LOVE & LUST
LOVE & LUST
THE
THE
ISSUE
ISSUE
CONTENTS
Letter to the Editors
Lisa Michell
Editors Note
Eve Kaplan, Sabine Fuchs,
and Kate Ragatz, Emmie
Kao, Sophie Saxl, and
Colette Chang.
Is Hookup Culture
Here to Stay?
Hannah Yang
22 Social Media’s False
Reality
Anya Dalal
15 Is Politics the Ulti-
mate Lust?
Alison Imohiosen
17 A Valentine’s Poem
on Domesticity
Neve Bonura Learnard
19 “I’m in Love with My
AI”
Ashley Chan
25 Love vs. Lust
Riya Kalra
When I Think about
True Love, I Think
About my Aunts
Veronica Colton
Photo by Josie Hsieh
27 The Sexualization of
Luigi Mangione
Kayla Nadershahi and
Annalise Lightfoot
29 “Love on the Brain”—
Quite Literally
Isabel Habibi
31 Valentines to Gal-
entines
Yasmin Charkin
41 An Ongoing Battle of
Oversexualization
in Female Athletics
Harper White
33 Limerence: The
Common Symptom
of Unrequited Love
Kaitlyn Dai
35 The Pressure to
Pursue
Sienna Yang
39Temptation to Tri-
umph: Kendrick La-
mar on Lust Addiction
Brianna Mills
43 Unrealistic Intima-
cy
Rose Chane
45 Peer Resource
Lucy Bakowski
Layout Design
Sabine Fuchs
Jeana Weng
Marissa Higgins
47 How the Sexual
Revolution Harmed
Women and Love in
Unforeseen Ways
Celeste Zucker
Cover Photo
Sadhbh Kilroy
Dear Readers,
Merriam-Webster dictionary defines power as “the possession of control, authority, or
influence over others.” November 5th 2024, will declare not only the state of American
politics, but one of the most crucial points of power in the United States for the next four
years.
In a democracy, power is a cycle—and this month, the ball is in our court. We are the ones
who have power over our governance. As citizens, or occupants of the United States, it is
our civic duty to stay informed about issues pertinent to our country, from misinformation
to gun control. Who do we want in power? And what is their responsibility once in office?
Most importantly, how can we, as Americans, make sense of our own agency and power
for the future?
Whether it’s through peaceful protest, the employment of social media platforms, or po-
litical satire, power takes on a different meaning in each context we place it in. Our mod-
ern political landscape is simply a patchwork of different uses of power— one that we, as
voters, must pick apart piece by piece.
GirlTalk aligns itself with gender, racial, and social equality. We, as a magazine, believe
in an America where every citizen has equal opportunities and rights. Our magazine has
a staff with diverse political views and perspectives. However, as Kamala Harris’ policies
and rhetoric empowers disenfranchised groups and protects Democracy, our magazine
endorses Harris and her platform.
We wish you all an illuminating reading!
Best,
GirlTalk Magazine
Photo by Josie Hsieh
Re: “Te Evolution of Activism,” by Lucy Bakowski
Jan 1, 2025
As a woman and U.S. citizen, activism is in my roots. As
far back as the 1800s, people have used protests to create
change and have their voices heard. In my case, students
in the marching band at my school recently protested
to get more water breaks. In the summer on a scorch-
ing feld continuously running, we desperately needed
relief. We even took this problem to the principal only
to receive a shallow fx that didn’t last more than a day.
Tis leads me to my question: how can we bring about
real change when the world doesn’t want to hear us?
History will tell us to carry on, shout louder, fght hard-
er, and never stop until we get what we want. In our
case, though, we did all of that but were met by our di-
rector scolding us.
As a society, we owe past generations everything. Tey
are the reason we are here today, living with the free-
doms we take for granted. We owe future generations
these liberties, no matter how big or small they may be.
As daughters of activists, it’s our duty to continue our
fght to have our voices heard- no matter what the world
says. So continue with your protests, to better your
world and to have your voice heard. No. Matter. What.
Letter to the
Editors
GirlTalk welcomes letters to the editors from any
individual, group, or organization wishing to contrib-
ute feedback or share their thoughts with our editorial
team and the broader publication audience.
By Lisa Mitchell
Photo by Sadhbh Kilroy
ookTok and Bookstagram are infamous
for their sometimes questionable literary
tastes, ofen pushing books that roman-
ticize “fated mates,” “love at frst sight,”
and other well-worn tropes. But even if millions
of readers indulge in these narratives, the reality of
modern romance looks nothing like the fairy tales
of mafa bosses, werewolves, and undying devotion.
