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four-rabbit · 3 years

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Here lies Roman García Lopez

Roman is not dead, calm down

This is just a small oneshot from the ghost au about Roman coming out as trans to Remus when they were teenagers.

Warnings: swearing, hospitals, self-deprecation, misgender, mentions of transphobia, talks of death

Obs: in some descriptions I'll be refering to Remus and Roman with she/her pronouns, but thats specifically when I'm describing their thoughts and they are referring to themselves or each other with those pronouns, since Remus didn't know he was trans here and Roman is coming out. When I'm not describing their thoughts I'll be referring to them solely by he/him pronouns.

If you tag this as r*mrom I'll punch you

The twins used to be best friends. They would play in the backyard and braid each other's hair and laugh and cry and almost forget all the ways that the world was cold and merciless.

So so merciless.

The Duke analyzed his nails as if they were the most interesting thing he had ever seen and the silence was so dense it could be cut with a knife. He wanted to talk, he really wanted to. He wanted to talk about the last movie he watched and gossip about their classmates and make jokes that were questionable to say the least and wanted to see her sister laugh and look alive again. But what would she say? At this point, what did they have in common? What could she do? Open her mouth just to throw all that filthy that was inside her mind at her poor sister? Talk about her life and about how she was a disgusting piece of garbage? Ruin those few hours that they had together? Yeah, as their mother would always say, if you have nothing nice to say just shut up.

The Duke felt like he never had anything nice to say.

"How is school going?" The one in the hospital bed started. Panic dominated The Duke's eyes and he didn't move for a good ten seconds, looking like he wasn't even breathing until he shrugged.

"As shitty as always, you know. The usual stuff"

"I wish I was there" The Princess sighed.

"Nah, you don't, it's the most boring thing ever, I got a shitton of homework and also tomorrow I got a fucking chemistry test and I don't even know if I'm going to study, you got it easy, dude" as soon as those words left his mouth he regretted it "No, I'm kidding, that was stupid, this sucks too I know, but if I could I would just leave school, I mean who cares?"

"You can't do that. School is important"

The Duke didn't say anything. He had a lot of answers but none of them were nice. And he wanted to be nice to The Princess, at least. He had lost everybody else, even Virgil, even Virgil, she was not going to lose her sister too.

"Why did you call me?" Finally said.

"What?"

"Dad said that you wanted to talk to me. Specifically. Why?"

"I have to ask you for a favor"

"What is it? Yes, I can get you drugs" The Princess raised an eyebrow at his brother.

"What? I'm sure it would make the hospital more interesting, no judgments."

"No. No, it's not that" he was so tense and that was stressing the Duke out. He closed his mouth shut because when he was nervous he rambled and when he rambled he always ended up saying the worst possible things. The Princess took a breath as if it was a battle to take the words out of his throat.

"I'm afraid that I'm going to die"

"A lot of people are" said before he could contain himself. That should have earned at least a chuckle from the Princess but he didn't make a sound.

"No. No. I mean- what I mean is…" he decided to just rip it off like a band aid "I feel like I’m going to die in a few days. I think-"

"Bullshit!" The Duke snapped without warning, startling his brother. "You have no fucking right to say that!" Is it really that easy to make him cry?

"It's true! I- I can feel it, okay? Death is following me"

"Death has always followed you, you stupid fuck, you're like a godamn death magnet!"

"Yeah but it's different now, I- look, how I know doesn't matter, I need you to do something for-"

"I'm not doing shit for you!" Ok that's a lot of emotion for someone who was completely numb the entire week, Duke's body has grown unused to feelings apparently, as he was shaking and burning and screaming and crying and wanting to curl up in a ball and die.

"Just listen-"

"Fuck you!" The Duke covered his ear to show that he wasn't going to listen but also suddenly because everything was too much. Too much noise, too much light, too much, too much. "I'm going to tell your doctor and she's going to say that's bullshit because that's bullshit you can't just die!" Yelled at the top of his lungs. She couldn't lose her sister, no, no, everyone but her.

"I need you to change my name in my gravestone!" said as loudly as his brother, sitting up. That took The Duke by surprise and he uncovered his ears in confusion.

"What?"

"When I die, mom and dad will pay for a gravestone and its going to have a name on it"

"You're not-"

"Fucking listen to me! I don't want to die too, for fucks sake, but I need to be ready when it happens!" The Princess finally snapped in his despair to be listened to. His brother stopped and seemed to consider his options until, slowly, sat down again.

