

These Sisters Created A Female Empowerment Exhibit To Fiercely Celebrate Womanhood
As women, everyday we have to roam this earth dripped in the essence of who we are, all while being undervalued and undermined at every turn. From the lack of women in power, to patriarchy, sexism, racism, and economic inequality, we are often forced to dig deep into our magic, just to know that it's there.
But self-belief is a superpower. And through each obstacle, we are reminded—by triumph—that our actual self-belief, is that all women have superpowers.
I'm not sure anyone believes this more than sisters, Danyelle and Dionna Gray, the amazing ladies behind the WOMANISH exhibit. These ladies took on the massive task of curating a game-changing 40,000-square-foot revolutionary exhibit, with 16 exploratory rooms, all packaged and themed to overload your badass, female senses.
In the heart of Downtown Chicago, this interactive celebration of all things feminine, hosts five floors of rooms carefully crafted to encourage conversation, change, and imagination, with names such as the PARTYISH room, the PAIDISH room, and so much more. This exhibit has championed the marriage of creativity and message. #hello
Think of it as similar to the Museum of Ice Cream, or Refinery29's 29Rooms, but instead, with all female perspective.
"This is for everyone and all womxn, but Danyelle and I wanted to make sure that Black womxn knew that this was done by Black womxn and you're going to be specifically celebrated in here," the ladies tell Chicago Tribune. "Our hope is when Black womxn walk past, it's like 'Yasss!' It's very picturesque, but you can tell that this is done by two Black womxn because of the different touches we have. The paid-ish room refers to the pay gap between men and womxn. Everything is very Instagrammable, but our (exhibit) is purposeful ... conversation starters meant to inspire you."
And both a conversation and inspo is definitely had. Whether the illuminated fluorescent floors, or the shopper's room featuring a receipt detailing how grossly underpaid women are, this highly Instagrammable experience, is unapologetically here to make its impact.
"We made it our life's mission to support women and create safe, uplifting, and simply FUN environments to connect in. After years of growth in supporting women by hosting podcasts, workshops, and events, we decided to take our overall mission to the next level. Together we've built a team of progressive women who were already pushing the barrier of experiences in Chicago, and with whom we shared our mission. We wanted to connect women living here--and beyond--and we developed WOMANISH as a movement that breaks single-definition stereotypes of being a woman and celebrating various womxn's perspectives through the interactive art of experiences."
Below are a few photos from a direct look inside:
Change the game, ladies!
WOMANISH runs September 3-November 8. Tickets, $35, are on sale now. Ages two and under are free. Guests aged 4 and over are required to bring and wear their own masks.
Feature image courtesy of Danyelle Gray
Charmin Michelle is a southern native and creative spirit who works as a content marketer and events manager in Chicago. She enjoys traveling, #SummertimeChi, and the journey of mastering womanhood. Connect with her on Instagram @charminmichelle.
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From Monogamy To Polyamory: 'I'm In An Asexual Poly Marriage With My Husband Of 7 Years'
Have you ever wondered what it's like to be asexual and in an open marriage? Relationship Coach Mikki Bey shared her first-hand experience with us as well as answered some of our burning questions.
Like a lot of people, Mikki met her now husband, Raheem Ali, online. As soon as they met, they instantly fell in love and got engaged on their first date. Just 90 days after they met, the couple tied the knot and have now been married for seven years. Raheem and Mikki aren’t your typical married couple, and despite being married for almost a decade, their marriage is anything but traditional. Mikki and Raheem have what she calls an "asexual polyamorous marriage."
Defining Her Sexuality
It wasn't until last summer that Mikki found the language to define her sexuality. "I didn't have the language for it until last summer," she explained to xoNecole. "Looking back, I just thought sex wasn't my thing. It was never enjoyable for me, and I'd go years without even noticing.”