Love is no longer a prerequisite for intimacy. Hook-
up culture has rewritten the script.
Wikipedia defnes “hookup culture” as a social en-
vironment that “accepts and encourages casual sex
encounters, including one-night stands…without
necessarily including emotional intimacy, bonding,
or a committed relationship.” But despite its mod-
ern branding, casual, transactional sex has always
been a part of human history—just under diferent
names.
If we comb through history back to the Babylo-
nians, we can fnd that hookup culture exists in the
form of prostitution. Greek historian Herodotus
wrote that “sacred sexual rites” were performed at
Babylonian temples, where women had to sit at the
temple of Ishtar and wait for a man to throw mon-
By Hannah Yang
Love is no longer a
prerequisite for intimacy.
Is Hookup Culture
Here to Stay?
Photo by Sadhbh Kilroy
ey in her lap (which, to me, seems like an awful
dating game in which those who are unattractive
are quickly singled out and embarrassed). No mat-
ter the sum, she was obligated to follow that man,
have intercourse, and then she would be free to
go back home, likely never seeing the man again.
Te University of Portland writes that in medieval
Europe, men were allowed to engage in as much
adultery and casual sex as they wanted—as long as
it wasn’t with another’s wife. On the other hand, if
a regular wife was even suspected of “hooking up”
with another man, they’d be punished—pointing
to the deeply sexist roots of hookup culture.
But as we entered the 20th century, cultural atti-
tudes began to shif. Promiscuity wasn’t just toler-
ated—it became a symbol of rebellion. Te fem-
inist and gay liberation movements embraced
sexual freedom as an act of defance against op-
pressive norms. Te 1960s brought the rise of birth
control and the era of “free love,” where romance
and sex were deliberately untangled, allowing peo-
ple to explore relationships without rigid societal
expectations. Ten, in the 1980s, the HIV/AIDS
epidemic cast a shadow over the movement, espe-
cially disproportionately afecting members of the
LGBTQ+ community. Te National Institute of
Health noted decades later that the rapid spread of
the disease was linked to a “general liberal attitude
towards sex” and the widespread practice of “un-
protected sex and having multiple sexual partners.”
In the 2000s, the rise of dating apps and popular
speed dating shows like Te Button on YouTube
encouraged a fast-paced approach to romance,
where cycling through multiple partners became
the norm. Tis made fnding a potential match
more convenient but also deeply frustrating for
those seeking real commitment. And while tech-
nology made it easier to connect, it also made it
easier to deceive. A hidden second account, a few
private messages, and sud-
denly, infdelity wasn’t just
possible—it was absolutely
efortless.
Especially as a member of
Generation Z, I’ve heard
the word “virgin” used to
hurt others, even though I
think it’s nothing out of the
ordinary. Losing your vir-
ginity young is considered
a badge of honor in some
social circles, even though
it might’ve been in a fing or
short relationship. But de-
spite the impression that Gen Z and Millennials are
the most sexually active generations, history tells
a diferent story. Hookup culture has always been
there—it’s just been rebranded. And the nostalgia
for “the good old days” of loyal, monogamous rela-
tionships conveniently ignores the fact that women
in the past had far less choice in their love lives than
they do now.
Tat being said, I can’t bring myself to celebrate
hookup culture, either. I understand its appeal—the
autonomy, the thrill, the absence of obligation—
but I also wonder what we lose when sex becomes
purely transactional. Humans crave connection
just as much as they crave freedom, but the more
we detach intimacy from emotion, the easier it be-
comes to treat people as disposable. Humans have
become too comfortable with treating other peo-
ple and their planet as unimportant or disposable.
Hookup culture, in a way, is another microcosm of
human nature—and is one small example of ways
humans have been changing the planet and society
through careless attitudes. Tere’s an extreme preci-
pice that can be reached in hookup culture in which
we become too lenient with the fragility of our rela-
tionships, lives, and society as a whole. Neither side
(being a part of the hookup culture or being against
it) is inherently right or wrong. But it does reveal
the battle between instant gratifcation and the slow
and difcult work of building something deep and
real.
So, is hookup culture here to
stay? Yes—but not because
it’s a modern invention. It
has always existed, shifing
with society’s values and
circumstances, and it will
continue to do so. As long
as humans wrestle with the
tension between desire and
devotion, between self-in-
terest and emotional invest-
ment, there will always be
those who choose passion
without
attachment—just
as there will always be those who search for some-
thing deeper, something enduring. Te question
isn’t whether hookup culture will disappear, but in-
stead how this behavior will evolve—for better or
for worse.
I also wonder
what we lose
when sex
becomes
purely
transactional.
