rights. 213 00:13:06,480 --> 00:13:06,880 Speaker 1: It's there. 214 00:13:07,080 --> 00:13:09,400 Speaker 2: They go to get it first, and then we'll focus 215 00:13:09,440 --> 00:13:11,680 Speaker 2: on everything else instead of seeing the underlying issues. And 216 00:13:11,720 --> 00:13:14,199 Speaker 2: that's what she's talking about. Scene is talking about specifically 217 00:13:14,200 --> 00:13:16,960 Speaker 2: here is like she's getting what she wants. She wants 218 00:13:17,000 --> 00:13:18,880 Speaker 2: to be the hero, she wants to be the savior. 219 00:13:19,040 --> 00:13:23,520 Speaker 2: This is not actually being a good ally a good 220 00:13:23,600 --> 00:13:27,280 Speaker 2: comrade in this conversation, and I think it really opens 221 00:13:27,360 --> 00:13:30,920 Speaker 2: up Juliet's eyes, who hasn't had any feminism point blank 222 00:13:32,280 --> 00:13:36,280 Speaker 2: and realizing, oh, this may not be the route, like 223 00:13:36,400 --> 00:13:38,840 Speaker 2: her saying that she's an ally doesn't mean she's an ally, 224 00:13:38,960 --> 00:13:41,680 Speaker 2: and then seeing her cousin, which I know we'll talk about, 225 00:13:41,800 --> 00:13:44,880 Speaker 2: who has been fully undated in that world as well, 226 00:13:44,920 --> 00:13:48,600 Speaker 2: but from a Latino cultural background, like she's coming at 227 00:13:48,640 --> 00:13:50,719 Speaker 2: like being a feminist and what it looks like as 228 00:13:50,720 --> 00:13:54,560 Speaker 2: a brown person, as a Latina person, and understanding the 229 00:13:54,559 --> 00:13:58,120 Speaker 2: depth of colonization that happened to Puerto Rico and why 230 00:13:58,520 --> 00:14:02,960 Speaker 2: inherently why people can't be trusted who manam want to 231 00:14:02,960 --> 00:14:05,240 Speaker 2: say that because that's kind of that level. It was 232 00:14:05,240 --> 00:14:08,720 Speaker 2: like the heroine that she thought Harlow was actually ended 233 00:14:08,800 --> 00:14:12,599 Speaker 2: up being someone who was just as aggressive, just microaggressive 234 00:14:12,960 --> 00:14:17,160 Speaker 2: in the ways that she was being welcomed into this community, right. 235 00:14:17,600 --> 00:14:22,480 Speaker 1: And I feel that it was such a great depiction 236 00:14:22,640 --> 00:14:25,560 Speaker 1: of because we've talked about this, when you go to 237 00:14:25,600 --> 00:14:30,360 Speaker 1: college and you realize like, oh, I didn't know about this, 238 00:14:30,560 --> 00:14:33,160 Speaker 1: or oh I didn't know about this, and you want 239 00:14:33,200 --> 00:14:36,600 Speaker 1: to learn more, and Juliette is such a fun character 240 00:14:36,640 --> 00:14:39,960 Speaker 1: in that way because she's she describes herself as very bookish, 241 00:14:40,000 --> 00:14:43,000 Speaker 1: like she wants to learn more. She gets this list 242 00:14:43,120 --> 00:14:50,120 Speaker 1: of book suggestions from Ava, and like seeing her learn 243 00:14:50,240 --> 00:14:52,800 Speaker 1: more about her culture and what happened, and like the 244 00:14:52,800 --> 00:14:56,600 Speaker 1: confrontation she has with her white girlfriend about Banana Republic. 245 00:14:57,520 --> 00:15:01,040 Speaker 1: I was like, yeah, it was just it felt very 246 00:15:02,600 --> 00:15:07,240 Speaker 1: that experience of when you go to college and just 247 00:15:08,680 --> 00:15:10,880 Speaker 1: you meet people and they open all these doors for you, 248 00:15:10,960 --> 00:15:13,160 Speaker 1: and sometimes they've been there that whole time and you've 249 00:15:13,200 --> 00:15:16,520 Speaker 1: just never asked them the question, right, which sort of 250 00:15:16,800 --> 00:15:19,680 Speaker 1: ended up being the case with Ava, who yes, we 251 00:15:19,720 --> 00:15:26,479 Speaker 1: will talk about I love that, but yes, so Harlowe 252 00:15:26,880 --> 00:15:33,160 Speaker 1: at this reading is asked a question about you know, 253 00:15:33,440 --> 00:15:38,080 Speaker 1: intersexual feminism essentially, but you know, including people of color 254 00:15:38,240 --> 00:15:43,200 Speaker 1: and what she's doing for that, and she uses Juliette 255 00:15:43,440 --> 00:15:47,560 Speaker 1: as a token and paints her life completely inaccurately and 256 00:15:47,600 --> 00:15:51,760 Speaker 1: completely racistly about like she got out of the Bronx 257 00:15:51,800 --> 00:15:53,640 Speaker 1: and it, you know, it was very violent and difficult 258 00:15:53,640 --> 00:15:56,120 Speaker 1: and all that stuff, and that wasn't her life at all. 259 00:15:56,160 --> 00:15:57,720 Speaker 1: Her poor area. 260 00:15:58,280 --> 00:16:01,800 Speaker 2: They lived in a nice area. They actually really happy 261 00:16:02,520 --> 00:16:06,400 Speaker 2: she went to college. She's fine, none of that was 262 00:16:06,440 --> 00:16:08,720 Speaker 2: a conversation I don't understand. 263 00:16:09,240 --> 00:16:15,000 Speaker 1: Right, So Juliette goes to Miami after that, she's so upset. 264 00:16:15,240 --> 00:16:17,720 Speaker 1: Then she comes back with all this, you know, like 265 00:16:17,920 --> 00:16:23,520 Speaker 1: newfound knowledge, and they go on this hike and Juliette 266 00:16:23,520 --> 00:16:26,960 Speaker 1: confronts Harlowe and here's a quote from that. That's not enough, 267 00:16:27,000 --> 00:16:29,400 Speaker 1: I continued, holding the tree I just kicked. And what 268 00:16:29,560 --> 00:16:32,320 Speaker 1: sucks is that I know that you know that deep 269 00:16:32,360 --> 00:16:35,360 Speaker 1: down you also know you get a pass, maybe not 270 00:16:35,440 --> 00:16:38,480 Speaker 1: from Maxine and Zira, but from every white lady in 271 00:16:38,520 --> 00:16:40,480 Speaker 1: that room. All of them just looked at me all 272 00:16:40,520 --> 00:16:43,600 Speaker 1: sad like, as if they were ready to discover their 273 00:16:43,640 --> 00:16:46,960 Speaker 1: own little lesbian latina from whateverhood and make themselves a 274 00:16:47,000 --> 00:16:49,840 Speaker 1: savior too, right, Yeah. 275 00:16:49,640 --> 00:16:52,160 Speaker 2: But also like, and I think it's something to be noted. 276 00:16:52,320 --> 00:16:55,200 Speaker 2: At the very beginning of the book, you meet Finn, 277 00:16:55,240 --> 00:17:00,480 Speaker 2: who is a Filipino uh person, young person that lived 278 00:17:00,480 --> 00:17:04,120 Speaker 2: with her, and obviously, from what we gathered, his mom 279 00:17:04,359 --> 00:17:06,080 Speaker 2: was in a relationship with Harlow and they all lived 280 00:17:06,119 --> 00:17:07,919 Speaker 2: as a family, and then his mom just left. So 281 00:17:07,960 --> 00:17:09,880 Speaker 2: he has a lot of feelings and he was very 282 00:17:09,920 --> 00:17:13,639 Speaker 2: antagonistic to juliet And I think It has something to 283 00:17:13,640 --> 00:17:15,400 Speaker 2: do with the fact that it is very much Harlowe 284 00:17:15,440 --> 00:17:17,480 Speaker 2: being like, I'm going to collect these people of color 285 00:17:17,800 --> 00:17:20,159 Speaker 2: to save them, And it was a big hint at 286 00:17:20,200 --> 00:17:23,320 Speaker 2: the very beginning of what this was like. She really 287 00:17:23,400 --> 00:17:27,200 Speaker 2: has a huge say of your complex in being this 288 00:17:27,720 --> 00:17:30,760 Speaker 2: goddess fairy for each one of them and showing them 289 00:17:30,800 --> 00:17:33,679 Speaker 2: the way without understanding like, hey, you're actually in the 290 00:17:33,680 --> 00:17:36,560 Speaker 2: way at this point, like you are a part of 291 00:17:36,800 --> 00:17:40,919 Speaker 2: you are the problem in this conversation, you like collecting 292 00:17:41,400 --> 00:17:45,480 Speaker 2: literally marginalize people for your crew of followers. 293 00:17:45,520 --> 00:17:47,120 Speaker 1: We don't know what what you're doing. 294 00:17:47,400 --> 00:17:51,000 Speaker 2: And obviously she very much says that out loud during 295 00:17:51,000 --> 00:17:53,400 Speaker 2: that moment of like, look what I've rescued, as if 296 00:17:53,400 --> 00:17:55,840 Speaker 2: she as if Juliette was a puppy from a pound, 297 00:17:56,320 --> 00:18:00,639 Speaker 2: and Juliette finally like she's having it. I love I 298 00:18:00,720 --> 00:18:05,679 Speaker 2: loved how well Riviera played this in that insecurity of 299 00:18:05,960 --> 00:18:09,159 Speaker 2: finding your voice because you know you're too insecure to 300 00:18:09,200 --> 00:18:11,760 Speaker 2: speak up because you're just learning, and you know you're 301 00:18:11,760 --> 00:18:14,439 Speaker 2: in a powerhouse full of people who have been in 302 00:18:14,480 --> 00:18:16,880 Speaker 2: this world for a long long time. Also, you're in Portland, 303 00:18:16,880 --> 00:18:20,760 Speaker 2: and I can't imagine the juxtaposition of being from the 304 00:18:20,800 --> 00:18:25,119 Speaker 2: Bronx coming to Portland because I couldn't imagine myself, but 305 00:18:25,359 --> 00:18:28,080 Speaker 2: like having that and then trying to figure out your 306 00:18:28,160 --> 00:18:31,200 Speaker 2: voice being nineteen with all these middle asied women who 307 00:18:31,520 --> 00:18:34,199 Speaker 2: are talking so many new terms, whether it's polyamory or 308 00:18:34,240 --> 00:18:37,639 Speaker 2: whether it's about gender pronouns. And this was in the 309 00:18:37,680 --> 00:18:40,399 Speaker 2: early two thousands, so this is my age. Rage. I 310 00:18:40,400 --> 00:18:42,000 Speaker 2: was like, oh, this is lovely this. I know this. 311 00:18:42,119 --> 00:18:44,320 Speaker 2: I know this feeling of being new and traveling by 312 00:18:44,359 --> 00:18:46,600 Speaker 2: myself or being somewhere new by myself in the early 313 00:18:46,640 --> 00:18:49,639 Speaker 2: two thousands, trying to figure it out where everybody was 314 00:18:49,680 --> 00:18:52,959 Speaker 2: somewhat accepting, but there was no actual terms for things, 315 00:18:53,080 --> 00:18:54,840 Speaker 2: like it was all very new and it was so 316 00:18:54,960 --> 00:18:56,919 Speaker 2: new that people were scared of it, Like this was 317 00:18:57,000 --> 00:19:00,760 Speaker 2: during that time, and so I loved seeing that perspective 318 00:19:00,840 --> 00:19:04,560 Speaker 2: that she put onto her character Juliet, which she understood 319 00:19:04,680 --> 00:19:08,200 Speaker 2: very well because she was like walking into a whole 320 00:19:08,240 --> 00:19:11,400 Speaker 2: new environment completely and trying to learn. So was trying 321 00:19:11,400 --> 00:19:14,080 Speaker 2: to find their voice, and that soul like moment with 322 00:19:14,240 --> 00:19:17,800 Speaker 2: Maxine where Maxine's like, you knew something was off, but 323 00:19:18,680 --> 00:19:20,399 Speaker 2: you didn't know how to phrase that. You don't know 324 00:19:20,440 --> 00:19:22,720 Speaker 2: what is off, and I think again, I'll talk about it. 325 00:19:23,080 --> 00:19:25,080 Speaker 2: I'll