Melanie states that its just a way to be themselves without having to exhibit either aggressively female or male characteristics to be successful in the music industry. This relates to the reading, "Gendered Bodies" by Judith Lorber and Lisa Jean Moore where they discuss the expectation of different genders to act a specific way. In the reading Moore discusses the need of people mostly in western societies to fall in their respective gender norms and aree either harmed/shamed if they decide to explore them. Melanie rejected both alternatives as they decided to be not even be recognizable to be their true selves.

Melanie is also a big representative for women's reproductive rights as it is something that has always been a central mission in their music to represent. They have made music discussing the topic of things like women's rights with songs like, "Milk of the Siren" where it presents femme presenting people to take charge in what and who they want to be. This relates to the reading, "Race, Reproductive Justice, and the Criminalization of Purvi Patel" by Priya Kandaswamy as Melanie is truly probably one of the most influential modern womens and, LGBTQ+ rights activists.

Melanie's music is also probably the biggest way they show activism. Songs like, "Strawberry Shortcake" represent not only women but everyone who feels as if they need to be sexually gratifying to the public. This is especially relevant now to them as they are no longer dressed as, "human" as a way to see if they would still be successful while not appealing to looks conventionally, "attractive". This holds the same concepts as the reading, "The Miseducation of the American Boy", where even though melanie doesn't identify as a men relates to the struggles that men still have to go through which is not mutually exclusive to women. the reading discusses the struggles of not meeting gendered expectations which is foreshadowed in Melanies music.

It is important to recognize especially in regards to this class is Disney will represent same-sex couples and, LGBTQ depictions however they still do controversial actions regarding those concepts.

In the reading, "We Are All Works in Progress" by Leslie Feinberg states, "trans people are still literally social outlaw's." Feinberg is bringing to light how trans people are still till this day not seen as real people and aren't treated correctly. This relates to Disneys practice of inserting LGBT representations into movies like, "Onward" that came out in 2020 but making the LGBTQ representer as ugly characters or, entities that aren't seen as human like a literal monster in the film mentioned.

Disney has also been called out on numerous occasions leaving out LGBTQ representation in nation-wide releases of movies especially in countries like China that are highly against homosexuality. However instead of releasing the movies in they're original form Disney will cut out LGBT characters and release the movie in hopes to make the movie more, "appropriate" in other countries. This can be related to the reading, "Goodbye to the Sex-Gender Distinction, Hello to Embodied Gender" by James W. Messerschmidt where it speaks about different accounts of people trying to force themselves to gender confirm for they're own families/friends too seem, "appropriate" instead of risking any confrontations

Disneys complicated relationship with supporting the LGBTQ community could be overall harmful however the term, "Rainbow Capitalism" means to sell LGBTQ merchandise in regards of just profiting off the community instead of actually helping them. In the reading, "The Mens Auxiliary: A Brief history of Men and Feminism" by S. Tarrant explains the effects of LGBTQ acceptance in the Arab world. This pandering is just seen as westren ideals too the Arab world and withholding proper representation especially to at risk groups living in countries not as accepting is therefore harmful.

This mural was painted roughly around 2 years ago to help educate the public on acceptance of people differences to the point where we are just ourselves and, strive for happiness. This brings up the concept of being, "free". As depicted the mural shows a human like figure but made with colorful shapes.

This mural brings up a interesting point about, "freedom" especially in mostly liberal cities like New York. However how free is the LGBTQ+ community as things like holding hands in public, and hand holding with the same sex could actually get you killed. Not only does this have to with same sex couples but, other vulnerable groups like women. In the reading, "Feminist Men" by Byron Hurt speaks about how women don't even feel comfortable enough with walking home by themselves in fear of being sexually assaulted. The mural and, individual experiences bring to question, "How free are we really". to be ourselves.

The mural really pushes the idea of the acceptance of peoples differences hopefully to the point where we are all seen as the same. This is a interesting point made as we live in a world where we only see differences. This is brought up in the reading, "The Social Construction of Gender" by Judith Lorber where she brings up the fact that modern society we have to unjustly make unfair choices based on differences like gender. Lorber brings up the social construct of gender which pegs men as a more dominant status and women as weak. This helps teach us to unlearn this harmful rhetoric to reach the goal that the mural is predicting.

This mural also helps to represent the strive for acceptances and differences of many people leaving behind harmful, "traditional" views. This brings up interesting points from the reading, "The Invention of Heterosexuality" by Jonathan Ned Katz where the history of both heterosexuality and homosexuality is explored and how it changes. Katz explores heterosexuality and sex in gernal from the early 1800s all the way to the late 1900s and how sexuality changed over time. It was once believed that sex is never changing but it reality it evolves. Katz states in paragraph 3 in they're reading, "Contrary to our usual assumption, past Americans and other peoples named, perceived, and socially organized the bodies, lusts, and intercourse of the sexes in ways radically different from the way we do." This perfectly helps but the murals representation into words as society is forever changing so our ideals must change and accept in the name of actually living free.

In the reading, "Racism, Birth Control, and Reproductive Rights." by Angela Davis speaks about how things like birth control were made as a kind of hidden way of genocide towards people of color as a way to stop them from reproducing. It is important to look back at the history of things we traditionally see as human rights and, see how it affected people of color negatively. This can also help us find ways to help change it.

This is also seen in the reading, "Race, Reproductive Justice, and the Criminalization of Purvi Patel' by, Priya Kandaswamy where women of color that were living in situations like property, experience with abortions. Abortions were criminalized and this mainly effected women of color who were even sometimes forced to have abortions and shamed after about it.

In the reading, "Sterilized In the Name of Public Health
Race, Immigration, and Reproductive
Control in Modern California" by Alexandra Minna Stern speaks about the forced sterilization of mainly people of color in 1979 and how it effects them till this day. It is important to acknowledge what American society has done to women of color and it is important now in modern time to depict them in better light.

Bringing up the reading, "Feminist Men" by Byron Hurt shows that this is a experience almost every women in society has probably gone through. Bryon recounts days he saw his father abuse his mother and how she stayed quiet and repressed too all of it throughout the years. This further shows how society can truly make women feel powerless.

In the reading, "Age, Race, Class, and Sex: Women Redefining Difference" by Lorde how social constructs like gender, and sex have effected women and LGBTQ+ community and how it has to solved. The responsibility of how to teach people ways to treat people like women and same sex couples falls upon those same people. Lorde calls that out and asks why must women teach men how they should be treated correctly. This brings up a great point as girls today are tired of being treated as less then and, just things too have sex with. This then takes energy away from actual progression that women/LGBTQ+ communities could be striving for.

In Peggy Orestins reading, "The Miseducation of the American Boy". goes through stories about how boys sees girls. Orestein brings up the concept of, "Bro Culture" and explores where that puts women's position in mens views. It is shown that men really only value they're self worth on the ways they make they're partners feel sexually. As the reading goes on the insecurities of men only really show when talking about having sex with women as if they only feel value from sex which is a interesting point. The reading also explores how women are usually the main victim when it comes to things like rape jokes and, how "Bro Culture:" uses sexual assault as comedy.