Third issue

• úvodka

• Our Crew

  People of Something

  
  

  Lucie

  Editor-in-chief

  Travel with me

  
  

  Gabriel

  Editor-in-chief

  How does it work

  
  

  Adéla

  Editor

  Once upon a time in Fashion...

  
  

  Malgorzata

  Editor

  World issues

  
  

  Elen

  Editor

  Social Media

  
  

  Karolina

  Editor

  Netflix Tips

  
  

  Jan

  Editor

  Financial world with John

  
  

  Elen

  Editor

  From A to Z with guests

  
  

  Oskar

  Editor

  Health awareness

  
  

  Tereza

  Illustrator

  
  

  Tomáš

  Designer

  
  

• osnova

  Content

  
  

  Editorial

  
  

  Pride month and its history

  
  

  How do they work

  
  

  Love around the world

  
  

  Keep Demonstrating but Stay Safe

  
  

  From A to Z with Mrs. Helebrantová

  
  

  Pride month by members of LGBTQ family

  
  

  Once upon a time in Fashion

  
  

  Financial world with John

  
  

  Netflix tips

  
  

  World's 30 Greatest Love Songs

  
  

  Student Artwork

• Editorial

  Editorial

  
  

  Written by Lucie

  
  

  Hello readers! As June is slowly coming to an end and the streets are becoming filled with people awaiting the arrival of Summer, we decided to take this issue more lightly and focus on what really matters - LOVE.

  
  

  
  

  Since it is Pride Month, these pages celebrate the LGBTQ+ community. Not only will we search back in history to see where it all started, but we will look at Pride as a marketing tool, examine what role gender plays in the world of fashion, discover how various types of hormones impact our fragile emotions, and go through some safety tips recommended when attending Pride parades and marches.

  
  

  
  

  As a bonus, our music enthusiast Daniel has carefully chosen the 30 best love songs and Kája included some Netflix tips with LGBTQ+ context. 

  
  

  
  

  Don't forget to follow our Instagram account @something.magazine and have a good read!

• Pride month and itshistory

  Pride Month and its History

  
  

  Written by Malgorzata

  
  

  I am sure that by now all of you have noticed that June is the time of Pride month. But how and why did it start? And is the best way of celebrating it by supporting companies that release Pride collections and update their logos to rainbow coloured ones? 

  
  

  
  

  Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village, New York is the place where the Stonewall Riots happened. It was a typical mafia-run gay bar that served as a refuge for many members of the LGBTQ+ community including, but not limited to, drag queens, people of colour, and sex workers. Police raids were a very typical thing, but the police officers were easily corrupted, so they would let the bar know if a raid was coming. At that time it was illegal to serve gay people alcohol, therefore the liquor was watered-down and sold for ridiculously high prices. The employees would often blackmail the wealthier customers by threatening to make their orientation known to their families, friends, etc. (PBA) 

  
  

  
  

  Everyone was used to the police raids and put up with them. Until June 28th, when one of those raids escalated. In the early morning hours the bar was raided, but what was different was the fact that the bar hadn’t been tipped off this time. Since they didn't have time to prepare, the police found bootlegged alcohol. People were fed up with the police, and rather than just leave the bar and neighborhood they stayed around and more people joined them. It is often said that it was Marsha P. Johnson or Sylvia Rivera who threw the first brick at Stonewall, but even though it's hard to say who was the first person to resist the police, both have said in later years that they were not the ones. However, it is more than possible that it was Stormé de Laverie who was the first to punch a police officer, which resulted in people throwing bottles and pennies at the police. Throwing objects quickly escalated into a riot, the police barricaded themselves inside the bar, and the crowd tried to set the bar alight. After fire trucks and other police officers arrived to help them, they managed to get the protesters off the streets. The protests continued for the next 6 days. 

  
  

  
  

  While Marsha P. Johnson did not start the riots themselves, she did do a lot for the community. Along with Sylvia Rivera, they founded the Street Transvestite Action Revolution, which helped LGBTQ+ youth and fought for transgender rights. Johnson was also later a member of ACT UP - an organization working for the improvement of life of people with AIDS. In 1992 her body was found in the Hudson River and the police quickly dismissed it as suicide, but thanks to Victoria Cruz the case was reopened and remains open to this day. (The Washington Post)

  
  

  
  

  
  

  One year after these events, the first Pride parade was organized. A group called Mattachine Society used to organize an event called The Annual Reminder which was meant to bring attention to the struggles of LGBTQ+ citizens. A significant difference between The Annual Reminder and Pride was the question of inclusivity, because at The Annual Reminder the organizer Frank Kameny made sure that the participants appeared in a ‘presentable’ and ‘employable’ way. (Philadelphia Encyclopedia) After the Stonewall riots the idea to move The Annual Reminder to New York came up, but it was decided to organize a different event, without a formal or gender-normative dress code, on the last Sunday in June. It was held not only in New York, but also in L.A., San Francisco, and Chicago. The demonstrations managed to attract a lot of attention, but they did not occur without complications. For example in Los Angeles, they were first supposed to pay $1.5 million, but due to the involvement of the American Civil Liberties Union, they did not need to. (History Channel)   

  
  

  
  

  Since we owe the actual Pride month and the way that the LGBTQ+ community is perceived today to mostly lower-class members of the community, you do not have to be a genius to figure out that supporting big companies who release pride collections every year as a marketing strategy is not peak activism. Especially when they most often do not do anything to improve the lives of LGBTQ+ people throughout the year. Let’s be honest, it is not liberating to wear a shirt that shows support for one marginalized community but was made by someone who works for a ridiculously low wage, in countries where it is often illegal to be gay. And while it might be nice to express yourself this way, especially during this time it is an infinitely better idea to buy these products from actual queer-owned businesses.

