Fall 2023 | Vol 17 | Issue 1
Finding Confidence When You’re Not Cis Legislation that policies trans and nonbinary bodies exacerbates internal struggle and discomfort
Letter From the Editor
T
his summer, I managed Ethos from a tent in northwestern Washington. I spent ten weeks in Darrington, Washington, where I –– you read that right –– lived in a tent and interned for a nonprofit organization. Facilitating our publication 350 miles away from Eugene and without reliable electricity or WiFi proved challenging. However, it also provided an opportunity for all of our staff to contribute from where they found themselves, both physically and metaphorically. Nearly all of our writers, photographers and illustrators contributed to Ethos for the first time this summer. It was also many of our editors’ first times in their positions, including myself. We learned with and from one another, which is the power of our publication. Our publication serves the University of Oregon and Eugene-Springfield communities with journalism that “elevates the voices of marginalized people who are underrepresented in the media landscape” while supporting its student staff in pursuit of such journalism. In this fall’s issue, you’ll find journalism that elevates these voices through stories such as Autumn Williams’ cover story, “Finding Confidence When You’re Not Cis.” Williams elegantly writes about themselves in this piece, exploring what it means to be a gender-nonconforming person amidst the rise in anti-trans and nonbinary legislation across the U.S.
Our Mission
E
thos is a nationally recognized, awardwinning independent student publication. Our mission is to elevate the voices of marginalized people who are underrepresented in the media landscape and to write in-depth, humanfocused stories about the issues affecting them. We also strive to support our diverse student staff and to help them find future success. Ethos is part of Emerald Media Group, a nonprofit organization that’s fully independent of the University of Oregon. Students maintain complete editorial control over Ethos and work tirelessly to produce the magazine.
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Williams connects this legislation to our community through two other UO students’ experiences accessing gender-affirming healthcare and how such experiences affect everyday activities, like swimming in the Willamette River. Another writer, Missy Appel gives us a glimpse into where she spent her summer –– Southern California –– in her piece, “Rage Against the Hollywood Machine.” Reporting from the picket lines of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes in Hollywood, Appel discusses the strikes’ implications for the value of art across the country. Ellie Graham brings us back to Eugene in her piece, “A Roadmap to Environmental Justice for West Eugene.” This story builds upon Clayton Franke’s 2022 piece, “A Lingering Smell,” and provides us with an updated understanding of the decommissioned J.H. Baxter chemical plant and its impacts on West Eugene residents. It also affirms the importance of following-up and building relationships with the communities we represent in our stories. I look forward to fostering these relationships in our communities and among our staff. Thank you for reading, and I hope you see yourself in Ethos.
Ethos Editor-in-Chief Maris Toalson
Email editor@ethosmagonline.com with comments, questions and story ideas. You can find our past issues at issuu.com/ethosmag and more stories, including multimedia content, at ethosmagonline.com.
Two lively actors pause their dancing and cheering for a quick photo.
Table of Contents
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A Roadmap to Environmental Justice for West Eugene J.H. Baxter and Bethel residents have a complex history, and community entities are striving to create a resilient and stable environmental future. Finding Confidence When You’re Not Cis Legislation that polices trans and nonbinay bodies excaerbates internal struggle and discomfort. Rage Against the Hollywood Machine As the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes consume Hollywood, writers and actors share how pay disparity affects them and their work. Reviving Roller Derby: A Space for All Behind its punk persona, roller derby provides its members, such as G Taylor, an inclusive community that sees and supports them.
NOV 1 & 2, 2023 10 A M – 4 P M FLAGSHIP CAMPUS DUCK STORE The FREE artist and art tools show returns! Meet and connec t with professional ar tis t s and vendors to learn more about their techniques, firsthand experiences and knowledge of art and media products. Plus, enjoy event-exclusive deals and discounts, including
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Staff List Editorial
Design
Photography
Editor-in-Chief
Design Editor
Photo Editors
Maris Toalson
Sydney Johnson
Ayla Rivera Violet Turner
Managing Editor
Designers
Megan McEntee
Abigail Raike
Photographers
Kayla Chang
Shane Balian
Lynette Slape
Valerie Landey
Writing
Illustration
Fact Checking
Associate Editors
Art Director
Fact-Checking Editor
Bentley Freeman
Maya Merrill
Elena Nenadic
Illustrators
Fact-Checkers
Writers
Aiko Gaudreault
Aaron Drummond
Autumn Williams
Kaia Mikulka
Aedan Seaver
Missy Appel
Ellyce Whiteman
Social Media Manager Maggie Delaney
Nate Wilson
Ellie Graham
A ROADMAP TO ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE FOR WEST EUGENE J.H. Baxter and Bethel residents have a complex history, and community entities are striving to create a resilient and stable environmental future. Written by Ellie Graham | Photographed by Ayla Rivera Illustrated by Aiko Gaudreault | Designed by Kayla Chang
The J.H. Baxter sales office, located on the northeast end of the property, is seen from Alva Park Drive, one of many residential neighborhoods located near the facilities. 8 | ETHOS | FALL 2023
F
ive miles west of downtown and near the city’s industrial core is Bethel-Danebo, a West Eugene community home to people who are afraid to let their children play outside or tend to their gardens. Established in 1943 as a wood treatment plant, J.H. Baxter sits on the southern border of Bethel, just across Roosevelt Boulevard. The plant has threatened the health of nearby residents through its use and disposal of harmful chemicals, according to Beyond Toxics, a grassroots nonprofit organization devoted to pursuing environmental justice across Oregon.
