Sensuality is power - theunderargument.com

___Sensuality is power

I am very comfortable in my own skin - it’s almost easier to be naked than to wear beautiful lingerie. Until recently, I found the idea of highlighting my beauty a way of attracting unwanted attention, objectifying myself, it made me want to crawl into some dark corner. I’m a dancer-actor and I’ve always found the stage a much safer place to be, than society.

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Having the freedom of confidence - theunderargument.com

___Having the freedom of confidence

To me bodily agency, agency without shame is essential to freedom and our experience of joy. You know, you should have the freedom to dance, walk, dress etc in whatever manner you see fit. But, most marginalised people don’t have that.

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Genderism has no place nowadays - theunderargument.com

___Genderism has no place nowadays

Working in a high-paid industry, I am fully aware that I will likely be the main ‘breadwinner’ of my household, even though I am not a man. And that’s fine. I think more women need to be comfortable with the fact that it is ok. We're nearly in 2020, and I feel like following traditional gender roles only puts a restraint over potential.

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Done playing the game - theunderargument.com

___Done playing the game

I’ve been working in male-dominated industries throughout my career. I started working in films in LA and then moved to work in technology in London. Being in a masculine environment I quickly realised I needed to bite my tongue, “be cool” and "play the game”. 

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This is almost 50 - theunderargument.com

___This is almost 50

I suppose I was asking for trouble. Swan-white limbs, lanky, and with ginger hair, early Saturday evening in Glasgow amidst the aftermath of a sectarian bout is no time to pound the streets in shorts and a crop top.

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I am not my (body) hair. Or am I? - theunderargument.com

___I am not my (body) hair. Or am I?

When Lily messaged me to feature in the anti-casting shoot she said: “I can write you a story about perfectionism and body hair if you fancy shooting a model with unshaved legs??”. To which I responded: “of course, looking forward to reading you”.

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Bewitchingly Bisexual, Queer, Femme and Sexy - theunderargument.com

___Bewitchingly Bisexual, Queer, Femme and Sexy

Bisexual, Queer and (bewitchingly) Femme. These words that are often used, or seen as, derogatory or marginalising labels make me feel empowered. Each one of these words - bisexual, queer, femme - make me feel confident in who I am, and sexy from the surface of my skin to the core of my being. So why do three words, which make me feel so strong, also unwillingly carry such prevalent connotations to sexism & co? Or, more accurately, why do sexists think that these words are negative and therefore use them in hateful speech?

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I just want to write - theunderargument.com

___I just want to write

My work is given an agency by my skin, my sound, my history. If I deviate, it becomes fake. It’s this silent accusation of inauthenticity I have to protect myself from. 

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My identity is what reminds me of why I love myself - theunderargument.com

___My identity is what reminds me of why I love myself

I am a lawyer, a corporate lawyer to be exact. One of those high heeled, tight skirted, ironed bloused, tight-lipped woman, who spends her days sipping diet coke in her glass-paned office overlooking the city. I smile at the older white men I am largely surrounded by and let them ask me if I have a boyfriend. I shave every inch of my body and dutifully apply red lipstick when we attend cocktail events. Right?

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What are you, good girl gone bad? - theunderargument.com

___What are you, good girl gone bad?

One of my favourite things about my tattoos is that they challenge traditional stereotypes of beauty, that a woman's skin should be pure or unmarked. It still shocks me that, in 2019, some magazines and mainstream media push the idea that we should look a certain way, by losing weight or using make-up to conceal our so-called imperfections. It is so damaging. 

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