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ROLLER DERBY TEL AVIV


Growing up as a little girl, you’re taught to be small. Demure. Quiet. Not to take up space, not
to get in anybody’s way, and to always, always be polite. But not in roller derby.

In many ways, female socialization is a prison. We grow up starving ourselves to be as small
as possible. We apologize for mistakes we haven’t made. We lower our voices and keep our
contributions to ourselves for fear of being called shrill or bitchy or bossy - words that only
apply to women.

But then... Some of us are lucky enough to grow up and find roller derby. Regardless of our
backgrounds, roller derby accepts us. It tells us that whoever we are, we have value. It
teaches us to work together, to (literally) lean on each other because we’ll all benefit as a
result.

Most importantly, roller derby encourages us to get loud. It tells us the more space we take
up, the better. It teaches us that our bodies can contribute something important no matter
what they look like. Finally, we get to feel the freedom of being able to use our voices and our
strength and our power, a freedom we’ve been denied our whole lives.

- Text by Daisy Rogozinsky

Publication:  The Photographic Journal