Being a feminist: Creating an inclusive network of all genders

Soleil Easton, Feminist Club leader of NHHS, the unfiltered truth on the struggles encountered today in supporting human rights + beauty there is in helping women see their strength through a degrading environment 

Solange: First off, how did you become a feminist?

Soleil: I became a feminist really about two years ago. I started to research it more, and found myself fitting in more with [the feminist] community because I stand for equal rights for all genders.

Solange: Did you find it around social media? ie: Tumblr, Instagram, etc.

Soleil: No, my good friend Zara was telling me about it; she was the one who introduced me to the community, as she saw how a lot of my beliefs aligned with feminist beliefs.

Solange: When did you start the club?

Soleil: My junior year. There is also a tar tv episode on my club at Harbor in case you would like more answers.

Solange: Why did you start this club?

Soleil: I started it because Newport Beach isn’t really about women being powerful, and so I wanted to show that women at harbor, and women in general, can be confident in themselves as well as spread more love on campus, not hate.

Solange: When did you decide that this is what you were supposed to do? What made you realize that this was your role on campus?

Soleil: For my club?

Solange: Yes, like did you get that thought/feeling of how “This is what I really want to do; this is what I’m suppose to do…”?

Soleil: I started because I noticed the behavior at our school, mainly from men, and some females, towards women, degrading us [women], saying that we cannot be more powerful than we actually are. There’s a lot of degrading comments I got personally, so I thought “well there’s definitely more women feeling degraded on campus, feeling the same way as I am” and so I wanted to build a stronger community.

Solange: What do you mean when you say that you were hearing degrading things from both boys and girls?

Soleil: Things like “Women are supposed to be in the house… be mothers… take care of the kids… women can’t really hold jobs…” I personally how my best friend’s mom is trapped because her husband is the “man of the house”. He took everything away from her, and now she is stranded at her house, taking care of her daughter.

Solange: So you’ve been hearing students, boys and girls, encouraging that certain lifestyle?

Soleil: Yup.

Solange: What was it like at the start of your club?

Soleil: At first it wasn’t very successful, mainly because I have never been a club president and I didn’t rally know how to run it. This year I feel that it has evolved a lot more, plus this year I feel like there are a lot more underclassmen interested and partaking in civil rights in comparison to last year. And this year I have powerpoint at every meeting, whereas last year I was much more disorganized.

Solange: What do your powerpoint have?

Soleil: I introduce people to feminism, its history, and what it means, beginning with getting the right to vote to more modern protests, such as birth control and having the right to abortion. I also introduce intersectional feminism, which incorporates Latina and African American issues.

Solange: Do most of your meetings consist of just power points? Do you do any activities outside of school? What are your learning approaches?

Soleil: We also have discussions. Junior year we had a tampon and pad drive to restock the bathrooms with tampons and pads. We also go to protests, whether they are in Santa Ana or out in LA + we also have done the clothing and food drive for homeless men and women for both years that the club’s been running.

Solange: Have you gotten a lot of negative reactions towards your club or your stand for feminism in general?

Soleil: A lot. Even for the Tar TV episode, obviously I got a lot of positive feedback, but I also got a lot of negative feedback. Such as whenever it projected for the class, people would tell me that people in their classes would sigh, laugh, or just make fun of feminism because people think that feminism means that women hate men, when in reality it is a fight for equality for all genders, but people just don’t seem to understand that because of the stigma that has occurred all throughout history.

Solange: I remember that at the Club Rush, guys would pick up the tampons you had at your table and throw them around..

Soleil: Ya, those were just white boys laughing at it, mockingly saying that they wanted to join feminist club, not understanding how its idiots like them that are the reason I started this club; like, these guys still have their panties in a wad.

Solange: What about the good stories?

Soleil: Oh! Sean Boulton, our school principal, is my biggest fan. He loved the tar tv episode and loved what I’ve done for the Newport Harbor community, about spreading feminism and spreading love, and so that would honestly be the best story from high school. Besides that I haven’t gotten a lot of positive feedback, except from my club members, but getting positive feedback from your principle is pretty cool.

Solange: Do you think this club has been a good way of getting people to connect?

Soleil: Yes. I honestly think so because by starting this club, mainly girls and some guys from last year (the guys all graduated), people who aren’t in the same friend groups will come to my meetings because they are feminists and like to spread equality throughout campus.

and now I’m even seeing that there is a group of girls who are actually best friends, so they met through my club, which is really cool.

They get to connect and have a safe space to talk about issues. For example, one girl was bullied a lot from just typical white Newport guys, and now she is able to express herself in my club and I really love that.

Solange: Aww so you’d say she’s gained a lot more confidence?

Soleil: Yes because last year she was a freshman and very quiet, mainly because there was a lot of people in my club last year, and now its down to about 10, but with less people she is able to express emotions a lot more; I can see her confidence build a lot.

Solange: Wait that is actually really amazing, because it shows how impactful a club can be — it shows that it doesn’t matter if you have a billion club members or a packed classroom, for small numbers can have just as much of a great impact on others.

Soleil: Yup!

Solange: … But to continue, what are some of your equal rights/feminist/women-empowerment films? I ask because films can be a great way to understand new concepts or ideas like feminism.

Soleil: Two weeks ago I was on Netflix and I started Kill Bill, which I am now obsessed with. There’s. Two volumes, so like two movies/ a sequel. It’s about this gnarly chick who is on a mission to kill Bill.

Solange: That movie is by Quentin Tarantino right?

Soleil: Mhm, and its full feminist because when do you actually get to see an action movie with a woman as the main character? Lady bird is also a little bit, though not very much, but movies like that — like Indie films. Call Me By Your Name has my heeaart ❤️ I love that movie. Honestly, 2017 had the best movies of the year, such as with Moonlight. It was the best year for films in my opinion.

Solange: Do you have any idols?

Soleil: I idol a lot of people, but recently have been obsessed with Michelle Obama and her work. Now that we have a different president, I am able to recognize and appreciate what our old president, Obama, has done. Those two got lots of things done for human rights. I hate how Melania Trump is just copying Michelle Obama.

Solange: So how would you recommend people to learn more about feminism?

Soleil: It’s easy: just take your head out of your pants. Is that the saying? Anyhow, you have to move past the stigmas and stereotypes. Feminism does not about women hating men, and being a feminist doesn’t mean you’re a lesbian. In the end, the only way to learn about anything is to open your mind.