  SOURCES

  PBS. “Why did the mafia own the bar?.”

  https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/stonewall-why-did-mafia-own-bar/ 

  
  

  Brockell, G. “The transgender women at Stonewall were pushed out of the gay rights movement. Now they are getting a statue in New York.” The Washington Post. 

  https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2019/06/12/transgender-women-heart-stonewall-riots-are-getting-statue-new-york/ 

  
  

  Noland, A. “Reminder days.” The Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia.

  https://philadelphiaencyclopedia.org/archive/reminder-days/ 

  
  

  Holland, B. “How activists plotted the first gay pride parades.” History.

  https://www.history.com/news/how-activists-plotted-the-first-gay-pride-parades 

  
  

  Special Collections Research Center. “Mattachine Society Protest.” 

  https://digital.library.temple.edu/digital/collection/p16002coll2/id/1399/rec/1

  
  

• How do they work

  Emotions. How do they work? (and why do we have them?)

  
  

  Written by Gabe

  
  

  
  

  As a human, I can assert that there is something that I share with all other human beings on this planet. No matter your age, nationality, gender or marital status, both you and I have emotions. Why do we, though? For a species that oftentimes proudly calls their brains meat computers, our thought processes don’t exactly run on cold, robotic logic. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Emotions influence our thoughts in many ways, which is not something all of us want to admit.

  
  

  
  

  Where do these emotions come from, then? Why aren’t we more like the machines in Asimov’s I, Robot? Philosophers, scientists and religious figures had been trying to explain similar questions (without the robots) since time immemorial, and only in the modern age are we remotely close to answering them. 

  
  

  
  

  Defining emotions

  
  

  To find an answer to why we have emotions, we first need to understand what exactly is an emotion. Although we all intuitively more-or-less know what emotions are, there is no single scientific agreement on one definition. Most would agree that emotions are states caused by the nervous system in order to cause a physical response by the body. What distinguishes them from feelings is that feelings are a purely personal, subjective reaction to our emotions.

  
  

  Emotions, by Tereza Nawrocká, Something

  
  

  
  

  Emotions as an evolutionary advantage

  
  

  Since we know the what, we can move onto the why and how. Many think that emotions are pre-programmed into our brain by the process of evolution. This is called the Evolutionary Theory of Emotion, and it was pioneered by Charles Darwin (who is also known for the Theory of Evolution) in the 1870s. He believed that humans have emotions because they give us an advantage over the environment. For example, a hunter-gatherer that is afraid at the sight of a bear is much more likely to run away than one that is not. 

  
  

  
  

  Evolutionary theory also states that emotions are “hard-wired” so to speak, and basic emotional expression is the same across all human beings on earth - this view is not shared by all modern psychologists, some of which believe that how we interpret an emotion depends on the current circumstances and our upbringing.

  
  

  
  

  Other Theories of Emotion

  
  

  Darwin was definitely not the only one who tried to explain the origin of emotions. There are several other theories that attempt to describe where they come from. They can be divided into three groups - 

  
  

  
  

  - Physiological theories, that state that emotions are caused by the body and bodily responses

  - Neurological theories, which say that the neurons inside the brain are the main cause of emotions.

  - Cognitive theories, which say that emotions are created by your own thinking.

  
  

  
  

  A famous example of a physiological theory is the (now often criticised) James Lange theory, according to which emotions are based on how you interpret bodily states caused by outside stimuli. In other words, you experience something (like your heart beating when afraid) in response to something in the outside world (seeing a dangerous animal) and so your brain deduces that you’re feeling an emotion (in this case, fear). 

  
  

  
  

  Emotions in the brain

  
  

  Now that we have a basic understanding of the whys and whats, let’s get to the how. A part of the brain associated with emotion is the limbic system, an ancient structure that we share with all other mammals. It is also important for memory storage, among other things. 

  The limbic system contains several parts - the amygdala, hypothalamus, thalamus and hippocampus.

  Similarly to memory, emotions don’t just happen in one part of the brain - they are spread out, and many parts of the brain collaborate in order to create results.

  
  

  
  

  Take fear, for example. Fear happens when the amygdala stimulates the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus sends signals to release hormones, such as adrenaline, to prepare us for a potential fight, or running away.

  
  

  
  

  Anger happens very similarly to fear. The prefrontal cortex, another part of the brain, which also separates us from the rest of animals, is related to anger and anger control as well.

  
  

  
  

  Happiness is caused by the release of various hormones, such as serotonin and dopamine.  It originates partly from the limbic system, as well as another part called the precuneus, whose main functions are related to memory and physical orientation.