feel that way when people are saying things like 326 00:19:25,119 --> 00:19:26,960 Speaker 2: your English is really good or all these things, and 327 00:19:27,000 --> 00:19:30,320 Speaker 2: I'm like, this feels off. You know, you're trying to 328 00:19:30,359 --> 00:19:32,840 Speaker 2: be nice to me and you're trying to get to 329 00:19:32,920 --> 00:19:35,320 Speaker 2: know me, but in a weird way because you would 330 00:19:35,320 --> 00:19:39,720 Speaker 2: not ask any white person this question. So I'm very confused, 331 00:19:40,760 --> 00:19:44,760 Speaker 2: especially with my accent anyway, But like her learning all 332 00:19:44,760 --> 00:19:46,520 Speaker 2: these level but not being able to say because you're 333 00:19:46,600 --> 00:19:48,520 Speaker 2: just trying to fit in. You're trying to be appreciative 334 00:19:48,520 --> 00:19:51,320 Speaker 2: of being noticed or being talked to, being like being 335 00:19:51,359 --> 00:19:54,159 Speaker 2: a part of something in general. So like having her 336 00:19:54,280 --> 00:19:57,520 Speaker 2: come to that point of being like nom pissed. You 337 00:19:57,560 --> 00:19:59,520 Speaker 2: know you're wrong, and you know that in between this, 338 00:19:59,680 --> 00:20:02,240 Speaker 2: if saw this, they would paint me as the aggressive 339 00:20:02,240 --> 00:20:04,480 Speaker 2: person again from the hood as you try to put 340 00:20:04,520 --> 00:20:07,320 Speaker 2: me while you are just being so nice and kind 341 00:20:07,960 --> 00:20:10,600 Speaker 2: and helping a young girl out, Like that's literally the 342 00:20:10,640 --> 00:20:13,359 Speaker 2: picture that you portrayed, and you know how wrong that is. 343 00:20:13,400 --> 00:20:15,960 Speaker 2: And you have not said I'm sorry, and you've not 344 00:20:16,080 --> 00:20:20,199 Speaker 2: made a public apology and understanding and admitting that you 345 00:20:20,280 --> 00:20:23,480 Speaker 2: are wrong, as in fact, you've like doubled down by saying, look, 346 00:20:23,520 --> 00:20:27,600 Speaker 2: I'll introduce you to another Latino person. You're welcome. I 347 00:20:27,640 --> 00:20:30,040 Speaker 2: found one of your kind, essentially is what she's saying. 348 00:20:30,480 --> 00:20:31,879 Speaker 2: And I want to put this in here, and I 349 00:20:31,920 --> 00:20:33,560 Speaker 2: know I'm going to get some people will get real 350 00:20:33,720 --> 00:20:37,800 Speaker 2: mad at me. And when I say this, but in conversations, 351 00:20:37,840 --> 00:20:41,200 Speaker 2: when you see this of people with good intentions and 352 00:20:41,240 --> 00:20:44,280 Speaker 2: you are a person of marginalized community and you're trying 353 00:20:44,320 --> 00:20:47,000 Speaker 2: to come in and figure yourself out. And I say 354 00:20:47,000 --> 00:20:49,040 Speaker 2: this as a person who's trying to figure myself out, 355 00:20:49,400 --> 00:20:52,359 Speaker 2: there are moments when you kind of wish that You're like, 356 00:20:52,440 --> 00:20:56,800 Speaker 2: I have too many white people in my life, and 357 00:20:56,840 --> 00:20:59,520 Speaker 2: you're like, I'm gonna I'm gonna have to back off 358 00:20:59,560 --> 00:21:04,600 Speaker 2: because instead of trying to help you discover who you 359 00:21:04,760 --> 00:21:08,640 Speaker 2: are in this whole space, in this space of intersectionality, 360 00:21:09,000 --> 00:21:11,560 Speaker 2: they try to tell you how they're going to help you, 361 00:21:11,840 --> 00:21:14,399 Speaker 2: but it's all again white centered. And this is what 362 00:21:14,520 --> 00:21:18,240 Speaker 2: Harlowe was doing to juliet And thank god Juliette was 363 00:21:18,280 --> 00:21:22,040 Speaker 2: able to meet Magazine and Zara as well as her 364 00:21:22,680 --> 00:21:25,000 Speaker 2: new flame, which I'm sure we're talking about, Kira, of 365 00:21:25,119 --> 00:21:30,720 Speaker 2: seeing different perspectives on what was happening, because she needed 366 00:21:31,119 --> 00:21:33,800 Speaker 2: that to unfold the rest of what was missing in 367 00:21:33,840 --> 00:21:36,760 Speaker 2: her life, like the rest of the learning and unlearning 368 00:21:36,800 --> 00:21:39,920 Speaker 2: that she needed to do, and her own cousin Ava, 369 00:21:40,160 --> 00:21:43,239 Speaker 2: thank God, is a part of that too, and how 370 00:21:43,320 --> 00:21:45,840 Speaker 2: much they realized with each other, like they really are 371 00:21:46,359 --> 00:21:48,639 Speaker 2: have common ground and maybe even her little brother that 372 00:21:48,680 --> 00:21:51,840 Speaker 2: we find out later on, and I think that's beautiful, 373 00:21:52,040 --> 00:21:55,720 Speaker 2: but that this is that conversation that is so real 374 00:21:55,800 --> 00:21:57,399 Speaker 2: to me that I'm like, yeah, yeah, it kind of 375 00:21:57,440 --> 00:22:01,359 Speaker 2: gets to the point of like white allies mean well, 376 00:22:02,280 --> 00:22:05,760 Speaker 2: but they talk so much that they don't realize this 377 00:22:05,800 --> 00:22:08,560 Speaker 2: is more hindrance. And this is where white feminism gets 378 00:22:08,600 --> 00:22:11,840 Speaker 2: in the way. Listeners, I love if you are a 379 00:22:12,080 --> 00:22:14,760 Speaker 2: white person, please don't think this that I'm saying this 380 00:22:14,880 --> 00:22:17,480 Speaker 2: as an attack, but just coming from an all white 381 00:22:17,480 --> 00:22:20,240 Speaker 2: space as I have, and I'm telling you it's all 382 00:22:20,320 --> 00:22:23,480 Speaker 2: white space as in like my family and all of that. 383 00:22:23,640 --> 00:22:27,199 Speaker 2: You realize what boundaries that they put in front of 384 00:22:27,240 --> 00:22:31,240 Speaker 2: you or sometimes you know, what kind of obstacles I 385 00:22:31,280 --> 00:22:33,919 Speaker 2: put in front of you because of their good intentions. 386 00:22:34,080 --> 00:22:37,800 Speaker 2: But it doesn't it's not it's not in the end 387 00:22:37,800 --> 00:22:39,880 Speaker 2: that great, and this is where we see with Harlowe 388 00:22:39,880 --> 00:22:40,240 Speaker 2: as well. 389 00:22:51,080 --> 00:22:52,800 Speaker 1: I thought it was really interesting that this book when 390 00:22:52,800 --> 00:22:54,440 Speaker 1: I looked up when it came out, I was like, really, 391 00:22:54,560 --> 00:23:02,280 Speaker 1: January twenty sixteen, because presumably had been written before that, 392 00:23:02,400 --> 00:23:04,879 Speaker 1: but that is when we had the Women's March, and 393 00:23:04,880 --> 00:23:10,800 Speaker 1: that was no rightfully called out for being white women 394 00:23:10,840 --> 00:23:14,480 Speaker 1: wearing these pink hats and sort of like pushing other 395 00:23:14,560 --> 00:23:18,280 Speaker 1: people out. And because of the title of Harlowe's book, 396 00:23:19,560 --> 00:23:22,879 Speaker 1: it has put me in the name. I just assumed, 397 00:23:23,280 --> 00:23:26,200 Speaker 1: and maybe it did because that's that was around before 398 00:23:26,359 --> 00:23:28,760 Speaker 1: that march. But I was just like, the timing is 399 00:23:29,000 --> 00:23:30,720 Speaker 1: very interesting. 400 00:23:31,160 --> 00:23:33,879 Speaker 2: I think she was definitely making sure to a not 401 00:23:33,960 --> 00:23:38,359 Speaker 2: only be a little bit autobiographical and in her own story, 402 00:23:38,520 --> 00:23:41,960 Speaker 2: but it also really she does it in a genuinely 403 00:23:43,160 --> 00:23:46,240 Speaker 2: good way that again I read into this, and I 404 00:23:46,240 --> 00:23:49,680 Speaker 2: think probably a little bit differently in that level because 405 00:23:50,200 --> 00:23:55,919 Speaker 2: in seeing her come to terms with what she was 406 00:23:55,920 --> 00:24:01,040 Speaker 2: seeing because in her own again, I grew up being 407 00:24:01,080 --> 00:24:02,719 Speaker 2: told that I was being saved by white people, so 408 00:24:02,840 --> 00:24:05,639 Speaker 2: that wasn't new to me. It was trying to let 409 00:24:05,760 --> 00:24:07,560 Speaker 2: go of the fact that I'm like, I gotta stop 410 00:24:08,280 --> 00:24:11,480 Speaker 2: like falling into that for her to be seen as 411 00:24:11,520 --> 00:24:14,160 Speaker 2: that it was so new because she has a very strong, 412 00:24:14,600 --> 00:24:18,199 Speaker 2: very influential family, Puerto Rican family who have held her 413 00:24:18,359 --> 00:24:20,640 Speaker 2: up in those traditions. Like she talks about the food 414 00:24:20,640 --> 00:24:23,480 Speaker 2: feeling homie, and she's like loving it and missing it, 415 00:24:23,560 --> 00:24:26,840 Speaker 2: missing the like being hugged by her mom and getting 416 00:24:26,880 --> 00:24:28,640 Speaker 2: like the moments of like just being able to put 417 00:24:28,640 --> 00:24:30,760 Speaker 2: her head and smelling her mom and knowing that she 418 00:24:30,800 --> 00:24:33,639 Speaker 2: can be comforted that way, like going to see her 419 00:24:33,680 --> 00:24:36,119 Speaker 2: aunt and getting that hug that she needed because you know, 420 00:24:36,160 --> 00:24:37,040 Speaker 2: it was familial. 421 00:24:37,359 --> 00:24:38,160 Speaker 1: But all of that to. 422 00:24:38,119 --> 00:24:42,639 Speaker 2: Say is like to see like her intentions of being like, oh, 423 00:24:42,680 --> 00:24:46,000 Speaker 2: this is what the white community or like sees me 424 00:24:46,119 --> 00:24:49,560 Speaker 2: as as someone that needs to be rescued. What is 425 00:24:49,640 --> 00:24:52,200 Speaker 2: this and then not sure how to handle that because 426 00:24:52,200 --> 00:24:55,520 Speaker 2: it's so new to her because that was never a 427 00:24:55,520 --> 00:24:58,520 Speaker 2: thought for her. And interesting enough, like she never saw 428 00:24:58,520 --> 00:25:02,360 Speaker 2: that with Laney because she thought Laney, which maybe I'm 429 00:25:02,400 --> 00:25:07,159 Speaker 2: just putting words in her like writing in that Laney 430 00:25:07,359 --> 00:25:10,320 Speaker 2: was that person also like both of them were experiencing 431 00:25:10,359 --> 00:25:13,280 Speaker 2: new things. But it seemed like because she said, Sarah 432 00:25:13,359 --> 00:25:16,520 Speaker 2: the new girl was probably a white girl and she 433 00:25:16,880 --> 00:25:18,760 Speaker 2: now she's got to what she wants that she can 434 00:25:18,800 --> 00:25:23,280 Speaker 2: show presentably mm hm as a better representation for being 435 00:25:23,320 --> 00:25:28,560 Speaker 2: a good feminist lesbian. That it meant being white as 436 00:25:28,800 --> 00:25:31,000 Speaker 2: she saw it as as like Juliette saw it, And 437 00:25:31,080 --> 00:25:32,920 Speaker 2: I'm like, I think that in Lanie, who was very 438 00:25:33,000 --> 00:25:37,360 Speaker 2: very white, you know, according to what we read like 439 00:25:37,400 --> 00:25:39,720 Speaker 2: that to me was like that was a new realization 440 00:25:39,800 --> 00:25:43,280 Speaker 2: as well, and what she was to Laney possibly to 441 00:25:43,400 --> 00:25:46,280 Speaker 2: what she was to the rest of the world as well. 442 00:25:46,400 --> 00:25:48,080 Speaker 2: Like I think I found that interesting and I really 443 00:25:48,240 --> 00:25:51,520 Speaker 2: think that for me, Viera did a great job in 444 00:25:52,000 --> 00:25:56,040 Speaker 2: showing that as showcasing the a new a new baby 445 00:25:56,040 --> 00:25:58,720 Speaker 2: feminist that she says, or a new baby lesbian she. 446 00:25:58,800 --> 00:26:04,480 Speaker 1: Says, yes, and Lane is the girlfriend that they broke up. No, yeah, 447 00:26:04,480 --> 00:26:07,600 Speaker 1: because Lane didn't want to introduce she was scared to 448 00:26:07,640 --> 00:26:13,480 Speaker 1: introduce Juliette to her like suburban white family. I think 449 00:26:13,480 --> 00:26:16,600 Speaker 1: we have a quote about that later. And then she 450 00:26:16,640 --> 00:26:21,720 Speaker 1: meets Sarah presumably yes white girl, and then she's not 451 00:26:21,800 --> 00:26:23,480 Speaker 1: so worried about it anymore. But then I guess it 452 00:26:23,520 --> 00:26:26,200 Speaker 1: didn't work out, or either she panicked but Juliette wasn't 453 00:26:26,200 --> 00:26:27,520 Speaker 1: a good or she was in a better place, and 454 00:26:27,520 --> 00:26:30,919 Speaker 1: I was like, you know what, I'm good she found her, 455 00:26:31,760 --> 00:26:36,040 Speaker 1: she said, she did. I did want to include this quote. 