Author: Rebecca Nagel (Rebecca Nagel)

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movie poster for Baz Luhrmann's 1996 film, Romeo + Juliet
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Masks and Masculinity: Gender’s Role in Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet

Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet (1996), the second film in his Red Curtain Trilogy, takes Shakespeare’s classic tragedy and throws it into the neon-lit chaos of modern-day Verona Beach. A dazzling blend of high drama, Catholic symbolism, Miami-inspired aesthetics, and MTV-era visuals, Luhrmann’s adaptation retains Shakespeare’s original language while reimagining the feud between the Capulets...

Movie poster for Luhrmann's 1992 film, Strictly Ballroom
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Strictly Gender: How Strictly Ballroom Dances Around Patriarchal Norms

Baz Luhrmann’s 1992 debut film Strictly Ballroom isn’t just about glittery costumes, dramatic dips, and dazzling dance moves—it’s also a rich, satirical take on gender performance, conformity, and resistance. Beneath its comedic flair and theatrical style, the film presents a sharp critique of the gender roles embedded within traditional ballroom dancing and the patriarchal systems...

Editorial-style portrait of a person in glittery makeup embodying experimental LGBTQ+ fashion and camp style. The image uses long exposure to highlight vibrant color, movement, and euphoria. With dramatic lighting and theatrical makeup, the photo celebrates gay pride and gender performance, blending film aesthetics, party culture, and non-normative style in a glamorous, high-energy scene.
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What is Camp? The History and Evolution of a Queer Aesthetic

Photo by Tide_trasher_x on Unsplash “Camp” is one of those words we often hear but struggle to define. Is it glitter? Is it drag? Is it kitsch? Is it just bad taste turned good? The truth is, camp has a long, rich history that’s deeply rooted in queer aesthetics, theatricality, and a rejection of traditional...

Binary is for computers sticker at a bar in Lugano, Switzerland.
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Unpacking Gender: Judith Butler’s Challenge to the Binary

Photo by Delia Giandeini on Unsplash Judith Butler’s Gender Trouble presents one of the most profound philosophical challenges to the traditional understanding of gender. Building upon Simone de Beauvoir’s foundational work, Butler delves into gender as a performative act, pushing the boundaries of the gender binary and asking us to reconsider how identity is constructed...

a transgender rights protest. people hold signs depicting the trans flag with sayings like "protect trans youth" and "end trans torture"
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The Trump Administration’s “Therapy First” Approach Is a Revival of State-Controlled Identity Disguised as Concern

Photo by Karollyne Videira Hubert on Unsplash The May 1, 2025 HHS report marks yet another chilling chapter in the Trump administration’s crusade against transgender people—this time under the guise of “protecting children.” With 409 pages of cherry-picked data and moral panic, the federal government is not just shifting health policy; it’s attempting to reassert...

What is Feminism?
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What is Feminism?

Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash What is feminism? Feminism is a belief system, a movement, a piece of history, and so much more. Throughout the course of this semester, we have studied feminism, discussing feminist scholars, visual media, and our own experiences as women. Feminism is a commonly misunderstood movement, as some people don’t...

Free speech tastes better than cupcakes
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Free speech tastes better than cupcakes

In light of the “Canisius Cupcake Wars” published a few months ago, Brianna Nosal and I want to give the opinion of Canisius’ pro-choice students who attended the Plan B event. We would like to mention that while I have been awarded for my abortion activism on campus, the Canisius University Griffin Newspaper is still...