From the Editor

I saw Turning Red the other day, and what a shame I hadn’t watched it a little bit sooner! I keep my expectations low for any movie that’s marketed as a self-described, ‘important’ movie for representation (looking at you Raya and Shang-Chi ), but this was the real deal. With a bit of extra time, a light-hearted, joint-review with Viv would’ve been perfect to round out this issue. Although it’s not just an elaborate metaphor for puberty as many suggest, the way it candidly documents the parts of growing up that are usually left off the storyboard and script - like periods! - deserves praise. Alas, with the semester in full swing not all of us have time to watch a movie for ‘work’ (you really should watch it though, Viv).

Once you flick through the rest of this issue, you’ll find a breadth of takes that seek to inform and destigmatise. With perspectives from your peers at uni, and even a sex therapist, I hope there’s plenty here that’s accessible and also perhaps new to you. When repeating themes, there’s always a risk of retreading old ground and recycling takes that were barely piping hot when they debuted five years ago. Conversations around sex, especially, move quickly. By now, I hope you all know what intersectionality is and how to look out for TERFs, SWERFs, et al. That said, the patriarchy is still alive and well, and not all of us are going to be on the same page. Staying informed often means absorbing never-ending Instagram infographics and there’s nothing inherently wrong with this, just don’t forget to supplement it with a kōrero with friends, and hopefully Debate can help with that.

P.S. We’ve been loving the feedback Briar’s pieces have been getting (: Briar will be back for Issue 4!