Meet Chen Yu! Chen is an Anthropology and Digital Media Production major with a Gender & Sexuality Studies minor.
Describe yourself and why you wanted to attend the Feminist Camp:
Growing up in a traditional family in China, I’ve seen how my two older sisters suffer from sexism from a very early age, and have not been able to process my experience and feelings until I start to take gender studies class. Right after my first class about gender and sexuality, I became so interested in gender-related and feminist issues that I just want to learn more about it in any way possible. I thought Feminist Camp would allow me to learn more about feminism, how different activists and artists explore and promote feminism, and meet people with same interests and passion.
Describe your favorite parts of the conference:
I really like the conversation Maru Mora Villalpando, the Outreach and Program Coordinator, who says that reproductive justice has so much more than just abortion rights that people talk about, and that it’s also about immigrant justice, health insurance, education, etc.
It’s also very eye-opening to learn about Center for Sex Positive Culture, a place where people talk and explore their sexuality and fetishes with consent.
Highlight information you learned on reproductive health and reproductive justice:
Reproductive justice is not only about women. For example, men in Puerto Rico suffer from reproductive injustice as well. Reproductive justice
The Outreach and Program Coordinator, Maru, answered my question in regards to one-child policy in China. It’s pretty interesting to think about the problem from a broader perspective, and with the status quo that one-child policy was enforced in China and that people in some European countries that have smaller populations, it seems like the world as a whole wants less of certain groups and more of certain groups, which is a form of injustice.
Detail what you learned that you hope to never forget:
Just a few sentences that inspired me: it’s important to approach reproductive justice through an intersectional approach; art and business are not mutually exclusive; follow your passion when you’re young.
Also, everyone can be a feminist through every little thing they do, such as the order we address people in emails, etc.
Why should other students attend a Feminist Camp:
It’s really a great chance to learn more about reproductive justice and feminism, no matter how much you think you already know about the issue. It’s also very inspiring for me personally to see all these people working in non-profits with a vision for a more equitable world. All the speakers are very open to questions, and you’ll be able to learn a lot if you come prepared and ask great questions.
Does this sound like something you might be interested in? Tulane undergraduate students can apply to NCI for funding to attend Feminist Camp. Email Betsy Lopez at elopez@tulane.edu for more information.
Responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity.