You're the best you

51

Let me start by saying, girls are goddamn awesome. We As I grew older, I realized she was never my competitor,
are warriors who have to put up with a lot in the world. for boys' attention or for the best grade, but instead
Some of us more than others. A lot of us, but not all of us,
can create life. How cool is that? We have many different just a classmate that I was not in a silent and secretive
stories, ideas, experiences, identities and struggles. I am race with. I often catch myself wondering if maybe a
here to explain why girls supporting girls is so extremely
friendship could have formed if I hadn't been keeping
important and, overall, quite magical. points between us. Letting go of that urge to be the "best"
The road to my feminist identity has been a long and girl in the room was immensely freeing. It also allowed me
necessary one full of discovering and working to destroy to learn how important supporting other girls was. Which
the internalized misogyny that I had hosted. This road
came with many trips and stumbles. Perhaps one of the some might be asking, what does girls supporting girls
most difficult but freeing changes of thinking I had to even mean? Supporting each other means encouraging
trudge through is the shiftin seeing that other girls are our passions and desires, reminding each other to never
not my competition, but instead are my teammates in settle in a world that always wants us to, speaking up in
this crazy thing called life. I grew up in a society that times when another girl needs help, giving a voice to girls
was constantly egging girls and women to tear each that are often quieted, listening to each other's stories
other down. As Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie said in her and the simple things as well, like complimenting each
TED Talk, "We Should All Be Feminists", (side note, if you other's smile or cute shoes. Girls supporting girls is like
have not watched her speech, do so right now), "We raise saying, "Hey, I'm here right behind you if you need me. I got
girls to see each other as competitors, not for jobs or
accomplishments, which I think can be a good thing, but you and you got me." It's solidarity.

for the attention of men." Sometimes I struggle with slipping into old habits. I'll
catch myself going in defense mode if I'm intimidated by
Society and media are constantly pitting women against a fellow girl, thinking I have to prove that I am as good or
each other to battle it out, usually for a man's approval. even better than her. Something I always remind myself
of is, someone's success is not the absence of your own.
Taylor Swift's "You Belong With Me" music video is a
great example of this. With lyrics like, "She wears short As Danielle Prager says in her Huffington Post article,
"We can choose to take the easy route and fall into old
skirts, I wear t-shirts. She's cheer captain and I'm on patterns of behavior, or we can challenge ourselves to
the bleachers," the video suggests that one girl deserves rise up and to set an example of what being a strong and

the attention of the boy while the other one does not supportive woman really looks like."
because she is not following certain "guidelines" in
In a world that is constantly pushing us to tear each other
being a proper female. This is extremely problematic and down, why not rebel against this gross initiative and love
heteronormative. There is not a wrong or right way to be and support each other? Because girls are goddamn
a girl. There is no definition of what a real girl or woman awesome.
should be.
The
All through elementary and middle school, I was envious Magic
of this one girl, since she received a lot of attention

from the cute boys in my class. In my own mind, I would
validate my own worth by weighing myself against her in
ways in which I came on top. She might have gotten more
gushy love notes from boys than I did, but I had the better
grade on the last vocabulary test or the nicer clothes on a

certain day.

In Girls
Supporting Girls

22 Listen u and Jesse just broke up and I get it ur gay, ur a lesbian like that’s fine
but u came into jesses world in Boston and fucked it up and embarrassed him
In front of everyone he lives with and all his friends. If u knew u were gay why

would u move in with him and lead him on.. Make him believe u were gonna move
to California with him and then ruin his life. Jesse loved u so much if u ever even

cared about him u wouldn’t of hurt him like this.. And u have the nerve to bring
ur new girlfriend to Boston this weekend? Are u kidding me Cristina ? Do u have
something wrong in ur fucking head? U must. Because that is the lowest thing I
have ever heard. U fucking disgust me. I swear to god if that girl steps one foot

in my brothers house there is gonna be a fucking problem. And don’t tell my
brother I sent u this because it’s not coming from him it’s coming from me he
didn’t want me to say anything but honestly I can’t hold back. And also don’t
bother answering because there’s nothing that u can say to make this okay. I lost
so much respect for u and its not because ur gay obviously but it’s because of
how u used him as a cover up and don’t even deny it because it is so obvious. How
could u be so cruel to someone who treated u so fucking well. You broke his heart
into a million pieces and u don’t even care. U really have the nerve to bring ur new
girlfriend into his world and make him feel like a piece of shit. U might as well

punch him in the stomach too
Ur a fucking cunt and that’s all there is to it.

