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Fazeela Siddiqui

Birth of Oshun painting by Harmonia Rosales. Nude Black woman as Goddess Oshun standing on a shell in the ocean while another Black woman in a blue gown annoints her. A Black couple is flying in the background.
Personal and Political

Why This Artist’s B.I.T.C.H Series Gives Me Life!

The first time I saw Afro-Cuban artist Harmonia Rosales’ work I held my breath. Her art is everything I never knew I always wanted.

To me, mainstream “fine art” is often mundane and monotonous. How many more times must I walk into another museum that centers Monet, Picasso, Matisse, Kandinsky, Degas, Van Gogh, yadee yadee yadaa? They all blend into one and start looking the same. Those works never really spoke to me, yet growing up I kept hearing that paintings like “Sunflowers” and “Water Lilies” are the apex of fine art. Once you dig a little deeper though, it becomes clear that modern art, specifically, was meant to be European, white, apolitical and not make you think.

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Newborn baby boy laying on a table right after birth.
(Parent)hetical, Parts of a Whole

Circumcision: To Cut Or Not To Cut

When I learned that male circumcision is so widespread in the US due to Dr. John Harvey Kellogg’s fear of masturbation, and not health concerns, I took major pause.

When I was ~4 months pregnant, my doctor called to tell me that my womb created a “male”.  I remember thinking it surreal that my body had just created a penis. How rad and crazy and insane. I have two sisters . . . my childhood centered on periods, long hair stuck in shower drains, and “borrowing” clothes. So when my partner asked my opinion on whether we should circumcise or not (sorry, CUT my child’s BODY PART) I felt sick to my stomach.

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Silhouette of a strong woman with her fist raised, with a bright orange background.
(Parent)hetical

5 Ways To Overcome Tokophobia

I honestly thought I would never have a kid . . . And then one weekend, I had a feeling. I took a test and two lines appeared on the stick. I was nauseous, numb and called my two best friends, immediately. We talked, talked, talked, talked and I slept. The next morning, I woke up, in shock, wondering if I should call my Partner, but I thought “everything will change the minute you tell Them”, so I refrained for another day.

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