456 00:26:36,080 --> 00:26:41,280 Speaker 1: This is from when Ava and juliet are just having 457 00:26:41,320 --> 00:26:45,280 Speaker 1: their like amazing back and forth about feminism and thoughts 458 00:26:45,320 --> 00:26:50,119 Speaker 1: about feminism, when Juliette goes to Miami. And one of 459 00:26:50,160 --> 00:26:56,719 Speaker 1: the criticisms Ava has about the book is kind of 460 00:26:56,760 --> 00:27:03,399 Speaker 1: the emphasis and pre diference placed on like periods and 461 00:27:03,680 --> 00:27:07,120 Speaker 1: all like that stuff. So here's a quote. Her consistent 462 00:27:07,160 --> 00:27:10,240 Speaker 1: linking of genital's to gender as an absolute is violent 463 00:27:10,280 --> 00:27:13,040 Speaker 1: as hell. It's a closed fist instead of open arms, 464 00:27:13,040 --> 00:27:16,520 Speaker 1: you know. And besides, she added, staring at herself unflinching 465 00:27:16,520 --> 00:27:19,520 Speaker 1: in the mirror, womanhood is radical enough for anyone who 466 00:27:19,640 --> 00:27:20,440 Speaker 1: dares to claim it. 467 00:27:21,080 --> 00:27:24,640 Speaker 2: Yeah, I love that. Like, Kira said that too. Kira 468 00:27:24,720 --> 00:27:29,720 Speaker 2: said that she is very focused on women, like she 469 00:27:29,840 --> 00:27:32,960 Speaker 2: doesn't like she equates women in a vaginas in a 470 00:27:33,040 --> 00:27:35,879 Speaker 2: story in this and not allowed for the in betweens, 471 00:27:35,680 --> 00:27:38,520 Speaker 2: and just being like the goddess has been feminine, which 472 00:27:38,560 --> 00:27:41,520 Speaker 2: feminine could be all across all genders, and we know this, 473 00:27:41,960 --> 00:27:45,919 Speaker 2: but like in general, like she specifically aims to women, 474 00:27:47,119 --> 00:27:49,840 Speaker 2: equating that the only way a woman is powerful is 475 00:27:49,840 --> 00:27:54,760 Speaker 2: through their vagina and uterus, and again it is very problematic, 476 00:27:54,840 --> 00:27:57,800 Speaker 2: especially in a world where she is supposed to be 477 00:27:57,880 --> 00:28:00,760 Speaker 2: a leader for the quick community. You know, like you're 478 00:28:00,840 --> 00:28:04,280 Speaker 2: leaving out a lot of the LGBTQI plus peoples and 479 00:28:04,320 --> 00:28:07,000 Speaker 2: you are excluding when you were saying you don't want to. 480 00:28:06,960 --> 00:28:11,720 Speaker 1: Exclude, yes, And you know you and I have talked before, 481 00:28:11,760 --> 00:28:15,600 Speaker 1: we talked recently not everyone who identifies as a woman 482 00:28:15,920 --> 00:28:21,280 Speaker 1: as period for multiple reasons, right, And also, like I 483 00:28:21,359 --> 00:28:24,600 Speaker 1: do get, we've talked about this too. There's something in 484 00:28:24,640 --> 00:28:27,440 Speaker 1: our culture, in our society, periods are taboo. We don't 485 00:28:27,440 --> 00:28:31,760 Speaker 1: talk about them. I do get trying to, like, let's 486 00:28:31,760 --> 00:28:35,320 Speaker 1: talk about it. Let's there was period pride, it was 487 00:28:35,359 --> 00:28:39,280 Speaker 1: a huge thing while back. But in doing so, if 488 00:28:39,320 --> 00:28:42,120 Speaker 1: you're like leaving out everyone else, if you're not, if 489 00:28:42,120 --> 00:28:44,720 Speaker 1: that's your main focus and you're not talking about anyone else, 490 00:28:46,320 --> 00:28:49,040 Speaker 1: then you're yeah, you're excluding a lot of people, right, 491 00:28:49,360 --> 00:28:51,760 Speaker 1: a lot of people, Which kind of leads us into 492 00:28:51,840 --> 00:28:53,560 Speaker 1: the next theme I wanted to talk about, because there 493 00:28:53,640 --> 00:28:59,720 Speaker 1: is some there's elements of homophobia in here, of because 494 00:28:59,760 --> 00:29:03,280 Speaker 1: clear Juliette is how the book starts, is she's really 495 00:29:03,320 --> 00:29:07,360 Speaker 1: nervous about coming out to her family, and so she 496 00:29:07,360 --> 00:29:09,600 Speaker 1: she's like actually going back and forth about whether she 497 00:29:09,680 --> 00:29:12,400 Speaker 1: will at all, but then she finally does. It kind 498 00:29:12,440 --> 00:29:15,760 Speaker 1: of just comes out of her, like she says it, 499 00:29:15,800 --> 00:29:19,160 Speaker 1: and everyone kind of doesn't believe her. I was like, oh, yeah, 500 00:29:19,200 --> 00:29:25,360 Speaker 1: I've used that old excuse too. But then she says 501 00:29:25,400 --> 00:29:28,760 Speaker 1: it outright after having a very sweet conversation with her 502 00:29:28,800 --> 00:29:31,960 Speaker 1: little brother where he's very like, no, you got this. 503 00:29:32,800 --> 00:29:37,160 Speaker 1: So she does it, and then, like I said, mixed results. 504 00:29:38,280 --> 00:29:40,120 Speaker 1: But her mom was definitely the one that was the 505 00:29:40,160 --> 00:29:44,040 Speaker 1: most like, oh no, this is not correct. So here's 506 00:29:44,080 --> 00:29:46,760 Speaker 1: a quote from her mom. It's this book, isn't it? 507 00:29:46,800 --> 00:29:49,120 Speaker 1: This book about Mgina's. Has you messed up in the 508 00:29:49,120 --> 00:29:51,520 Speaker 1: head and confused? She said, looking past me anywhere but 509 00:29:51,600 --> 00:29:55,000 Speaker 1: at me, her voice heavy but not angry. My father 510 00:29:55,160 --> 00:29:57,720 Speaker 1: reached out for her hand and held it. No, it's 511 00:29:57,720 --> 00:30:00,920 Speaker 1: not raging flower. I love Laney. It's never felt like 512 00:30:00,960 --> 00:30:04,520 Speaker 1: this with a boy, I said, tears betrayed the tiny 513 00:30:04,520 --> 00:30:07,280 Speaker 1: bit of strength in my voice. Little Melvin bowed his 514 00:30:07,360 --> 00:30:10,440 Speaker 1: head low, his cheeks flushed. He nutched his knee into 515 00:30:10,440 --> 00:30:12,680 Speaker 1: mine and kept it there. I pushed my plate of 516 00:30:12,720 --> 00:30:15,600 Speaker 1: food aside, Mom and I stared at each other and 517 00:30:15,640 --> 00:30:18,680 Speaker 1: I felt like I was falling. But Juliette, she said, 518 00:30:18,800 --> 00:30:20,760 Speaker 1: you've never had a boyfriend, so how would you know. 519 00:30:21,320 --> 00:30:24,240 Speaker 1: All you know are these neighborhood boys. You haven't give 520 00:30:24,360 --> 00:30:26,680 Speaker 1: any of the boys at your college a chance. You 521 00:30:26,800 --> 00:30:30,200 Speaker 1: might like Laney, but it's not the same thing. I 522 00:30:30,240 --> 00:30:33,640 Speaker 1: promise you that love I love her, you don't know 523 00:30:33,720 --> 00:30:39,560 Speaker 1: anything about my feelings. So that's how it went. And 524 00:30:39,600 --> 00:30:43,680 Speaker 1: this was her final night before she left. And I think, 525 00:30:43,840 --> 00:30:48,600 Speaker 1: like in that conversation, because this is a fairly quick read, 526 00:30:48,680 --> 00:30:52,960 Speaker 1: I would say packs in a lot and a lot 527 00:30:53,000 --> 00:30:58,880 Speaker 1: of the stereotypes are kind of responses people get in 528 00:30:58,920 --> 00:31:02,080 Speaker 1: my experience when coming out, that it's a phase, you'll 529 00:31:02,080 --> 00:31:06,640 Speaker 1: grow out of it. Of course, it's a trend. I 530 00:31:06,720 --> 00:31:09,920 Speaker 1: do kind of it cracks me up this whole, like 531 00:31:09,960 --> 00:31:12,120 Speaker 1: you read this book and now you're gay, because that's 532 00:31:12,160 --> 00:31:14,320 Speaker 1: what they used to like ban books a lot of 533 00:31:14,480 --> 00:31:22,280 Speaker 1: times where people because the percentage of LGBTQ plus people 534 00:31:22,560 --> 00:31:24,680 Speaker 1: is higher than ever, people think it's like books or 535 00:31:24,720 --> 00:31:28,480 Speaker 1: whatever that's turning them gay. But as we've said before, 536 00:31:28,560 --> 00:31:32,239 Speaker 1: it's more likely that they've just know this is a 537 00:31:32,240 --> 00:31:38,360 Speaker 1: thing now, right, and they might not have before. Rivera 538 00:31:38,480 --> 00:31:46,200 Speaker 1: has like an interesting comparison where Juliette is thinking about 539 00:31:46,280 --> 00:31:50,240 Speaker 1: not being Puerto Rican enough, Like has she'd gotten people 540 00:31:50,240 --> 00:31:52,880 Speaker 1: saying she wasn't Puerto Rican enough for not liking or 541 00:31:52,920 --> 00:31:57,960 Speaker 1: not knowing about certain music or about certain things, and 542 00:31:58,400 --> 00:32:06,680 Speaker 1: how having that experience made this make her feel like, oh, okay, 543 00:32:07,120 --> 00:32:10,880 Speaker 1: well maybe I'm not gay enough. And then that's compounsioned 544 00:32:10,880 --> 00:32:13,880 Speaker 1: when she goes to Portland and she learns all these 545 00:32:13,920 --> 00:32:15,680 Speaker 1: new terms in the world of feminism and like maybe 546 00:32:15,680 --> 00:32:18,560 Speaker 1: I'm not a feminist enough, like all of those things. 547 00:32:18,520 --> 00:32:21,000 Speaker 2: Right, I mean, in both of those situations, Yeah, she's 548 00:32:21,000 --> 00:32:24,000 Speaker 2: talking about being tested. Yeah, and then we I think 549 00:32:24,000 --> 00:32:25,880 Speaker 2: we can know that when anything. We're like, I'm a 550 00:32:25,880 --> 00:32:28,080 Speaker 2: fan of this band and you're like, oh you are. 551 00:32:28,200 --> 00:32:29,880 Speaker 2: We'll tell me the name three songs, you know, like 552 00:32:30,000 --> 00:32:31,800 Speaker 2: just stuff like that that we see. But when it 553 00:32:31,800 --> 00:32:33,600 Speaker 2: comes to your identity and you're like, what the hell, 554 00:32:33,880 --> 00:32:35,600 Speaker 2: why do I have to prove myself I exist? 555 00:32:35,840 --> 00:32:37,640 Speaker 1: Like I'm here, I don't. 556 00:32:37,760 --> 00:32:39,360 Speaker 2: I don't know how else to tell you, Like I 557 00:32:39,440 --> 00:32:41,920 Speaker 2: deal with the same microaggressions that you do, and assumptions 558 00:32:41,920 --> 00:32:44,440 Speaker 2: that you do. I literally I laugh because the other 559 00:32:44,520 --> 00:32:46,880 Speaker 2: day I had someone ask me if I like being 560 00:32:46,920 --> 00:32:48,080 Speaker 2: here and this is all? 561 00:32:48,080 --> 00:32:48,520 Speaker 1: This is for real? 562 00:32:48,600 --> 00:32:49,400 Speaker 2: And I was like, what do you mean? 563 00:32:49,480 --> 00:32:52,160 Speaker 1: You mean? Like where? What now? 564 00:32:52,240 --> 00:32:54,080 Speaker 2: And I kind of bypassed that question. Then he asked 565 00:32:54,120 --> 00:32:56,440 Speaker 2: me again and like do you like being here? And 566 00:32:56,480 --> 00:33:00,760 Speaker 2: I said where to cater and then he was like, no, 567 00:33:01,200 --> 00:33:03,840 Speaker 2: the US and I was like, oh uh, I've been 568 00:33:03,880 --> 00:33:06,880 Speaker 2: here like like and he like trying to backtrack. And 569 00:33:06,880 --> 00:33:08,440 Speaker 2: this was a younger dude, and I was like, are 570 00:33:08,480 --> 00:33:12,600 Speaker 2: you are you kidding me? I just wanted to get 571 00:33:12,600 --> 00:33:14,840 Speaker 2: my carbaged. I'm not really sure where that came from, 572 00:33:14,840 --> 00:33:17,840 Speaker 2: but okay, but like being tested and being told that 573 00:33:18,000 --> 00:33:19,880 Speaker 2: at the same time being like, but you're not really 574 00:33:20,040 --> 00:33:23,000 Speaker 2: like that that level of conversation the same way with feminisms, 575 00:33:23,000 --> 00:33:25,160 Speaker 2: like but are you do you support these things? Or 576 00:33:25,200 --> 00:33:27,560 Speaker 2: do you not support these things? Or do you devote 577 00:33:27,560 --> 00:33:29,600 Speaker 2: this way? Have you done these things? Are you part 578 00:33:29,640 --> 00:33:31,840 Speaker 2: of these activism? Are you like are you marching in 579 00:33:31,880 --> 00:33:35,440 Speaker 2: the streets every day? Like have you, like a boycotted 580 00:33:35,480 --> 00:33:37,240 Speaker 2: all these like you? There's so many levels of like 581 00:33:37,320 --> 00:33:40,040 Speaker 2: you have to prove yourself and it's not good enough 582 00:33:40,040 --> 00:33:43,280 Speaker 2: for most people, and there's different levels of what constitutes 583 00:33:43,320 --> 00:33:45,840 Speaker 2: you being enough of these are things and she says that, 584 00:33:45,960 --> 00:33:47,080 Speaker 2: and then I kind of wanted to go back to 585 00:33:47,080 --> 00:33:49,440 Speaker 2: about how the whole the phase you grow, you'll grow 586 00:33:49,480 --> 00:33:52,640 Speaker 2: out of it, because I really loved the Auntie line 587 00:33:52,680 --> 00:33:57,400 Speaker 2: in which the daughter Ava was like, Mom, you're bye too. 588 00:33:57,680 --> 00:34:00,280 Speaker 2: We're both by Are you kidding me? And the aunt 589 00:34:00,360 --> 00:34:01,960 Speaker 2: laughs and says, yeah, I guess that's what it is. 590 00:34:02,040 --> 00:34:06,880 Speaker 2: We're by this, meaning that even though her sister, Juliete's 591 00:34:06,880 --> 00:34:09,759 Speaker 2: mom was like, your aunt went through up phase two 592 00:34:09,800 --> 00:34:11,480 Speaker 2: and like this girl, and the aunt was like, no, 593 00:34:12,040 --> 00:34:14,400 Speaker 2: I loved her. I loved this woman, but it didn't 594 00:34:14,440 --> 00:34:16,560 Speaker 2: work out and that hasn't changed the fact. But I 595 00:34:16,600 --> 00:34:19,400 Speaker 2: still love her today, as in like, I have not 596 00:34:19,520 --> 00:34:22,279 Speaker 2: changed from being by. I just am with a man, 597 00:34:22,320 --> 00:34:24,600 Speaker 2: which is what we see so often in the BY community. 598 00:34:24,640 --> 00:34:27,960 Speaker 2: I know Annie that you have talked about this, like 599 00:34:27,960 --> 00:34:30,040 Speaker 2: we've talked about this repeatedly, about the fact that just 600 00:34:30,120 --> 00:34:35,080 Speaker 2: because you see them, you see someone in a hetero relationship, 601 00:34:35,400 --> 00:34:38,640 Speaker 2: does not change that they are queer, like they still 602 00:34:39,080 --> 00:34:42,200 Speaker 2: are bisexual, and that kind of the Auntie was like, no, yeah, 603 00:34:42,200 --> 00:34:45,520 Speaker 2: I'm by, yeah, absolutely, and like all of them hugging together, 604 00:34:45,640 --> 00:34:48,000 Speaker 2: loving each other and being like even though the mom 605 00:34:48,080 --> 00:34:52,279 Speaker 2: really thought she had Juliet with this point in actuality, 606 00:34:52,280 --> 00:34:54,920 Speaker 2: the aunt was like, no, I haven't changed it. I'm by. 607 00:34:55,080 --> 00:34:56,640 Speaker 2: I just didn't know the word for it. I just 608 00:34:56,680 --> 00:34:59,680 Speaker 2: am who I am, essentially is what they were having 609 00:34:59,680 --> 00:35:02,919 Speaker 2: that common. But I really loved that was a confirmation 610 00:35:03,360 --> 00:35:07,839 Speaker 2: for Juliette of being like, it's okay, it's okay, and 611 00:35:07,920 --> 00:35:10,080 Speaker 2: it's not a face, Like I don't see that as 612 00:35:10,080 --> 00:35:13,960 Speaker 2: a face either, which is still really, really, really offensive 613 00:35:13,960 --> 00:35:19,000 Speaker 2: in every way it is. Oh, here's another quote. It 614 00:35:19,040 --> 00:35:21,840 Speaker 2: says tee Wepa didn't move. She stared hard at me 615 00:35:21,920 --> 00:35:23,799 Speaker 2: and said, you were born in the middle of the 616 00:35:23,840 --> 00:35:27,080 Speaker 2: night on a Monday, September sixth, nineteen eighty three. I'll 617 00:35:27,080 --> 00:35:29,440 Speaker 2: never forget that day as long as I'm living and breathing. 618 00:35:29,800 --> 00:35:32,439 Speaker 2: My brother came out of the delivery room, first time 619 00:35:32,440 --> 00:35:34,799 Speaker 2: in my life I'd ever seen him cry and told 620 00:35:34,840 --> 00:35:37,560 Speaker 2: us you were a baby girl. Tit wiped her eyes. 621 00:35:37,880 --> 00:35:40,240 Speaker 2: I've loved you from that moment and I always will. 622 00:35:40,480 --> 00:35:42,480 Speaker 2: I don't care if you're gay or if you shave 623 00:35:42,520 --> 00:35:45,360 Speaker 2: your head, or or if you become a falcon, offered 624 00:35:45,400 --> 00:35:48,640 Speaker 2: little Melvin from the backseat, tit Weppa laughed, Or if 625 00:35:48,680 --> 00:35:51,360 Speaker 2: you become a mother Falcon, I'm your t tee and 626 00:35:51,440 --> 00:35:55,759 Speaker 2: nothing will ever change my love for you. I really 627 00:35:55,760 --> 00:35:57,960 Speaker 2: wish we had more things with Melvin. Little Malvin, to 628 00:35:57,960 --> 00:35:59,640 Speaker 2: be honest, he was fantastic. 629 00:36:00,160 --> 00:36:04,400 Speaker 1: He's the little brother and he's like a nerd but wonderful. 630 00:36:04,960 --> 00:36:07,879 Speaker 1: I mean that's how like word nerds aren't wonderful. He's 631 00:36:07,920 --> 00:36:12,919 Speaker 1: like a really sweet, like speaks wisdom nerd. 632 00:36:13,160 --> 00:36:17,040 Speaker 2: Yeah, he's a smart little brother who adores his sister 633 00:36:17,600 --> 00:36:21,080 Speaker 2: beyond anything else, not surprised for anything. She comes out 634 00:36:21,120 --> 00:36:23,799 Speaker 2: to him first and he's like, yop, okay, you're an 635 00:36:23,800 --> 00:36:25,920 Speaker 2: animorph just like great. 636 00:36:26,400 --> 00:36:27,000 Speaker 1: Just a great thing. 637 00:36:27,040 --> 00:36:30,560 Speaker 2: And then he gives her an emergency pack for her 638 00:36:30,560 --> 00:36:33,520 Speaker 2: to open when things are bad and it's perfect for her. 639 00:36:33,960 --> 00:36:37,839 Speaker 2: But like, I love their relationships so much and how 640 00:36:37,920 --> 00:36:39,960 Speaker 2: much they love each other and how much they support 641 00:36:40,040 --> 00:36:42,560 Speaker 2: each other, and even him being like seven years younger. 642 00:36:42,600 --> 00:36:46,320 Speaker 2: I think he's like twelve or fourteen and she's like nineteen. 643 00:36:46,800 --> 00:36:50,400 Speaker 2: That he is like the support system she needs, which 644 00:36:50,440 --> 00:36:52,200 Speaker 2: is phenomenal. So good. 645 00:36:52,680 --> 00:36:55,919 Speaker 1: Yeah, he's great. He was reading Anamorphs when you're first 646 00:36:56,000 --> 00:37:00,160 Speaker 1: introduced to him, and I love how he just accepts 647 00:37:00,000 --> 00:37:02,799 Speaker 1: It's like, Yep, that's who you are. It's like I'm 648 00:37:02,800 --> 00:37:06,240 Speaker 1: a big a two. Yeah. The story, it is letter. 649 00:37:06,680 --> 00:37:21,120 Speaker 1: I love it. It's so good. I did want to 650 00:37:21,160 --> 00:37:24,239 Speaker 1: speak to going back to that kind of like you're 651 00:37:24,280 --> 00:37:29,319 Speaker 1: not enough worry when it comes to to I think 652 00:37:29,840 --> 00:37:32,120 Speaker 1: a lot of things, but in this case, like being queer, 653 00:37:32,120 --> 00:37:34,560 Speaker 1: but also like the whole feminist thing we've been talking about. 654 00:37:34,560 --> 00:37:39,440 Speaker 1: When you don't know the terminology, here's a quote. You know, 655 00:37:39,560 --> 00:37:41,279 Speaker 1: I didn't know the words. No, I didn't know my 656 00:37:41,320 --> 00:37:44,319 Speaker 1: ginger pronouns. All the moments where I was made to 657 00:37:44,320 --> 00:37:46,720 Speaker 1: feel like an outsider in a group that was supposed 658 00:37:46,760 --> 00:37:49,120 Speaker 1: to have room for me added up and left me 659 00:37:49,160 --> 00:37:53,160 Speaker 1: feeling so much shame, burning hot cheeks, eyes swollen with tears. 660 00:37:53,200 --> 00:37:55,799 Speaker 1: That were all the words I couldn't say. That's what 661 00:37:55,840 --> 00:38:00,880 Speaker 1: my shame looked like. Yeah, and I think, like going 662 00:38:00,920 --> 00:38:06,600 Speaker 1: back to so many advert conversations we had just like 663 00:38:07,080 --> 00:38:14,000 Speaker 1: any other group of people, there are biases everything in 664 00:38:14,000 --> 00:38:18,520 Speaker 1: the queer community, and yeah, if you're new to it, 665 00:38:18,520 --> 00:38:20,640 Speaker 1: it can be really scary when people are like, have 666 00:38:20,719 --> 00:38:22,279 Speaker 1: you read this? Do you know this? Do you know 667 00:38:22,360 --> 00:38:26,439 Speaker 1: this term? What it is? And so when she's kind 668 00:38:26,440 --> 00:38:28,960 Speaker 1: of bombarded with all of these things she's never heard of, 669 00:38:29,239 --> 00:38:32,000 Speaker 1: and then that can make you feel even more doubt, like, oh, 670 00:38:32,000 --> 00:38:34,960 Speaker 1: I didn't even know about that. But as you said, 671 00:38:35,880 --> 00:38:38,920 Speaker 1: when she goes to visit her aunt and cousin in Miami, 672 00:38:38,960 --> 00:38:40,440 Speaker 1: she's like, oh, yeah, I didn't know that was a 673 00:38:40,440 --> 00:38:40,880 Speaker 1: word for it. 674 00:38:40,920 --> 00:38:46,680 Speaker 2: But yep, I love the relationship goes on. Your one 675 00:38:46,800 --> 00:38:49,640 Speaker 2: job is to just accept what a person feels comfortable 676 00:38:49,719 --> 00:38:52,840 Speaker 2: sharing about themselves. No one owes you info on their gender, 677 00:38:52,880 --> 00:38:54,439 Speaker 2: body parts, or sexuality. 