  
  

  
  

  Love is a long and gradual process in the brain. It starts with a stress response in the hypothalamus (like fear). This is the reason you’re often stressed around people you like. Eventually, the hypothalamus releases hormones that give you feelings of pleasure, such as oxytocin and dopamine. 

  
  

  
  

  The Emotional Brain, by Alyssa Khoo, ysjournal.com

  Precuneus, by Frank Gaillard, radiopaedia.org

  
  

  
  

  Conclusion

  
  

  Even though emotions are so intrinsic to human existence, we still don’t know nearly enough about them to state how they function with absolute certainty.

  
  

  A common concept that is debated in psychology are the basic emotions. It has been a traditional view for many years that we have a collection of basic emotions, of which there are usually four to eight, such as sadness, anger, fear or joy. There have been proposals as low as two and as high as twenty seven.  Some take a completely different stance on this issue, saying that there are actually no basic or specific emotions, and what we perceive as positive or negative entirely depends on circumstance, and how we analyse our physical state ourselves. 

  
  

  After all, neuroscience is still a fledgling field. 

  The quality of technology is constantly increasing and some day we will not only be able to understand the world that surrounds us, but the world inside our heads as well. 

  SOURCES

  Kendra Cherry, “The purpose of our emotions,” https://www.verywellmind.com/theories-of-emotion-2795717Kendra

  
  

  Cherry, “Overview of the 6 major theories of emotion”

  https://www.verywellmind.com/theories-of-emotion-2795717

  
  

  Alyssa Khoo, “The Emotional brain” https://www.neurologylive.com/view/how-brain-processes-emotionsTiago Forte, “How emotions are made,”

  https://fortelabs.co/blog/how-emotions-are-made/

  
  

  Jill Seladi-Schulman, “Which part of the brain controls emotion?”

  https://www.healthline.com/health/what-part-of-the-brain-controls-emotions

  
  

  David Shariatmadari, “'I'm extremely controversial': the psychologist rethinking human emotion,” https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/sep/25/im-extremely-controversial-the-psychologist-rethinking-human-emotion

  
  

  ScienceDirect “Precuneus,” https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/precuneusRebecca 

  
  

  Herscher, “The Making Of Emotions, From Pleasurable Fear To Bittersweet Relief” https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/06/01/530103479/the-making-of-emotions-from-pleasurable-fear-to-bittersweet-relief?t=1623781863172

• Love around the world

  Love Around The World

  
  

  Witten by Lucie

  
  

  Love is a universal language. Most people walking this Earth fall in love at some point in their life, whether it is with someone they've known since they were born or a total stranger who lives thousands of miles away. But how do people around the world show affection? Is it just by performing acts of intimacy or endowing their loved ones?

  
  

  Illustration: wmich.edu

  
  

  
  

  It is important to mention that expressions of love vary among individuals and depend on many factors, including cultural manners and family customs. However, some nations have come up with quite interesting ways to let others know how they feel and have given love a completely new shape. It is no longer just about buying gifts in the form of cute teddy bears and chocolate (although that's nice as well!). Instead, these endearments often require creativity and (literal) strength. Although some of them seem to be for heterosexual couples only, that is no longer the case nowadays.

  
  

  
  

  Love letters in South Africa

  
  

  There is no better place to start than in South Africa! In an attempt to express love or show interest, female members of the Zulu tribe give their male companions ucus - love letters made from colorful beads. These colors represent diverse feelings and characteristics, for example, red for intense love, yellow for wealth and blue for faithfulness. Depending on how the beads are situated, the love letters can have different meanings.

  
  

  Photo: africangrace.co.za

  
  

  
  

  Boxed lunches in Japan

  
  

  The Japanese are known to prefer actions over verbal communication, especially when it comes to taking care of their loved ones, where they can get very creative. Women take pride in creating and decorating elaborate packed lunches (also called bentos) for their men on workdays. The more decorated the bento, the more colleagues get jealous. Being quite a competitive nation, this is the perfect way to show off as a couple.

  
  

  Photo: loveatfirstbento.com

  
  

  
  

  Wife-carrying championships in Finland

  
  

  Have you ever seen anything more romantic than wives or husbands being slung over their partners' shoulders? And did you know this activity has its own championship? Every July, people from around the globe fly to Finland to witness this untraditional sports event. And why? Well… Finns have taken wife-carrying to a whole new level, making the pairs overcome a series of challenges. But why do people take part in this in the first place? The answer is simple - except for being the macho of the tournament, the winners are gifted their partner's body weight in beer! 

  
  

  Photo: Markku, Ojala. EPA

  
  

  
  

  Pig presents in Germany

  
  

  If anything from the above wasn't bizarre enough, this surely is. It is no surprise that Germans love pork, whether on a plate or running down their backyard. However, pigs also serve as symbols of good luck and lust for their partner. Especially on Valentine's Day, when a guy wants to win a somebody's heart, he brings them a swine-themed gift, preferably a little statue or an image of a pig along with some sweets. While some of us might find this romantic gesture odd, it seems to work for Germans!

  
  

  Photo: moonbacks.com

  
  

  
  

  Although love can be shown in countless ways, the purpose of all these attempts remains the same. In the end, it doesn't matter if you decide to gift your dear with a rose, an elephant tooth or just perform an act of kindness towards them. The effort is worth more than a thousand words.