Quality (DEQ) and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), hosted a hybrid meeting to delve into the history of J.H. Baxter, organize clean-up efforts and determine future actions. The two hour meeting attracted around 25 in-person attendees along with 30 online participants from Bethel and the above organizations. The meeting marked the first time in Oregon these entities have collaboratively met to address J.H. Baxter. The chemicals of concern emitted by the industrial plant are dioxins: a highly toxic, carcinogenic compound generated as a byproduct of industrial processes that can contaminate neighboring properties. Bethel residents also have repeatedly complained about a foul odor coming from the plant.
Since the 1980s, poorer Eugene communities have been victimized by companies that bolster and leverage their power to hemorrhage profit, according to groups like Beyond Toxics and Active Bethel Citizens. Bethel, in particular, has a higher proportion of lower-income According to the Oregon Health Authority (OHA), and Latino residents than any other neighborhood exposure to dioxins in neighborhoods adjacent to and in Eugene, making J.H. Baxter’s activities an around the plant and rates of two cancers — lung issue of environmental injustice, which occurs and Hodgkin’s lymphoma — were “marginally when poor and marginalized communities higher” than in other regions of Eugene. are harmed by hazardous waste and While research conducted by the DEQ other land uses that are detrimental shows there is no definitive link between to their health and quality of life. the contamination from Baxter and The harm inflicted upon Bethel the elevated cancer rates in the residents has largely been surrounding neighborhoods, unaddressed, advocates for residents challenge this. the neighborhood say, but several groups are collaborating No causal link was determined by to change that. the OHA, but exposure to high levels — Arjorie Arberry-Baribeault of dioxins has been suspected to increase
““West Eugene
[is] crying out.
Arjorie Arberry-Baribeault is a community organizer for Beyond Toxics. She has worked at the organization for over three years after gaining traction on Facebook for voicing her own environmental concerns. A focus of ArberryBaribeault’s was sharing her daughter’s diagnosis of Hodgkin’s lymphoma at age 13 after they moved to Bethel.
the risk of inducing asthma, brain cancer, Hodgkin’s lymphoma and acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). Physiological effects include watery eyes and burning sensations in the nose. Dioxins can also infiltrate food chains by attaching to the fatty tissue of animals, posing a danger to farmers or those who cultivate produce.
Arberry-Baribeault also knew two Bethel residents who have had members of their family develop brain cancer, one of whom lost their life.
A major focus of the meeting on July 12 was updating Bethel residents about dioxin contamination on their properties. The EPA has sampled the soil of a total of 52 yards, to date. In March 2023, the EPA collected soil samples from 28 yards, seven of which were found to require immediate cleanup.
“You’re planting tomatoes, and you’re doing things that are supposed to be healthy for your family so that you can eat your produce. So, he’s doing that, not knowing that he’s in tainted soil, and ended up losing his life,” Arberry-Baribeault says. J.H. Baxter closed its doors in January 2022, and the company has retreated from the mess it left behind, neighborhood advocates say. Over nearly three decades, J.H. Baxter was repeatedly fined for violating air, soil and water quality rules for burning 1.7 million gallons of hazardous waste, among other violations. The company owes over $300,000 in fines and penalties — an amount that remains outstanding. On July 12, 2023, the Oregon Department of Environmental
However, significant delays in soil testing and remediation have occurred. Lin Woodrich, the board chair for Active Bethel Citizens, explained results can take up to four months and cleanup efforts have been postponed from this summer to this fall. “There’s just no movement,” Woodrich says. Dylan Darling of the DEQ attributed the timeline of soil testing to the logistics of the process. Darling says the complexity of sampling is an “involved process.” Lab schedules fluctuate and change with follow-up sampling oftentimes required to extract deeper soil for accurate dioxin levels. 9 | ETHOS | FALL 2023
Beyond Toxics was also involved in the July 12 meeting. Founded in 2001, Beyond Toxics works closely with marginalized communities to hold companies that infringe on environmental rights accountable while advocating for more sustainable, safer political policies.
