The Vendetta Vixens and Nakita’s Kittens have joined forces for a St. Cloud Pride burlesque show benefiting TakeAction Minnesota. We believe sexual freedom, LGBTQ rights, and reproductive justice are interconnected. We asked a few of Nakita’s Kittens why, as burlesque performers, reproductive justice is important to them. Read their responses.
“As the producer of the Vendetta Vixens and Nakita’s Kittens, I encourage all my performers to express their own individuality not only on stage, but also in everyday life. Women should be able to live their lives freely and do what they want with their body, however they please. Reproductive justice to me means taking my body back, embracing my perfections and imperfections, and being able to strongly make my own decisions.”
Nakita Kat
Photo Credit: Annie Meyer
“In the burlesque community, we accept all forms of the human body, and we express ourselves physically through dance and artistic expression. We don’t want limitations placed on our bodies, and this includes reproductive rights. The LGBTQ community still has to fight for the right to bodily autonomy. Reproductive justice means safe and accessible clinics for anybody who needs them, and we must ease the legal and financial barriers to medical care. I want to live in a community that supports access for all and assists people in living healthy lives. I support everyone’s right to sexual health.”
Xara Lovelace
Photo Credit: Annie Meyer
“To me, reproductive justice would mean access to affordable healthcare for all women, regardless of economic status or ethnicity. It would mean stigma free and affordable health care for trans men. It would mean my friends and peers would have peace of mind and be able to receive quality health care they deserve.”
Jack Matic
Photo Credit: B. Sens Photography
“Women have been bearing the brunt of men’s guilt and dubious decisions for way too long and they shouldn’t have to suffer the consequences for a lifetime. This country makes it hard to be happy/healthy. This country makes it hard to live. And this country makes it hard to f*ck. It’s time to give the choice and freedom back to an individual without creating the illusion of free will. Give back the power to the individual to decide what they want to do with their own lives without the fear of ‘sin,’ ‘criminality,’ or death.”
Àdäm Shāme / Klōrox
Photo Credit: John Lombardi
“Reproductive justice to me is having access to quality reproductive healthcare without shame. It means increased resources to healthy food and education for families now and for my future. We all deserve the right to make choices about our bodies confidently.”
Honey Dip
Photo Credit: Ryan Unger
“Reproductive justice is having affordable and easily accessible tools and options to take responsibility for your own health and the health of your partners and family. It’s a safe and trusting relationship with providers to ensure needs are being met and obtained. To me, it personally means that I have the right to make choices about my body in a safe environment and to be empowered and proud of the decisions I make in regards to my own health and the people I love.”
Goldie Fox
Photo Credit: B. Sens Photography
“Liberation and reproductive justice to me looks like safety. It looks like comfort. It looks like stability. Burlesque has given me the ability to say, ‘This is my space and you can’t take that away from me.’ Our troupe is so affirming of each other’s work which helps me and other people break down our internalized uneasiness with our bodies, with taboo, and with our own autonomy.”
Justin Uranus
Read Justin Uranus’ full blog
Photo Credit: B. Sens Photography
***
- Nakita’s Kittens is a burlesque troupe in St. Cloud. Learn more about the troupe and the performance they are doing to benefit TakeAction Minnesota on Thursday, September 19.
- TakeAction Minnesota is a partner organization with UnRestrict Minnesota, a community-supported public awareness campaign that aims to educate and motivate Minnesotans to stay informed about their rights and access to abortion care in the state. Learn more about UnRestrict Minnesota.
- Our stories are powerful. Help shift the narrative about reproductive health, rights, and justice in our state. Share your #ReproStory and why reproductive justice is important to you.