When I think about
True Love
I Think
About
My Aunts
An Interview By Veronica Colton
hen I think about true love, I think of my aunts,
Kriss and Jill. In the 90s, a time when same-
sex relationships were disregarded or outright
shunned, my aunts navigated societal expecta-
tions and complex family dynamics. Despite these challenges,
they persevered, continually choosing each other and proving
that love, in all its forms, is worth fghting for.
Growing up, I never thought twice about their relationship.
Tey were simply two people who loved each other, raised
my cousins, and sometimes drove each other crazy on
family vacations. But as I got older, I started to under-
stand the depth of their story, the strength it took them
to live authentically. Eager to learn more about their
journey, I sat down with them for an interview. What
follows is a conversation that I hope can inspire others.
It is full of honesty, courage, and the kind of love that remains
steady, even when the world isn’t.
How and when did you meet, and
what was it like to be queer during
that time?
10
Photo to the left: Kriss and Jill’s wedding at the Multicultural Art
Center in Cambridge, MA. August 29, 1999.
What drew you to each other? What
do you love about each other?
JILL: More than anyone I’d ever met, she spoke so
genuinely from her heart. I even remember what she
was wearing the frst time I met her—not because of
a crush, but because she stood out. Her earnestness
and integrity were unlike anyone else. She didn’t en-
JILL: I was 17 and Kriss was 16, and we met in a girl’s
empowerment support group. We were best friends
for 10 years. When we met, we were both complete-
ly straight-identifed. It would never have occurred
to me… Queer wasn’t even a word when we met in
1987.
KRISS: I think I was queer, but my father was a Jeho-
vah’s Witness [a member of a Christian denomina-
tion known for its strict beliefs and interpretation of
the Bible], and I was taught over and over again, like,
homosexuals are terrible. It’s funny that I’m doing
this interview in Jill’s childhood bedroom because
we would hang out in here and talk about her boy-
friend Danny or my boyfriend, and her mom would
come banging on the door because she thought I was
turning Jill gay. So, [she] was clairvoyant. But it was
ironic because we were really just talking about our
boyfriends.
JILL: Kriss, as my best friend, was always the most
important thing in my life. We talked about how,
when we got married, our husbands would have
to understand that, of course, the most important
thing was that we live next door to each other.
KRISS: But we couldn’t imagine a life where we were
together. Tat wasn’t an option.
Did you decide to celebrate your
commitment to each other before
marriage equality?
What was it like facing pushback
from your family and friends regard-
ing your wedding?
11
gage in any of the kind of b******t or drama that
went on among other girls, and that was really re-
freshing… From the very frst moment, the way she
lived in the world inspired me to be my very best
self. She met fear with love, and I always knew she’d
be the best person to parent with because of how
she operates in the world.
“I had never met a more en-
thusiastic and friendly per-
son. Jill was like an excla-
mation point—about every
aspect of life in every way...”
KRISS: I had never met a more enthusiastic and
friendly person. Jill was like an exclamation point—
about every aspect of life in every way—while I
was more of a sit-and-receive-life kind of person.
Trough Jill, I felt connected to a vibrant way of liv-
ing. I’ve always felt lucky to share all the phases of
my life with the person who’s known me the lon-
gest. Even with the rejection from Jill’s family early
on, my life’s story is one of gaining another fami-
ly—one full of true, genuine love, belonging, and
acceptance.
JILL: We wanted to have a
wedding, but [in 1999] it
was not legal any-
where in the U.S.,
and
we
didn’t
know anyone else
who had ever, as
two women or two
men, had a wed-
ding. We felt strongly
that real recognition
required claiming the
traditional rituals and
structures as our own to
change perspectives and
for my family to fully grasp
who we were to each other.
KRISS: Because it was denied to us, it felt important.
I didn’t think that I would have wanted a wedding
with a man because of the idea of ownership, and,
to be honest, spending so much money on a day
seemed crazy to me. But because it is just a fact that
our relationship would not have been considered
equal, I wanted to do all the trappings of a wedding.
I wanted a wedding cake. I wanted it to be ofcial.
KRISS: We made the RSVP checkboxes say, ‘I’ll be
there with my dancing shoes’ or ‘As much as I love
lesbian weddings, I am unable to attend.’ It was a
joyful and proud way of claiming a moment where
you really can be hatefully rejected by people. Tose
who were hateful and not coming had to take a mo-
ment and be with themselves about the fact that
they’re not going to check either box.
“My mom didn’t want to be
involved in wedding planning
at all... And so there was a
lot of grief for me that I didn’t
really get to have my mom
through that, and it was pain-
ful to know my mom was los-
ing her one chance at going
through that with her daugh-
ter.”
