Welcome to democrasexy

Femininity, power, sex, politics

I don’t remember how old I was the first time I saw an image of a pin-up girl, but certainly younger than 10. It may have been while wandering the dusty aisles of an antique shop where my parents had a booth. Despite the rich, persistent thrum of a mahogany grandfather clock nearby, time stopped once I laid eyes on that cheeky pin-up. She was innocent yet suggestive, sensual but silly, powerful yet preyed upon. I’ve been unpacking these dichotomies ever since.

The flame of feminine sexuality and power has drawn me to dabble in everything from beauty pageants to roller derby to burlesque to bikini bartending.

In celebration of International Women’s Day, I wanted to give myself a dedicated space to explore the threads that have pulled on me since I can remember: femininity, power, sex, politics.

It chafes people when you weave those threads together.

I know, because when I post pictures showing cleavage on Instagram or Facebook along with a caption that talks about social justice or the delusion of white supremacy or even just when the next election is, men respond and say, “This makes me uncomfortable.”

I want to explore why.

I want to understand feminine* sexuality — one of the most powerful, most maligned, most diminished, most policed, most transfixing forces on the planet. I want to understand how we can use that power for ourselves instead of having it taken from us or used against us.

As co-founder of the creative civic engagement firm Rouser and co-host of The Rabble Texas politics podcast, I’ve spent the last few years trying to figure out how to bring my feminine power to the political realm. The landscape of politics hasn’t historically been welcoming territory for feminine power. What will it take to change that?

I hope you’ll subscribe and join me on this journey. Every couple weeks I’ll publish an essay that combines my personal experiences trying to understand and harness my feminine power, what I’m learning about the history of feminine power, how feminine power is being wielded (or squelched) in modern politics, and just some good, old-fashioned pin-up pics.

Most posts will be free as I’m building my audience here, but eventually the juiciest posts will be reserved only for paid subscribers.

*I say feminine and not female because feminine sexuality isn’t actually attached to a gender. I’m sure that will be a whole essay in itself!