The Oregon DEQ found dioxins in Trainsong Park nearly a mile away but were unable to determine a definite source. The dioxins may have been emitted from J.H. Baxter, but there are also 34 other industrial polluters in the West Eugene 97402 zip code, according to the City of Eugene.
Arberry-Baribeault admitted the meeting was a tense moment. “I didn’t know how the community was going to receive the information they were given because there’s been so much bad news in the neighborhood and mistrust with the agencies,” she says. “West Eugene [is] crying out.”
Discrepancies in soil testing have generated unease in Bethel that is apparent to those at Beyond Toxics. “There are people who just are afraid, that live in the neighborhood that didn’t know anything about dioxins, that now know they live next door to someone who had their soil tested. And they’re scared…To have somebody’s yard tested and not have your yard tested, it’s really hard to explain that to people. Everybody matters,” Arberry-Baribeault says.
Lisa Arkin, the executive director for Beyond Toxics, became interested in environmental law when she became a mother, which triggered deeper thought towards the environment and what would be left behind for future generations. In discussing Lane County ranking the highest in contaminated air, Arkin says, “It’s not just Baxter.”
J.H. Baxter suspended operations in 2022, but according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which is currently investigating the facility and nearby area, the tanks at the site are still filled with chemicals. The sediment, soil and water samples collected during the investigation will help the EPA determine the severity of environmental and health risks so a plan can be created for how to move forward. 10 | ETHOS | FALL 2023
Woodrich discussed how the pollution from J.H. Baxter has had a wide range of impacts, adding to Bethel’s collective unease. Some residents were alarmed by green waters in their gardens that were “bubbling.”
Other families have had their cats and dogs die of cancer, which they believe was caused by exposure to dioxins. A handful of residents also opt to harvest their own food, keeping chickens as a source of sustenance to offset lower incomes. These sources of food are now unsafe for consumption and are part of a broader, increasingly clear pattern of harm.
According to the DEQ , J.H. Baxter has been responsive to engaging in the on-going clean-up efforts despite being out of operation. The hazardous waste team at the DEQ is still performing inspections at the site, which J.H. Baxter has reportedly cooperated with. The EPA has also been involved in recent on site evaluations.
West Eugene has fallen victim to a situation Arkin says could have been preventable. “The owner [of J.H. Baxter], Georgia Baxter, is not lifting a finger to take care of any of this chemical [pollution] that she and her company have made profits off of for decades now. It’s just all sitting there,” Arkin says.
As Oregon law currently stands, there is no requirement for companies such as J.H. Baxter to hold insurance. Beyond Toxics revealed J.H. Baxter canceled its insurance prior to closing the site.
Ethos Magazine attempted to contact J.H. Baxter on numerous occasions, but the company did not respond to these attempts. However, Georgia Baxter wrote to the Register-Guard, saying, “We care about the health and well-being of our neighbors and employees and will continue to work diligently to protect human health and the environment.”
A class action lawsuit against J.H. Baxter is in motion and being handled by Chris Nidel, an attorney based in Washington D.C. Nidel filed the lawsuit in 2019 and is seeking compensation for the many Bethel residents that have been impacted by J.H. Baxter’s activities. The lawsuit was filed on the grounds that emissions detrimentally impacted home use and enjoyment.
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“Baxter has poisoned the community for decades, got away with it, took their money and are basically trying to pack their bags and leave the town to deal with the clean-up and their sick kids,” Nidel says. “The question is if Baxter has any resources left to be able to pay.” Outside of the legal arena, Beyond Toxics has made steps to improve the health and livelihoods of Bethel residents by pushing for protective policies and combatting depreciating property values through green investment. Since contaminated properties are difficult to sell, this work is critical to the agency of those in Bethel. For one, Beyond Toxics established the Bethel Clean Energy Project, which strives to introduce clean energy into homes in the neighborhood. This includes ensuring windows are sufficiently sealed so contaminated particles cannot further infiltrate homes through the soil cleanup process. The implementation of a solar community farm to offset energy bills and encourage productive use of the derelict site have also been proposed. Beyond Toxics is also pushing for a public health overlay zone across Eugene that, through land use codes, would mandate a quarter-mile buffer between industrial polluters and residential areas. Updates to policy and regulation would provide greater protection against those who violate the land and hold them to full account.
Lisa Arkin
Ward 8 City Councilor Randy Groves is working with local and state agencies and state senator James Manning Jr. on the neighborhood’s concerns. Groves affirmed the efforts of Beyond Toxics and Active Bethel Citizens merited local government support. “I’m familiar with the area and J.H. Baxter, and I support all measures that will help the affected part of our community restore their properties and receive the help they need and deserve,” Groves says.
