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Caitlin Stasey unveils her bold, empowering new website: Herself.com

This article contains links that are very NSFW

Out actress and now website innovator Caitlin Stasey introduced the new interview-based site, Herself.com this week, and frankly, it blew my mind. Stasey, who stars in the hit CW show Reign and was the lead in the queertastic All Cheerleaders Die, has been a favorite of ours for quite some time not just for her performances, but for her social activism. In an age where many celebrity tweets and Instagram pictures are carefully crafted to maintain a brand, Stasey is off the cuff, passionate and sometimes controversial. (In other words, her publicist must do a lot of yoga.)

It’s so refreshing to see a young, whipsmart Hollywood starlet push right back against the system of oppression, in whatever form it takes.

Stasey made some serious waves when she took part last year in the Free the Nipple campaign. Singer Miley Cyrus, comedian Chelsea Handler and others have also participated in the campaign, which produced its own documentary which you can catch on VOD. Pictured leaning back on her chair, topless, Stasey’s photo was both lauded by supporters and attacked by her critics. The thing is, when someone attacks Caitlin Stasey, she comes right back.

If social media is a wasteland of anonymous attacks and misogyny for many women, then Herself.com, is the twinkling oasis. Here is how Stasey describes the new site:

“Herself is a gesture to women for women by women; a chance to witness the female form in all its honesty without the burden of the male gaze, without the burden of appealing to anyone. These women are simply & courageously existing, immortalized within these photos. Within their words, their experiences and stories are offered on Herself in the hopes of encouraging solidarity — that maybe we as women will take comfort in the triumphs of others rather than reveling in each other’s defeats. Let us reclaim our bodies. Let us take them back from those who seek to profit from our insecurity.”
Herself.com is interviewed focused, with the featured women answering questions about their lives, their sexuality, their bodies. The interviews manage to feel even more intimate than the nude photos that accompany them. Stasey, who is openly queer speaks candidly about sexuality, in her own interview.
“I’ve known I was mostly gay ever since I can remember. I know it troubles many people for me to refer to myself as a lesbian considering I have a male partner. I think they gather that it trivializes the plight of the LGBTQIA community & although that couldn’t be further from the truth at this point in my life I’m trying to steer as far from labeling as possible. Compartmentalizing myself only leads to condemnation & contradiction. I’m happier being fluid and I’m happier being honest.”
Each interview is a fascinating look into the lives of women, and each is compelling in its own way. If you are interested in participating in Herself.com, you can submit your info to be considered for the project. Safe space for women online are vital, and Caitlin Stasey has created one that is not only thought provoking, but infinitely empowering.

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