Dear Reader,
Last spring, in our first-ever issue devoted entirely to freedom of speech, we told you our most productive contribution to the conversation was not to speak louder but to listen better. It has certainly been a year of speech worth listening to, from Greta Thunberg’s inspiring climate change advocacy to the stories of survivors of sexual assault to the poetry of a new generation of pop musicians such as Lizzo, Billie Eilish and Tyler, the Creator. Just a few months into this new decade, with election-year drama raging in the U.S. and social media offering an ever more powerful megaphone to one and all, it’s clear we’re in store for a wild and unpredictable Roaring Twenties.
Across the nearly 250 pages of this issue, we’ve put together a collection of speech-themed stories you’re unlikely to find anywhere else, from a profile of a weed-positive Republican senator to a feature on the conundrum of fighting online hate speech to a step-by-step guide to talking dirty.
Jameela Jamil, the formidable actor, writer and founder of the community-activism platform I Weigh, served as editorial partner for this issue and is the subject of our long-form Playboy Interview. “I make my own lanes and I dip in and out of them as I please,” she tells us. “It is my duty to speak up and speak out about things that are hurting me and others who have less privilege and protection.” As we prepared to send this issue to the printer, the announcement of Jamil’s role in an upcoming HBO series sparked a new bout of social media backlash against her, underscoring the urgency of grappling with the complex issues she cares so deeply about — from shaming to cancel culture to representation and the power of new voices.
That every voice has a right to be heard, whether we agree with that voice or not, is the provocative position taken in Words Matter by Nadine Strossen, who led the ACLU for nearly two decades. And as we careen toward November 3, we’re reminded once again that your vote is your voice. For The Playboy Symposium: On Voting & Democracy, we asked civil rights leader Alicia Garza, co-founder of Black Lives Matter, to gather a group of grassroots activists to share their thoughts on the fight for social and political change.
A report from Tinseltown (Silenced by Hollywood) by journalist Amanda Fortini finds that, despite the efforts of the MeToo and Time’s Up movements, the entertainment industry remains a treacherous place for women who demand parity with their male counterparts. “A lot of men are waiting for this ‘episode’ to go away,” Rosanna Arquette tells us, “and there are many predators still in power.”
Turning to the art world, writer Alison M. Gingeras profiles the prolific Betty Tompkins, who has made the fight against censorship a pillar of her career, creating unapologetically explicit paintings despite shortsighted critics and galleries too fainthearted to exhibit her work. Check out her stranger-than-fiction story in Don’t Fuck With Betty Tompkins.
And because we wouldn’t be PLAYBOY without a wealth of capital-P Pleasure, this issue also includes Patrick Stewart talking Star Trek while cavorting with rescue pit bulls (20Q), artist Nick Cave sharing previously unpublished work from his immersive oeuvre (Body & Soul) and pop provocateur Peaches discussing her newest project — starring a legion of singing sex toys (A Fresh Bite of Peaches).
Our cover is a mosaic of riotous and righteous self-expression featuring a host of Playmates past. Chloe Chippendale’s mini-portraits introduce a macro concept: The more voices, the stronger the conversation. In that spirit, we offer another first in PLAYBOY history. Curious? Read our epic Playmates of the Year pictorial.
Speaking of Playmates, we’d like to introduce three women proudly and gorgeously taking on the mantle this spring: Marsha Elle, Savannah Smith and Alicia Loraina Olivas, photographed by Ana Dias, Graham Dunn and Sasha Samsonova, respectively. As Olivas eloquently puts it in her Playmate essay, “Each of our voices is important. We should spend more time listening and less time judging each other.”
To that we say, “Hear, hear.”