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The DEQ reported the first phase of clean-up efforts is scheduled to begin later this month. Seventeen trees will be removed due to contaminated soil near their roots. Ongoing processes also involve a close review of J.H. Baxter’s finances, according to the DEQ. As efforts for combatting these problems and engaging in community outreach continue, Woodrich emphasized collaborative meetings are a critical tool. “For every part of this problem, we have somebody representing that area, [such as air and water], and we’re all getting to know each other. When there’s a question, there’s always somebody there that can look into it and bring back the information. So we’re getting answers,” Woodrich says. There have been a total 20 Core Team meetings to date, spanning from December 2020 to September 2023. These meetings give voice to the issue, which was not always the case. Prior to Beyond Toxics and Active Bethel’s involvement, there had been no community meetings and people were not in conversation about their concerns. Woodrich also sends out a monthly newsletter to subscribers of the Active Bethel Community to keep people informed about Baxter. A united community with a common goal to hold Baxter accountable and facilitate clean-up efforts for residents is the armor and resilience Bethel is developing.
Arjorie Arberry-Baribeault
Arberry-Baribeault echoed Woodrich’s sentiments about the meeting. “This shows community members who have been largely marginalized that there is somebody here that has their back, and we encourage them to be involved in making changes in their lives,” she says.
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Autumn Williams and Max Ell are students within the trans and nonbinary community at the UO. They are taking back their power by being comfortable and confident in the water, defying expectations that attempt to hold them back.
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Finding ConfidencE when you’re not cis
Existing as a trans or nonbinary person in the U.S. can create internal struggle and discomfort doing everyday activities, and passing legislation that polices trans and nonbinary bodies only exacerbates the problem. Written by Autumn Williams | Photographed by Valerie Landey Illustrated by Aiko Gaudreault | Designed by Abigail Raike
S
taring at the sun’s beams reflecting off the Willamette River, I only wished to jump into the cool water. The sound of laughter from surrounding parties and the smell of sunscreen felt like an invitation to summer. All I wanted to do was get in — but something held me back. For most, swimming in the water was as simple as getting in — sure the water was cold, but it was refreshing to escape the thick, hot Oregon summer air. But things aren’t as straightforward when your existence on the planet is politicized by a system you never asked to be a part of.
Over 500 pieces of anti-trans legislation have been introduced in the U.S. in 2023 alone, and as of July, 80 of them have already been passed into law. The fear that exists within trans and nonbinary Americans’ lives intensifies daily as more and more legislation is used to police people’s bodies, bathroom use and more.
Even teachers’ use of students’ preferred names and pronouns is being addressed. One Montana bill that passed this year states it is “not an unlawful discriminatory practice” to deadname or misgender a student. According to Columbia University’s Institute of Baggy clothing served as my Psychiatry, supporting a child’s armor. The act of taking off my gender identity in everyday clothes to reveal my body in such a institutions like school dramatically vulnerable way — a swimsuit — felt lowers rates of depression and — Max Ell like dropping my weapons in battle. anxiety in trans and nonbinary Then again, growing up socialized as a youth. However, the negative attitude girl in the suburbs of Arizona was a battle. towards respecting children’s gender identities demonstrated by legislation doesn’t line up with these Public school taught me nothing except that kids were mean and they could tell I was different from them just life-saving statistics. as well as I could. Gender-affirming healthcare, and the longtime debate of I talked like a girl and looked like a girl — but I never who should have access to it, is also at the forefront of felt like a girl. Now as an adult, I know I never was a many bills. An active Oklahoma bill makes it a felony to girl. Instead, I have found my place in the world through provide any gender-related healthcare to anyone under my existence as a gender-nonconforming person. While the age of 26. The importance of gender-affirming this revelation has made me feel more comfortable in the healthcare cannot be overstated. The American Academy of Pediatrics affirms that allowing children, and adults for world, it appears to have the opposite effect on some.
“Gender affirming healthcare was life-saving.”
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that matter, to have access to the healthcare they need to combat gender dysphoria reduces rates of suicidal ideation in trans and nonbinary people. “Gender-affirming healthcare was life-saving,” says Max Ell, a 20-year-old student at the University of Oregon. “I truly do not know where I would be if it was not for me having access to hormones and surgery.” Due to attacks on LGBTQ+ rights, simply existing feels like a radical protest for trans and nonbinary people across the country. Having a body you’re comfortable in makes things like swimming and simple hygiene practices possible. It also makes overall successful adjustment to society a much safer and more comfortable experience. Without it, trans and nonbinary people remain at risk for things — like depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation — that are preventable.