"What do you mean, [...]?" he said his brother's deadname.

"Exactly that. That name. It's not my name"

"Are you high?"

"Look" he ran his hand through his hair, frustrated "I had a lot of time to think. I- I did some research and… I- I'm not a girl" The Duke didn't say anything. For once in his life he had no idea what to say. "Yeah. I've always felt like that. Like something was… off. Wrong. That someone made a mistake when-" he gestured toward his body "I'm not telling mom and dad. They wouldn't understand, they never understand shit. But I know you will, sister"

"Wait, hold the fuck up, what are you saying? If you're not a girl, what the fuck are you then?" The Princess swallowed, scared to say it out loud. There would be no coming back if he did it. He raised his hand to compliment the teenager in front of him, shaking from head to toe.

"I'm- Roman. Nice to meet you." he was crying already, trying to not let his voice fail him "I'm your brother, I'm a trans man and I don't want to die just to be remembered by the wrong name"

Trans man. Trans. A word that was known but still sounded like a secret. Forbidden.

The Duke looked at his brother's hand. Then he looked at his face, with his long hair and tears and all that fear in his eyes.

And he understood, that was what scared him the most.

"Something was off. Something was wrong. Someone made a mistake"

"I don't want to be remembered by the wrong name"

He understood every single word on a deep personal level, he knew that despair, that fear.

He shaked his brother's hand, who immediately melted in relief.

"Roman. You're going to live." Said with that same caring voice that he used when they were kids and Roman had nightmares and he would sing lullabies completely out of tune until his brother fell asleep, delicately cleaning his brother's tears. “You're going to live and you're going to make sure that mom and dad remember you right. I promise"

"But what if I-"

"No! No" The Duke interrupted, not allowing his brother to finish that phrase, not again. "You know what. You're coming with me" announced, starting to look through the closet for some clothes his brother could use.

"... what?"

"We are leaving this shithole"

"I can't leave the hospital [...]!" deadname.

"I don't want to be remembered by the wrong name"

The Duke closed his eyes and when he turned back to his brother he was smiling almost maniacally.

"Yes, you can" he found some sweater pants and a black tshirt "Here, put this on. This place is fucking you up. Mom is fucking you up, this is her fault. We are going out and you're going to live. You're going to live" an idea came to his mind "Do you want to cut your hair?" Roman looked at the clothes on his hands. Then at the teenager looking at him full of expectation. Deep down Roman knew. Staying there was not helping. It was making things worse, he knew even deeper down. And if he was dying he wanted to die by his sister's side.

"Yes. I want to cut my hair" admitted. He didn't hate his long hair, it was pretty and brushing it was relaxing. But he hated how it made everyone think he was a girl. "But mom will be pissed"

"What doesn't piss that woman off?" Exclaimed exasperated and Roman opened the smallest grin.

"Yesterday they gave me strawberry juice instead of orange juice and she threw an entire fucking tantrum"

"Exactly. If she was a little bit whiter she would be a textbook Karen" that made Roman giggle.

"She would. Are we actually doing this?"

"Of course we're! Now get ready, Princes- Princey" Roman smiled widely.

"I like Princey"

"I thought you would" Roman got dressed and The Duke gave him his black hoodie.

"So you won't get recognized" explained.

"I'm sure nobody is going to try to arrest me if they see me sneaking out, thank you very much. Also what was the last time you washed this? It smells like shit" actually Roman would never comment on it out loud but his sister was generally a mess. With hair that wasn't brushed in days and wasn't washed in an even longer time, smudged make up all over her face and dirty baggy clothes. If only he had connected the dots before it was too late.

"I'm sure you'll survive" replied sharply, opening the door.

The hoodie didn't help.

" What are you doing here Ms. Garcia? Do you want anything?" The first nurse that saw them was quick to ask.

"Ahn…" The Duke opened his mouth to explain. Then close it again.

"I just wanted to take some air, my sister came to visit me and we thought it would be cool to go outside real quick" Roman came to rescue him.

"Your sister…" slowly her gaze went to the other teenager "Oh, you. I'm not sure I can allow that. Not without your mother's permission"

"You can come with us, then! My mom wouldn't like to know that you're keeping me stuck in my room. Like a prisoner" the nurse looked worried. Their mom had a reputation around the hospital and it wasn't a good one.

