Earlier this year, Girls’ Life magazine caught a ton of heat over what many called its “sexist” September issue, which included cover stories on how to get your “dream hair” and how to “wake up pretty.” Meanwhile, the September issue for Boys’ Life centered around the theme of exploring your future and learning how to be whatever it is you want to be. (You know; inspirational, the-world-is-your-oyster type stuff.)
The stark contrast between the two magazines quickly made its way around the Internet, reigniting the conversation around the messages teen magazines send our girls. Messages that many argue are often sexist, materialistic, and way outdated.
But there’s at least one mag out there that might just be changing things.
Meet Bright Lite — the independent quarterly magazine made by and for preteen girls. Search its pages, and you won’t be able to find a single “how to find the best lip gloss” article in there, no matter how hard you try. While it’s only on its third issue, each one centers around a new theme that’s a far cry from the boys- and makeup-obsessed teen mags we typically see on newsstands.
Bright Lite is the brainchild of photographer Christa Renee and writer/illustrator Ami Komai, two moms of young daughters who saw a need in the market for something a little more … well, 2016.
“After my daughter, Wes was battling low self-esteem, I realized that there wasn’t a community out there for girls her age,” Renee tells Babble. “I really wanted to fill that void. I wanted to give Wes the validation that she wasn’t weird or different from other girls. I think 10 is such a special age, and I want to support her journey.”
Supporting her daughter’s journey led Renee to join the publishing world — something she had no previous experience in, but decided to give a go anyway. And so far? It’s been both challenging and rewarding:
“We knew what we wanted to see and nobody else was going to do it for us,” she says. “There’s definitely been a learning curve and lots of trial and error but we’re doing it together, with all the girls, for all the girls. It’s definitely not been easy and some days, I think we are insane — trying to do this with just the two of us. But when I see the girls and their faces when their work is published, it makes everything worth it.”
The “girls” Renee refers to make up the all-female editorial board behind Bright Lite, which relies mainly on submissions from readers and girls within Renee and Komai’s community — which they’re hoping will eventually grow into something even bigger.
“My hope is to make this bigger than a magazine, but a community,” says Renee. “Not just for my daughter, but for all girls everywhere. These girls have so much to say, we want to support them and make sure they know they’re amazing and their work is important.”
So far, the issues have been themed around animals, museums, and most recently, outer space. Each one is filled with poetry, stories, art, interviews, and other creative content that the girls on its editorial board curate. It’s also submission-based, meaning that girls 18 and under can submit content either online or by mail for the chance to see their work included.
“We want it to not only feel like a conversation between two friends, but to look like what an inside of a preteen girl’s head might look like,” explains Komai.
Because to Komai and Renee, those preteen years are some of the most pivotal — and that’s precisely why we should be using them to empower girls every which way we can.
“All the opinions I formed about myself, good and bad, I formed as a preteen girl,” says Komai. “I remember growing up and thinking there was no role models who looked like me, or anything representing my experience. This made me feel like I was in this bubble; feeling like nothing I did mattered. I want to change that, not only for my daughter, but for all girls. I want to try to represent all girls in a way that’s genuine, inclusive, and meaningful … No two girls are exactly alike, nor should they be. They’re all perfect just as they are.”
“We’re creating a world in which girls don’t have to fight for their voice to be heard, and no one questions whether they’re equal or not,” adds Renee.
I don’t know about you, but that sounds like the best damn reason to launch a magazine that I’ve ever heard.