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“It’s almost unbearable to hear about the way people like me are being treated,” Ell says. When reflecting on his life before gender-affirming healthcare, he says, “I was ridden with constant anxiety about any and all interactions due to my dysphoria.” Ell now receives hormone replacement therapy (HRT) through the University Health Center, where he also received aid in the top surgery process. “I feel I am able to express myself naturally, like I don’t have to worry about convincing everyone of my identity, and rather, I am able just to be perceived how I wish to.” Ell is just one of the thousands of trans people to have their lives positively impacted by access to the healthcare they need. Before receiving HRT and top surgery, Ell had to avoid swimming as a whole and any situation that brought on gender dysphoria.
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“To be honest, I mostly avoided situations like those,” he says. “There were a few times when I used trans tape to bind my chest in order to swim or be shirtless, but even that created a lot of anxiety for me.” While regulations limit how highereducation institutions fund and approach gender-affirming healthcare, the UO pledges to continue to create a positive environment for trans and nonbinary students. Dean of Students Marcus Langford says, “Our desire at the University of Oregon is to create, support and sustain an environment where all of our students feel seen, valued and comfortable. Ultimately, we want our students to have a sense of belonging here.” The UO continues to rank as one of the top colleges for LGBTQ+ students, and Langford assures the University will continue to support all students. “Our infrastructure of support for students includes gender-inclusive housing and all-gender restrooms. We have the ability to provide financial assistance to meet a variety of needs through our Students in Crisis Fund, and we strive to build a community of support on and off campus through a wide variety of programs and services to meet these varied needs as well,” he says. Valentine MacLean is another person who has had their life changed by genderaffirming care. MacLean has undergone top surgery, as well as HRT. However,
Autumn Williams, a student at the UO, identifies as gender-nonconforming. Williams faced adversity about their identity growing up, but rose above it with unwavering strength and confidence to be an advocate for those within the trans and nonbinary community. 18 | ETHOS | FALL 2023
his experience with hormones was not a completely positive one, and he stopped HRT after three months. “After a month on testosterone, I was faced with the usual symptoms. Though I felt off, and my transition was happening much faster than I had anticipated,” he says. MacLean’s doctor prescribed a dosage that was too high — 1 milliliter a week — and MacLean says, “It was not healthy for me. After being on such a high dose for so long and seeking medical help from UO, I made a personal decision to go off of testosterone.” MacLean’s experience serves as a reminder that, just like any other medical procedure, gender-affirming care has a possibility of complications along the way. However, that doesn’t serve as a reason to limit anyone’s access to the care they need. “Though this was a rough experience, I still have no regrets and I am satisfied with where I am right now,” MacLean says. Despite the war American legislation has declared on trans bodies, I currently have access to the healthcare I may seek in the future to feel comfortable in my own body. This is a privilege I am very grateful for, and will continue to use to fight for those who don’t have it. Sometimes, that protest is through reporting on these injustices. Other times, that protest is wearing a swimsuit at the river and being comfortable in my body while doing so.
Max Ell embraces the beauty of scars from top surgery in the serenity of the Willamette River. Through the aid of the University Health Center, Ell had top surgery and has received hormones as well.. 19 | ETHOS | FALL 2023
This picketer defiantly raises his SAG-AFTRA sign in front of a Netflix office building.
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R age A gainst the H ollywood M achine As the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes consume Hollywood, writers and actors share how pay disparity affects them and their work. Written by Missy Appel | Photographed by Missy Appel & Shane Balian Illustrated by Kaia Mikulka | Designed by Kayla Chang
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T
he sun hangs in the sky above Los Angeles and beats down on the picketing writers and actors below, but Rebecca Klingel takes the 90 degree heat in stride as she fights for her right to fair pay and better working conditions. It is so hot in LA, rays of heat are quite literally pulsating mid-air. Trekking through heat like this feels like getting hit by a boulder. Honking and chanting engulfs Melrose Avenue and Larchmont Boulevard — like a half-mile-long symphony of noise. The picketers’ demands are simple: liveable wages for writers and actors and not replacing humans and human work with artificial intelligence. These picketers represent the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), two unions for writers and actors respectively. The WGA has been on strike since May 2, following failed negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) over “working conditions, compensation structure and threats to their jobs including AI,” according to Time. SAG-AFTRA joined the strike on July 13 once their contract with the AMPTP ended. The WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes now hold Hollywood in gridlock. Even for an enigmatic industry, these strikes are making noise.
The WGA is demanding increased minimum compensation in all mediums from pre to post-production, along with increased residuals and improvement in subsidies for protections and pensions, according to Vulture. Within the outline of proposals between the WGA and AMPTP, the WGA is asking for a mere 5-6% increase in minimum rates. These minimum rates are a fraction of what Hollywood executives make. According to CNBC, one of Hollywood’s top executives, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav, made $498,914,318 between 2018 and 2022. The average annual salary of a screenwriter as of May 2021 is $69,510, according to Distractify.