Don’t answer back.
2014

52



Tyler, The Creator
@tylerthecreator

being in love is cool as hell, like having feelings
and shit its tight

Tyler, The Creator
@tylerthecreator

nvm

i just want all my
secrets back,
i don’t
want anyone
to know
anything
about

56

57

me
anymore

Liability

Baby really hurt me
Crying in the taxi

He don’t wanna know me
Says he made the big mistake of dancing in my storm

Says it was poison
So I guess I’ll go home
Into the arms of the girl that I love
The only love I haven’t screwed up
She’s so hard to please
But she’s a forest fire
I do my best to meet her demands
Play at romance, we slow dance
In the living room, but all that a stranger would see
Is one girl swaying alone

Stroking her cheek

They say, “You’re a little much for me
You’re a liability

You’re a little much for me”
So they pull back, make other plans

I understand, I’m a liability
Get you wild, make you leave

I’m a little much for
E-a-na-na-na, everyone

The truth is I am a toy
That people enjoy

‘Til all of the tricks don’t work anymore
And then they are bored of me
I know that it’s exciting
Running through the night, but
Every perfect summer’s

Eating me alive until you’re gone
Better on my own

They say, “You’re a little much for me
You’re a liability

You’re a little much for me”
So they pull back, make other plans

I understand, I’m a liability
Get you wild, make you leave

I’m a little much for
E-a-na-na-na, everyone

They’re gonna watch me disappear into the sun
You’re all gonna watch me disappear into the sun

58

59

Liability

really hurt me
Crying in the taxi
He don’t wanna know me
Says he made the big mistake of dancing in my storm
Says it was poison
So I guess I’ll go home
Into the arms of the girl that I love
The only love I haven’t screwed up
She’s so hard to please
But she’s a forest fire
I do my best to meet her demands
Play at romance, we slow dance
In the living room, but all that a stranger would see
Is one girl swaying alone
Stroking her cheek

They say, “You’re a little much for me
You’re a liability

You’re a little much for me”
So they pull back, make other plans

I understand, I’m a liability
Get you wild, make you leave

I’m a little much for
E-a-na-na-na, everyone

The truth is I am a toy
That people enjoy

‘Til all of the tricks don’t work anymore
And then they are bored of me
I know that it’s exciting
Running through the night, but
Every perfect summer’s

Eating me alive until you’re gone
Better on my own

They say, “You’re a little much for me
liability

You’re a little much for me”
So they pull back, make other plans

I understand, I’m a liability
Get you wild, make you leave

I’m a little much for
E-a-na-na-na, everyone

They’re gonna watch me disappear into the sun
You’re all gonna watch me disappear into the sun

60

61

Liability

really hurt me
Crying in the taxi
He don’t wanna know me
Says he made the big mistake of dancing in my storm
Says it was poison
So I guess I’ll go home
Into the arms of the girl that I love
The only love I haven’t screwed up
She’s so hard to please
But she’s a forest fire
I do my best to meet her demands
Play at romance, we slow dance
In the living room, but all that a stranger would see
Is one girl swaying alone
Stroking her cheek

They say, “You’re a little much for me
You’re a liability

You’re a little much for me”
So they pull back, make other plans

I understand, I’m a liability
Get you wild, make you leave

I’m a little much for
E-a-na-na-na, everyone

The truth is I am a toy
That people enjoy

‘Til all of the tricks don’t work anymore
And then they are bored of me
I know that it’s exciting
Running through the night, but
Every perfect summer’s

Eating me alive until you’re gone
Better on my own

They say, “You’re a little much for me
liability

You’re a little much for me”
So they pull back, make other plans

I understand, I’m a liability
Get you wild, make you leave

I’m a little much for
E-a-na-na-na, everyone

They’re gonna watch me disappear into the sun
You’re all gonna watch me disappear into the sun

