[Applause] tell your story change the conversation
tell your story change the conversation
tell your story change the conversation organized by students TEDx youth at shc
this is Ron res martial arts fighter do
this is Ron res martial arts fighter do you notice anything about her look at
you notice anything about her look at
you notice anything about her look at her positioning and her body she is part
her positioning and her body she is part
her positioning and her body she is part of one of the most violent sports out
of one of the most violent sports out
of one of the most violent sports out there yet does this cover show that not
there yet does this cover show that not
there yet does this cover show that not really
really
really she looks vulnerable sexualized
she looks vulnerable sexualized
she looks vulnerable sexualized powerless and inferior it focuses on her
powerless and inferior it focuses on her
powerless and inferior it focuses on her looks and her body rather than her
looks and her body rather than her
looks and her body rather than her strengths as an athlete she is a
strengths as an athlete she is a
strengths as an athlete she is a tremendously powerful woman who is
tremendously powerful woman who is
tremendously powerful woman who is really muscular but this image does not
really muscular but this image does not
really muscular but this image does not accurately depict that in any way this
accurately depict that in any way this
accurately depict that in any way this is Colin Kaepernick quarterback of the
is Colin Kaepernick quarterback of the
is Colin Kaepernick quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers Kaepernick has shown
San Francisco 49ers Kaepernick has shown
San Francisco 49ers Kaepernick has shown in action flexing his muscles in a
in action flexing his muscles in a
in action flexing his muscles in a powerful position that exudes strength
powerful position that exudes strength
powerful position that exudes strength and confidence my question is why
and confidence my question is why
and confidence my question is why couldn’t the Editors frame Rousey’s
couldn’t the Editors frame Rousey’s
couldn’t the Editors frame Rousey’s image in the same way why was she seen
image in the same way why was she seen
image in the same way why was she seen to be vulnerable weak and fitting all
to be vulnerable weak and fitting all
to be vulnerable weak and fitting all the stereotypes of the feminine model I
grew up in a primarily female dominated
grew up in a primarily female dominated house where everyone played sports if
house where everyone played sports if
house where everyone played sports if you kick a soccer ball before I could
you kick a soccer ball before I could
you kick a soccer ball before I could even tie my shoes and began playing
even tie my shoes and began playing
even tie my shoes and began playing competitive sports around the age of
competitive sports around the age of
competitive sports around the age of four one sporting experience it seeks
four one sporting experience it seeks
four one sporting experience it seeks out in my mind occurred during middle
out in my mind occurred during middle
out in my mind occurred during middle school and made me reflect on what it
school and made me reflect on what it
school and made me reflect on what it means to be female and an athlete I was
means to be female and an athlete I was
means to be female and an athlete I was a member of a team that was part of a
a member of a team that was part of a
a member of a team that was part of a co-ed soccer league however the league
co-ed soccer league however the league
co-ed soccer league however the league was primarily made up of boys throughout
was primarily made up of boys throughout
was primarily made up of boys throughout the three seasons of playing on this
the three seasons of playing on this
the three seasons of playing on this team I was subject to many demeaning
team I was subject to many demeaning
team I was subject to many demeaning comments such as why is she playing this
comments such as why is she playing this
comments such as why is she playing this is a boy’s sport or I can beat her she’s
is a boy’s sport or I can beat her she’s
is a boy’s sport or I can beat her she’s only a girl these comments angered me
only a girl these comments angered me
only a girl these comments angered me and only maybe want to play harder yet
and only maybe want to play harder yet
and only maybe want to play harder yet it also made me reflect on the conflict
it also made me reflect on the conflict
it also made me reflect on the conflict young girls face when they are athletic
young girls face when they are athletic
young girls face when they are athletic but still
but still
but still affected to play the role of feminine
affected to play the role of feminine
affected to play the role of feminine these boys wanted me to act in a
these boys wanted me to act in a
these boys wanted me to act in a particular way because I was a girl well
particular way because I was a girl well
particular way because I was a girl well what exactly did these boys expect for
what exactly did these boys expect for
what exactly did these boys expect for me I mean were they questioning my
me I mean were they questioning my
me I mean were they questioning my femininity and if so then what does it
femininity and if so then what does it
femininity and if so then what does it even mean to be feminine the terms that
even mean to be feminine the terms that
even mean to be feminine the terms that come to mind when describing femininity
come to mind when describing femininity
come to mind when describing femininity include words like pretty girly sexy
include words like pretty girly sexy
include words like pretty girly sexy nurturing and so on then when you
nurturing and so on then when you
nurturing and so on then when you compare it with words that are seen to
compare it with words that are seen to
compare it with words that are seen to be masculine they appear to be polar
be masculine they appear to be polar
be masculine they appear to be polar opposites such as strong manly
opposites such as strong manly
opposites such as strong manly aggressive powerful this cost me a lot
aggressive powerful this cost me a lot
aggressive powerful this cost me a lot of anxiety when I went into high school
of anxiety when I went into high school
of anxiety when I went into high school because I wanted to continue being an
because I wanted to continue being an
because I wanted to continue being an athlete yet still retain my femininity I
athlete yet still retain my femininity I
athlete yet still retain my femininity I see it not only as a struggle for me but
see it not only as a struggle for me but
see it not only as a struggle for me but a struggle that a lot of girls face so I
a struggle that a lot of girls face so I
a struggle that a lot of girls face so I continue to play sport but kept thinking
continue to play sport but kept thinking
continue to play sport but kept thinking about this issue until one day I came
about this issue until one day I came
about this issue until one day I came across this video of Ronda Rousey which
across this video of Ronda Rousey which
across this video of Ronda Rousey which changed my perspective she was being
changed my perspective she was being
changed my perspective she was being interviewed for a short story on her
interviewed for a short story on her
interviewed for a short story on her life and during that interview she
life and during that interview she
life and during that interview she talked about herself and how she