"Just five minutes, okay?"

"Wonderful!" Roman winked in his brother's direction, who opened a smile and they were both guided toward the front of the hospital, where there was a small decorative garden.

"What now?" The Duke whispered, gesturing toward the nurse with his head, she was way too close. Roman looked around and his eyes stopped at one specific point.

"There"

"What?"

"There's a cat"

"I don't see anything"

"Its because its not alive" the animals souls were the easiest to attract and even control. "Her" Roman said in an almost sing-song voice. The cat tilted its head, an empty hole in the place where its left eye was supposed to be and, without warning, threw itself at the nurse, emitting a meow that from her perspective came out of thin air and made the poor woman scream in surprise.

"Now!" And Roman started running. His brother only stopped to giggle before running too. When she noticed that the kids were missing they were already far away.

"Fuck, that was fun!" Roman exclaimed as he recovered from the run, still breathing with some difficulty. His brother enjoyed the feeling for a little longer. He almost felt alive for a minute.

"Of course it was, it was my idea"

"I mean I was the one who fooled the nurse, all you did was stutter"

"Oh, shut up. It's not my fault everyone likes you best"

"Everyone is stupid. You're the cooler twin"

"Don't you come at me with your compliments!" Roman laughed, a genuinely laugh that filled his brother with happiness and warmth.

"Right. What do we do now? I'm still totally down for that haircut"

"Well first of all we're going to steal some scissors because I'm totally broke-"

"Oh my god!" Roman exclaimed in disbelief "My own sister! Wanting to make me a criminal!"

If you get to be brother why do I have to be sister?

Remus ignored that thought for the time being.

"You're not going to regret it! We can steal some chocolate too!" replied, putting his arm around his brother's shoulders. Roman rolled his eyes.

"Oh my life would be so dull without you" The one that would call himself Remus in the future smiled. And I wouldn't be alive without you, thought to himself.

#roman sanders #remus Sanders #creativitwins #ghost au #rabbit writes #fanfic #cw swearing #tw hospital #tw death mention

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freakingoli · 5 years

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[ ELLIOT FLETCHER, TRANSMALE, HE/HIM ] — If you’re strolling Derry today, you might see [ OLIVER MOORE ] along the way! The [ TWENTY FOUR ] year old can usually be found at [ DERRY HIGH SCHOOL ], when they aren’t busy with [ TAROT CARD READINGS or YOGA ]. I hear they seem to be [ FUNNY and FRIENDLY ], but they are also rumored to be [ HOTHEADED and CYNICAL ].

tw; transphobia (kinda)

name: oliver moore age: twenty-four birthday: december 15 gender: male sexuality: pansexual family: trent moore, adoptive father - retired army captain bio:

On December 15th almost twenty-five years ago, Olivia Duke was born in a hospital in New York City. The baby’s mother was a child herself, only sixteen years old and completely on her own as she learned to nurse her baby, and change her diaper. After leaving the hospital, she brought her baby home to the small apartment she shared with four other “delinquent” teens (delinquent to their families, though their only crimes were that they’d in some way offended their conservative families), and did her best to make a life that her child could fit into. She had already dropped out of school so she could work a minimum-wage job, and quickly she learned that being a young mom meant no longer having real friends or a social life of any kind. And within a month, she was at the Fire Station, sobbing and handing her baby over to a firefighter who knew better than to ask any questions. Baby Olivia was handed over to the state.

Olivia was put into a foster home immediately. The couple she was given to were in their mid-twenties and unable to conceive, and they loved Olivia unconditionally for a long while. When Olivia was old enough to refuse to wear the dresses and bows they tried to put her in, they adapted. The couple was more than happy to support the child wearing t-shirts and boy shorts, even letting her decide whether she wanted short or long hair when she was only three years old (she chose short, and she was ecstatic to run around looking like a boy). They raised her as if she were their own for four years, and then Oli’s foster father got sick. At first the couple tried to keep Oli, but as his health deteriorated it became too difficult, and since they hadn’t yet adopted the young child, a social worker eventually came to take Oli to a new family.

As a four year old, Oli learned that anyone that came into her life was temporary. The social worker tried to explain things to her in a delicate way, but all she heard was ‘you don’t belong to anyone, you will probably never belong to anyone’. And it made her a little troublesome for a long time. She struggled to make connections with her next foster family, refusing to let them hug her or help her do anything. She wanted to be independent, wanted to make all of her own decisions, and constantly yelled at the other foster kids in the house that tried to be kind to her. Eventually, she was pulled from this home as well, and placed with another.