678 00:38:55,400 --> 00:39:00,799 Speaker 1: Yeah. I liked that there was also discussions around on sexism. 679 00:39:02,200 --> 00:39:04,600 Speaker 1: One of the opening scenes, I would say pretty much 680 00:39:05,160 --> 00:39:09,000 Speaker 1: is around that and around like she describes herself as 681 00:39:09,080 --> 00:39:16,400 Speaker 1: sort of a bigger brown queer woman and having shame 682 00:39:16,440 --> 00:39:18,719 Speaker 1: around like the clothes she wears or her body. But 683 00:39:18,800 --> 00:39:22,000 Speaker 1: a lot of times, like there's a pretty there's a 684 00:39:22,040 --> 00:39:24,759 Speaker 1: scene in the beginning where she's confronted by neighborhood dudes 685 00:39:24,760 --> 00:39:29,279 Speaker 1: who are just doing that horrible harassment do thing that 686 00:39:29,320 --> 00:39:33,360 Speaker 1: some tubes do, and she has a quote where she's like, 687 00:39:33,560 --> 00:39:35,520 Speaker 1: you know, I felt so good in the morning when 688 00:39:35,520 --> 00:39:38,279 Speaker 1: I put this on. I felt so cute, And now 689 00:39:38,320 --> 00:39:42,759 Speaker 1: I feel gross and wrong and weird because it was 690 00:39:42,800 --> 00:39:47,240 Speaker 1: like a halter top that was showing off her breast 691 00:39:47,400 --> 00:39:49,719 Speaker 1: and like tight pants and all this. And she felt 692 00:39:49,719 --> 00:39:51,799 Speaker 1: really good about it, but then they came and her 693 00:39:51,800 --> 00:39:54,160 Speaker 1: asked her, and then she felt bad about it. And 694 00:39:54,200 --> 00:39:56,359 Speaker 1: so she does have a lot of things in here 695 00:39:56,440 --> 00:40:01,320 Speaker 1: about discussions of feeling of her weight, of of sweating 696 00:40:01,360 --> 00:40:03,279 Speaker 1: like a normal human person. But a lot of us 697 00:40:03,280 --> 00:40:07,560 Speaker 1: can relate to being told that's like not ladylike, oh no, 698 00:40:08,520 --> 00:40:14,319 Speaker 1: and having a lot of anxiety around that. And as 699 00:40:14,360 --> 00:40:18,160 Speaker 1: you mentioned, I just read an article about this, but 700 00:40:18,200 --> 00:40:20,160 Speaker 1: it's been around forever, but I just read an article 701 00:40:20,160 --> 00:40:24,480 Speaker 1: about how so many times when you see queer people 702 00:40:24,480 --> 00:40:27,400 Speaker 1: in the media, it is kind of the straight white 703 00:40:27,520 --> 00:40:30,560 Speaker 1: version of like the nice queer person who is in 704 00:40:30,760 --> 00:40:35,320 Speaker 1: a woman's case, she's thin, she's white, like, she's still 705 00:40:35,360 --> 00:40:40,719 Speaker 1: like traditionally beautiful to heterosexual people, which is a huge conversation. 706 00:40:40,760 --> 00:40:43,680 Speaker 1: There's a lot of things to impact there, but her 707 00:40:43,760 --> 00:40:47,439 Speaker 1: having anxiety around that and not fitting that when she's 708 00:40:47,440 --> 00:40:50,799 Speaker 1: coming out, and she did get some of these anxieties 709 00:40:50,800 --> 00:40:55,920 Speaker 1: from her family and I related to this quote, Nina, 710 00:40:56,000 --> 00:40:58,719 Speaker 1: from now on, you must always wear bra. Your breast 711 00:40:58,719 --> 00:41:01,680 Speaker 1: will get bigger, like mind grandma's. You must protect them. 712 00:41:01,880 --> 00:41:04,520 Speaker 1: Trust me, Eventually you will need the support as well. 713 00:41:04,840 --> 00:41:07,200 Speaker 1: Men in public are even in the house, should never 714 00:41:07,239 --> 00:41:10,000 Speaker 1: be able to see the outline of your tatitas or 715 00:41:10,160 --> 00:41:12,560 Speaker 1: the poke of your nipples. Put your bra on the 716 00:41:12,680 --> 00:41:15,520 Speaker 1: second you wake up in the morning. Men can't handle 717 00:41:15,560 --> 00:41:19,120 Speaker 1: seeing those things. It makes them crazy. Remember, they're just 718 00:41:19,200 --> 00:41:21,879 Speaker 1: not as smart as we are. Mama, From now on, 719 00:41:21,960 --> 00:41:24,799 Speaker 1: you must shower every day and always rodioda and imperfume. 720 00:41:25,080 --> 00:41:27,880 Speaker 1: I do not want my little girl to be stinky. 721 00:41:28,239 --> 00:41:29,160 Speaker 1: You are too pretty for that. 722 00:41:30,080 --> 00:41:30,160 Speaker 2: Oh. 723 00:41:30,200 --> 00:41:31,800 Speaker 1: I feel like a lot of us had this talk 724 00:41:32,120 --> 00:41:36,040 Speaker 1: where it was all of a sudden, like you gotta 725 00:41:36,080 --> 00:41:38,399 Speaker 1: smell nice, and you gotta wear this, and you can't 726 00:41:38,400 --> 00:41:41,520 Speaker 1: wear this, and I was not allowed I had to 727 00:41:41,560 --> 00:41:42,880 Speaker 1: talk to my house, I was not allowed to go 728 00:41:42,920 --> 00:41:47,200 Speaker 1: out without a bra, and I hated bras. So it 729 00:41:47,239 --> 00:41:50,080 Speaker 1: was just really annoying. But then it kind of gets 730 00:41:50,080 --> 00:41:53,360 Speaker 1: in your head of like, oh, yeah, men can't control themselves, 731 00:41:53,400 --> 00:41:56,600 Speaker 1: and when which I'm saying in terms of what people 732 00:41:56,600 --> 00:42:02,560 Speaker 1: are telling you and then when she Juliette is about 733 00:42:02,600 --> 00:42:06,000 Speaker 1: to have her coming out situation with her family, she 734 00:42:06,160 --> 00:42:10,400 Speaker 1: describes the harassment incident she'd gone through with these dudes, 735 00:42:11,480 --> 00:42:13,600 Speaker 1: and some of the people at the table were like, Oh, 736 00:42:13,680 --> 00:42:17,560 Speaker 1: it means he likes you, or oh it means yeah, 737 00:42:18,000 --> 00:42:21,920 Speaker 1: that's just them whatever. So that was just something. When 738 00:42:21,960 --> 00:42:24,640 Speaker 1: I was reading, I was like, yeap, heard this one, 739 00:42:26,280 --> 00:42:30,080 Speaker 1: and then this one's kind of a big mess of 740 00:42:30,080 --> 00:42:33,520 Speaker 1: a theme. But I did pick up on some big 741 00:42:33,560 --> 00:42:38,400 Speaker 1: ideas about religion and belief systems. So obviously there was 742 00:42:38,520 --> 00:42:45,000 Speaker 1: kind of the white hippie aura thing that Harlowe was 743 00:42:45,080 --> 00:42:48,239 Speaker 1: doing that was very about like our aurs have to 744 00:42:48,280 --> 00:42:52,560 Speaker 1: sink and the moon and all of this, this kind 745 00:42:52,600 --> 00:42:56,200 Speaker 1: of stuff that was present throughout. So here's a quote. 746 00:42:56,800 --> 00:42:59,480 Speaker 2: The only thing we can really do, juliet is to 747 00:42:59,520 --> 00:43:02,560 Speaker 2: develop our our own sustainable theodiocees. You know, we need 748 00:43:02,600 --> 00:43:05,440 Speaker 2: to create our own understanding of divine presence in a 749 00:43:05,480 --> 00:43:08,840 Speaker 2: world full of chaos. My God is black, it's queer, 750 00:43:08,960 --> 00:43:12,720 Speaker 2: it's a symphony of masculine and feminine. Is Audrey, Lord 751 00:43:12,760 --> 00:43:15,719 Speaker 2: and Leader Kinney. My God and my understanding of God 752 00:43:15,760 --> 00:43:17,960 Speaker 2: are centered on who I am as a person and 753 00:43:17,960 --> 00:43:20,680 Speaker 2: what I need to continue my connection to the divine, 754 00:43:20,719 --> 00:43:24,879 Speaker 2: Maxine explained, she took a long breath. It's everyone's job 755 00:43:24,920 --> 00:43:27,480 Speaker 2: to come up with a theodiocey, one that has room 756 00:43:27,520 --> 00:43:29,560 Speaker 2: for every inch of who they are and the person 757 00:43:29,600 --> 00:43:30,600 Speaker 2: they evolve into. 758 00:43:31,000 --> 00:43:34,360 Speaker 1: Yeah, so yes, that is Maxine, not Harlow. But that 759 00:43:34,480 --> 00:43:38,600 Speaker 1: was when they were talking about like belief systems. 760 00:43:38,360 --> 00:43:41,440 Speaker 2: Right, because she always has a Mester's and divinities and 761 00:43:41,480 --> 00:43:49,160 Speaker 2: so Harlow's world is about goddesses and auras, while Juliet 762 00:43:49,360 --> 00:43:53,600 Speaker 2: came from a pretty Catholic background, but she also believed 763 00:43:53,640 --> 00:43:56,600 Speaker 2: in God and really had a hard time and separating that. 764 00:43:56,640 --> 00:43:59,680 Speaker 2: And I feel like that so many people in religion 765 00:43:59,680 --> 00:44:02,560 Speaker 2: because I know, like especially in the South, there's definitely 766 00:44:02,600 --> 00:44:06,480 Speaker 2: a lot of like of the gay community who profoundly 767 00:44:06,640 --> 00:44:11,040 Speaker 2: love their Christian community or their church community or their 768 00:44:11,120 --> 00:44:14,719 Speaker 2: worship community, and like they have a connection to it 769 00:44:14,760 --> 00:44:17,359 Speaker 2: on a different level. But like when of course, like 770 00:44:17,440 --> 00:44:20,640 Speaker 2: when you're being told this is against something, you are 771 00:44:20,640 --> 00:44:22,680 Speaker 2: against our beliefs, you know, they have a hard time, 772 00:44:22,760 --> 00:44:25,680 Speaker 2: but they still don't believe that's what God is to 773 00:44:25,760 --> 00:44:28,120 Speaker 2: them or who God really is. And I think that's 774 00:44:28,160 --> 00:44:30,719 Speaker 2: a breakdown of like trying to figure out for yourself 775 00:44:31,120 --> 00:44:33,279 Speaker 2: right what your beliefs are. 776 00:44:33,440 --> 00:44:41,360 Speaker 1: The spirituality is yes, and Juliette did have her it 777 00:44:41,440 --> 00:44:45,200 Speaker 1: despite her upbringing her doubts. Here's a quote. I was 778 00:44:45,239 --> 00:44:48,280 Speaker 1: suspicious of the Bible. It had never been particularly forthcoming 779 00:44:48,360 --> 00:44:51,319 Speaker 1: when it came to stories about women. Mary Magdalene wasn't 780 00:44:51,320 --> 00:44:53,839 Speaker 1: really a hooker, and you didn't force Adam to eat 781 00:44:53,880 --> 00:44:57,640 Speaker 1: that apple. What did painting women as untrustworthy or horrorsh 782 00:44:57,680 --> 00:45:01,000 Speaker 1: have to do with God's love? Anyway? Stories weren't even 783 00:45:01,040 --> 00:45:04,040 Speaker 1: about women directly. There were stories about men in which 784 00:45:04,080 --> 00:45:07,479 Speaker 1: women had side roles as the mother, or the second wife, 785 00:45:07,560 --> 00:45:09,879 Speaker 1: or the daughter for sale. The fact that I grew 786 00:45:09,960 --> 00:45:11,920 Speaker 1: up in a religious household and had never heard of 787 00:45:11,960 --> 00:45:15,000 Speaker 1: Sophia further proved to me that the people interpreting the 788 00:45:15,040 --> 00:45:18,200 Speaker 1: Bible or misogynist I didn't care about anything a wise 789 00:45:18,200 --> 00:45:21,480 Speaker 1: woman had to say. Christianity wasn't budging an inch on 790 00:45:21,840 --> 00:45:25,680 Speaker 1: this quest of mine. So this is as we said. 791 00:45:26,520 --> 00:45:32,120 Speaker 1: The new task that Harlowe gave to Juliette was tracking 792 00:45:32,160 --> 00:45:35,160 Speaker 1: down women from these scraps of papers. Sophia was one 793 00:45:35,200 --> 00:45:41,160 Speaker 1: of those women, and she honestly, great curious researcher just 794 00:45:41,239 --> 00:45:43,520 Speaker 1: kind of started looking into the history of the name 795 00:45:43,840 --> 00:45:46,200 Speaker 1: and found out it meant like wisdom and found this 796 00:45:46,360 --> 00:45:49,640 Speaker 1: biblical story that she had never heard, and honestly I 797 00:45:49,680 --> 00:45:51,479 Speaker 1: had heard so right. 