By Hannah Parker
Online Sports Editor
Mira Costa senior Katie Smythe defies the crowds in order to advocate for gender equality and the feminist movement, Free the Nipple by protesting at the Donald Trump presidential rally.
Smythe said the first semester of senior year in Costa English teacher Nicole Wachell’s Women’s Literature class was her turning point, when she realized she wanted to take action in the fight for equal rights. At the end of the semester, students were assigned a project and Smythe decided to focus on Free the Nipple.
“Ms. Wachell’s class changed my life,” Smythe said. “I always knew I was a feminist but I had taken a class that made me rethink what I wanted to do with my life and this class was that for me. After the end of the semester project, I realized I was really passionate about gender inequality.”
After watching the Free the Nipple movie produced by Free the Nipple founder Lina Esco, Smythe began to photograph friends who were interested in feminism and specifically the Free the Nipple movement. Smythe said she is a intersexual feminist, meaning she advocates equally for the rights of women of all color. Because of this, her forms of advocacy are all inclusive of all races.
“I got into feminism because a lot of women are afraid to speak up for themselves because we live in a society controlled by a homophobic white male patriarchy, basically every thing Donald Trump stands for,” Smythe said. “Women need to stand up and have a voice in society because if we don’t, we’ll just be pushed back to where we were a hundred years ago.
“The protest at presidential candidate Trump’s Costa Mesa April 28 rally lasted for two hours and eight girls participated. According to Smythe, they were only able to stay for a short duration of time because tensions between Trump supporters and other various protesters were intensifying.
“I never expected them to be as awful as they were,” Smythe said. “Men would be throwing money and they would come up and spit at our feet. They said we are embarrassments to our parents and to our nation. They said we are the reason why Trump needs to make America great again.”
Smythe plans on partaking and assisting in the setup for the Free the Nipple Los Angeles Walk on Hollywood Boulevard on May 14. The walk will begin at 12pm and will protest against the sexualization of female body and censorship.
“The environment at the protests is very empowering because you are with a group of women who stand for the same thing,” Smythe said. “After high school, I really hope to continue to photograph and campaign around the world for gender equality. Even if it remains a hobby, I know it will always be a big part of my life.”
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