By the time Oli was ten, she’d been with six more foster families. The next family they placed her with was a military family; the structure seemed to be good for Oli. She actually started going to school, getting halfway decent grades. Things were okay for about a year...then puberty happened. Oli was almost twelve when she started to develop, and it was a crisis for her. She’d started going by Oli when she was four years old, she’d always worn “boy” clothes and done “boy” things, and half of her peers were surprised to find out she was a girl when teachers or other adults called her one in public (truth be told, when Oli was ‘mistaken’ for a boy, it just felt right). Starting to transform into a young woman was torture for Oli, and she made sure everyone around her felt just as tortured. Oli’s behavior was worse than ever; she ditched school, hit other kids just for being in close proximity to her, and even shoved a teacher who tried to help her on a math test. Then she started hurting herself behind closed doors, and her foster family was at a loss. Once again, the social worker came for Oli.

The next foster home was Trent Moore, a widower, an older man who had once been a captain in the army. He took Oli in with open arms, and gave the child the space she needed. Trent was able to take Oli into school himself every day, make sure she got to class and to therapy and even got her involved in yoga with him on weekends. Oli started to do better, though not great, and when Trent found out she was still hurting herself, he sat down with her and waited patiently while she cried, waited patiently until she could put words behind what she was feeling. When Oli told Trent that she hated her body, that she didn’t feel like a girl, Trent was understanding. He didn’t tell her she was wrong for what she was feeling, didn’t really tell her anything other than he was so thankful that Oli had opened up to him, and he would do whatever it took to help the child.

Trent was unfamiliar with the territory, so he did his research. He found the specialists, called at least ten different therapists and doctors, and then compiled all of the information he’d found and sat down with Oli again. For the first time since Oli was four, he felt listened to and safe with an adult. Trent immediately started referring to Oli as his foster son, talked about Oli as a he, things belonging to him, his opinion on such-and-such. Oli was enrolled at a new school for eighth grade as a boy, and Trent spent a lot of money on fancy binders to help his son feel comfortable around his peers.

There was still some bullying, kids finding out about Oli from kids at his previous school. He was often picked on, beaten up, tossed around. And after the tenth black eye, Trent got sick of teachers and principals that couldn’t stop everything, and picked up their lives and left for Derry, Maine. A fresh start was just what Oli needed, Trent figured. And it truly did help Oli. When Oli was fifteen, Trent asked if he would be okay with Trent adopting him. Oli was overjoyed, having previously thought this could still all be temporary.

A few of the teachers at Derry High School knew about Oli’s ‘condition,’ and they took it upon themselves to make sure everything went smoothly for Oli. He had support in gym, so students never got a chance to see him change in the locker room. One teacher got permission for Oli to use the faculty bathroom instead of having to hold it all day rather than risk using the boys bathroom. They frequently (though also inconspicuously) checked on Oli, making sure he was doing okay, getting everything he needed, facing no issues with peers or even other more narrow-minded teachers. As someone who had previously thought adults were only there to hurt him in the long run, this meant a lot to Oli, and ended up being a huge factor in what he decided to do with his future.

At sixteen, Oli was officially adopted. In celebration, Trent immediately took Oli to get his name legally changed from Olivia Duke to Oliver Moore. Everything seemed to be falling into place for Oli...or Oliver, as he really, really enjoyed being called for a long while. When he was eighteen, Trent scrounged up enough cash to pay for Oliver’s top surgery, something that Oliver will never stop being grateful for.

Oliver graduated from Derry High School, which he knew would have amazed the majority of his previous foster families. He went on to college to study secondary education and mathematics, getting his degree by the time he was twenty-one. Then he was immediately hired on at Derry High School as the remedial math teacher, exactly the role he’d wanted. The remedial classes were the ones he’d been thrown in as a young teen; the classes for the students who struggled with academics, usually because of outside forces beyond their control. More than anything, he wanted to be like the teachers that had supported him through the toughest time in his life.

