Methods 2 by Leisure Press

ISSUE

ED ITOR’S LET TER

Dear Reader, Thank you for spending time with the second issue of Methods, a speculative contraceptive catalog. Erin Knutson and I started this publication in response to the comically dumb strategy of most birth control advertising. Why does euphemism serve as the primary advertising strategy for a subject that is both personally and politically vital? A photo of a smiling, ethnically ambiguous woman between the ages of 25-34 does not address any of the issues surrounding the choices that women, couples and governments make about reproduction. Searching for other possibilities, we decided to ask female artists and designers to contribute speculative contraceptive ads for the method of their choice. This way, the ads weren’t just about branded messaging, but the particular politics and ideologies that each method offers. Holistically, they are a statement on the basic right of choice. For every abstinence ad, there was a “cum on tits” ad. There were no pictures of ethnically ambiguous smiling women between the ages of 25-34. Methods was made in search of a way to start a conversation about how we treat our bodies and our relationships. The first issue was released in January 2014, and by August we felt it was time for another round. Apple and Facebook had begun to offer egg freezing benefits to their employees and Tindr was becoming more and more popular. This time, we solicited contributions from both men and women, since it takes both to make a baby. What we

STATEMENT FROM PLANNED PARENTHOOD

received was rich and exciting. And then we kept it all stored away on our hard drives for a year. We were in our last year of graduate school and consequently thesis, jobs, moving and everything else kept getting in the way of publishing the second issue of Methods. Congress’s Planned Parenthood hearing on September 29 created a renewed sense of urgency. During more than five hours of questioning, Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards was attacked, interrupted and talked over by House Republicans, primarily in regards to videos that were acknowledged by all parties to be heavily edited. This appalling and unsurprising display of patrimony shone a spotlight on the disease festering in our government. These same GOP members who relished in condescending to Cecile Richards on the basis of highly manipulated videos are the men who are making decisions about police brutality, immigration and a multitude of other means of controlling bodies that are not their own. And so, the second issue is born! Our ambition is that Methods can be used to start conversations that will engender change. Additionally, all proceeds ($5 from every issue purchased) are being donated to Planned Parenthood Federation of America. Look forward to more issues on a regular basis, until they aren’t needed anymore. Ria Roberts Co-founding editor

Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) is a national not-for-profit organization and is the leading advocate for reproductive health care in the United States today. PPFA provides support for the health, education, and advocacy missions of its 61 affiliates, which operate approximately 700 health centers in almost every state. Each year, Planned Parenthood affiliate health centers provide health care including routine gynecological exams, breast and cervical cancer screenings, contraceptive services, abortion care, sexually transmitted infection testing and treatment, and HIV testing and education to three million people, regardless of their immigration status, age, or ability to pay. One in five women in America visits a Planned Parenthood health center sometime during her lifetime and Planned Parenthood has been providing community based health care, education, and advocacy for nearly 100 years. This year brought an intensified attack on Planned Parenthood’s mission and reproductive rights. The scale, scope, and sophistication of the campaign to destroy Planned Parenthood saturated the media and led to a defunding debate on the floor of the United States Senate. Planned Parenthood quickly set the record straight, encouraged by the trust and confidence the majority of Americans place in us. There is no smear campaign or political harassment that can keep Planned Parenthood from delivering the health care that millions of people turn to us for. With more states across the country now defunding Planned Parenthood, a major Supreme Court decision expected next year, and abortion access set to play a major role in the upcoming Presidential election, this battle will only continue and escalate. Planned Parenthood is in this fight for the long haul and will use every available resource to remain a powerful force for policies that improve the health of its clients. Planned Parenthood is committed to providing care, no matter what. To learn more about Planned Parenthood, donate, or find out how to get involved, please visit PlannedParenthood.org. For volunteer opportunities and to get involved with Planned Parenthood of New York City, send an e-mail to activists@ppnyc.org.

DÉBORA DELMAR

MICHELA POVOLERI

Mother Daughter Mother Daughter Mother Daughter Mother Daughter Mother Daughter Mother Daughter Mother Daughter Mother Daughter

JENNY HUNG

MARILYN MINTER

ERIN JANE NELSON

SHIRA INBAR

RACHAEL MILTON

SAM DAVIS

CHERISSE GRAY

KAT SCHNEIDER

SARA CONDO

Diamond Stingily & Hiba Ali DIAMOND STINGILY & HIBA ALI

This woman and I have a platonic friendship, but we use condoms during sexual intercourse with our respective partners. Eventually I would also like a vasectomy procedure.

MAX GUY

JOANA AVILLEZ

BEA FREMDERMAN

LIZZY DE VITA

RIA ROBERTS

PREGNANT WITH INFORMATION!

CONTRIBUTORS

COLOPHON

BEA FREMDERMAN beafremderman.com

LIZZY DE VITA lizzydevita.com

CHERISSE GRAY @pitifulmimosa

MARILYN MINTER marilynminter.net

DÉBORA DELMAR deboradelmarcorp.com

MAX GUY max.n.guy@gmail.com

METHODS Issue 2 October 2015 Founding Editors ERIN KNUTSON RIA ROBERTS

DIAMOND STINGILY diamondstingily@gmail.com

MICHELA POVOLERI michelapovoleri.com

Cover and back cover photographs EVA O’LEARY ROBIN MYERS

ERIN JANE NELSON erinjanenelson.com

RACHAEL MILTON rachaelmilton.net

Retouching ERIN JANE NELSON

ERIN KNUTSON e-knutson.com

RIA ROBERTS riaroberts.net

EVA O’LEARY evaoleary.com

ROBIN MYERS robin-myers.com

HIBA ALI hibaali.info

SAM DAVIS sam-davis.us

Printed by MAGCLOUD

JENNY HUNG jennh.xyz

SARA CONDO saracondo.com

JOANA AVILLEZ joanaavillez.com

SHIRA INBAR shira-inbar.me

KAT SCHNEIDER katsch.me

PLANNED PARENTHOOD PlannedParenthood.org

The anti-women’s health agenda of this Congress is a political game. To our patients, the outcome is real life. —Cecile Richards