B.G.U on Chime for Change
Chime for Change featured Yume’s article, Audrey’s photography featuring Ji Han!
Click on the Japan spotlight to read in Japanese or English!
Editor in Chief of B.G.U., Yume wrote down her thoughts below.
By Yume Morimoto
What does it mean for big brands and corporations to suddenly start being part of the discourse surrounding gender, queerness, feminism, equality etc? Some simply utilize queerness or feminism as an aesthetic. Some brandish empowering ads and slogans without actually reflecting on the discriminatory internal practices/institutions they were or are still very much a part of. Some of the messages, images, words do spread awareness on global platforms. However, too often, I feel that the co-optation of feminism and queerness by exploitative capitalistic structures oversimplifies the complex, ongoing, unresolved, and not so “pretty” issues.
When queerness and feminism is sanitized of its nitty gritty, difficult to discuss, contentious bits to ultimately sell a product or improve a brand's image, what is the result? When people with power and privilege conveniently choose bits and pieces from oppressed/marginalized individuals, communities, movements, extracting only the "pretty" bits that sell, will that make change?
I want queerness and feminism to be discussed with all of its "ugly" bits. The abuse, the killings, the rape, the violence that affect women and gender nonconforming people globally--especially those that are disproportionately marginalized within society--immigrants, black, indigenous, trans people, sex workers. The inequalities that exist even within feminist or lgbtqia+ circles due to race, ethnicity, gender, (dis)ability, class, religion, sexuality... These "ugly" bits are rarely touched upon by huge brands, ads, products, companies that "champion" gender equality and paint their logos rainbow for Pride Month.
There is beauty in queerness, of women and gender nonconforming folx collectively taking action, creating together, and contending the status quo. It's important to celebrate that. However, without the complexities, it's just using a movement, glamorizing it for financial gain.