Trent was getting older, and more and more tired as time went on. The cold winters were getting to be too much for him, and Oliver had really been taking care of Trent more than the other way around since he was just about sixteen years old, right about the time he’d been adopted. When Trent brought up leaving Maine to Oliver, when Oli was twenty-two, Oliver had immediately offered to go with him. But Trent refused, saying he didn’t want to deal with selling their little house, but really because he knew Oliver was happy where he was at. Trent moved to a retirement community in Florida, and now he and Oliver see each other mostly for holidays, though they text and talk on the phone frequently.

career: remedial math teacher at derry high school personality:

Oliver is a sweet and funny guy, always wanting to make others smile or laugh, cheering up anyone he thinks is in a bad mood or having a rough day.

He absolutely loves his job, and thinks of the kids at the school almost as if they were his own children. Romantically, it’s difficult for him to get involved with people. He can be very flirtatious, but he still remembers the issues he had back in New York when people knew he was trans. Telling someone now that he is trans requires plenty of trust on his part, and sometimes that trust is really hard to gain.

Oli hasn’t really dated much, but there are a few individuals that he has hooked up with. When it comes to casual hookups, he’s more likely to hook up with men. Generally they’re less likely to ask questions when he goes down on them, or jerks them off in a club bathroom. He tends not to do any more with them, though on several occasions he has been drunk enough to go further. He usually wakes up feeling regret and shame, though, so he’s not too big of a fan of those occasions.

He is a fiercely loyal friend, and will blindly support anyone that has earned his trust. He’s the type of friend that will be at your side with the torch and pitchfork without even knowing what he’s protesting, because an enemy of his friend is also an enemy of his.

more to be added!

#derryintro

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jmarksthespots · 7 years

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[#WOWFestival #FESTIVAL #PANEL] Women of the World Festival OW: Big Ideas * Intimate Conversations May 7 | 2-7pm @apollotheater | 253 West 125th Street New York, NY Admission: FREE For tickets, REGISTER ONLINE

PANELS

Opening Remarks The Global State Of Women Purna Sen – Director, Policy Division, UN Women

Linking Arms: Why Our Feminism Must Be Intersectional

What are the issues shaping the feminist agenda in the 21st Century? Who gets to set them and how do we ensure that no feminist is left behind? This panel brings leaders from across the feminist movement to discuss why it matters who leads the march and explore what it takes to create an inclusive movement that also stands against racism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, xenophobia and classism.

Panelists Include: Jude Kelly, Moderator – Artistic Director of Southbank Centre and WOW Festival Founder Tamika Mallory – National Co-Chair of the Women’s March on Washington; President of Mallory Consulting Carmen Perez – National Co-Chair of the Women’s March on Washington; Executive Director of The Gathering for Justice Azadeh Khalili – Former Founding Executive Director – Commission on Gender Equity, Office of the Mayor, NYC

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Unapologetically Afro-Latina Co-presented by the Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute

This interactive conversation celebrates what it means to be an Afro-Latina and explores the intersectionality of her identity. This panel will also address the multilayered impact of race and gender on the lives of Afro-Latinas across the Spanish-Speaking African Diaspora, from socio-economic status, to education and healthcare access, to representation in media and politics.

Panelists Include: Marta Moreno Vega, President CCCADI Nancy Morejon, Award-winning Cuban poet (presented in partnership with Pen World Voices) Malin Falu, Radio and Television personality Magdalena Albizu, moderator – director, NEGRITA documentary; former President of the New York Chapter of the National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP).

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The M Word: Muslim-American Women on Power and Beauty What is the unchallenged perception of a Muslim-American woman? Who gets to decide what images and narratives about women dominate in the public discourse, the media, and the literary world? Is the hijab a fashion accessory, an expression of one’s faith, or trending iconography? Is a focus on the hijab reductive?A conversation on women—by women—on what it takes to defy obsolete notions of power and beauty, and instead embrace multidimensional identities. Addressing beauty standards, cultural appropriation, faith, and feminism, our diverse panel tackles a few of the most controversial and sensitive topics of our time.

Panelists include: Mara Brock Akil (Being Mary Jane, Black Lightning) Rana Abdelhamid (Hijabis of New York) Mona Haydar (‘Ask A Muslim’) Penina Roth (Franklin Park Reading Series).

Presented by The M W Word: Muslim Americans Take the Mic, a PEN America series supported by Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art’s Building Bridges Program and by the PEN America World Voices Festival. This event is co-presented by the Apollo Theater and the 2017 Women of the World Festival.

