After my freakout about rape and violence against women on Tuesday, I’ve been taking deep breaths and trying to narrow down my search for the best rape-prevention and resource organization to which to donate this month. I’m looking right now at RAINN and V-Day. Anyone know of better? I’d prefer one that doesn’t discriminate against sex workers or people of genders besides female, but not sure what these organizations’ takes on those topics are. Anyone? Help?
In the meantime, I’ve gotten some of my rage and tears under control by focusing on positives: this past weekend I helped out on a fabulous photo shoot. Jayel Draco, the prospective illustrator for my graphic novel, and model Elle Squaird teamed up in my apartment to capture photos that will be used as reference for illustrations in the eight-page sample for the book! That sample will be shopped to publishers and hopefully springboard the project into enough money to make the rest of the eight-volume project happen! It was incredible to watch facsimiles of the scenes I created in my head and on paper begin to come to life! Since then we’ve started work on a website, a facebook fan page, and concept art for some of the side characters. This is really going to happen, and when it does it will be a paean to the empowerment of healthy sexuality and pornography! Well… kind of. It’s a little more complicated than that. But I do think that this book will put maybe the teensiest dent in the anti-woman feelings and violence out there. I hope. A BTS photo from the shoot…
Awesome, right? You can’t see from this angle very well, but she’s got a sword.
I’m also in the midst of re-editing one of the four short films I made for apexart last year, in the hopes of eliminating some of the glitches that arose the first time around. It’s a boring process, but I think the finished product will be more than worth it. After the videos have finished their time in film festivals and awards circuits and possibly museums and other screenings, I’ll put them on YouTube and share them here! Right now, though, it’s work work work. And it’s worth it because these videos are mashups of people of all types talking honestly, openly, guilelessly, about pornography and sex. The kinds of things that need to be talked about those ways if we’re ever going to get anywhere in our discussions of violence. Workin’ it for a bigger cause, friends. That’s me.
I’ve also got two interviews in the works for WHACK! Magazine that I’m sure you’ll all love, but more on those later!
Also, just to brighten up your day just a bit more, there’s this: “Wut” by Le1f. It is weird and hot and funny and so, so, so queer (thanks to Tricontinentalism).