798 00:45:52,520 --> 00:45:55,880 Speaker 2: There's so many things like when I tell you researching 799 00:45:57,719 --> 00:46:01,600 Speaker 2: like actual theology, and then talking about like the sea 800 00:46:01,600 --> 00:46:03,719 Speaker 2: scrolls and all the you know, all of the things 801 00:46:03,760 --> 00:46:07,319 Speaker 2: and what came later, and then about the apocrypha, so 802 00:46:07,440 --> 00:46:09,760 Speaker 2: I don't know, like all that and the additional books 803 00:46:09,760 --> 00:46:11,839 Speaker 2: that were left out. You start questioning why things were 804 00:46:11,920 --> 00:46:13,880 Speaker 2: left out and who was being left out and why 805 00:46:14,239 --> 00:46:17,680 Speaker 2: the amount of information being taken away, and you're like, 806 00:46:17,719 --> 00:46:20,560 Speaker 2: who we decided this, Oh, a bunch of men. Okay, 807 00:46:20,800 --> 00:46:23,560 Speaker 2: that's interesting, and then you try to figure out finding 808 00:46:23,560 --> 00:46:25,719 Speaker 2: those pieces and going back to it because they try 809 00:46:25,760 --> 00:46:27,600 Speaker 2: to destroy so many things. 810 00:46:28,719 --> 00:46:32,440 Speaker 1: Because they didn't like people. Yep, they liked power, but 811 00:46:32,640 --> 00:46:37,080 Speaker 1: not the people. And going back to that, that's pretty related. 812 00:46:37,640 --> 00:46:39,719 Speaker 1: I did see a lot of themes of like gatekeeping 813 00:46:40,040 --> 00:46:45,160 Speaker 1: in this of gatekeeping of feminism or being queer or 814 00:46:45,200 --> 00:46:50,719 Speaker 1: whatever based in terminology, like as we've said earlier, what 815 00:46:50,800 --> 00:46:54,240 Speaker 1: you know, what you've read, what you all of that stuff. 816 00:46:54,520 --> 00:46:56,960 Speaker 1: And as part of this, she does get that list, 817 00:46:57,000 --> 00:46:58,919 Speaker 1: and she, as you mentioned, she starts learning more about 818 00:46:58,920 --> 00:47:02,320 Speaker 1: Puerto Rico that she had never learned in her American schooling, 819 00:47:03,160 --> 00:47:08,000 Speaker 1: and she learns about colonization. And here's a quote about that, 820 00:47:09,160 --> 00:47:12,520 Speaker 1: maybe America just swallowed all of us, including our histories, 821 00:47:12,560 --> 00:47:15,399 Speaker 1: and spat out whatever it wanted us to remember in 822 00:47:15,480 --> 00:47:18,880 Speaker 1: the form of something flashy, cinematic and full of catchy songs, 823 00:47:19,200 --> 00:47:21,279 Speaker 1: and the rest of us without that firsthand knowledge of 824 00:47:21,320 --> 00:47:24,640 Speaker 1: civil unrest and political acts of disobedience just inhaled what 825 00:47:24,640 --> 00:47:27,080 Speaker 1: they gave us. So yeah, like going back to what 826 00:47:27,120 --> 00:47:31,239 Speaker 1: you were saying with religion, it's a very similar. This 827 00:47:31,280 --> 00:47:34,520 Speaker 1: is what we'll put in here for you to learn. 828 00:47:35,280 --> 00:47:39,879 Speaker 2: But otherwise, right when you start looking at the history 829 00:47:39,880 --> 00:47:41,520 Speaker 2: of Puerto Rico and what they're trying to do, and 830 00:47:41,560 --> 00:47:43,840 Speaker 2: then you start looking at the history of Hawaii and 831 00:47:43,880 --> 00:47:47,440 Speaker 2: what they've done, and like you kind of really question likeage. 832 00:47:47,000 --> 00:47:55,560 Speaker 1: Oh oh yeah, okay, hard transition dating theme of dating 833 00:47:55,600 --> 00:48:00,239 Speaker 1: in this here's a quote. I couldn't even with dudes lately. 834 00:48:00,360 --> 00:48:02,359 Speaker 1: All they did was talk smack about how good they 835 00:48:02,440 --> 00:48:04,880 Speaker 1: laid down the pipe. Anytime I ignored them. I was 836 00:48:04,920 --> 00:48:06,880 Speaker 1: both a bitch and all of a sudden, too ugly 837 00:48:06,960 --> 00:48:09,839 Speaker 1: or too fat to get it anyway. Neighborhood dudes sure 838 00:48:09,880 --> 00:48:11,920 Speaker 1: knew how to slime and shame a girl. And one 839 00:48:12,000 --> 00:48:15,600 Speaker 1: swift move reason number five hundred and fifty one, Raging 840 00:48:15,600 --> 00:48:19,120 Speaker 1: Flower was so necessary. Reading helped me gather myself, reminded 841 00:48:19,120 --> 00:48:20,719 Speaker 1: me that I had a right to be mad. It 842 00:48:20,760 --> 00:48:24,560 Speaker 1: felt like my body was both overexposed and an unsolved mystery. 843 00:48:25,520 --> 00:48:28,399 Speaker 1: So this is after her encounter with the harassing dude 844 00:48:28,440 --> 00:48:31,040 Speaker 1: in the beginning, But I just thought that was a 845 00:48:31,040 --> 00:48:36,640 Speaker 1: great quote about Yeah, you're super hot until you don't 846 00:48:36,640 --> 00:48:37,840 Speaker 1: want to have sex with them, and then you're like 847 00:48:37,840 --> 00:48:41,799 Speaker 1: the ugliest ever exists, right every time? 848 00:48:42,320 --> 00:48:44,160 Speaker 2: Every time? Didn't want you anyway? 849 00:48:44,200 --> 00:48:45,919 Speaker 1: And then why are you talking to me? I didn't 850 00:48:45,920 --> 00:48:46,160 Speaker 1: want this? 851 00:48:46,800 --> 00:48:49,680 Speaker 2: Why are we here? I definitely didn't talk to you. 852 00:48:49,800 --> 00:48:51,319 Speaker 2: I didn't definitely didn't come to you. 853 00:48:51,400 --> 00:48:52,439 Speaker 1: So go away. 854 00:48:53,600 --> 00:48:56,200 Speaker 2: Yeah, and it goes on. Her heart felt far away 855 00:48:56,239 --> 00:48:59,040 Speaker 2: from mine, like they were beating in different time zones 856 00:48:59,160 --> 00:49:01,600 Speaker 2: or different dimensions love. I should have asked her for 857 00:49:01,640 --> 00:49:04,440 Speaker 2: her to fight for us and to shed some tears 858 00:49:04,520 --> 00:49:06,960 Speaker 2: over a summer apart. If I was going to spill 859 00:49:07,000 --> 00:49:09,719 Speaker 2: my truth to my family, then so should she. But 860 00:49:09,760 --> 00:49:12,400 Speaker 2: I didn't have those words, didn't even know I wanted 861 00:49:12,400 --> 00:49:15,640 Speaker 2: those things until after she was gone. All I wanted 862 00:49:15,719 --> 00:49:18,040 Speaker 2: was her in my arms all night. But the clanking 863 00:49:18,080 --> 00:49:20,600 Speaker 2: of dishes, the smell of Stelle coffee, and the absolute 864 00:49:20,680 --> 00:49:23,839 Speaker 2: hetero vibe of Westchester kept me so aware of how 865 00:49:23,920 --> 00:49:27,880 Speaker 2: unattainable that was. Where could our type of love grow? Anyway? 866 00:49:28,400 --> 00:49:32,759 Speaker 1: Yeah? So that was with Laney, her EXXS. So she 867 00:49:33,200 --> 00:49:38,200 Speaker 1: like loves and made this like mix CD for She 868 00:49:38,320 --> 00:49:40,000 Speaker 1: kept going a mixtape, but I think it was. 869 00:49:39,960 --> 00:49:40,799 Speaker 2: A city. 870 00:49:42,000 --> 00:49:42,440 Speaker 1: It was. 871 00:49:42,560 --> 00:49:45,120 Speaker 2: It was a CD, but like you call it a mixtape, 872 00:49:45,280 --> 00:49:48,879 Speaker 2: like not the old throwbag, especially from our generation She's 873 00:49:48,880 --> 00:49:52,000 Speaker 2: worn nineteen eighty three. Yes, yes, we called it a mixtape. 874 00:49:52,040 --> 00:49:56,160 Speaker 2: I was confused. Okay, sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. 875 00:49:56,520 --> 00:50:00,400 Speaker 1: But this was another area where Julia didn't feel like 876 00:50:00,480 --> 00:50:03,200 Speaker 1: she could speak up or she was questioning. Am I 877 00:50:03,280 --> 00:50:05,319 Speaker 1: being too much? Am I asking too much? Am I 878 00:50:05,360 --> 00:50:09,279 Speaker 1: being too needy? All of those things? Which reading it 879 00:50:09,360 --> 00:50:11,279 Speaker 1: and I'm someone who has those questions as well. I 880 00:50:11,320 --> 00:50:14,480 Speaker 1: was like, no, this is she would not respond to 881 00:50:14,560 --> 00:50:18,840 Speaker 1: your text. You can't respond to a text, a phone call, okay, 882 00:50:18,880 --> 00:50:19,840 Speaker 1: but if you got. 883 00:50:19,680 --> 00:50:21,120 Speaker 2: Mad at her, it's like, just call me. One of 884 00:50:21,200 --> 00:50:25,279 Speaker 2: mergency was like, no, that's rude. 885 00:50:25,040 --> 00:50:26,480 Speaker 1: That's rude. 886 00:50:26,680 --> 00:50:32,160 Speaker 2: Not good, she's toxice needed to go, and she did. 887 00:50:32,239 --> 00:50:34,080 Speaker 1: And good for Juliet for being like, you know what, 888 00:50:34,200 --> 00:50:35,840 Speaker 1: I hope you have a happy life. I hope you 889 00:50:35,880 --> 00:50:38,319 Speaker 1: have a night like mine that I just had. But 890 00:50:38,400 --> 00:50:38,839 Speaker 1: we're good. 891 00:50:39,239 --> 00:50:40,320 Speaker 2: Discover yourself. 892 00:50:41,000 --> 00:50:45,840 Speaker 1: Yes, there are also U conversations around polly dating and 893 00:50:45,840 --> 00:50:50,120 Speaker 1: what that looks like. There's the big breakup that happens 894 00:50:50,200 --> 00:50:52,600 Speaker 1: that we a lot of us I feel related to, 895 00:50:52,920 --> 00:50:55,240 Speaker 1: and how miserable you feel and can't take a shower 896 00:50:55,280 --> 00:51:07,560 Speaker 1: and you don't want to eat. All that stuff. Also 897 00:51:07,960 --> 00:51:11,040 Speaker 1: family huge seem in this. I did want to shout 898 00:51:11,080 --> 00:51:13,359 Speaker 1: out all the nerd references, and now that I know, 899 00:51:14,600 --> 00:51:20,160 Speaker 1: Rivera writes re marvel of like, yep, I love it. 900 00:51:21,200 --> 00:51:24,759 Speaker 1: But I do think one of the biggest themes that 901 00:51:24,840 --> 00:51:27,600 Speaker 1: kind of weaves through all of this is seeking advice 902 00:51:27,640 --> 00:51:32,600 Speaker 1: from other women. And one of the things that stood 903 00:51:32,600 --> 00:51:36,239 Speaker 1: out to me is when Juliette gets her period and 904 00:51:36,280 --> 00:51:39,200 Speaker 1: like stains the sheets at Harlow's house, she has like 905 00:51:39,200 --> 00:51:41,760 Speaker 1: the memory of her mom helping her with her period. 