  SOURCES

  Wanderlust. “8 bizarre ways of expressing love around the world.”

  https://www.wanderlust.co.uk/content/bizarre-ways-of-expressing-love-around-the-world/ 

  
  

  Magenta. “Love around the world.”

  https://www.magentaresearch.co.uk/blog-pages/love

  
  

• Homophobic attack

  Keep Demonstrating but Stay Safe

  
  

  Written by Oskar

  
  

  June is a month devoted to LGBTQ+ activists known as the Pride Month that occurs all around the world. It is a month full of demonstrations and marches. These small but well-heard groups raise awareness about sexual equality and open-mindedness in the average citizen. These pride months spread love and care and they tend to have a positive message. Unfortunately, not everyone sees it this way.

  
  

  
  

  On the day of June 9th 2021 a young gay man called David Gomez was brutally beaten up in Toronto at around 11:15pm by a group of homophobes who disliked him because of his sexuality. He was left  unconscious on the streets near Hanlan’s Point. He woke the next morning with a broken nose, damaged hip, shattered orbital bone, a broken cheekbone and a concussion.

  
  

  
  

  It is important that everyone knows about these disturbing events so that people can spread awareness about the safety of these minorities. There are a couple of necessary rules recommended to all the attendees at either demonstrations and/or marches for bigger safety measures.

  
  

  
  

  Stay proud but follow these recommendations:

  
  

  1. Don't tell people who you are not familiar with about your sexuality

  
  

  - It is important to stay around a group of people that you can trust and that you are comfortable with. It is best if the groups you demonstrate with are close to you and tend to be peaceful and can solve problems with words rather than with fists.

  
  

  
  

  2. If you see something suspicious or someone aggressive report it

  
  

  - There are many different types of people that show up at marches and demonstrations who aren’t necessarily part of the LGBTQ+ community. In fact, there is a good chance you may run into someone that has negative intentions and might even be homophobic. These people can try to start small conflicts in order to create chaos and/or to find a good reason to get into a fight with an activist. It is best to report someone with suspicious behaviour to avoid a fight in the first place. 

  
  

  
  

  3. Never use any substances or recreational drugs while protesting

  
  

  - It is very important your mind is focused so that your brain reacts quickly in any situation that might be uncomfortable for you. There is a better chance you will choose the correct option in order to get to safety during a conflict.

  
  

  
  

  4. Charge your cell phone

  
  

  - This might seem like common sense at first but there are many protestors that rely on their peer group too much. Having a full battery on your cell phone simply allows you to call for help when alone. Pride demonstrations are usually safe but as shown earlier homophobic conflicts happen and there is a higher chance of ending the conflict without getting hurt if help comes first.

  
  

  
  

  All these rules work best together and it is fully recommended to listen to all of them. Following these rules lowers the chances of getting into a conflict during Pride month significantly. A priority even more important than raising awareness during these marches and demonstrations is staying safe and comfortable.

  SOURCES

  Youth.Gov. “June is LGBT Pride Month”

  https://youth.gov/feature-article/june-lgbt-pride-month

  
  

  Gender Equality Law Center. “LGBT Discrimination”

  https://www.genderequalitylaw.org/lgbtq

  
  

  Hello Giggles. “How to Safely Celebrate Pride Month”

  https://hellogiggles.com/lifestyle/how-to-celebrate-pride-month/

  
  

  Daily Hive. “Anti-gay Attack Hanla’s Point”

  https://dailyhive.com/toronto/anti-gay-attack-hanlans-point

• From A to Z with Ms. Helebrantová

  From A to Z with Mrs. Petra Helebrantová about dreaming, Evžen Oněgin, Pride and Gen Z

  
  

  Written by Elen

  
  

  
  

  
  

  ART...

  It is an old truth, that the EartH without art is just EH. 

  
  

  BRAVERY…

  is accompanied by self-esteem. Don’t forget, the less brave we are, the less we value ourselves.

  
  

  CINEMATOGRAPHY…

  I love weird movies. I see the world through the same lens as Woody Allen, Quentin Tarantino, Pedro Almodovar. It's like someone translated my visions of the world with all the weirdnesses I normally construct and layer ad absurdum on the screen. I generally love all weird things. 

  
  

  DREAM(ing)...

  is a part of my DNA. I am a visionary. While the others live here and now I am dreaming and planning tomorrow. 

  
  

  EVŽEN ONĚGIN…

  Read this book before it's too late!

  
  

  FASHION...

  is my big passion. Fashion is often despised, but it is an interesting sociological phenomenon. I enjoy studying collective and personal identities.

  
  

  GREATNESS...

  is definitely not that you are standing over other people. 

  
  

  HEART…

  always obey your heart more than your mind.

  
  

  ITALY…

  is for me the smell of soft warm, salt, earthy rough greenery, bitter citrus and crumbly biscuits. Italy will hug you and never let go. 

  
  

  J’AIME…

  Ivo. He's my soulmate. These twenty years with him passed like twenty hours. 

  
  

  KUNDERA…

  is a brilliant magician with words. He can draw the reader into the story in the first two sentences. I share with him his ironic distance from the problems.

