Hope

Thu, Apr 14, 4:09 AM

I’m sat here staring at my screen trying to write something interesting for your blog.

Writing does not come natural to me and I don’t know what to add to the topic as there is so much to write about that I feel hopeless. For instance I learned this image was removed yesterday from Instagram on the new @boysfineart page even after appeal. They have already had their original @queer_art_photography account completely removed. The absurdity and frustration has reached new heights.

When I wrote my public letter back in 2017 I was fueled with energy to help make change. I honestly believed artists working with the body would find a way to coexist in the mainstream social media world but it is far worse now. I have seen movements come and go that have attempted to challenge the Facebook/Meta dictatorship to no avail. We are backed into a corner with little hope of making it out. I know change takes (a lot of) time but how many artists will not stick around to weather the storm? What will be left on these platforms without challenging art?

Examples of ridiculous censorship like the image above force me to rarely post anything online anymore. I want to let my network of followers know what I have been creating but anxiety around sharing an image normally means I don’t bother. That makes me sad.

Maybe this email should be my first blog post as feelings of hopelessness are also part of the journey to help connecting other artists experiencing the same struggles.

Even writing this short text has now made me think about the many wonderful artists that I know are standing up to the insane censorship imposed on us.

That thought alone gives me some hope again.

AdeY