906 00:51:41,840 --> 00:51:45,880 Speaker 1: And then what Harlow does is essentially like get in 907 00:51:45,880 --> 00:51:51,319 Speaker 1: the bathtub and relax, and here's some organic tampons and 908 00:51:51,360 --> 00:51:54,239 Speaker 1: here's some but you know not but I'm not saying 909 00:51:54,320 --> 00:51:58,440 Speaker 1: but it was like a difference. It was a stark difference. 910 00:52:00,000 --> 00:52:01,799 Speaker 2: I didn't be of an incident in which I was 911 00:52:01,880 --> 00:52:05,759 Speaker 2: in Brooklyn and we were hanging out with a lot 912 00:52:05,840 --> 00:52:11,399 Speaker 2: of hippie ish people. They were they they went ups 913 00:52:11,400 --> 00:52:13,479 Speaker 2: for diving to get a chunk of their food because 914 00:52:13,480 --> 00:52:15,600 Speaker 2: they're like, you know, whole Foods throws out so many 915 00:52:15,640 --> 00:52:18,040 Speaker 2: things and it's so wasteful and all these things. And 916 00:52:18,040 --> 00:52:20,200 Speaker 2: I'm like, yeah, yeah, cool, cool, cool. They had the 917 00:52:20,320 --> 00:52:23,160 Speaker 2: you know sign over the toilet if it's yellow leaded mellow, 918 00:52:23,680 --> 00:52:25,759 Speaker 2: you know, like they literally that stuff. I was like, Wow, 919 00:52:25,800 --> 00:52:28,719 Speaker 2: people actually write this, okay. And I was like, I 920 00:52:28,800 --> 00:52:31,040 Speaker 2: need I needed a tampon. And she brought me an 921 00:52:31,120 --> 00:52:33,120 Speaker 2: organic tampon and this is the first time I'd seen 922 00:52:33,160 --> 00:52:36,160 Speaker 2: one without an applicator, and I was like, oh no, 923 00:52:37,440 --> 00:52:40,080 Speaker 2: what do I do with this? I was very very confused, 924 00:52:40,440 --> 00:52:41,960 Speaker 2: and I kind of just sat there and stared at 925 00:52:41,960 --> 00:52:43,759 Speaker 2: it for a second. I'm like and this was right. 926 00:52:43,800 --> 00:52:45,680 Speaker 2: I was at the beginning of college, so around the 927 00:52:45,680 --> 00:52:48,359 Speaker 2: same timeframe as as Julia would be going through her thing, 928 00:52:48,800 --> 00:52:52,240 Speaker 2: and I'm like, I don't I don't know what okay, 929 00:52:52,280 --> 00:52:54,480 Speaker 2: And I tried to use it. I was not good 930 00:52:54,480 --> 00:52:56,880 Speaker 2: with it because it was not something like you have 931 00:52:56,960 --> 00:52:59,239 Speaker 2: to get used to, like how comfortable you are with 932 00:52:59,280 --> 00:53:02,880 Speaker 2: your body, like all these things, and like plastic applicators, 933 00:53:02,880 --> 00:53:04,560 Speaker 2: even with those, I had to be like they have 934 00:53:04,640 --> 00:53:06,279 Speaker 2: to be silky and smooth. I couldn't even use the 935 00:53:06,280 --> 00:53:07,960 Speaker 2: paper ones at that point. This is a lot of detail, 936 00:53:08,280 --> 00:53:11,160 Speaker 2: but I just remember that moment of like, yeah, but 937 00:53:11,239 --> 00:53:12,719 Speaker 2: I could only keep it in for a little bit 938 00:53:12,719 --> 00:53:15,400 Speaker 2: because I did not put it in far enough tampon 939 00:53:15,520 --> 00:53:17,520 Speaker 2: users you know, you know what I'm talking about, and 940 00:53:17,520 --> 00:53:19,399 Speaker 2: so I was like, yep, nope, that was a good 941 00:53:19,400 --> 00:53:24,799 Speaker 2: tried though. I just remember those moments of doing that 942 00:53:25,160 --> 00:53:29,760 Speaker 2: as well as I loved No offense to anybody in Portland, 943 00:53:29,800 --> 00:53:32,040 Speaker 2: we love you. I'm sure it's not like this at all, 944 00:53:32,400 --> 00:53:37,600 Speaker 2: But her talking about how the UH transit smelled was 945 00:53:37,719 --> 00:53:41,880 Speaker 2: so different, because like everybody was all about like the 946 00:53:43,320 --> 00:53:46,600 Speaker 2: no deodorant and like white people having dreads and not 947 00:53:46,680 --> 00:53:48,439 Speaker 2: knowing how to really care for it, like all these 948 00:53:48,480 --> 00:53:51,880 Speaker 2: things and then all that smell and She's like, yeah, 949 00:53:52,000 --> 00:53:55,919 Speaker 2: the Bronx subway system was much better, like coming from 950 00:53:55,920 --> 00:53:58,359 Speaker 2: one smell to a different smell. And I was like yeah, 951 00:53:58,440 --> 00:54:00,440 Speaker 2: because when I went to this house with all of 952 00:54:00,440 --> 00:54:02,520 Speaker 2: the people that, I'm like, I've never hung out with 953 00:54:02,560 --> 00:54:05,000 Speaker 2: people like this, which I feel like I'm missing out, 954 00:54:05,160 --> 00:54:06,600 Speaker 2: and I was really glad to meet them. They were 955 00:54:06,680 --> 00:54:12,640 Speaker 2: very kind and sweet people, but like that was a 956 00:54:12,640 --> 00:54:14,560 Speaker 2: whole new experience. I was like, this is a different smell. 957 00:54:15,120 --> 00:54:20,120 Speaker 2: This is this body odor fresh, no baden, no body 958 00:54:20,160 --> 00:54:23,120 Speaker 2: odor is different, isn't new? And like I was like, Okay, 959 00:54:23,280 --> 00:54:27,240 Speaker 2: this is a whole different world, like her code jumping 960 00:54:27,280 --> 00:54:29,520 Speaker 2: into that world. It made me quite like I was like, 961 00:54:29,640 --> 00:54:32,000 Speaker 2: you know, I get it, and like that kind of 962 00:54:32,040 --> 00:54:35,240 Speaker 2: experience for her to be like, all right, what is happening? 963 00:54:35,440 --> 00:54:37,600 Speaker 2: I just want you to leave me alone, quit telling 964 00:54:37,640 --> 00:54:41,160 Speaker 2: me to love my period, and to like embrace this, 965 00:54:41,560 --> 00:54:43,680 Speaker 2: Like what is this? I guess I'm at least at 966 00:54:43,719 --> 00:54:45,840 Speaker 2: the same time, like she was like, but wow, the 967 00:54:45,840 --> 00:54:48,120 Speaker 2: way that you were like telling me thank you for 968 00:54:48,200 --> 00:54:51,960 Speaker 2: bleeding on my mattress, that's a new level, right. 969 00:54:53,520 --> 00:54:55,480 Speaker 1: Juliet was like I could just you have to like 970 00:54:55,760 --> 00:55:00,040 Speaker 1: tile and all. Harla was like, you don't need that. 971 00:55:00,120 --> 00:55:04,000 Speaker 2: What we'll do, We're gonna fix it with the breeding 972 00:55:04,200 --> 00:55:07,320 Speaker 2: and for what it was worth in the book Julia, 973 00:55:07,480 --> 00:55:09,439 Speaker 2: for her it worked. She had like I will say, 974 00:55:09,440 --> 00:55:12,000 Speaker 2: so something to like in a nice bath and being 975 00:55:12,000 --> 00:55:13,560 Speaker 2: catered for, Like that's lovely. 976 00:55:14,040 --> 00:55:17,080 Speaker 1: Yeah, I don't want to again. It was just the 977 00:55:17,160 --> 00:55:20,520 Speaker 1: difference between like, oh, kind of telling the. 978 00:55:20,480 --> 00:55:23,080 Speaker 2: Crash course when you're from one world to another and 979 00:55:23,120 --> 00:55:26,719 Speaker 2: trying to like I eventually was able to use the 980 00:55:26,719 --> 00:55:29,279 Speaker 2: ones with that the applicators, FYI, it just took it. 981 00:55:29,360 --> 00:55:30,520 Speaker 2: Like the newness of it. 982 00:55:30,880 --> 00:55:32,960 Speaker 1: Yeah, it was like a whole thing. 983 00:55:33,000 --> 00:55:34,440 Speaker 2: And that's kind of this thing was like for her 984 00:55:34,480 --> 00:55:37,080 Speaker 2: to get these newness and then like just jumping into 985 00:55:37,160 --> 00:55:42,840 Speaker 2: a different type like different way of doing things right, right. 986 00:55:43,480 --> 00:55:47,040 Speaker 1: But I did enjoy, like going back to the theme 987 00:55:47,120 --> 00:55:51,120 Speaker 1: of like all these women she does have, as you mentioned, 988 00:55:51,760 --> 00:55:56,320 Speaker 1: memories of her mom often or her aunts often, her cousin, 989 00:55:56,920 --> 00:55:59,279 Speaker 1: having like these women in her life that you were 990 00:55:59,280 --> 00:56:01,839 Speaker 1: giving her advice, whether it's the best advice or not 991 00:56:02,400 --> 00:56:05,200 Speaker 1: in this case, but you know, having that and then 992 00:56:06,040 --> 00:56:08,480 Speaker 1: the research she was doing reflected that as well, like 993 00:56:08,640 --> 00:56:11,319 Speaker 1: she was looking at these women, she was through that 994 00:56:11,440 --> 00:56:18,400 Speaker 1: research learning about herself and in some way getting almost 995 00:56:18,440 --> 00:56:22,040 Speaker 1: advice or like having her world open up and having 996 00:56:22,160 --> 00:56:27,320 Speaker 1: questions that she hadn't previously asked. And one, as we've mentioned, 997 00:56:27,880 --> 00:56:30,879 Speaker 1: I would say one of the biggest points of this 998 00:56:31,360 --> 00:56:36,880 Speaker 1: was her cousin Ava, who just had been doing this research, 999 00:56:38,120 --> 00:56:41,880 Speaker 1: was immediately like, you should be wary of this person Harlow, like, 1000 00:56:42,120 --> 00:56:45,880 Speaker 1: let me give you these books and come to Miami. 1001 00:56:45,960 --> 00:56:50,640 Speaker 1: And then when when Juliette did, it was this huge 1002 00:56:51,200 --> 00:56:54,160 Speaker 1: like asking questions and not being judged for it and 1003 00:56:54,200 --> 00:56:59,920 Speaker 1: just sharing this information and having this beautiful experience where 1004 00:57:00,000 --> 00:57:03,960 Speaker 1: where Juliette wasn't so much in her head anymore, she 1005 00:57:04,040 --> 00:57:05,919 Speaker 1: was just like I can just be curious and she's 1006 00:57:05,920 --> 00:57:07,799 Speaker 1: not gonna judge me, and I can learn these new 1007 00:57:07,840 --> 00:57:09,920 Speaker 1: things and it was great. 