Toronto sex educator Luna Matatas was teaching her Intro to Cock and Ball Torture class when she found out that British model and actor Cara Delevingne (Suicide Squad, Paper Towns) was wearing a Dior vest with Luna’s trademarked “Peg the Patriarchy” design printed on it.
“My mentions were blowing up about it. At first I was like ‘WHOA!’, as I’m always excited to see ‘Peg the Patriarchy’ get into places. But then it sunk in that this was a misrepresentation of my brand,” Luna tells us on the phone. “To see it on a thin, cis, white woman is also really disempowering for me. She can take the message to a place that I can’t… because of censorship, because of racism, because of fatphobia, and all these kinds of things that are barriers for me as a small business.”
In a video by The Independent, the supermodel shares that wearing “Peg the Patriarchy” on her chest is about female empowerment and “sticking it to the man,” but Luna is quick to clarify that her design, which she trademarked in 2015, is not about punishing people, or men. “Patriarchy has no gender, it’s a system. Pegging is a sexual metaphor… It’s a fantasy about subversion,” she says, sharing how fantasy is often used to explore power dynamics, in sex and beyond. “‘Peg the Patriarchy’ is about subversion, not about an anal sex act, and not about men. It’s a metaphor about subverting all of these behaviours that continue to make us subservient within a system, within a gender binary, within how patriarchy supports other systems like white supremacy.”
While Luna is happy to see so many people in her community quickly speak up to support her, she reminds us that this kind of appropriation, especially within the fashion industry, is widespread. “This happens to small artists all the time. So much so that I have an assistant whose job includes finding and tracing people printing and selling ‘Peg the Patriarchy’. Remember that as a fat, queer, POC I am working twice as hard just to do what I’m already amazing at.”
It’s unfortunate that Cara doesn’t give Luna credit when asked about her bold fashion statement, but she does tell media to “Google it,” and some have. As a result, Luna is getting coverage in international outlets like Glamour UK, and we hope that continues.
If you want to support Luna, head to her site to purchase her work—she has a great assortment of “Peg the Patriarchy” products, including mugs, masks, hoodies, and more. If you spot her work on social media, tag her and use #pegthepatriarchy. Luna also offers tons of amazing workshops from Best BJ Techniques to Delicious Dominance Skills. We’ve been fans of her sex-posi feminist workshops for years, and love the knowledge and energy she brings to her work.