Huffman Representing Her Beliefs PDF

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Representing Her Beliefs...

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Kerrigan Huffman Jingyi Liu WGSS280 November 11, 2019

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Representing Her Beliefs While supporters of the female gender are spread across the world, they are diverse in every way, regarding race, sexual orientation, religion, etc. In some parts of the world, support is also diversified by social status. Millions of locals express their support for women each day but when it comes to modern-day celebrities, one influencer stands out from the rest. On September 9th in 1994, Chris and Nicole Frangipane welcomed a new baby girl into their home, named Ashley Nicolette. She is better known by her professional name, Halsey. Halsey is an American singer and songwriter who is widely known for being one of the biggest feminism advocates the music industry has ever seen. She attends social events and movements that solely empower women and their different races or sexual orientations. She is more known for performing songs that discuss past experiences of hers and of people she is involved with, that motivate people to express their true self, and that represent women in a positive aspect. Halsey breaks various stereotypes on many different levels. In Friends of Survivors by Victoria Banyard, she discusses the situations and statistics behind the correlation between victims of sexual abuse and the sources they seek to receive comfort. Banyard states that previous studies are centered around survivors and whether they tell, whom the tell, and what responses the survivors receive. Banyard decides to look from a different perspective and conducts a study that involves interviewing the people survivors turn to for comfort to collect data on their responses. She wanted to be able to gather this information so she could teach those how to properly react to a survivor telling them about their experience, which may boost confidence in survivors to tell their stories more often. Banyard and Halsey have similar ideas when it comes to making people aware of how to deal with both sides of this

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situation. During the Women’s March in 2018, Halsey delivered an emotional speech that left a mark on every person at the event. She stepped up to the podium and gave a speech in the form of her own poetry called “A Story Like Mine.” Halsey described the raw details of her and a close friend’s many experiences dealing with past sexual assault and the trauma that was endured afterward. To end her eye-opening speech, Halsey says, “Love your neighbor. Please treat her kindly. Ask her about her story, then shut up and listen. Black, Asian, poor, wealthy, trans, cis, Muslim, Christian. Listen, listen. Yell at the top of your lungs, be a voice for all those who have prisoner tongues. For the people who had to grow up way too young. There’s work to be done. There are songs to be sung. Lord knows, there’s a war to be won.” In her conclusion, Halsey promotes being a listening ear and shoulder to cry on, to possibly accompany the survivor when notifying authorities, and to support them. She also states that supporters should unite with other women to fight against sexual assault and to find a way to earn justice for those who have been affected. In With Reps Like These: Bisexuality and Celebrity Status by Ian Capulet, he discusses how bisexuality is viewed by society and the influence of pop culture. Many Americans label it as ‘nonexistent’ because they do not fully understand it. This is the opposite of what bisexuals and their LGBTQ+ allies want for themselves, so they begin educating people on the topic of bisexuality, trying to create a more positive perspective on it. Things take a turn when some celebrities have actions and words that support the Americans’ original perspective on bisexuals. Various factors include promoting bisexual acceptance of themselves but not promoting bisexuality acceptance of all, saying contradictory statements, and painting an image that bisexuals are collectively “sex-crazed, unstable, untrustworthy, and manipulative” individuals. This is not the case when it comes to what Halsey represents. She is one of few celebrities who

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is completely open about her bisexuality and shows her support for the community as an entirety. Halsey expresses her support through attending LGBTQ+ pride events, but mostly through her music. She has multiple songs that portray having relationships with both males and females. During PAPER interview, a reporter asked Halsey how she feels about the positive responses she receives from fans about same-sex love songs and she replies, “I'm a young, bisexual woman and finding that kind of representation in music is really complicated. You don't want to be limited from listening to music that is relatable to you. […] It's just a shame that it's so hard for marginalized or minority people to get the same pop music experience as people who are heterosexual or generally part of the majority. They deserve the same pop music experience.” Halsey’s stance on bisexuality in her music influences her fans to express themselves just as she does, and with full confidence. In conclusion, Halsey is one of the very few celebrities who continuously supports women through the everyday battles against sexual abuse and the discrimination of sexual orientation. Quite possibly, her and the ones who she influences may become the next generation to create a more positive, widely spread perspective on these issues. This common perspective will soon come to a solution in favor of today’s females and the greater good of society.

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Works Cited Bowsher, Allison. “Halsey's Moving Women's March Speech Is A Must-See for Every Feminist.” Much.com, 22 Jan. 2018, www.much.com/halsey-womens-march-speech-poema-story-like-mine/.

Banyard, Victoria L. “Friends of Survivors.” Journal of Interpersonal Violence, vol. 25, no. 2, Feb. 2010, pp. 242–256.

Capulet, Ian. “With Reps Like These.” Journal of Bisexuality, vol. 10, no. 3, Sept. 2010, pp. 294–308.

Stegemoeller, Kristen. “Halsey Is Coming Through Loud and Queer.” PAPER, PAPER, 11 Sept. 2019, https://www.papermag.com/halsey-unfiltered-unafraid-and-out-of-this-world2437563702.html....