Welcome to Gallant Girls!

Now that Gallant Girls has been launched, and we’re picking up new members of community, I wanted to write a little letter to all of you who have joined.

This website/Facebook page will be addressing some hard-hitting issues that have to do with the female empowerment of both young women and women alike. We will be addressing such topics as: body image, bullying, cyber-bullying, feminism, over-sexualization in the media, misogyny, eating disorders, positive verses negative role models, hate speech, racism, equality, gender specification, and the overall hope that our children can grow up well-rounded, strong, independent, healthy adults contrary to what culture and media are presenting to them. By no means is Gallant Girls *just* for “girls” — it is for girls, young women, women, boys, young men, and men, as well. It is important that both genders and all ages are involved in such important matters that affect our future and metamorphosis as human beings.

With that said, it is also important to address that we will not ALL have the same beliefs, belief systems, or opinions on many of the issues/topics/articles that are covered here at GG. I think this is not only crucial to disclaim, but also very important to the growth process of this page. It takes all kinds to make a world, and here at Gallant Girls we embrace and celebrate that! I believe, wholeheartedly, that to learn is to grow — this is not a solitary movement, it will take a village to raise just one well-adjusted, secure, and commanding young person (as well as the Gallant Girl populace). All that I ask, in the midst of our debates and viewpoints, is that we treat everyone with respect and honor because that is a critical component of being “Gallant”. There is a code of ethics here that we require to create balance and change.

I would also like to confess that this page — and the things I post + write — may, at times, be contradictory. This, to me, is a declaration that knowledge is power. As I read, research, and gather data, I will surely hope to learn along the way. At the heart of my convictions I am steadfast, but the learning curve comes with each new breakthrough and discovery. We are all challenged every day with new information, and with that information we begin to make influential revelations. Gallant Girls will be an ongoing exploration of how to keep our youth informed and as safe as possible, while keeping our knowledge base relevant with the times; and daring it to be different over and over and over again. Here at Gallant Girls, we’re a unified entity on a mission together. Lets NEVER lose sight of that, please! Our youth and equality are where we all stand united.

I would also like to state that though posts and discussions may get heated or seem prudish at times, that does not reflect the purpose or intent of Gallant Girls. In fact, hostility, racism, bigotry, close-mindedness, or shaming will not be permitted here. And if ever anything comes off as exceedingly preachy, I not only apologize, but want to be informed. Gallant Girls is an honorable effort, so I want to make sure that everyone is aware that this is not a place that supports male bashing in the place of feminist viewpoints, damning thin young women/women while reinforcing the foundation that all body types are beyond beautiful, or ruinously judging any parental choices that work within an individuals’ family framework. Fighting to empower our youth is like a staircase — some are narrow, some are wide, some are spiral, some are steep, and some are deeper than we can comprehend, imagine or think, but… — we all want to make it to the top to gain perspective of how we’re going to handle what lies below.

In the future, the posts I make on here will not be as personal as the precedent ones. Before GG was launched, I stored a lot of personal writing articles on here to get the flow of mojo going for my own integrity of where I wanted this project, futuristically, to go. Now that you Gallant “Girls” (and Guys) are trickling in to be a part of this community, it will not be about personal experiences, as much as where they have led me — US! — in a pursuit of this project’s principles. I welcome you all to join in and share, build and change; and to be an integral part of this page. Once things get rolling at a reasonable pace, I will be accepting submissions for posts/articles, photographs of applicable events and causes, and sharing your stories if you so should choose to share them with us. I want this to be a commonwealth of philosophy, and a joint effort in enlightenment and awareness!

So, again, WELCOME, GALLANT FRIENDS! Thank you for the support and the comradeship. Together we can make a difference; it starts with knowledge and ends with confidence and (em)power(ment).

Cheers,
– Heather Angelika Pecor
(Founding Gallant Girl)