1008 00:57:10,120 --> 00:57:12,280 Speaker 2: And again I think that's something important to be about 1009 00:57:12,480 --> 00:57:16,360 Speaker 2: that different communities look different and that's okay, Like you 1010 00:57:16,400 --> 00:57:19,600 Speaker 2: do learn so much from that from different areas, and 1011 00:57:19,640 --> 00:57:22,560 Speaker 2: whether it relates to you one way or doesn't relate 1012 00:57:22,560 --> 00:57:24,760 Speaker 2: to you that way, it doesn't mean it's wrong. And 1013 00:57:24,800 --> 00:57:27,520 Speaker 2: I think that's a bigger point in the book as well, 1014 00:57:27,600 --> 00:57:31,040 Speaker 2: Like just because she felt like a stranger in one 1015 00:57:31,960 --> 00:57:34,840 Speaker 2: specific community and then she felt more home in another 1016 00:57:34,960 --> 00:57:36,600 Speaker 2: doesn't have anything to do with whether it was right 1017 00:57:36,680 --> 00:57:38,560 Speaker 2: or wrong, Like that's something that's being done right or 1018 00:57:38,600 --> 00:57:41,280 Speaker 2: being done wrong. Like it's this level of understanding who 1019 00:57:41,320 --> 00:57:44,440 Speaker 2: you are and your identity, and like understanding that culture 1020 00:57:44,480 --> 00:57:48,120 Speaker 2: does make a difference and makes a play into what 1021 00:57:49,000 --> 00:57:50,920 Speaker 2: you need to hear, what you need to see, and 1022 00:57:50,960 --> 00:57:53,040 Speaker 2: how you need to feel like a part of something. 1023 00:57:53,360 --> 00:57:56,320 Speaker 2: Like that's that bigger conversation. Just because you're one thing 1024 00:57:56,840 --> 00:57:59,680 Speaker 2: doesn't mean that you fit into all these things. And 1025 00:57:59,760 --> 00:58:01,800 Speaker 2: I'm like, in general, just because she was gay doesn't 1026 00:58:01,800 --> 00:58:04,840 Speaker 2: mean she fit into like all the communities, and it 1027 00:58:04,920 --> 00:58:07,560 Speaker 2: shouldn't have to be that way, Like we are individual people. 1028 00:58:07,720 --> 00:58:10,720 Speaker 2: That's the level of intersectionality, that there are civil layers 1029 00:58:10,760 --> 00:58:12,560 Speaker 2: to who you are as a person, and I think 1030 00:58:12,560 --> 00:58:15,960 Speaker 2: that's something they remember. But also that she found everything beneficial. 1031 00:58:16,000 --> 00:58:18,200 Speaker 2: She learned so much about herself in those levels, and 1032 00:58:18,240 --> 00:58:21,640 Speaker 2: I think that's something that's really really well presented. 1033 00:58:22,440 --> 00:58:27,919 Speaker 1: Yes, in this book. I do too, because also going 1034 00:58:27,960 --> 00:58:32,200 Speaker 1: back to the confrontation she has at the end with Harlow, 1035 00:58:32,200 --> 00:58:37,000 Speaker 1: where she sort of accepts what's happened. She kind of 1036 00:58:37,200 --> 00:58:40,480 Speaker 1: she finds her voice, and she says something along the 1037 00:58:40,480 --> 00:58:43,400 Speaker 1: lines of like, you know, your book was so important 1038 00:58:43,400 --> 00:58:46,120 Speaker 1: to me, but this was about me, Like I found 1039 00:58:46,160 --> 00:58:48,880 Speaker 1: my voice. That was just one tiny part of it. 1040 00:58:48,960 --> 00:58:52,320 Speaker 1: And now I've found other people and now I'm going 1041 00:58:52,400 --> 00:58:56,320 Speaker 1: to write this story and I'm going to be a voice. 1042 00:58:56,360 --> 00:58:59,840 Speaker 1: And like, right, I think that was really well said. 1043 00:59:00,520 --> 00:59:02,880 Speaker 2: Yeah, and it's wonderful because it opened a door, like 1044 00:59:02,920 --> 00:59:05,680 Speaker 2: it literally opened her world to something and it was 1045 00:59:05,720 --> 00:59:08,480 Speaker 2: a portal, but it wasn't the end all, like it's 1046 00:59:08,520 --> 00:59:12,600 Speaker 2: it will be significant for her always, but it's not 1047 00:59:12,640 --> 00:59:15,760 Speaker 2: the impact and the Bible for her or like the 1048 00:59:15,800 --> 00:59:17,960 Speaker 2: instruction book book for her that as it was at 1049 00:59:18,000 --> 00:59:23,880 Speaker 2: the beginning, like she's developing herself and creating her own Yeah. 1050 00:59:24,680 --> 00:59:28,960 Speaker 1: Yeah, and like having that realization and be like okay, 1051 00:59:28,960 --> 00:59:31,880 Speaker 1: that was like one part and now yeah, it's all 1052 00:59:31,920 --> 00:59:35,040 Speaker 1: of this. And speaking of I did think there was 1053 00:59:35,040 --> 00:59:39,520 Speaker 1: a powerful theme of transformation and rebirth in this. When 1054 00:59:39,520 --> 00:59:44,920 Speaker 1: she goes Ava takes Juliette to a queer party for 1055 00:59:45,240 --> 00:59:50,440 Speaker 1: people of color, she gets a haircut and it's just 1056 00:59:50,480 --> 00:59:55,000 Speaker 1: like a really empowering experience for her because I guess 1057 00:59:56,080 --> 00:59:59,800 Speaker 1: and I'm paraphrasing here, but she was like a queer haircut. 1058 01:00:00,240 --> 01:00:02,720 Speaker 1: She felt like it was like a queer haircut, and 1059 01:00:02,760 --> 01:00:05,560 Speaker 1: she really liked it, and everybody was complimentary of it, 1060 01:00:05,640 --> 01:00:11,040 Speaker 1: like everybody was like, Wow, this looks amazing. And also 1061 01:00:11,120 --> 01:00:15,760 Speaker 1: transformation just on personal levels, like her family kind of 1062 01:00:15,840 --> 01:00:19,600 Speaker 1: like the people who weren't accepting her mother mainly kind 1063 01:00:19,600 --> 01:00:23,040 Speaker 1: of making this pledge to learn because they were like, 1064 01:00:23,120 --> 01:00:26,040 Speaker 1: we love you whatever happens, but we want to learn. 1065 01:00:26,400 --> 01:00:29,480 Speaker 1: And Juliette working to learn throughout all of this, and 1066 01:00:29,560 --> 01:00:32,880 Speaker 1: they have this conversation, her and her mom have this 1067 01:00:32,920 --> 01:00:36,960 Speaker 1: conversation about like, what are you gonna do now after 1068 01:00:37,080 --> 01:00:41,880 Speaker 1: the internship and her mom brings up this conversation they 1069 01:00:41,880 --> 01:00:44,800 Speaker 1: had a while back, and here's a quote from that. 1070 01:00:45,880 --> 01:00:48,200 Speaker 1: You said reading would make me brilliant, but writing would 1071 01:00:48,240 --> 01:00:52,240 Speaker 1: make me infinite, which is a great quote. And here 1072 01:00:52,400 --> 01:00:56,040 Speaker 1: is another quote. All the women in my life were 1073 01:00:56,040 --> 01:00:59,120 Speaker 1: telling me the same thing. My story, my truth, my life, 1074 01:00:59,120 --> 01:01:01,640 Speaker 1: my voice. All of that had to be protected and 1075 01:01:01,680 --> 01:01:04,560 Speaker 1: put into the world by me. No one else, no 1076 01:01:04,600 --> 01:01:06,600 Speaker 1: one could take that from me. I had to let 1077 01:01:06,680 --> 01:01:09,800 Speaker 1: go of my fear. I didn't know what I was 1078 01:01:09,840 --> 01:01:13,200 Speaker 1: afraid of. I wondered if I'd ever speak my truth 1079 01:01:13,800 --> 01:01:18,840 Speaker 1: as she did she did, and that it was also 1080 01:01:19,920 --> 01:01:22,720 Speaker 1: very radical power of self love at the end of 1081 01:01:22,840 --> 01:01:29,280 Speaker 1: like nope, I'm worthy of telling my story and of 1082 01:01:29,360 --> 01:01:34,960 Speaker 1: being angry and of having this voice. It was really Yeah, 1083 01:01:35,120 --> 01:01:36,560 Speaker 1: I really loved it. It's great. 1084 01:01:37,080 --> 01:01:39,160 Speaker 2: It was very good, And like I said, I think 1085 01:01:39,160 --> 01:01:42,760 Speaker 2: it hit on so many different levels with her story, 1086 01:01:42,800 --> 01:01:46,200 Speaker 2: whether it's just about finding our identity going out in 1087 01:01:46,240 --> 01:01:49,880 Speaker 2: the world from her like small corner to like what 1088 01:01:49,920 --> 01:01:53,000 Speaker 2: the bigger world looks like seeing family connecting and then 1089 01:01:53,040 --> 01:01:55,520 Speaker 2: connecting on a different level that you didn't realize that 1090 01:01:55,560 --> 01:01:57,400 Speaker 2: you could have with your family and people around you. 1091 01:01:57,600 --> 01:02:01,400 Speaker 2: But yeah, like having that level and yourself once again, 1092 01:02:01,480 --> 01:02:05,160 Speaker 2: like she is finding new levels of herself. I love 1093 01:02:05,200 --> 01:02:08,240 Speaker 2: that it grew from like Okay, I'm a feminist, Okay, 1094 01:02:08,400 --> 01:02:12,520 Speaker 2: I'm a lesbian, Okay, I'm an intersectional like lesbian, Okay, 1095 01:02:12,600 --> 01:02:15,400 Speaker 2: I'm a writer, intersexual lesbian, like all these levels where 1096 01:02:15,480 --> 01:02:18,440 Speaker 2: she really get to like explore herself, explore her loves, 1097 01:02:18,520 --> 01:02:21,240 Speaker 2: explore her identities. Yeah, I think it's also beautiful that 1098 01:02:21,280 --> 01:02:23,280 Speaker 2: she does talk about different levels of love. She talks 1099 01:02:23,280 --> 01:02:26,840 Speaker 2: about loving Harlowe, she talks about loving Kira, she talks 1100 01:02:26,840 --> 01:02:29,320 Speaker 2: about loving Laney, she talks about loving her mom. Like 1101 01:02:29,360 --> 01:02:32,000 Speaker 2: these different levels of love that she felt and not 1102 01:02:32,120 --> 01:02:35,240 Speaker 2: want to deny any of those, but at the same 1103 01:02:35,320 --> 01:02:37,920 Speaker 2: time like trying to deal with what that looks like 1104 01:02:37,960 --> 01:02:41,120 Speaker 2: for her and what those relationships were for her, and 1105 01:02:41,200 --> 01:02:44,280 Speaker 2: appreciating that type of love, Like I really genuinely love 1106 01:02:45,320 --> 01:02:48,400 Speaker 2: all of that level that she had to those relationships. 1107 01:02:48,840 --> 01:02:51,240 Speaker 1: Yeah, I do too, because it takes a lot of 1108 01:02:51,240 --> 01:02:57,840 Speaker 1: work to recognize what a love did and then kind 1109 01:02:57,840 --> 01:03:01,360 Speaker 1: of compartmentalize like, Okay, it was this important to me, 1110 01:03:01,640 --> 01:03:03,760 Speaker 1: but I can, I can move on from it, but 1111 01:03:03,840 --> 01:03:07,560 Speaker 1: also remember it. So Yeah, definitely check it out if 1112 01:03:07,600 --> 01:03:12,600 Speaker 1: you haven't already. As always, if you have any suggestions 1113 01:03:12,840 --> 01:03:15,480 Speaker 1: for this segment, please let us know. You can email 1114 01:03:15,560 --> 01:03:17,960 Speaker 1: us at Stephania Momsteff at iHeartMedia dot com. You can 1115 01:03:18,000 --> 01:03:19,640 Speaker 1: find us on Twitter at mom Stuff podcast, or on 1116 01:03:19,640 --> 01:03:22,200 Speaker 1: Instagram and TikTok at stuff I Never Told you girls 1117 01:03:22,200 --> 01:03:24,080 Speaker 1: on YouTube. We have a t public store and we 1118 01:03:24,160 --> 01:03:26,280 Speaker 1: have a book you can get wherever you get your books. 1119 01:03:26,600 --> 01:03:29,000 Speaker 1: Thanks as always to our super producer Christina or executive 1120 01:03:29,040 --> 01:03:31,880 Speaker 1: brucer Maya and our contributor Joey. Thank you and thanks 1121 01:03:31,920 --> 01:03:33,800 Speaker 1: to you for listening. Stuff I Never Told You is 1122 01:03:33,800 --> 01:03:35,880 Speaker 1: Protection by Heart Radio. For more podcasts on my heart Radio, 1123 01:03:35,920 --> 01:03:37,760 Speaker 1: you can check out the heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, 1124 01:03:37,800 --> 01:03:46,960 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows,