Megan Alpert is a fellow at Foreign Policy. Her previous bylines have included The Guardian, Guernica Daily, and Earth Island Journal. She is an Orlando Poetry Prize winner, a former resident-fellow at Vermont Studio Center, and a graduate of The Bennington Writing Seminars.
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - AUGUST 18: U.S Olympic swimmers Gunnar Bentz (R) and Jack Conger leave the police headquarters at International departures of Rio de Janiero's Galeo International airport on August 18, 2016 in Rio de Janiero, Brazil. The swimmers were removed from their flight departing for the United States by Brazilian authorities to give more information about a reported armed robbery earlier in the week which included fellow U.S swimmers Ryan Lochte and James Feign. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)
A picture taken on February 6, 2014, shows the Aleppo central prison during clashes between pro-Syrian regime soldiers and rebel fighters. Syrian troops retook most of Aleppo's prison, lost to rebels a day earlier, in fighting that has killed at least 46 people over two days, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. AFP PHOTO/AMC/ZEIN AL-RIFAI (Photo credit should read ZEIN AL-RIFAI/AFP/Getty Images)
Olympic gold medalist Ryan Lochte shows off his American flag grills and gold medal after winning the Men's 400m Individual Medley at the London 2012 Olympics Aquatic Center. (Photo by Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
MEDELLIN, COLOMBIA - APRIL 2: Former President of Colombia, Álvaro Uribe, greets supporters during the demonstration against the Peace Process in Medellin, April 2nd, 2016. People took the streets of Colombia against Government polices including the the way the peace treaty is being handle. (Photo by Eduardo Leal For The Washington Post via Getty Images)
LAHORE, PUNJAB, PAKISTAN - 2014/11/20: Pakistani Eunuchs hold candligthing ceremony in memory of transphobia vicitims on the eve of International Transgender Day of Remembrance in Lahore. The Transgender Day of Remembrance was founded in 1999 by Gwendolyn Ann Smith, a transgender graphic designer, columnist, and activist. In 2010, it was already observed in over 185 cities throughout more than 20 countries in the world. (Photo by Rana Sajid Hussain/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)
CARTAGENA, COLOMBIA - 2012/04/29: Close-up of Avocados in the Getsemani area of Cartagena, Colombia. (Photo by Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket via Getty Images)
CHIBA, JAPAN - JUNE 25: Japanese whalers slaughter a 9.58m Baird's beaked whale at the Wada port on June 25, 2006 in Chiba, Japan. Japan and Norway, leaders of pro-whaling nations, took a step toward restoring commercial whaling in a vote at the International Whaling Commission. (Photo by Koichi Kamoshida/Getty Images) *** Local Caption ***
A Turkish nationalist protester wearing Ottoman clothes holds placard during a protest against Germany on June 2, 2016 in front of the Germany consulate in Istanbul after German parliament labelled the World War I massacre of Armenians by Ottoman forces as genocide.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on June 2 warned that the German parliament's recognition of World War I killings of Armenians by Ottoman forces as genocide would "seriously affect" ties. / AFP / OZAN KOSE (Photo credit should read OZAN KOSE/AFP/Getty Images)
Colombian plastic surgeon Lina Triana holds one ob the prothesis to be implanted to Angie Astudillo in Cali, Valle del Cauca department, Colombia, on October 24, 2013. The city of Cali has become one of the favorite destinations for men and women from different countries who seek low cost cosmetic surgery performed with professionalism and experience. AFP PHOTO / Luis ROBAYO (Photo credit should read LUIS ROBAYO/AFP/Getty Images)
Moscow, RUSSIAN FEDERATION: TO GO WITH AFP STORY BY VICTORIA LOGUINOVA This undated file picture, shows Russians purchasing vodka from a street kiosk in Moscow. A reform aimed at protecting Russian consumers from substandard alcohol is turning Russia into a country where even vodka, the nation's drink of choice, is becoming scarce, experts warned. "Russia could become a country without alcohol by September," said Boris Titov, head of the trade association Business Russia. AFP PHOTO ALEXANDER NEMENOV (Photo credit should read ALEXANDER NEMENOV/AFP/Getty Images)
