Unhappy with the direction of the country, the women of varied shapes, sizes, ages and backgrounds bared it all for an intimate, empowering photo session in Burlington, said organizer Dawn Robertson.
“How can we inspire women to vote after the Kavanaugh confirmation, the #MeToo movement and Trump?” said Robertson, a Harvard Law-educated attorney who writes about sexuality and relationships. “It’s a culmination of all those factors.”
Robertson was inspired by Massachusetts photographer Anja Schütz, who shot similar nude photos of women in the lead-up to the 2016 election, around the time the infamous “grab ’em by the pussy” Donald Trump tape was released. Both photo projects play off Trump’s crass comments. Robertson’s, which she dubbed “Grab Them by the Ballot,” features women of color, a pregnant woman, a transgender woman and a woman with disabilities.
The models held well-placed ballots and photographer John Schreiner digitally added slogans across their chests to intertwine politics and female sexuality. Z, a 28-year-old trans woman who asked to be identified only by her first initial, said she participated in part to protest President Trump’s continued assault on the trans community, including a proposed federal policy that would define gender based on the genitals with which a person is born.
“I want to bring awareness to the existence of trans people and the variety in our bodies,” said Z. “To show I exist, this is me, I’m here, I’m a woman, I’m transgender. With everything that’s going on, I just think it’s really important to be visible.”
Gina Carrera felt the same way. She’s a Latina and mother to a daughter with a disability and has felt marginalized by the political climate.
“I don’t often have a voice lately and to use my body as my voice, I think, is a very powerful thing,” said Carrera, an artist and disability advocate from Essex. “If we don’t vote and use our votes to make changes, then I don’t think anything is going to change in the near future.”
“Being around women who were also making themselves vulnerable by being naked was some degree of comfort,” said Lipkin, who lives in Rutland.
Participants described the gathering as a powerful, intense and emotional experience.
“There was nothing remotely sexual about it,” said Z. “It was like, we’re just here to do this thing for a purpose. We were all existing together.”
It took most of Sunday to complete. Schreiner said he spent 11 hours at the shoot at Railyard Apothecary. He photographed the women in a group, then took individual photos of each holding something that represented them, such as a musical instrument or a work of art. Z held a butterfly because “it works with my personal identity on a lot of levels.”
Courtney Blasius suffered a debilitating head injury in 2007 and wanted to represent those with disabilities. She brought along a walker as her prop — even though, after years of rehabilitation, she no longer uses it.
“It was a lot of fun,” Blasius said. “Everyone was very positive and inclusive and it was really great to be a part of the group.”
Lipkin said she went into a funk recently after hearing one of Bill Cosby’s victims describe being drugged and raped. She hopes that by recounting her own experience, she will help other women feel they haven’t been forgotten, as she has for several decades.
“This thing that has happened to me has never been acknowledged,” she said. “People always say, ‘Don’t be a victim, let it go, it’s in the past.’ No, it’s in the cellular memory of my body.”
The photoshoot gave Lipkin a sense of strength in numbers. She described the experience as intense and empowering.
“We’re all just humans — a pregnant woman, a black woman, older women, thirty-somethings, chubby women, skinny women, a transgender woman,” Lipkin said. “Why should we humans, because we’re women, be treated any differently than a man?”
For more on the campaign, visit its Facebook or Instagram page.
This article appears in Oct 24-30, 2018.
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Wish I’d known. I would have joined.
That is disgusting, immoral, and uncouth. Not to mention disrespectful, immodest, gross, rude, and perverse. And weird, pornographic, useless, counter productive and objectifying.
That is disgusting, rude, disrespectful, weird, gross, pornograpgic, useless, counter productive, sickening, perverted, and objectifying.
So this being naked is supposed to prove something !? Sorry if you’re trying to say It’s my body and I can do what I want with it” It shows you are daring men to attack you. Decent men wouldn’t touch you, as they are showing respect. Yet not all people are decent, some would attack you, rape you as you are offering yourself to them in their mind. You want to be treated right then respect yourself. Think you are going about it the wrong way to prove your point.
Yup. Brave and strong. In full support.
It’s a wonderful statement, THANK YOU. It’s a positive way to counterbalance the over-the-top uncouth, immoral and disgusting behavior of Trump and those in his cohort that believe his actions are perfectly acceptable.
I also would have joined had I known.
Wow if I was Anja Id be kinda pissed she stole her concept. They look exceeding similar.
According to CWAP and Rutgers, women have outnimbered men at the polls here in the US since the late 1960s. Do your jobs and research the subject.
As an artist who paints the figure, clothed and nude, I am pleased that a variation of human appearance is spot lighted in an important and most patriatic cause. To vote is to exercise one’s status as an American citizen. As an proud American citizen, a Korean War veteran, but mostly as an 87 year old male will show my appreciation to these sincere and good women, and all you citizens who vote, I vow to keep my clothes in order to keep America beautiful.
Vermont’s loony-tunes echo-chamber.
Is there any remaining doubt about the left being unhinged? In what alternate plane of reality do they think this aligns with any kind of cogent message or narrative?
This is stupid and does not represent me at all. Please stop this because you are putting women in a bad light. I am a strong woman with an opinion and I think for myself. This is an embarrassment to all women and I do not support this at all.
Guess they don’t give out makeup or healthy food in the welfare line.
What is happening with women?? My gender seems to have gone colossally nuts! This is the furthest thing from being a powerful message. Not edgy, not inspiring, not empowering… just plain stupid and downright infantile. No ideas, opinions or thoughts put forward about why people should vote, just blatant objectification. “Grab them” all by the arm and escort them to a therapist.
I can not believe that they think this is a positive way to push people to vote. To get back at something Trump said in the confidence of other males years before he ran for President. The message you are trying to send, is all wrong, and it is only serving to make, each and everyone of these women look bad. Sorry that you had a these bad things happen to you, but has NOTHING to do with the election! Trump is already President, he is not running for two years! Put your clothes back on, and stop watching the fake news!! You will feel better!
Hah, ha, haha! I just dont see the message. I would rather follow my wife. She stated emphatically, those folks (didnt call them women) are crazy! Hah!
Someday sanity will infect the liberals, and cure their mental health issues. Until then, beware!