Mikki always thought she was broken because she had no interest in sex. Mikki noticed after her friends came to visit and started discussing their sexual fantasies that she realized something was different about her. “At that point, I knew something was definitely different about me since I do not have sexual fantasies at all. It was truly news to me that people are at work thinking about sex! That was not my experience.” This led to Mikki researching asexuality, which she soon realized fit her to a T. “It felt like breathing new air when I was able to call it by name," said Mikki.
"Looking back, I just thought sex wasn't my thing. It was never enjoyable for me, and I'd go years without even noticing it."
Asexuality refers to people who experience little or no sexual attraction, experience attraction without acting on it sexually, or experience sexual attraction differently based on other factors. Like most things, asexuality falls on a spectrum and encompasses many other identities. It's important to remember, however, that attraction and action are not always synonymous: some asexuals may reject the idea of sexual contact, but others may be sex-neutral and engage in sexual activity.
It's possible that some asexuals will have sex with someone else despite not having a libido or masturbating, but others will have sex with a partner because it brings a sense of connection.
From a Traditional Marriage to Kitchen Table Polyamory
Although Mikki never really had a high sex drive, it wasn’t until after the birth of her son, that she noticed her sex drive took a real nosedive. “I never had a high sex drive, but about a year after my son was born, I realized I had zero desire. My husband has a high sex drive, and I knew that it would not be sustainable to not have sex in our marriage at that time.”
She was determined to find an alternative to divorce and stumbled upon a polyamory conversation on Clubhouse. Upon doing her own research, she brought up the idea to their husband, who was receptive. “It’s so interesting to me that people weigh sex so heavily in relationships when even if you are having a ton of sex, it’s still a very small percentage of the relationship activity," Mikki shared.
They chose polyamory because Mikki still wanted to be married, but she also wanted to make sure that Raheem was getting his individual needs and desires met, even if that meant meeting them with someone else. “I think that we have been programmed to think that our spouses need to be our 'everything.' We do not operate like that. There is no one way that fits all when it comes to relationships, despite what society may try to tell you. Their path to doing this thing called life together may be different from yours, but they found what works for them. We have chosen to design a marriage that works for us,” Mikki explained.
"We have chosen to design a marriage that works for us. We both consent to each of us having everything from casual sex partners to lifetime partners if it should go there. We believe love is abundant and do not limit ourselves or each other on how we express it."
She continued, “We both consent to each of us having everything from casual sexual partners to lifetime partners if it should get there. We believe love is abundant and do not limit ourselves or each other on how we express it. Our dynamic is parallel with kitchen table poly aspirations.”
Kitchen table polyamory (KTP) is a polyamorous relationship in which all participants are on friendly terms enough to share a meal at the kitchen table. Basically, it means you have some form of relationship with your partner’s other partner, whether as a group or individually. A lot of times, KTP relationships are highly personal and rooted in mutual respect, communication, and friendship.
Intimacy in an Asexual Polyamorous Marriage
Mikki says she and her husband, Raheem, still share intimate moments despite being in a polyamorous marriage. “Our intimacy is emotional, intellectual, spiritual, and physical, although non-sexual. We are intentional about date nights weekly, surprising and delighting each other daily, and most of all, we communicate our needs regularly. In my opinion, our intimacy is top-tier! I give my husband full-body massages, mani-pedis and make sure I am giving him small physical touches/kisses throughout the day. He is also very intentional about showing me his love and affection.”
Raheem and Mikki now use their lives as examples for others. On their website, thepolycouplenextdoor.com, they coach people interested in learning how to be consensually non-monogamous. “We are both relationship coaches. I specialized in emotional regulation, and Raheem specializes in communication and conflict resolution. The same tools we use in our marriage help our clients succeed in polyamory."
Mikki advises people who may be asexual or seeking non-monogamy to communicate their needs openly and to consider seeking sex therapy or intimacy coaching. Building a strong relationship with a non-sexual partner requires both empathy and compassion.
For more of Mikki, follow her on Instagram @getmikkibey. Follow the couple's platform on Instagram @thepolycouplenextdoor.
Featured image by skynesher/Getty Images