Dear(est) Jaclyn,
I was barely eighteen when I stumbled upon Yes Means Yes!, a young activist who had just discovered what sex-positivity even was and decided instantly to buy the anthology after reading the foreword in Ms. Magazine. Now, it remains one of the most pivotal pieces of my feminist history. Yes Means Yes! was the first book of its kind to grace my bookshelves. Today, my collection of feminist literature is vast, a reminder of how much I loved reading the anthology on the bus, holding it high and putting on my thick, black readers to make sure every single passenger knew exactly what I was into. It was not until I had read your piece, “In Defense of Going Wild,” however, that I was ready to finally close the book and take action. Your portrayal of college life as a microcosm of rape culture shook me. I read and reread your essay. I handed the book to my friends to read your essay. I defiantly marched down the hall, no longer ashamed to be going out- and then handed my floor-mates your essay.
It was around this time that I stumbled upon Nancy Schwartzman. She was working on a documentary about sexual boundaries and consent, so I did what all ambitious young women do: asked to be her intern. After sending over an uncomfortably long interest letter (I have yet to master concise feminist credentials), I became part of a four-woman core team at THE LINE Campaign, where I played an integral role in a movement that is changing lives and perspectives.
THE LINE is a documentary about rape that is told from Nancy’s perspective, detailing her decision to confront her attacker and making the viewer question exactly where the line of consent is, and how to make sure we all respect our partners. This grew into “where is your line?” a campaign that gives people the opportunity to share their lines and opinions on hookup culture through blogs, photos, and videos. At every screening, audience members are encouraged to cover themselves in the ink of confession, sharing their lines on stickers. Responses include “SOBER,” “Communicate with me,” and “I’m a sexual being, not a sexual object.” The project has only reinforced how important ending rape culture is to me.
In all of my activism toward rape prevention is a memory of “In Defense of Going Wild”; I have told all of the brilliant minds of THE LINE about how the essay impacted me, and how I hold it close to my heart still. Because of how important your work was to my own activism, I was hoping that I could interview you for THE LINE’s website. I’d also love to send you a copy of the film. It’s a challenge to articulate how fitting it would be to see you become involved with a project you created my passion for in the first place. I’m hopeful that you will see our work in the same light I do, and I look forward to hearing from you.
Love,
Carmen