JILL: My parents, my mom especially, were terrifed
of being rejected by their community. As a young
person, I was thinking they don’t actually love me.
Tey love the version of having a daughter that they
think is legitimate, and that doesn’t feel like love.
My mom didn’t want to be involved in wedding
planning at all.
KRISS: If Jill had married Danny, her high school
boyfriend, she would have wanted to be a part of all
of the planning.
Did your family’s perspective change
after the wedding?
12
JILL: And so there was a lot of grief for me that I
didn’t really get to have my mom through that, and
it was painful to know my mom was losing her one
chance at going through that with her daughter.
KRISS: [Her mom] would call over and over and
over again, and she would say, ‘I’m just going to
say this once. No one likes a long wedding. Keep it
short! No more than fve minutes!’
JILL: She was terrifed of being humiliated in front
of all of these people. We had our parents walk us
down the aisle, and you can see in photos, even,
my mom’s grimace. And then I think in the cere-
monies was probably where something inside of
her changed, where she actually had an experience
of like, ‘Wait a second, people are so moved.’ Right
aferwards, so many people, including her relatives
and friends, said it was the most beautiful, mean-
ingful ceremony they’d ever been part of.
KRISS: It was so curative for [her] mom. It was like
the frst time that she could start actually knowing
me.
JILL: Aferwards, she said, ‘I want a copy of the vid-
eo as soon as possible. I’m so excited.’ Having the
experience of her community fully embrace and
recognize this union was transformative for her.
KRISS: People think marriage is about rights, like
being able to be at the bedside of your dying spouse
and things like that, but it is so much bigger. It’s
like having a ritual that allows people who are ho-
mophobic to gain a broader view. Our rabbi said,
‘Your support of Kriss and Jill to be two women de-
ciding to do this in this world that we’re in is criti-
cal.’ And you could see that people in the audience
were suddenly aware of how vulnerable and brave
and important it was.
JILL: For all of us, we were doing something that felt
momentous.
KRISS: Jill and I did the ritual of the frst dance.
Te couple usually dances, and then they invite
people to join them. So we were dancing, and then
our friends started... (breaks into tears) All of our
friends, most of them straight, chose same-sex
partners. My female friend went over and asked my
grandmother to dance. It was such an afrming and
beautiful thing.
How did it feel when same-sex mar-
riage was finally legalized, and what
emotions came with your decision to
get legally married?
JILL: We thought it was never
going to happen in our lifetime.
It really was that unbelievable.
Ten in 2004, Gavin
Newsom decided San
Francisco would start
granting legal marriage
licenses.
People
few
from all over the country
to get in line at city hall. It
was surreal and magical—
there was someone playing
the harp in the rotunda.
And they were doing it as fast
as they could before anything
could happen that would stop
it. So we went. Kriss was preg-
nant, it was pouring rain, and we
waited through the night.
“Jill and I did the ritual
of the first dance... All of
our friends, most of them
straight, chose same-sex
partners... It was such an af-
firming and beautiful thing.”
JILL: We were married on February 16th, 2004.
Te marriages just kept going until it was somehow
stopped by conservatives. Ten, at some point, we
got the devastating news that our marriages would
not hold and were not considered legal. It was a
long four years until 2008, when it was legal again
in California. [But] Proposition 8 was going to be
on the ballot for the November 2008 election, and it
would ban same-sex marriage again. And so people
were racing. We went to the Oakland courthouse on
October 10th, 2008. We wore our wedding dress-
es, which no longer ft us. Tey weren’t zipped in
the back, but we wore them, and we waited in a
very long line because, again, people were coming
around the clock to get married because time was
running out all over California. We were one of the
18 thousand that got married in that four-month
period.
Did your family’s perspective change
after the wedding?
JILL: I feel extreme gratitude for people who’ve
had the courage [to love]. And I want to be care-
ful in saying this because I know there are places
where it’s not safe to do so, but I think getting to
be with the person that you love in this way is such
an important aspect of being human. Seeing other
LGBTQ people live authentically and seeing us
represented in media has helped me grow and love
more freely.
“We went to the Oakland
courthouse on October 10th,
2008. We wore our wedding
dresses, which no longer fit
us. They weren’t zipped in
the back, but we wore them,
and we waited in a very long
line because, again, peo-
ple were coming around the
clock to get married...”
KRISS: My experience of our friendship, love, mar-
riage, and family has always been inside of me. Te
light and joy of it have never dimmed, even when
the world said, ‘Your love doesn’t count.’ I love our
love, you know?
13
“From the very first moment, the way she lived
in the world inspired me to be my very best self.
She met fear with love...”
