TUSCALOOSA — The replacement of a suspended student magazine has arrived at the University of Alabama, bringing with it the same concerns as the previous publication.
Selene, a publication backed by the nonprofit Masthead and produced by many of the same editors who worked on the now-defunct ALICE Magazine, is being marketed as a fresh, inclusive platform for marginalized student voices.
ALICE magazine was suspended in the fall following a memo by Attorney General Pam Bondi describing what might be considered diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). The university risked federal funding for the magazine's DEI-style hiring and editorial practices.
A closer look at its first issue showcases the radical viewpoints of its editors and writers.
Despite past claims that their publication was meant to represent "all voices on campus," the content of Selene's first edition reveals an extremely narrow and consistent perspective, with little genuine diversity.
When reading just a handful of its first stories, the viewpoints become clear:
- "Hail Mary, Full of Grace" - Written by a self-proclaimed Roman Catholic Julia Clark, who also served on the board of UA Planned Parenthood Generation Action, this piece does nothing but portray the church as a social problem that needs to be fixed.
- "Clad in Power: The Politics of Black Panther Style" - A feature that romanticizes a violent-militant group in the form of highlighting the fashion of the organization, while ignoring any context of what the group did.
- "Cracking the Egg: Transness and HRT" - This multi-page feature presents radical gender ideology as romantic. Encouraging gender affirming care for many, with little regard to the harm it can cause, and the only article not focused on women in the publication.
- "All Math is Girl Math" - An article that claims women have to "work harder" to share their perspectives in education than men. The article highlights that women have around 130% the bachelor's degrees as men, while still calling education "misogynistic."
- "The Misrepresented: Marginalized Voices in Media" - A critique of media bias that argues certain perspectives are excluded, even as the magazine itself presents a narrow, "woman-focused" ideological perspective throughout its pages.
- "Born to Care: How Patriarchy Parents Older Daughters" - A piece attributing gender roles almost entirely to social construction, dismissing the other explanations, and criticizing men once again.
Together, the publication highlights an extremely narrow segment of the population while claiming to support all voices.
The reasons for ALICE magazine's initial cancellation are apparent and still present with Selene's new publication, defeating the team's original argument that their magazine was "for everyone."
Trenton Buffenbarger is a senior at the University of Alabama and is the Chairman of the UA Young Americans for Freedom.
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