talked about herself and how she
talked about herself and how she embraced her version of femininity it
embraced her version of femininity it
embraced her version of femininity it caused me to wonder how she could
caused me to wonder how she could
caused me to wonder how she could possibly think herself as feminine being
possibly think herself as feminine being
possibly think herself as feminine being part of such a violent sport that is
part of such a violent sport that is
part of such a violent sport that is when it struck me the issue is not about
when it struck me the issue is not about
when it struck me the issue is not about me and how I should try and change
me and how I should try and change
me and how I should try and change myself but rather Rousey talked about
myself but rather Rousey talked about
myself but rather Rousey talked about the need to change the definition of
the need to change the definition of
the need to change the definition of what it means to be feminine I could see
what it means to be feminine I could see
what it means to be feminine I could see that she was facing the same dilemmas as
that she was facing the same dilemmas as
that she was facing the same dilemmas as others were constantly trying to put her
others were constantly trying to put her
others were constantly trying to put her into this category where she had to fit
into this category where she had to fit
into this category where she had to fit into society’s view of feminine ideals
into society’s view of feminine ideals
into society’s view of feminine ideals it was clear that society was not ready
it was clear that society was not ready
it was clear that society was not ready for her and the way that she saw herself
for her and the way that she saw herself
for her and the way that she saw herself as feminine and this is evident from the
as feminine and this is evident from the
as feminine and this is evident from the way she’s portrayed on the cover of ESPN
way she’s portrayed on the cover of ESPN
way she’s portrayed on the cover of ESPN the magazine so I looked at that cover
the magazine so I looked at that cover
the magazine so I looked at that cover and then I googled an image of her in
and then I googled an image of her in
and then I googled an image of her in action this is very different from the
action this is very different from the
action this is very different from the image I showed you initially here you
image I showed you initially here you
image I showed you initially here you can see the power strength determination
can see the power strength determination
can see the power strength determination and physicality that reflects more about
and physicality that reflects more about
and physicality that reflects more about how she sees herself when she was asked
how she sees herself when she was asked
how she sees herself when she was asked about her femininity
about her femininity
about her femininity she described it completely different
she described it completely different
she described it completely different from the way we normally perceive
from the way we normally perceive
from the way we normally perceive feminine she responded I’m just as
feminine she responded I’m just as
feminine she responded I’m just as feminine as any other girl just because
feminine as any other girl just because
feminine as any other girl just because I’m just because my body has a purpose
I’m just because my body has a purpose
I’m just because my body has a purpose does not mean it is masculine the issue
does not mean it is masculine the issue
does not mean it is masculine the issue is not about our conflict of trying to
is not about our conflict of trying to
is not about our conflict of trying to be feminine and athletic we have come to
be feminine and athletic we have come to
be feminine and athletic we have come to believe that these two terms cannot be
believe that these two terms cannot be
believe that these two terms cannot be linked to femininity the reality is we
linked to femininity the reality is we
linked to femininity the reality is we need to extend the meaning of this
need to extend the meaning of this
need to extend the meaning of this so that females can also be considered
so that females can also be considered
so that females can also be considered feminine while still being strong
feminine while still being strong
feminine while still being strong confident athletic and powerful so this
confident athletic and powerful so this
confident athletic and powerful so this gave me inspiration and resolve that
gave me inspiration and resolve that
gave me inspiration and resolve that long-standing conflict I had over my own
long-standing conflict I had over my own
long-standing conflict I had over my own femininity I’m no longer fearful of
femininity I’m no longer fearful of
femininity I’m no longer fearful of losing that feminine label as we
losing that feminine label as we
losing that feminine label as we athletes are now on a mission to remake
athletes are now on a mission to remake
athletes are now on a mission to remake what it means to be feminine I am a part
what it means to be feminine I am a part
what it means to be feminine I am a part of this revolution and proud of it
of this revolution and proud of it
of this revolution and proud of it I should point out as an aside that even
I should point out as an aside that even
I should point out as an aside that even during that middle school soccer league
during that middle school soccer league
during that middle school soccer league playing with the boys we ended up the
playing with the boys we ended up the
playing with the boys we ended up the season by beating the boys in league
season by beating the boys in league
season by beating the boys in league championship my struggle began there and
championship my struggle began there and
championship my struggle began there and thanks to Rousey and many other female
thanks to Rousey and many other female
thanks to Rousey and many other female athletes I have a newfound sense of
athletes I have a newfound sense of
athletes I have a newfound sense of confidence our generation should be the
confidence our generation should be the
confidence our generation should be the generation that changes to the word to
generation that changes to the word to
generation that changes to the word to be associated femininity girls should be
be associated femininity girls should be
be associated femininity girls should be able to grown up girls should be able to
able to grown up girls should be able to
able to grown up girls should be able to grow up believing it is okay to be both
grow up believing it is okay to be both
grow up believing it is okay to be both strong and feminine and not feel
strong and feminine and not feel
strong and feminine and not feel conflicted about it so to all those
conflicted about it so to all those
conflicted about it so to all those girls out there who have gone through
girls out there who have gone through
girls out there who have gone through the same anxiety that I did in dealing
the same anxiety that I did in dealing
the same anxiety that I did in dealing with our femininity I say to you it
with our femininity I say to you it
with our femininity I say to you it let’s reshape societal thinking so that
let’s reshape societal thinking so that
let’s reshape societal thinking so that we have a new motto strong is a new
we have a new motto strong is a new
we have a new motto strong is a new pretty thank you
”
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