62

63

Liability

really hurt me
Crying in the taxi
He don’t wanna know me
Says he made the big mistake of dancing in my storm
Says it was poison
So I guess I’ll go home
Into the arms of the girl that I love
The only love I haven’t screwed up
She’s so hard to please
But she’s a forest fire
I do my best to meet her demands
Play at romance, we slow dance
In the living room, but all that a stranger would see
Is one girl swaying alone
Stroking her cheek

They say, “You’re a little much for me
You’re a liability

You’re a little much for me”
So they pull back, make other plans

I understand, I’m a liability
Get you wild, make you leave

I’m a little much for
E-a-na-na-na, everyone

The truth is I am a toy
That people enjoy

‘Til all of the tricks don’t work anymore
And then they are bored of me
I know that it’s exciting
Running through the night, but
Every perfect summer’s

Eating me alive until you’re gone
Better on my own

They say, “You’re a little much for me
liability

You’re a little much for me”
So they pull back, make other plans

I understand, I’m a liability
Get you wild, make you leave

I’m a little much for
E-a-na-na-na, everyone

They’re gonna watch me disappear into the sun
You’re all gonna watch me disappear into the sun

64

65

Liability

really hurt me
Crying in the taxi
He don’t wanna know me
Says he made the big mistake of dancing in my storm
Says it was poison
So I guess I’ll go home
Into the arms of the girl that I love
The only love I haven’t screwed up
She’s so Whard to please
But she’s a forest fire
I do my best to meet her demands
Play at romance, we slow dance
In the living room, but all that a stranger would see
Is one girl swaying alone
Stroking her cheek

They say, “You’re a little much for me
You’re a liability

You’re a little much for me”
So they pull back, make other plans

I understand, I’m a liability
Get you wild, make you leave

I’m a little much for
E-a-na-na-na, everyone

The truth is I am a toy
That people enjoy

‘Til all of the tricks don’t work anymore
And then they are bored of me
I know that it’s exciting
Running through the night, but
Every perfect summer’s

Eating me alive until you’re gone
Better on my own

They say, “You’re a little much for me
liability

You’re a little much for me”
So they pull back, make other plans

I understand, I’m a liability
Get you wild, make you leave

I’m a little much for
E-a-na-na-na, everyone

They’re gonna watch me disappear into the sun
You’re all gonna watch me disappear into the sun

66

67

Liability

really hurt me
Crying in the taxi
He don’t wanna know me
Says he made the big mistake of dancing in my storm
Says it was poison
So I guess I’ll go home
Into the arms of the girl that I love
The only love I haven’t screwed up
She’s so Whard to please
But she’s a forest fire
I do my best to meet her demands
Play at romance, we slow dance
In the living room, but all that a stranger would see
Is one girl swaying alone
Stroking her cheek

They say, “You’re a little much for me
You’re a liability

You’re a little much for me”
So they pull back, make other plans

I understand, I’m a liability
Get you wild, make you leave

I’m a little much for
E-a-na-na-na, everyone

The truth is I am a toy
That people enjoy

‘Til all of the tricks don’t work anymore
And then they are bored of me
I know that it’s exciting
Running through the night, but
Every perfect summer’s

Eating me alive until you’re gone
Better on my own

They say, “You’re a little much for me
liability

You’re a little much for me”
So they pull back, make other plans

I understand, I’m a liability
Get you wild, make you leave

I’m a little much for
E-a-na-na-na, everyone

They’re gonna watch me disappear into the sun
You’re all gonna watch me disappear into the sun

68

69

70

71

72

73

23 I love your eyes.
Brown eyes are my favorite.
2015
74

75

Whenever a guy sleeps with lots of girls he is a “player”

76

77

but whenever I do it I’m a “lesbian”

24 Your smile makes me smile.
2015
78

79

you deserve someone who isn’t
embarrassed to love you and
tells all their friends about you
and saves your selfies, whether
they’re good or bad to look at
when they miss you and loses
sleep to talk to you and tells you
how much they love you and how
beautiful you are all the time and
i really hope you find that one day
because you deserve to be loved

i don’t wanna be
begged for, i just
want someone to
chase after me
like i chase after
them. double
text me if i don’t
respond, call me
just to tell me
you’re missing me.
just let me know
when you miss me
and i guarantee
something that
small will make
me crack the
biggest smile.

