I immediately started to write about it and posted the my story in social media. I was frustrated and felt like I didn't know what was going to happen next. What if I ran into my attacker again while he was sober and he decided to try again? I felt cheated by the NYPD and now I was hoping to expose the system which had failed me. I wrote my piece and submitted it to multiple publications and none of them got back. Perhaps it was my writing skills, or perhaps it was the subject of the matter and how queer afro-latinos don't seem to matter in the media. So for my final project I have decided to create my own kind of media. That's how Armored Fems was born.
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| Rihanna's Gun Tattoo inspired the name |
Armored Fems is an activist social media group which is seeking to create a form of media to combat rape culture, meminist and the patriarchy as a whole. I want to unify creative minds who are creating feminist media, sharing their stories and playing active roles in the community. I am currently contacting groups of creatives so that I may feature their work on Armored Fems. I have a Facebook page, Tumblr, and Instagram set up for Armored Fems. I'm gonna be focusing mostly on Instagram because I feel like it is the best platform to reach as many young people as possible. I want to create a network of activist who are trying to create new media that combats the issues in our society.
I am hoping to publish my first article soon so that I can get the blog going, as well as work on a video project and get some art up online.
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ReplyDeleteFirst of all, I am sorry you had to go through that awful experience. I absolutely hate the fact that something like this happened to you. I detest that it was deemed an "isolated instance" and the attacker walked free. However, I am glad that you are able to turn this moment into such a wonderful project. I definitely see it getting larger in the future. it's not much but I recommend that you look at a Groundswell's Anti-Catcalling mural (2015) and the videos associated with the project. A lot of the speeches and writings that are associated with this mural combats the ideas of rape culture, the male gaze, and so on.
ReplyDeleteIt's truly a shame that people go through experiences such as this. However, you have all my respect for being able to turn your experience into what can very well be one of the most relevant social media campaigns in years. You're definitely on the right track, Kelso, but I recommend that you check out RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) if you haven't already done so, for a little motivation! It's the leading voice for sex-assault victim advocacy and is routinely cited by rape-culture activists. They use all the same social media outlets and more, so try and see any patterns or strategies they might use. Can't wait to see this project unfold!
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