  
  

  LOVE IN LITERATURE…

  is usually a nightmare. Romeo and Juliet, Othello,

  
  

  MÁJ… 

  and Raven even literally. 

  
  

  MUSIC…

  often disturbs me. I love to listen to silence. 

  
  

  NATURE…

  is our boss… hopefully everyone has already noticed.

  
  

  OSTRAVA…

  is my bitter happiness.

  
  

  PRIDE…

  parade.  It doesn't matter if it is gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer… Love is simply love.

  
  

  QUALITY…

  before quantity! Always. 

  
  

  ROMEO AND JULIETE…

  is a simple story about how pettiness can lead to a fatal tragedy. Don’t be petty! Life is too short.

   

  STUDENTS…

  you are our future. You are our hope for a better world. 

  
  

  TRUTH…

  always triumphs over hatred. Really.

  
  

  UNIQUE…

  Man is unique in imperfections. Big nose, crooked teeth, freckles, low height ... perfection is so dull.

  
  

  VÁCLAV HAVEL…

  is a great philosopher who proved to the world that the powerless have enormous power.

  
  

  WORLD…

  is a perfect place to be. I have no desire for parallel worlds, afterlife. Our world is the only place I want to be. 

  
  

  XENOFOBIA...?!

  I hate every hatred. I do not tolerate intolerance. 

  
  

  YOUTH…

  is a terribly challenging period. All those parties, torment with love, trampled on dressing.... I'm glad I'm done. 

  
  

  Z…

  is for me GEN Z. It's you, dear students! You are more empathetic than previous generations. Overall, you deal more with interpersonal relationships, racism, sexuality, and a lot of other problems. I look forward to the future under your leadership.

• Pride month article

  Pride month by members of LGBTQ family

  
  

  Written by Elen

  
  

  In this month's article, I will write about Krystian Gabrielle, her wife Caitlyn and their two little daughters Grey and Hayes. Pride month is only once a year, so I wanted to share with you my favourite LGBTQ family instagram account with some awesome tips and life from their point of view!

  
  

  
  

  I found their Instagram account about seven months ago and I have been following them since then. They have a very nice profile which, if you click on, makes you want to read and explore everything they write about. This month, they’re posting one inspirational picture of their family and the LGBTQ flag each day and always write a story under it, about how they came out to their parents as lesbian, or how the kids are so happy with having two mums, how they found out they were lesbian, or what they went through in high school when they came out to their friends and much more! 

  
  

  
  

  Photo: Instagram profile of Krystian Gabrielle

  
  

  
  

  I chose them to write an article about, because I love how they are not afraid to show the whole world who they truly are and how they want to encourage the readers to not be scared to come out, that they are not alone and that they should be proud of who they are and not try to hide themselves or be worried that someone will judge them for it. They also want to share the adventures they have experienced as a family with their followers and generally inspire them to live a happy and healthy (plus zero waste) lifestyle.

  
  

  
  

  I still think this account has much fewer followers than it deserves. It could help a lot of people!

  SOURCES

  Instagram, “profile of Krystian Gabrielle”, https://instagram.com/krystian_gabrielle?utm_medium=copy_link

• Once upon a time in Fashion

  Is gender in fashion still relevant?

  
  

  Written by Adél

  
  

  Since we were little, we have been taught that blue is for boys and  pink is for girls. That girls should wear skirts, while boys have to wear trousers, and that women should wear high heels, whereas men cannot be seen in anything other than trainers or (desert boots - really?).  Who would have ever thought that men in the 18th century wore high heels long before women? Or that in history, it was mostly about having the most embellished gown in order to be categorized in the higher social classes?

  
  

  
  

  It was not uncommon for men of the past to be wearing wigs, pink suits, jewellery, silks, and other rich fabrics.  Fashion started to become divided according to gender in the 19th century. Since then a lot of stereotypes have emerged, many of which can be seen today. Plenty of them came about for practical  reasons, such as men's buttons on shirts placed on the left side, because they used to wear guns on the left so it was easier to access. Nevertheless,  are these utilitarian reasons still relevant in fashion nowadays? And why should or shouldn’t my gender determine what I wear?

  
  

  Photo: Motoguo.com, MOTO GUO Fall/Winter 2018 Lookbook

  
  

  
  

  It is interesting and sad to think how the role of clothing has totally switched over the years. From defining the social class and a person's wealth, laws, to cultural and traditional costumes, to a tool for self-expression and at the same time an actual weapon made to be against people. From a cultural point of view, in many countries men wearing items like skirts is considered a highly-respected tradition. Whether it is the Indian dhoti, veshti, mundu; Scottish kilt; Sri Lankan sarong; Fijian sulu vakataga; African dashiki; ancient gowns of Egypt and Rome; or the Japanese hakama. All of these items of clothing are still worn at a lot of social gatherings to establish a great cultural and social identity, and there is nothing to look down your nose at with these traditional garments. 

  
  

  
  

  In this decade, designers have been invited to take a more liberal approach towards determining gender, in terms of creating new pieces. Not only designers, but also plenty of celebrities have become the faces of a new movement for gender fluid fashion. Usually, as fashion shifts and becomes more diverse, contemporary pop stars proudly adapt the novelties and spread them forward to their admirers. Putting Harry Styles in an impressive Gucci lace-trimmed dress paired with a dark double-breasted tuxedo jacket, on the cover of Vogue last December was far from the first step forward. So why is he given so much credit for that? 

  
  

  
  

  It is well-known that American Vogue has often featured unobtainable perfect white women on their front covers, as well as avoiding sharing something that might be a thorn in somebody's eye. We all appreciate that the magazine has finally featured something that was not that common until recently, however, I am left wondering why it is that a white man wearing a dress on this renowned magazine cover is considered as revolutionary, even though there were plenty of people before him -  such as Billy Porter with his tuxedo dress for the Met Gala; Kanye West wearing his leather skirt in 2014; also Keiynan Lonsdale, Brandon Wilson, and Kyle MacLachlan appearing in front of their audiences in feminine clothing before.

  
  

  
  

  Outside of show business

  
  

  As I have already mentioned, it is great to see celebrities, magazines, and other media breaking stereotypical gender boundaries, however, in real life, people are still pretty sceptical about this. Sometimes it is even risky to leave our houses and walk or speak without being judged or pointed at. So imagine arriving at a family gathering with your conservative grandparents dressed up more like the opposite sex? It is essentially just a dress, just a piece of fabric, and if people cannot comprehend a man wearing a dress and feminine attire, or women wearing baggy jeans paired with a beanie, they should just get with the times or check in with their therapists! Thus we should be looking at masculinity and femininity in fashion as a scale. The job of designers is not to create gender-neutral clothing in a sense of unisex, instead, they should strive to use beautiful elements from both sides, and combine them into totally new gender-fluid statements. 

  
  

  Illustration: Tereza Nawrocká

  
  

  
  

  The same would work for clothing in boutiques. I don't think that having only a unisex section is the best solution, since we have different anatomies, and the garments should fit our bodies properly, rather than our bodies fit the clothes. Therefore, anatomical arrangement might work, plus I would organize the shops more like a scale from more masculine to more feminine pieces, rather than having only 2 sections of “men/women”. 

     

  
  

  The most important thing is to feel powerful, and to stand tall in the outfit you are wearing. Our style does not define our gender, and I am more than happy that people are slowly adapting this mindset and starting to think out of the box.

  SOURCES

  Jared Michael Lowe: Pop Stars Didn't Invent Gender Fluidity, Teen Vogue, https://www.teenvogue.com/story/gender-fluid-fashion-celebrities-stars 

  
  

  Cathy Newman: Gender-bending fashion rewrites the rules of who wears what, National Geography, https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/article/gender-bending-fashion-rewrites-rules-who-wears-what 

  
  

  Raiheth Rawla: Gender Fluidity: Fashion's Next Big Social Moonshot, TEDx Talks, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZde3PoXUs0

• FWWJ 3

  Financial world with John

  
  

  Written by John

  
  

  June is the month of Pride, of the LGBTQ+ community and of equality. As is already known, almost everything can be used for making a profit or as an advertisement. Pride is no exception to this and in this article I will write about pride as a marketing tool. 

  
  

  
  

  Let's support and maybe get some cash!

  
  

  Pride has been growing in popularity in recent years and many people are starting to support this community even when they are heterosexual. People can support LGBTQ+ communities by wearing clothes with a Pride theme, participating in a pride march or simply by sharing some posts. However, some large companies have started to take advantage of it by making products with a pride theme. The most common is clothing and in the past years there was literally no clothing company in the world which didn't have a product with a pride theme. In particular Lacoste, Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein and H&M are some of the greatest supporters of Pride clothing. Dozens of new designs are made each year, mainly in June, and sold to people with the purpose of supporting LGBTQ+ communities, but in the end it's not so much about support as it is about great business! 

  
  

  
  

  As Mr. Czeczlaw Walek, the CEO of Prague Pride says, the problem is that the cooperation with Pride often only attracts international companies. Some smaller companies are scared of a wave of criticism, which could actually be seen in the example of Czech brewing company Staropramen. As a reaction to their cooperation with Prague Pride, there were campaigns against drinking Staropramen beer. Fortunately in the end the brewing company increased their number of sold beers due to this campaign, and also maybe thanks to Prague Pride and their team which helps companies to deal with criticism, especially when responding to the haters.

  
  

  Apple Watch LGBTQ+ - Apple Inc., apple.com

  
  

  
  

  Czeczslaw Walek goes on to say that in the world there are about 7-9% of LGBTQ+ people in society. In Czech Republic this would be about 800 000 people, so it's not a small number anymore and companies are finding that they can turn a profit in this community and help them at the same time! 

  
  

  
  

  Do companies support LGBTQ+ in the Czech Republic? 

  
  

  Some big themes of Pride are colors, rainbows and equality, so almost every company involved in supporting the LGBTQ+ community uses these signs together with their logos. And yes, also in the Czech Republic we can see this imagery, for example in the products of companies such as Ikea, Apple and H&M. And even though many companies in the Czech Republic don't make products with these signs, they still support LGBTQ+ communities in some way.  You can see them all at Jsmefer.cz, where you can find for example the Czech antivirus company Avast, Czech condom brand Primeros and the train company RegioJet.

  
  

  
  

  So how can Pride actually be connected with business?

  
  

  LGBTQ+ community is not only about marches and discrimination from politicians anymore, big part of huge companies are supporting these people! Companies are creating products with LGBTQ+ colors or just supporting this community with donations. Now we definitely know that almost everything in the world can be used as a good marketing tool for literally every business!

  
  

  Pride as a marketing tool - Tereza Nawrocká

  SOURCES

  https://www.jsmefer.cz

  
  

  Jakub Křešnička, MAM.cz, LGBT je tématem i pro marketing firem, říká šéf Prague Pride, 25.12. 2020, https://mam.cz/zpravy/2020-12/lgbt-je-rozhodne-tematem-i-pro-marketing-firem-rika-sef-prague-pride/ 

  
  

  Michaela Plíhalová, ihned.cz, Staropramen, Žufánek nebo Primeros. V Česku přibývá firem podporujících gaye a lesby, zatlačit mohou i na politiky, 8. 8. 2019, https://archiv.ihned.cz/c1-66620880-staropramen-zufanek-nebo-primeros-v-cesku-pribyva-firem-podporujicich-gaye-a-lesby-zatlacit-muzou-i-na-politiky

• Netflix Tips

  June, The Month of Love

  
  

  Written by Kája

  
  

  June is the month of Pride. We celebrate love, equality and happiness. This month I've looked at TV series about love and the LGBTQ+ community. It's important to know that two people can love each other no matter what gender they are. These shows are about romance, equality and of course about love. They are great for people who love TV  that is heartfelt and witty. 

  
  

  
  

  Grand Army

  
  

  Grand Army is a drama TV series based on a true story about five students who study in public high school in Brooklyn. As they go through high school they struggle with cultural racism, sexual identity and bullying. They start to know themselves better and set their new priorities. The tough ones are going to get through it but what about the weaker ones?

  
  

  
  

  I would say that Grand Army is very similar to Euphoria but more realistic - for example In Euphoria they have beautiful makeup and ‘glittery’ scenes, while Grand Army is more normal and believable.

  
  

  IMBd, ''Grand Army'', imbd.com

  
  

  
  

  Special

  
  

  Special is about Ryan, a gay man with cerebral palsy and a life crisis. He lives a bleak life and is scared of verbal communication with his peers. He decides to completely turn his life around by handling adult responsibilities, taking risks and starting to live the life he has dreamt of. This comedy is executive produced by (Ryan) O'Connell who is known for creating The Big Bang Theory. I love this TV series because it shows development and gratitude while being entertaining and fun. 

  
  

  IMBd, ''Special'', imbd.com

  
  

  
  

  Euphoria

  
  

  And for HBO viewers I can recommend another phenomenal TV series called Euphoria. It's currently a one-series TV show but the second one is coming soon! Great actors can be seen here, like Zendaya and Jacob Elordi who starred in Kissing Booth. 

  
  

  
  

  Euphoria is about a group of teenagers who are all different but share one thing in common - love. Everybody wants it! On this journey many characters explore their sexuality, with some of them facing real-life obstacles like homophobia. I haven't watched this TV series myself yet, but I have heard some great reviews. This show can also be interesting for makeup lovers, there are some great scenes with remarkable makeup work.

  
  

  IMBd, ''Euphoria'', imbd.com

  SOURCES

  IMBd, ''Grand Army'', imbd.com

  https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10473150/

  
  

  IMBd, ''Euphoria'', imbd.com

  https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8772296/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

  
  

  IMBd, ''Special'', imbd.com

  https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9381622/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

• World's 30 Greatest Love Songs

  
  

  World's 30 Greatest Love Songs 

  
  

  Written by Daniel

  
  

  It’s my pleasure to welcome you all to my compilation of the best love songs mankind has ever created. This playlist encapsulates the crème de la crème of oxytocin-filled indie and britpop. I have chosen these particular songs for their lyrics and beautifully embellished melodies of course, and looked for songs that aren’t so well known by the public, or are largely underrated. If you like pop, soft rock and these kinds of genres, I reckon you’ll enjoy this and might like to spend a bit of your free time scrolling through the lyrics. 

  
  

  
  

  1.    New Order - Love Vigilantes

  
  

  

  https://youtu.be/r9BE4y-Hgao

  
  

  2.    House of Love - Christine

  
  

  

  https://youtu.be/Qbvhzll2C74

  
  

  3.    Arctic Monkeys - R U mine

  
  

  

  https://youtu.be/VQH8ZTgna3Q

  
  

  
  

  4.    The Maccabees - First Love

  
  

  

  https://youtu.be/6A1xu0BSs2s

  
  

  
  

  5.    The Communions - Is this how love should feel?

  
  

  

  https://youtu.be/Qbvhzll2C74

  
  

  
  

  6.    Mac DeMarco - My kind of woman

  
  

  

  https://youtu.be/wIuBcb2T55Q

  
  

  
  

  7.    Idles - Love song

  
  

  

  https://youtu.be/HyB6aN__y5w

  
  

  
  

  8.    Inhaler - I want you

  
  

  

  https://youtu.be/Ei4YVq2WbiE

  
  

  
  

  9.    The Kills - Baby says

  
  

  

  https://youtu.be/jfLcPYA3Nlk

  
  