The
Magic
In Girls

80

25 I’ve never felt this happy before.
2015

82

83

All of a
Sudden,
You Realize
Her Laughter
Has Become
Your Favorite
Sound

It’s not about the kissing, holding hands,
the dates, the sex, and showing off. It’s
about being with someone who makes you
happy in a way that no one else can. It’s
about being with someone who accepts
you and your weirdness. It’s about being
yourself around them and they can be
their self around you.

Not all lesbians are thin white girls who
wear Calvin Klein underwear and go camping
every weekend. Lesbians are brown girls in
salwar kameezes and bindis and black girls
with dreadlocks and afros and Muslim girls
in hijabs and Jewish girls in tznius, lesbians
are fat girls and 5X+ girls and girls with big
bones and girls who are 6 feet tall, lesbians
are poor girls on welfare and girls getting food
stamps and homeless girls and girls working
multiple minimum wage jobs, lesbians are
girls with depression and anxiety and girls
with personality disorders and psychosis
and girls in the hospital and girls who are
suicidal, lesbians are girls with disabilities
and girls in wheelchairs and girls with chronic
pain and girls who are blind and deaf and
girls who are in recovery and girls who can’t
recover, lesbians are girls who are 5 years old
and girls who are 85 years old and girls who
have known their whole life and girls who just
found out, lesbians are girls from literally all
walks of life and all cultures and all religions
and our stories are so unique and so vast and
to reduce us to only a small group of girls who
most of us aren’t is disingenuous of who we
all are as a whole.

100 Tiny Day Dreams

84

85

About You 26 I can’t believe how pretty you are
2015



27 I think I’m in love with you.
2015

28 Your body is amazing. Thinking about it just puts me in a
daze. Picturing you standing there with all your beautiful
curves. Like I can’t believe you are mine.
2016
88

89

With you on top of me 2 Young Lovers
And me underneath you
I bet we go 100 miles an hour
Through the celling
Cause I am numb I am numb to the feeling
Looking for that sexual healing

‘Cause our love's the only thing that could matter
Take me up and up like a ladder
Our love's the only thing that could matter
Take me up and up like a ladder

Yeah, maybe that could be our thing
What do you think?
I'm talking to young lovers and half price drinks….
I could fight the rain clouds in your life
Every day and every night

Smashing bottles and stepping on glass
Has never felt so good in the past
I'm only human with my flaws
Just a fool with without a cause
With you grinding on me
And me grinding back on you
I bet we were beautiful
Slip sliding on the dance floor

‘Cause our loves the only thing that could matter
Take me up and up like a ladder
Our loves the only thing that could matter
Take me up and up like a ladder

Yeah, maybe that could be our thing
What do you think?
I'm talking to young lovers and half price drinks….
I could fight the rain clouds in your life
Every day and every night

Yeah, maybe that could be our thing
What do you think?
I'm talking to young lovers and half price drinks….
I could fight the rain clouds in your life
Every day and every night

‘Cause our love's the only thing that could matter
Take me up and up like a ladder

Yeah, maybe that could be our thing
What do you think?
I'm talking to young lovers and half price drinks….
I could fight the rain clouds in your life
Every day and every night

Yeah, maybe that could be our thing
What do you think?
I'm talking to young lovers and half price drinks….
I could be the rainbow in your sky
Shooting stars above you every night

90

91
29 Well just so you know it's way more than how you look
that I'm attracted to.. If you had long hair that would be
cool too. I like you for you and how sweet and funny and
outgoing you are.. If I didn't then I wouldn't be talking to
you. You're not a phase to me
2015

92

93

It's that thing when you're with someone, and
you love them and they know it, and they love
you and you know it... but it's a party... and you're
both talking to other people, and you're laughing
and shining... and you look across the room and
catch each other's eyes... but - but not because
you're possessive, or it's precisely sexual... but
because... that is your person in this life. And it's
funny and sad, but only because this life will end,
and it's this secret world that exists right there in
public, unnoticed, that no one else knows about.
It's sort of like how they say that other dimensions
exist all around us, but we don't have the ability to
perceive them. That's - That's what I want out of a
relationship. Or just life, I guess.

Aniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiidssssssssssssssss lllllllllllllllllooooooooooooooooovvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiisssssssssssssssss lllllllllllllllllooooooooooooooooovvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiisssssssssssssssss lllllllllllllllll

lllllllllllllllllooooooooooooooooovvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiisssssssssssssssss lllllllllllllllllooooooooooooooooovvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiisssssssssssssssssabcoasreinlllllllllllllllllsdknwoooooooooooooooooeiol.levvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvtepdteeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

1 B.J - 2nd grade 12 Jesse - Ex-boyfriend. I 20 Jesse - I told him I just
classmate. I was blowing had started working out couldn’t be myself and date

my nose . and was interested in a man. He told me he’d be
weight training. Then we got pissed if he ever found out I
hooked up with another guy
into a fight about my body.
One of many. after “claiming” I was gay.

2 Sean - 6th grade 13 Jesse - He drunkenly 21 Nina - high school friend.
classmate. I was wearing texted me trying to get me Amidst a fight she used the
to sleep with him after we fact that a guy coerced me
a Snap-On hat my uncle had broken up. After telling
got me, I thought it was into giving him a blow job
him I was gay. (my first) and my family’s
cool.
small house, to hurt me

3 Joe -4th grade classmate. 14Jesse - Apparently he 22 Giana - Jesse’s sister.
I didn’t like wearing shorts was more attracted to the Sent me this text after
above my knees, so I wore finding out I broke up with
two pairs so I could sag the way his mother dressed her boyfriend because I
than how I dressed. realized I was gay. My only
second pair . regret is not doing it sooner.

4 Grace - ex girlfriend. This 15Jesse - I wore a button
was her response when down tucked into short
I expressed interest in khaki shorts. It was
wearing crop tops. different but I felt really

good in it until he saw me.

5-8 Tyler & Jon - 9th 16 Leah -High School
grade gym class. I loved friend. I had expressed the

basketball and always fact that I thought I was
wanted to play with the bisexual but since I had
guys, and thisis how they only dated guys nobody

welcomed me. believed me.

9 Mrs. Halpert - 6th grade 17 Jesse - I had mentioned
teacher. I don’t remember that some of my friends
what I did/said to deserve smoked weed and that I
wanted to try it.
that. This was also in
catholic school and I didn’t

know what American Pie.

10 Ed - fellow drum corps 18 Jesse - He didn’t think
member. We did secret girls with short hair were
santa on tour and could attractive. And said I was
being selfish for knowingly
only use rest stops to find doing something he wasn’t
small gifts. He called his
friend to get me a muzzle. attracted to.

11Mike - High school ex- 19 Jesse - I got a tattoo for
boyfriend. First person to my sick cousin. When he
saw it, he said it was too
ever see me naked. big and masculine and that
I purposely showed him a
smaller one to trick him.

23 Kristin - girlfriend. The
first person to tell me my
brown eyes were beautiful.
Less than a week after
meeting.

24 Kristin - I had been told
that I had a nice smile
before, but this was the
first time it felt meaningful
to me.

25 Kristin - While Facetiming
all night long, literally, after
only knowing eachother a
couple weeks.

26 Kristin - I can’t really
pinpoint when this
happened because I’m
lucky enough to hear it
every day.

27 Kristin - After one month
of constant Facetiming,
after an amazing day at
Boston Calling. And every
day since.

28 Kristin - Something she
texted me when I was
feeling critical and body
shamed myself.

29 Kristin - I was worried
that I would just be a phase
to her because I was her
first girlfriend.

30 Me - to me. Embracing
myself in the face of those
who have hurt me and
taking pride in becoming
who I am now.