Walking on a runway is glamorous but walking for injustice is empowering. Meet Kaprice Imperial! The Filipina-American model is admirable in challenging the world to do better and to dream of a future that is more inclusive and united. In our interview, Kaprice gets candid with Jejune on what happens before hitting the runway, the effects of her Asian background, and protesting hate crimes. Check out our interview below!
Read MoreA CEO behind a non-profit is often the driving force behind the business. As the CEO of Artists for Trauma, Laura Sharpe is more than the driving force —she is the living mission statement. Laura started the foundation after a personal tragedy and came to see a need for attuned rehabilitation efforts for survivors. She started AFT with the aim to expedite recovery through artistic expression and human connection by pairing civilian and military trauma survivors with established artists. Her non-profit specifically targeted loneliness during the pandemic, and now with vaccines rolling out and restrictions lessening, AFT’s calendar is back in full swing. We are so excited to share our interview with Laura Sharpe. Her story is inspirational and her cause is steeped in passionate purpose. For more on Laura Sharpe, AFT and how to get involved, please continue reading our exclusive interview below!
Read MoreDue to recent political events, we cannot stop asking ourselves these questions these days: What kind of country do we want to live in, work in? What kind of America do we believe in? There are many social justice issues in the country, but social-justice singer-songwriter Crys Matthews feels like all of these issues are human issues. Even with all that happened in the country, she is hopeful for this country, which is why she made ‘Changemakers’ which is her latest, hope-fueled, love-filled, social justice album. "Call Them In" the second single off of the album and a very powerful song, is meant to honor John Lewis. Crys Matthews reminds us America is going to get a chance to be America again no matter what happened in the past and she makes us believe in a brighter future. We talked to Crys Matthews about her music, politics, and personal life. Check our exclusive interview with Crys Matthews to learn more about her.
Read MoreYou may know Alexandra Park as the posh princess on The Royals, but get ready to meet the girl beneath the tiara. In her new memoir, Sugar High, Alexandra dives deep into her life, specifically her journey with Type One Diabetes and her acting career. In a personal story of life’s highs and lows, Alexandra’s book is a sweet and honest depiction of re-learning how to take care of yourself in the face of diagnosis. In our interview with Alexandra, we touch on life post-Royals, and her debut as an author, and where she’s going next.
Read MoreHappy Pride Month! June is, without a doubt, the most colorful and unapologetic time of the year. Pride amplifies the LGBTQIA + community’s voice and uplifts the message of “loud and proud” queerness. Why cant it be pride every month?
Speaking of amplifying voices, TikTok has become an important vehicle for the LGBTQIA + community to express themselves. Many gay, non-binary, and gender varying influencers have built meaningful platforms on TikTok; proving it remains a safe place for LGBTQIA + youth and allies.
Let’s release the rainbow flags and douse ourselves in glitter, it is Pride! One of our favorite times of the year! While we are super excited to see so many big companies selling merchandise to commemorate it, we worry that not all of it is coming from the right place. Instead of going to one of the big companies (who will remain nameless), how about you show your support and influence a positive change to the community by supporting LGBTQ+-owned businesses!? Don’t know any LGBTQ+-owned brands? Jejune has you covered. We have compiled a list of some amazing stylish ethical LGBTQ+-owned businesses to to go full pride with. Check them out below!
Read MoreThe race for the office of Mayor of New York City, in the wake of the Trump presidency and the ongoing pandemic, is a litmus test for both the will for meaningful progress and the resiliency of old ideas. New York is a traditionally blue state, and its namesake city is the largest in the United States, with a population of over eight million people, of which three million of which are of foreign birth.
The primaries will be held on June 22nd, followed by an election on November 2nd. For the first time, the primaries will employ a ranked-choice system rather than the traditional plurality vote.
This article is intended to provide a thumbnail guide to the personalities and issues, with quick links to further information, along with some of our opinions.
The power of a single story becomes stronger when that story becomes a movement for change. That is what the #MeToo Movement is about: survivors sharing their stories of harassment, assault, and violence in order to promote awareness, change, and empathy. In using music as a catalyst for storytelling, Mischa Suemnig organized the #MeTooMpls project, a songwriting collective of Minnesota Women/Femmes/Trans/Non-Binary Folk. The mission of #MeTooMpls is straight forward: It is aimed at creating songs to raise Minneapolis Women/Femmes/Trans/Non-Binary Folk voices; Supporting sexual assault survivors; And raising funds for Planned Parenthood. All the songwriters involved were asked to write and record an original song on the subject of #MeToo. Without any further guidelines, the artists delivered songs ranging from heartbreaking songs about surviving sexual assault to inspiring songs about feminist icons and their influence on their lives. The album that they created is at once polyvocal and unified —it is a a mixture of lamentation, hope, and demand for change. It is the music of #MeToo.
Read MoreOk, to say I’m obsessed with Pockets Warhol might be a little bit of an understatement, but you don’t meet a monkey who does paintings for charity everyday! His style is a bit more Pollock than Warhol, but his abstract pieces of art are colorful and raw. Pockets, who lives in Canada, was once a therapy animal eventually handed over to his current home, the Story Book Primate Sanctuary. Story Book is a beautiful space created to give primates a second chance after being research animals or victims of the exotic animal trade. It is also the only primate sanctuary in Canada. When Pockets came to Story Book they were quick to notice how smart he is. He would constantly be playing with toys to entertain himself, and since his handler was a big fan of primate art, it seemed worth a try on Pockets. It was love at first paint stroke! Now Pockets’s pieces are being used at charity auctions and sold to help support the sanctuary. To learn more about this adorable artist and Story Book Primate Sanctuary, please read our exclusive interview below.
Read MoreSophie Reynolds was forever impacted by her best friend, Cameron Boyce. Losing a best friend at a young age is devastating, but Sophie and Cameron’s family and friends choose to remember Cameron’s legacy in a beautiful way through the Cameron Boyce Foundation. Cameron was a light in people’s lives and a passionate activist, ergo, his foundation was created to continue the positive energy he put out into the world. After all, a legacy is not what you do for yourself, but what you do for others. Sophie joins alongside the Cameron Boyce Foundation to find ways to eliminate Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP), raise funds for epilepsy research, fighting gun violence, and so much more. In our interview with Sophie, we catch up on her acting career, life on set, and how she is giving back with the Cameron Boyce Foundation. Please read our exclusive interview with Sophie Reynolds below!
Read MoreSay hello to Oliver Trevena —the man who is known for his interview and hosting skills. We’re flipping the script and sitting down with this famous British host turned actor (alongside his adorable pup Georgie) to catch up on his latest projects. Here’s what you need to know: Oliver making moves and is working to make the world a better place. Between shooting several movies (Rising Hawk, Embattled, The Reckoning, Out of Death) in the past couple of years and growing his new business Caliwater with his partner Vanessa Hudgens, Oliver is using his talents to help spread awareness of forced child marriage in India. Serving as producer for a docuseries entitled Unmuted, Oliver hopes to produce content to unmute the voices of girls and young women in India who were forced into marriage too young. He also works closely with the Not For Sale Campaign, which provides resources to end human slavery and trafficking. Inspired? We are too. For more on Oliver Trevena, please read our exclusive editorial interview below.
Read MoreLexy Panterra dances through life and never says sorry. The singer, rapper, and dancer uses her platform to empower women and girls to be their best, authentic selves. From “TwerkOut” - her online twerking classes to her latest album Baddie Vibez, Panterra leads with an image of confidence, strength, and femininity, encouraging her fans to unapologetically practice self-love. Jejune had the pleasure to get to know more about Lexy Panterra, we got to talk about her music, venturing into rapping, her passion for dancing, and what makes her feel good. To learn more about Panterra, continue reading below.
Read MoreIf you don’t mind, I would like to tell you a little bit about Adam Waheed. This handsome Egyptian from New York City is a lot more than a pretty face. In fact, his good looks are almost an after thought in his comedy. He is known for playing innocent and playful roles where he is typically the ridiculous guy who leaves his ladies, friends, co-workers, or doctors completely flabbergasted. The shocking story behind Adam, and his massive social media following, is that he is a self-made man. He started out as wanting to be an actor, but there were just not enough roles for someone who looks like him. So, he took things into his own hands and started an empire of social media comedy. Cute, short skits that resemble videos one would see on sites like Funny or Die and CollegeHumor, with one small exception — Adam always casts a very diverse group of talent in all his videos. While the rest of the world is waking up to this, this is just natural for all of Adam’s skits. Adam’s skills don’t stop there. He has recently branched out to producing and acting in short films, like Tribes, and opening schools across the world for underprivileged kids. Adam certainly does it all. To learn more, please click here!
Read MorerIVerse is the viral, multi-racial, LGBTQ+ and body-positive pop group that is breaking the internet. An independent Canadian pop and R&B group, rIVerse is a band known for making international waves for their high concept art pop and inclusive messaging. The group is comprised of band members Dizz, Monroe, Khadija and Zak. rIVerse recently released their newest music video for “BaeBeeBoo” off their critically acclaimed album, Poison IV. The album has been heralded for its innovative, genre-bending aesthetic and inclusive messaging which tackles themes ranging from body positivity, self love to systemic racism. We couldn’t wait to talk to the members of rIVerse and share the impact of their music and creativity. Please read our exclusive interview with rIVerse below.
Read MoreArt is most enjoyable when it represents us, much like our favorite clothes to wear. There are many labels in society that assign gender to people according to their appearances, especially with how they choose to dress, and the same can be said for art. Binary gender is pervasive in the art industry, and often times queer artists have been systematically excluded. It needs to be changed. And we will change it. There are artists that are challenging the industry standard through their art. Queer, non-binary, Latinx, fashion photographer Daniel Roa is one of them. They created a fashion photographic series on 120mm film where they photographed queer people who were assigned male at birth as representations of themselves so that we can see what Non-binary representation outside of the cis gaze looks like. The concept is embracing the fluidity of one’s gender and it allows us to see non-binary people as they see themselves because Non-binary identity has no single appearance and representation. Thus, at the end of the day, we realize that we can look the way we are and we can be represented as we want through a queer lens. We talked to Daniel Roa about queer photography series, fashion and the definition of being non-binary. Please read our exclusive interview below to learn more about Daniel Roa.
Read MoreIn many ways, this pandemic has people reevaluating their priorities, but one thing hasn’t changed — we want to stay young for as long as we can! In fact, with many of us feeling like we lost a year, this is more important than ever. So, what do we do? We eat better, stay active, get more sleep, and try not to stress out too much. All great things, but our skin could always use a little more love. Let me introduce you to Forever Bloom, an eco-friendly, doesn’t test on animals, a beauty company that is diving into the idea of cellular regrowth to help keep our skin young! Why treat a symptom when you can attack the cause!? Please read further to learn more about this amazing company and how Jejune is partnering with them on a giveaway and discounts!
Read MoreVictoria Konefal brings passion to this world by dreaming of a green future. You may know Victoria from her work on Day of our Lives, where she plays the fierce and independent Ciara Brady, and Victoria’s legacy is continuing to grow off-screen with her tremendous conservation efforts with organizations like Heal the Bay and Thirst Project. Conservation has taken a backseat during the turmoil of the pandemic and it is people like Victoria who are helping to put the spotlight back onto what we can do in our everyday lives to make a real contribution to conservation. In honor of Women’s History Month, we were very excited to talk to Victoria about the impact of a woman’s voice — we discuss her experience in Hollywood as an actress, working with women directors, and being an advocate for a better and brighter future. For more on Victoria Konefal, please read our exclusive editorial interview below.
Read MoreIt is International Women’s Month and Cheri Moon is here to kick it up a notch. Cheri’s new single harkens back to a staple in women’s rights history: Sojourner Truth’s “Ain’t I A Woman” speech. Sharing the same name with the famous speech, Moon’s “Ain’t I A Woman” is a powerful anthem for 2021. The message of her music resonates with soulful celebration with the punchiness of a pop-ballad. Outside of Cheri’s music career, you can also catch her working along side Good + Foundation. In our interview with Cheri, we talk about Sojourner’s influence today for women everywhere and what hopeful emergences we have seen in the past year for feminism. For more on Cheri Moon, please read our exclusive interview below.
Read MoreDuring one of the largest economic crises our country has ever seen, when cities are forcing landlords not to evict tenants who can’t pay, thousands have lost their jobs, and the number of homeless has yet to be calculated, there is hope. There is hope in Tiny Homes. Hope of the Valley’s Tiny Homes Villages is one of the most beautiful initiatives I have heard about so far in 2021. In one of the cities in the US that has the worst numbers of homelessness, Los Angeles, this organization is just stating the fight, and they are doing it in style. They have set up a transitional micro-village, where people wanting to pull themselves off the streets are given the resources to do so. Hope of the Valley has no only done this smartly, but also sensitively for the people who are moving in. They make sure they are safe, clean, feed, and even have a dog park for those with pets. I’m so excited to share with you our exclusive interview with the CEO of Hope of the Valley, Ken Craft.
Read MoreJarry is a NYC-based model/actress, musician, and influencer who did something courageously out of the ordinary — she came out as bisexual on the hit Netflix show, Dating Around. With a social media following rising at astronomical rates, Jarry never chooses silence. Jarry is a bold voice with an extra aesthetic, and she is committed to lending her voice to strengthen the visibility of the LGBTQ+ and Asian community. In our interview with Jarry, we talk about her life in NYC during the pandemic, her coming out moment, and the current wave of violence against Asian Americans. You don’t want to miss this moment with Jarry! Please read our full and exclusive editorial and interview below.
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