“I hope America knows our artists are under attack.”
Objectively, the work conditions over the four shows Klingel wrote for shifted. The first two shows she wrote were both nine to ten episodes over 20 weeks, whereas the other two shows were also nine or ten episodes but over ten weeks. Despite the two sessions being the same amount of work, Netflix wanted to pay writers half of their original pay for the second session.
Even after writing three Netflix shows — two of which were incredibly successful — and a critically acclaimed audio series, she knew the strikes were coming and wages were being cut. So she got out of LA while she could.
— Rebecca Klingel
This boiling Monday, July 17, is an especially important day for Klingel. Although she preemptively moved to Arizona in May right before the strikes commenced, she returned to Hollywood several times to participate. Proudly donning an iconic and irreplicable bright blue WGA shirt, her purpose at this moment is undeniable. Her eyes are drawn to the ground in front of her as unperturbed determination leads her down Melrose Avenue and away from the ever so resilient chaos of the picket lines at Paramount Studios. Klingel is a writer. She has worked on Netflix series such as “The Haunting of Hill House,” “The Haunting of Bly Manor,” “The Fall of the House of Usher” as well as the award winning podcast series, “Borrasca.” Her eyes, whilst darting between the ground and my face to meet my gaze, told a story I hardly had to dig for. Her creativity and bustling mind were apparent from the moment I stopped her on the street with her anxious yet impassioned demeanor. Every mere movement seemed apprehensive and jittery. “I hope America knows that our artists are under attack,” Klingel says. She articulates her anger directly and profoundly. Every word is rigid and diligent. Hardworking doesn’t even draw close in detailing the passion she puts into her work. 22 | ETHOS | FALL 2023
These strikes affect every aspect of her livelihood and mean everything for her future as a writer in Hollywood. She is simply no longer able to make a living doing what she loves most.
Now participating in the biggest industry walkout Hollywood has seen in 15 years, she mentions her hope that newer writers and actors coming up in the industry get the protections and advocacy so many before did not. Creatives being taken advantage of and underpaid is not a rarity. Most writers and actors can’t qualify for health insurance because they don’t make enough within the industry, even when working full time. The AMPTP and executives retain the accumulative wealth within this industry — not writers and actors. They also hold the majority of negotiating power at the moment. According to Vanity Fair, anonymous members of the AMPTP say they plan to let members of the WGA “bleed out” before getting back to the negotiating table. An anonymous member of the AMPTP stated their goal was to “allow things to drag on until union members start losing their apartments and losing their houses.”
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A picketer overcome with emotion screams and yells, “I love it!” presumably referring to the positive energy and support that was ever present at each picket line.
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Studio bosses also hold the power within this industry. Bob Iger is the current CEO of Disney and maintains a networth of $690 million as of 2019. While on CNBC’s “Squawk Box,” he said the actions and demands of those striking are “adding to a set of challenges that this business is already facing that is quite frankly very disruptive and dangerous.” Despite the power of the AMPTP and studio bosses, the WGA and SAG-AFTRA stepped into the ring of corporate greed — collective bargaining’s age-old enemy. For artists, this means knowing their value. “It means understanding what we bring to people everywhere,” says Aimee Parker, a member of SAG-AFTRA who has appeared in small roles in shows like “Chicago Med,” “Parks and Recreation” and “Scandal.” Parker, along with her fellow SAG picket-liners, firmly believe they deserve a portion of the pie — the seemingly limitless capital of Hollywood. She says the corporate greed that has consumed the entertainment industry is what they’re up against. “You can’t make TV and movies without background actors. All of us have to feel comfortable to stay in this game or it all falls apart,” Parker says. Without reasonable pay for the actors that are essentially the backbone of Hollywood entertainment, the work in this industry is becoming an untenable sinking ship. “Corporate greed is ubiquitous. The rich get richer. It is not sustainable,” she says. This stand against corruption and pay disparity between artists and executives is a stand for maintaining an industry that means so much to so many. Hollywood does not just cultivate art. “We get to show humanity what humanity looks like,” says Amanda Schull, another SAGAFTRA member and actress most notable for her roles in “Suits,”
“Pretty Little Liars” and Syfy’s “12 Monkeys.” Though she has been able to find success in this industry, she speaks matter-offactly with a fervor that reveals her frustration about the issues facing most actors in Hollywood. Alyshia Osche, another SAG member and actress known for shows like HBO’s “True Detective,” CW’s “Life Sentence” and, more recently, Hulu’s “The Other Black Girl” wants to see change. “87% of our union don’t even make $26,000 per year to qualify for health insurance,” she says. She argues these strikes aren’t about elitism or entitlement. They’re about making the lives of artists in the world’s biggest artistic industry sustainable. SAG-AFTRA is asking for an 11% raise in wage minimums instead of just the current 5% at hand. Oschi explains that with just a 5% raise, their wages will be less than what they were making in 2020 by 2026 due to rapidly rising inflation. “So by 2026, I will be more broke than I was in 2019,” she says. Negotiations resumed on Aug. 11 and will continue for the next few weeks. Yet the matter remains unresolved. With studios facing mounting pressure with every production on hold, they will need to confront the possibility of finding compromise at the very least. For so many writers and actors, the future of art in this country is uncertain. If the opportunity to make positive and substantive change isn’t taken now, we may lose it completely. “I think this is a really good litmus for the rest of the world when it comes to compensating people fairly and recognizing value,” Parker says. The WGA reached a tentative deal with the AMPTP on Sept. 24, ending the writers’ strike. SAG-AFTRA is still striking until it can negotiate with the AMPTP. An impassioned actor chants, “Hey, hey, ho, ho, corporate greed has got to go!” as passing cars honk and cheer on the picketers.