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I Love Myself When I’m Laughing: Finding Power Through Comedy

This panel will look at the many cool ways in which comedy has served to empower women who have found success as stand-up comedians, actresses, and writers of major talk shows. In this talk will women will also discuss how they have used humor as a tool to create social change around reproductive rights, Black Lives Matter, sexual trafficking, healthcare, immigration, women’s and LGBTQ rights and how you can too.

Lizz Winstead, moderator – co-creator of Comedy Central’s The Daily Show. Maysoon Zayid – writer, actor, comedian, Maysoon Zayid is the co-founder of the New York Arab-American Comedy Festival. Aida Rodriguez – producer and actress, known for Last Comic Standing, The Comedian, and The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore. Subhah Agarwal – Subhah’s unique perspective comes from growing up Indian-American in the mid-west. She has been featured on PBS series Modern Comedian, TruTV, Comedy Central, and MTV.

#ACTIVISM

In 2017, it appears you can’t be an effective activist without social media and you can’t be relevant without a ’cause’. Or at least, that’s what we’re led to think. This discussion will explore what activism looks like now compared to the past, what it will look like in the future and the myriad of ways activists are using social media to create narratives and bring the reality of overlooked experiences to the fore for change and empowerment.

Ashleigh Shackelford, moderator – contributing writer at Wear Your Voice Magazine and For Harriet Alaa Basatneh is a human rights activist, writer and Justice Correspondent at FUSION and is the protagonist in the 2013 award-winning documentary, #ChicagoGirl (chicagogirlfilm.com), following Alaa’s tireless efforts to guide revolution in war-torn Syria using only social media and her laptop from 6,000 miles away in the suburbs of Chicago. Lorne Batman is the social media manager for Lady Parts Justice League Elizabeth Luke is a communications manager at Twitter

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Period Rights: Who Gets To Bleed With Dignity The functions of women’s bodies has historically been hidden from them and ‘polite’ conversation which informs a sense of shame and hush women have talking about their periods. We are now learning how lack of access to sanitary products for certain groups of women in certain social circumstances (poverty, prison, homeless, etc.) prevent them from fully taking part in everyday life and can even lead to disadvantage. WoW has put together a frank debate of experts who are changing the period game and given us the power back to ‘bleed with dignity’ and without impediment.

Moderated by Simone Bresi-Ando

Panelists Include: Jennifer Weiss-Wolf, author of Periods Gone Public (Skyhorse, September 2017);contributor to Ms. Magazine. NYC Council Member Julissa Ferreras-Copeland Nadya Okamoto – co-founded PERIOD. Alison Nakamura Netter – Chief Communications & Development Officer, ZanaAfrica Foundation

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Masculinity, A Solution? The construct of masculinity has been more vocally challenged in recent years with the emergence of new gender identities, the study of the various negative impact of toxic masculinity, the highlighting of rape culture and the resurgence of feminist ideologies in the mainstream. Can masculinity as we know it survive? Do we need it? Why does it cause so much harm across the world against both men and women? What’s the new ways we can carve a masculine identity that empowers, nurtures and educates men without the pain?

Panelists Include:

Risikat “Kat” Okedeyi, Moderator – hosts a radio show, The LSP Effect, a weekly online show and Creative Conversations. Robert Jones, Jr. is the literary, sociopolitical and psychosexual writer behind the Son of Baldwin blog, which explores issues that matter to queer people of color and their allies. Leo Sheng is a Trans Activist/Advocate and writer for MTVFounders Professor Robert Jensen is a professor in the School of Journalism at the University of Texas at Austin and board member of the Third Coast Activist Resource Center in Austin.He is the author of Plain Radical: Living, Loving, and Learning to Leave the Planet Gracefully (Counterpoint/Soft Skull, 2015). Michael Kimmel – is one of the world’s leading experts on men and masculinities. He is the SUNY Distinguished Professor of Sociology and Gender Studies at Stony Brook University. Among his many books are Manhood in America, Angry White Men, The Politics of Manhood, The Gendered Society and the best seller Guyland: The Perilous World Where Boys Become Men.

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Give Me Body: What I Learned About Myself & The World When I Embraced & Loved My Body From Sports Illustrated to Beyonce, the current culture of body image politics is evolving and impacting our lives for better and for worse! Panelists will share personal stories about the trauma and pleasure of having “non-traditional” bodies, and will challenge alternative facts promoted via pop culture empowering women and girls to love their bodies and dismiss the haters.

Panelists Include: Ericka Hart is a kinky, poly, activist, sexuality educator, performer and cancer-warrior who after her double mastectomy made waves with her topless photo Jen Ponton is a comedic force and most commonly recognized for her work on Tina Fey’s “30 Rock” and “The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.” Additional participants will be announced

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Digital Dames: The Future of Women & Girls in Tech This talk will look at the many varied and fascinating ways in which women and girls are impacting the tech sector. Our expert panelists will not only lay out the many challenges that women still face in tech, but will provide solutions on how to break in and break the glass ceiling.

Panelist includes: Sonya Magett, co-founder of Code & Content Academy, a nonprofit that provides coding workshops in underserved communities. Heather Cabot – co-authored GEEK GIRL RISING: Inside the Sisterhood Shaking Up TechRaising Powerful GirlsHow do we give and create empowerment tools and leave a positive, sustainable legacy for the next generation of girls to positively handle and define their identity, ambitions, desires and dreams in a world that is increasingly seeing these things as secondary to its progression?

Moderated by Mommy Blogger, @ChicBusyMoM, Candace Montgomery Panelists Include: Nadia Lopez – Principal at NYC Department of Education. Stacey Patton – an American journalist, writer, author, speaker, and college professor and commentator. She is also founder of the anti-child abuse movement Spare The Kids, Inc. Shireen Ahmed is a sports journalist, former football player, wife and mother. Candace Montgomery, Moderator – Senior Director, Event Marketing at Essence Communications.

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Please Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood: An Intimate Conversation on the Experience of Being Trans, Gifted & Black This panel will discuss the transformative experience of being trans, by slaying the misperceptions around being Black, transgender, and a woman. Panelists will address the violence still faced by trans women everyday and the silence surrounding them. This talk will conclude with a discussion envisioning a trans/ cis Black sisterhood and give voice to the ways in which we can mine that Black Girl Magic to find a more powerful level of understanding.

Featuring CeCe McDonald, a transgender prison-reform activist and subject of the documentary, Free CeCe in conversation, with Octavia Lewis, the Audre Lorde Project Trans Justice School Fellow.

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Uptown Hall: The Power of New York Women The Apollo Theater’s WOW themed Uptown Hall – The Power of New York Women will be an in-depth panel examing the opportunities and obstacles women in positions of power face. How are New Yorkers impacted by what these women do? What power does an average New York woman have to lead and to influence leaders?

Moderated by WNYC’s Jami Floyd.

Panelists include: Piper Anderson, Create Forward Majora Carter, Majora Carter Group Professor Christina Greer, Fordham University Amy Holmes, Rasmussen Reports Margaret Hoover, American Unity Fund Donna Lieberman, NYCLU Janai Nelson, NAACPLDF Sonia Ossorio, NOW- New York City

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WORKSHOPS WOW Workshop: 5 Ways To Boost Your Career On Social Media Featuring a discussion with Mary Pryor, Director of Digital, Digital Flash New York

WOW Workshop: Self-Acceptance presented by StyleLikeU Mother-Daughter duo Elisa Goodkind & Lily Mandelbaum, the founders of the multimedia company StyleLikeU and creators of “The What’s Underneath Project”, will led a workshop on self-acceptance through personal style.

WOW Workshop: Warrior Women This family-friendly craft workshop invites participants to design wooden door hangers of powerful She-Roes from around the world including: Mama Tingo from Santo Domingo, Queen Nanny of the Maroons, Yaa Asantewaa, Lolita LeBron, Harriet Tubman, and many more.

WOW Workshop: Trap Yoga Apollo Theater Sunday May 7 at 2pm Taught by Trap Yoga guru, Brandon Copeland

This workshop is a fast-paced, power yoga practice done to Trap. Participants should wear comfortable clothes and bring their own mats. Due to limited capacity, this event requires an RSVP. Please RSVP at [email protected].

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WOW BITES WOW Bites are engaging bite-sized talks delivered by fascinating women with amazing stories from all walks of life.

WOW Bite: Crazy Is My Superpower Featuring AJ Mendez Brooks, former wrestler and three-time WWE champion Divas Champion.

WOW Bite: “Carrying The Weight: My Senior Year As ‘The Mattress Girl. '”Featuring Emma Sulkowicz, a Columbia University student who became the face of sexual assault on college campuses nationwide when she carried around a 50-lb mattress as a work of endurance performance art for her senior thesis.