14
Is Politics the
Ultimate Lust?
ower, it seems, is the ultimate drug. Te more
you get, the more you want. Te pursuit of pow-
er is ofen described as a hunger, but can it be
the ultimate form of lust—a desire so intense it
shapes not only leaders but entire societies? In politics,
this insatiable hunger can lead to corruption, division,
and confict. Te word “lust” is typically associated with
sexual or material desires, but in a political context, it
refers to an overwhelming desire for total control. Pol-
iticians who are driven by this force seek authority for
the sake of dominance rather than peace or protection,
ofen resulting in a distortion of democratic values.
It’s hard to deny that politics is a power game. Every ac-
tion or decision a politician makes is an exercise of in-
fuence. But why do politicians sometimes seem willing
to go to any lengths to secure control? Te feeling of
command is addictive. As power slips away, politicians
can become desperate to retain it. What begins as an ef-
fort to serve the people can quickly turn into an efort to
serve oneself. As this desire for power deepens, politi-
cians ofen manipulate, lie, and disregard the rule of law
to hold onto their control,
no matter the cost.
We live in an era where so-
ciety is drawn to the “ex-
treme”—the far-right, the
far-lef. We’re fascinated by
the outrageous, no matter
our own beliefs, because it’s
entertaining. But politics
shouldn’t be about specta-
cle; it’s about making de-
cisions that impact lives,
and here, the lust for
power is dangerous.
Figures like Don-
ald Trump have
made the lust
for
power
central
to
their politi-
cal identi-
ty. Trump
has re-
p e a t -
edly ig-
As this desire for power
deepens, politicians often
manipulate, lie, and dis-
regard the rule of law to
hold onto their control, no
matter the cost.
By Alison Imohiosen
15
nored the Constitution, the document he vowed to
“preserve, protect, and defend,” in favor of his own per-
sonal beliefs and political goals. Numerous scholars and
journalists have highlighted Trump’s “lawless conduct,”
including “revoking birthright citizenship,
freezing federal spending, shutting
down an agency, removing leaders
of other agencies, fring gov-
ernment employees subject
to civil service protections
and threatening to de-
port people based on
their political views.”
His constant need
to assert dominance,
his blatant disregard
for any norms, and his
obsession with control
over his political nar-
rative are all part of
a much deeper issue:
the lust for power at any
cost. Tis is not just a pas-
sive abuse of authority;
rather, it is a greed, or
an intense desire to feel
superior, to feel total
absolute
dominance.
Power itself can corrupt. So
when topped with politicians
who want more than just
leadership, it can easily spiral
out of control.
At frst glance, comparing the
lust for power and romantic love
might seem like a stretch. But,
upon closer look, the two have striking sim-
ilarities. Both are driven by intense desire,
a need for control, and an unwillingness
to be vulnerable. Te obsession with
command in politics ofen mirrors
the intensity of romantic rela-
tionships in ways that might
surprise us.
Much like romantic love,
the lust for power in
politics is all-consum-
ing. Leaders ofen re-
fuse to show vulnerability, fearing it might undermine
their authority. Instead, they focus only on their goals
and become so single-minded in their pursuit of this
power that they are blind to the consequences. Trump
is a leading example of this behavior. During his cam-
paign, Trump’s political advisors emphasized their hope
to “fundamentally overhaul the structure of the federal
government [...].” Trough his disregard of the consti-
tution, Trump has already begun to dismantle the rule
of law. Tis behavior isn’t unlike a romantic relation-
ship. In love, many are willing to abandon everything,
including their personal values, to be with the person
they desire. Te intensity of their feelings blinds them
to reality. Politicians, too, can become blinded by their
lust for power and they focus on securing their position
and attaining control rather than what’s best for their
people. In debates and discussions, political candidates
ofen dismiss questions, refuse to admit they might be
wrong, and avoid showing weakness. Teir reluctance
to be vulnerable is similar to how people can behave in
romantic relationships if they fear that revealing any in-
security could jeopardize the entire dynamic.
When driven by lust rather than duty, the pursuit of
power leads to corruption and division within a society.
In politics today, it seems that political engagement is
more about the pursuit of power and spectacle than it
is about genuine civic duty. Te lust for power has over-
taken the principles of democracy and public service,
and we’ve seen it happen time and time again. Lead-
ers need to remember the point of their governance: to
shape and oversee the structure and order of a society.
It’s time for lust to leave politics.
[Trump’s] constant need
to assert dominance, his
blatant disregard for any
norms, and his obsession
with control over his politi-
cal narrative are all part of
a much deeper issue: the
lust for power at any cost.
Photo By Michael M. Santiago /Getty Images.
16