Reviving
Roller Derby: A Space For All
Behind its punk persona, roller derby provides its members, such as G Taylor, an inclusive community that sees and supports them. Written by Maris Toalson | Photographed by Ilka Sankari | Illustrated by Maya Merrill Designed by Abigail Raike
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nder fluorescent lights, a sea of sparkly helmets and roller skates rumble through a recreation center in Springfield, Oregon. The group of skaters travels in circles around a track. Some skaters stumble and fall while others move easily, but all sport smiles. Laughter rises above the sound of “Cannonball” by the Breeders playing from the speakers. A referee with purple hair and black lipstick summons the skaters together. The group gathers and introduces themselves with their pronouns and derby names, which include “Electric Mayhem,” “Bone Daddy,” “Skinner” and more. The group divides into two teams, then the game begins. Eight skaters –– four from each team and called blockers –– stand across a line. Behind these skaters, two more –– one from each team and called jammers –– with starred
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helmets position themselves. The referee blows a whistle, and the jammers take off. They attempt to make their way through the pack while the opposing team’s blockers try to prevent them from doing so, sometimes resulting in blood and bruises. Every time the jammer gets through the pack and skates a lap around the track, their team scores a point. This sequence of events constitutes a jam. Jams last up to two minutes –– with 30 second breaks between each jam –– and compose the game of roller derby, which is divided into two 30 minute periods. The skaters are members of the Emerald City Roller Derby, a recreational flat track roller derby league in the EugeneSpringfield area. The league was the Emerald City Roller Girls at its inception in 2006, but changed its name in 2016 to include skaters of all genders.
Taylor smiles as they watch their team warm up for practice. Roller derby has changed their life, Taylor says. “When I started, I had three friends. Now, I know people all over the world.” 27 | ETHOS | FALL 2023
One of these skaters is G Taylor, who goes by the derby name “Genetic” and wears the name spray-painted across the back of their black denim jacket. They also sport short, teal hair and serve as the league’s non-contact coach –– roller derby is a contact sport, but skaters can choose to play with various levels of contact, ranging from full to modified to none. Before participating in roller derby, Taylor’s journey began by observing it. Taylor watched roller derby as a child in the ‘70s and the television show “Roller Girls” in the 2000s. Eventually, they “fell in love” with the sport.
But within that, the thing that made all that str uggle wor thwhile was I was suddenly par t of a co m munit y . — G Taylor
“I told my partner, ‘If that ever came to Eugene, I would totally do that,’” Taylor says.
the thing that made all that struggle worthwhile was I was suddenly part of a community.”
Taylor’s partner held them to their promise. After seeing an ad for the Emerald City Roller Derby in the Register-Guard, Taylor attended their first practice in 2007. Taylor –– nervous and never having roller skated –– approached an individual wearing a plaid skirt and a pair of skates slung over their shoulder. The individual welcomed them to the practice, marking the start of Taylor’s 16year involvement in the sport.
Within this community, Taylor developed friends with whom they could spend time with outside of roller derby –– whether it be going to a bar after practice or doing other activities as a team. Taylor had not previously participated in many sports, so the experience of being part of a team was “amazing.”
When first learning to roller skate, Taylor felt akin to a “baby giraffe on ice” but has since progressed. They got involved in the Emerald City Roller Derby by becoming its secretary, managing its insurance and serving on its board while working towards their goal of being drafted onto a team within the league. Taylor achieved their goal when they became a member of the “Andromedolls” in 2010. “It took me a while to get my skating skills going. It took me three years. I was not a natural,” Taylor says. “But within that,
It was also within this community that Taylor was able to come to terms with their gender identity. Now 52 years old, Taylor says they were not familiar with terms like “non-binary” and “transgender” growing up. Joining roller derby introduced them to these terms and people with diverse identities, providing them support and the opportunity to think deeper about themselves. “I don’t think I would have gotten to that point if I hadn’t been in such a community where that was prevalent –– non-binary people, trans people, people of color, queer folk, the whole gamut of any group that you can think of
“I wish more people understood just how awesome this sport is - both to be a part of and to watch. It’s full contact, there’s amazing athleticism and has some of the biggest, and funnest, personalities I’ve ever met,” Taylor says.