WOW Bite: My (Underground) American Dream – From Undocumented Immigrant To Goldman Sachs Star Featuring a discussion with Julissa Arce, political commentator, speaker, writer and author of MY (UNDERGROUND) AMERICAN DREAM.

WOW Bite: Harlem: The New Tech Frontier Harlem Featuring Jessica O. Matthews, founder of Uncharted Play, a renewable energy company specializing in motion-based, miniaturized power systems.

WOW Bite: Con Cuatro En Una Casa: How I Make Single Motherhood Look Good Featuring Yvette Russell

WOW Bite: My Hijabi Chronicles Featuring Laylah Amatullah Barrayn, photographer and recent recipient of the Reporting Grant from the International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF).

WOW Bite: Kindness Is Magic: 25 Acts of Kindness to Incorporate Into Your Life Everyday Featuring Tere Geckle

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OTHER ACTIVITIES

WOW Reading:Julie Scelfo, author of The Women Who Made New York, reads from the chapter of her book entitled “The Aunties,” which features four women who helped their immigrant communities feel more at home in New York–while also protecting and celebrating cherished cultural traditions from back home.

Suffrage Spotlights:To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the woman’s right to vote in New York state, activists and performers will gather to read excerpts from famous Suffrage speeches from around the world.

Podcast:Shirley McAlpine, a seasoned business coach and facilitator, will launch her new podcast, ‘She’s Got Drive,’ live at the WOW festival. She, along with a roundtable of panelists, will share inspiring stories and offer tips on how to live your life by design and not default.

WOW Film: MAKERS: Women in Politics Executive Produced by: Dyllan McGee & Peter Kunhardt MAKERS: WOMEN IN POLITICS profiles the long, slow fight for female political representation over the last century, from the first woman elected to Congress in 1916 to a young woman running for Detroit City Council in 2013. Trailblazing leaders like Hillary Clinton, Senator Barbara Mikulski, Olympia Snowe, the youngest Republican woman ever elected to the House of Representatives, and Shirley Chisholm, the first African-American woman to serve in Congress, provide a backdrop for younger women like Rashida Tlaib, the first Muslim-American woman elected to the Michigan House. Today’s leaders in Washington, including Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), the first female Senator from Massachusetts, Susan Collins (R-ME), who led the Senate in shaping a deal to end the government shutdown, and Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI), currently the youngest woman serving in Congress, are also represented. Narrated by Alfre Woodard. About MAKERS MAKERS is a storytelling platform for the trailblazing women of today and tomorrow. Through visual storytelling, podcasts, live events, Emmy-nominated documentaries, and award-winning digital content, we’re inspiring the MAKERS who will shape the future. MAKERS are women who dare to lead. As the largest digital collection of women’s stories ever assembled, MAKERS is inspiring and empowering women to change the world one story at a time. Today, MAKERS.com features over 4,500 videos and the stories of more than 400 women. Current MAKERS include: Hillary Rodham Clinton; media mogul & philanthropist Oprah Winfrey; writer, actor, producer Lena Dunham; U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg; artist Alicia Keys, fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg, writer and producer Shonda Rhimes, YouTube sensation Lilly Singh; and more. For more info, visit MAKERS.com

MUSIC/PERFORMANCES Under the Apollo Marquee DJ:Musical Pathways Radio Show RhythmAndSoulRadio.com is the urban eclectic internet radio station where you can listen to your varied music tastes in one place.On May 7th, under the Apollo’s marquee, the hosts of RhythmAndSoulRadio.com’s Musical Pathways Radio Show (The Mad Spinner Jamelle Mel, Lady Scorpio, and Mama Soul) will serve as DJs with a unique music mix celebrating women across the globe. They will play new soul, classic soul, R&B, Hip-Hop, Spoken Word, Reggae, Soca, Calypso, Black Rock, and more from artists you know and love and independent artists who you need to know.

WOW Mainstage DJ: DJ CUPPY Florence Ifeoluwa Otedola, famously known as DJ Cuppy, is a musician and entrepreneur. In 2014, Cuppy released her first compilation House of Cuppy, which saw her pioneer a fresh new sound she dubbed “Neo-Afrobeats” -an electric blend of Tropical House and Afrobeats music.Urban WordThe Sunday program will feature special performances by young poets from Urban Word NYC.Urban Word NYC champions the voices of New York City youth by providing platforms for critical literacy, youth development and leadership through free and uncensored writing, college preparation and performance opportunities.

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