  
  

  10.  ESG - My love for you

  
  

  

  https://youtu.be/06R9HqV29Co

  
  

  
  

  11.  Ride - Vapour Trail

  
  

  

  https://youtu.be/pVhNi5cU8mo

  
  

  
  

  12.  The National - I need my girl

  
  

  

  https://youtu.be/A-Tod1_tZdU

  
  

  
  

  13.  Surf Curse - Freaks

  
  

  

  https://youtu.be/cYT325Fe9zU

  
  

  
  

  14.  U2 - Mysterious Ways

  
  

  

  https://youtu.be/TxcDTUMLQJI

  
  

  
  

  15.  U2 - Ultra Violet

  
  

  

  https://youtu.be/TUD4CQT33w4

  
  

  
  

  16.  Blur - Tender

  
  

  

  https://youtu.be/SaHrqKKFnSA

  
  

  
  

  17.  Pet Shop Boys - Always on my mind

  
  

  

  https://youtu.be/wDe60CbIagg

  
  

  
  

  18.  The Smiths - There is a light that never goes out

  
  

  

  https://youtu.be/siO6dkqidc4

  
  

  
  

  19.  The Stone Roses - She bangs the drums

  
  

  

  https://youtu.be/wD6Pq0bSMPo

  
  

   

  20.  The Stone Roses - This is the one

  
  

  

  https://youtu.be/DbyrOBVDtR4

  
  

  
  

  21.  Ride - Like a daydream

  
  

  

  https://youtu.be/8zzo25t_eC8

  
  

  
  

  22.  The Wedding Present - Give my love to Kevin

  
  

  

  https://youtu.be/wG43e7WWruc

  
  

  
  

  23.  The Smiths - William, it was really nothing

  
  

  

  https://youtu.be/P22TEf4pZZs

  
  

  
  

  24.  Andy Bell - Love comes in waves

  
  

  

  https://youtu.be/MbNmaB-es5U

  
  

  
  

  25.  Blur - She's so high

  
  

  

  https://youtu.be/zxFOaoJuP5E

  
  

  
  

  26.  Pulp - Common People

  
  

  

  https://youtu.be/yuTMWgOduFM

  
  

  
  

  27.  Pulp - Babies

  
  

  

  https://youtu.be/38by00DGid0

  
  

  
  

  28.  James - Laid

  
  

  

  https://youtu.be/0trh9Y598fM

  
  

  
  

  29.  U2 - You’re the best thing about me

  
  

  

  https://youtu.be/nd_EYo96lmo

  
  

  
  

  30.  Suede - Beautiful Ones

  
  

  

  https://youtu.be/xqovGKdgAXY

• Student art

  Student Artwork

  
  

  
  

  by Tereza Zdancewicz

  
  

  by Thanh Phong Nguyen

  
  

  by Katka Yurchenko

• Lucka Medailonek

  Hi, I’m Lucy and I’ve been passionate about travelling since I was a kid. My unquenchable curiosity has always led to me wanting to find out more about the cultural differences between countries and the way people live. Together, we will visit some pretty amazing places, with me as your guide.

  
  

• Gabriel Medailonek

  Hi! My name is Gabriel, and I’ve always been interested in the humanities, particularly linguistics. As well as this,, I enjoy all the sciences in general - hence my (not very creatively named) series “How does it work,” in which I explain how random things and concepts function, be it biology or literature.

• Adél Medailonek

  Hi, my name is Adél and I’m an all-time fashion lover. I am interested in fashion history, designers, culture, and much more. This is also what I will be writing about in Something Magazine. I enjoy gaining more knowledge of fashion through listening to podcasts, observing people on the street, reading articles by my favorite fashion journalists, books, discussions, interviews, or watching videos and documentaries. In this magazine I will be sharing some of my findings about the industry from my point of view, so let's dive deep into the world of fashion!

• Oskar Medajlonek

  Hello, I am very interested in the human body and in people's physical health. I want to raise awareness about various conditions that may occur when people don't pay attention to their bodies and don’t take enough care of themselves.

• Karolína medajlonek

  Hi! My name is Karolina. I am a big fan of TV shows and movies, and I've always liked to read articles about them myself. I like to share my tips for great Netflix shows and movies. 

• Elen M. Medajlonek

  Hi, I’m Elen and I’ve created ‘From A to Z’ so that you can find out more about the people we are surrounded by and even discover things you may have in common. In From A to Z you can find interviews with teachers, students, and even strangers, getting to know them from many points of view.

• Elen O. medailonek

  Hello! My name is Elen, and since I was a little girl I have been very interested in social media, which is why I would like to show you the inner and outer world of it.

• Jan Medajlonek

  Hello readers! I am a student excited about politics and business. In my articles you will read about news from the business and financial world. I will not only write about markets and investments, but also about companies, marketing and everything connected with finance.

• Markét Medailonek

  My name is Małgorzata and I’m Polish, hence the name and perhaps the ‘interest’ in inequality/violations of human rights. Relating to this I might as well mention that I am a member of Ostravský PRIDE, where we focus not only on organizing the actual Pride event itself but also movie screenings, debates, and spreading awareness on LGBTQ+ issues in the Czech Republic and around the world. 

  
  

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