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is in roller derby,” Taylor says. “So if I hadn’t had that exposure and watched other friends go through transitions, I really don’t think I would have had the courage or the awareness to do it myself.” At roller derby events, Taylor would “soft open” their gender identity by introducing themselves with their pronouns. Introducing themselves in this way helped Taylor prepare to come out to their family. While the idea of coming out terrified Taylor, they knew that “even if I lost my family, I would still have the roller derby community,” they say. The roller derby community has changed over the years. Roller derby started in the 1930s and gained popularity due to its “noise, color and body contact,” according to the Smithsonian. The sport included both women and men and persisted until the 1970s, when rising costs and oil prices made touring and funding arenas too expensive, causing its decline. Until the 1970s, investors funded roller derby. It wasn’t until 2003 that roller derby reemerged –– without investors –– in Austin, Texas. Roller derby’s do-it-yourself rebound centered around pageantry and provided an alternative sport for people who had never played one before –– like Taylor. Since 2003, Taylor says what was once a spectacle filled with fights and fishnets has transitioned to a more serious sport –– although some of the eccentric styles remain. Today, the bold makeup and colorful hair are expressions of individuality instead of performances for the male gaze, and athletes engage in aggression, rather than staged fights, due to roller derby’s nature as a contact sport. The transition of roller derby to a more serious sport has also been accompanied by increased inclusivity and
Coaching over the last year, Taylor takes their job seriously and loves seeing players grow. 30 | ETHOS | FALL 2023
accessibility. While the sport featured both men and women in its early days, it was open only to women in 2003, but has since expanded to include all genders. It also traditionally took place on banked tracks, which are specialized and expensive to construct, but now occurs on more affordable and accessible flat tracks in gyms. “The game itself, it doesn’t matter what gender you are, what body type you are or if you’re differently abled. There is space for you,” Taylor says. The Women’s Flat Track Roller Derby Association (WFTDA) is the international governing body of women’s flat track roller derby and represents over 400 leagues on six continents. WFTDA has worked with the Men’s Roller Derby Association and other groups to make space for a wider array of skaters, according to Taylor. Taylor also says the organization has attempted to legitimize roller derby as a sport, shifting the dresscode from costumes to uniforms and once trying to include roller derby in the Olympics. Aside from WFTDA working to increase inclusivity, other groups are promoting racial diversity within the sport. Team Indigenous is one group disrupting the whiteness of roller derby, according to the New York Times. The team includes athletes from Indigenous communities across the U.S., Canada and elsewhere around the world and competed in the 2018 Roller Derby World Cup. Inclusivity in roller derby is a passion of Taylor’s, whose life changed for the better due to the sport’s diverse community. However, their time as an athlete was cut short. Taylor got two concussions the same year they joined the Andromedolls in 2010 and had to attend cognitive rehab for another year.
The game itself, it doesn’t matter what gender you are, what body type you are – or if you’re dif ferently abled – there is space for you. — G Taylor
“My doctor at the time explained things really, really well to me. He said, ‘I can replace your knees, I can replace your hips, I can’t replace your brain,’” Taylor says. “So that was when I stopped being a skater.” Despite their career as a skater ending, Taylor stayed involved in roller derby as an official. They officiated as a skater and moved into the position full time in 2010. Through this role, Taylor works with leagues in addition to Emerald City Roller Derby and travels both in and out of Oregon, keeping the sport a large element of their life. As part of their travels, Taylor officiated a tournament in Hawaii and befriended skaters, officials and community members there. One of these friends recently began a fundraiser selling art they designed on t-shirts, keychains and more following the Lahaina wildfires. The fundraiser sold more than 700 t-shirts in a week, according to Taylor, after it was shared amongst the roller derby community, demonstrating the community’s power. “It’s not just about roller derby. Sometimes it’s about having that community that can then reach out and help people that may have never even heard of roller derby,” Taylor says. “Through our community, we can help support people.” Taylor still officiates, but they also teach new Emerald City Roller Derby athletes how to skate and became the league’s non-contact coach earlier this year. Taylor loves teaching others how to skate, they say, because it allows them to have a hand in building the community that has seen and supported them for the past 16 years. “Just because your skating career is over doesn’t mean your roller derby career is over, which is pretty awesome,” Taylor says. “These are my people.”
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