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  1. Known as ‘female impersonators,’ drag queens vary from homosexual cisgender men, to transgender individuals, to biological women and varying description of the meaning being a ‘drag queen’; an entertainer, female impersonator or a misconstrued narrative for the LGBT+ community? Varying between sexual orientations and gender identities, the colourful individuals claiming themselves as ‘drag queens’ are often seen performing in bars or entertaining to establish further attributes of the characterisation of one’s character. RuPaul, the creator and narrator behind ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race,’ is arguably the main reason for the outburst of garnering attention to modern-aged drag events and personalities. The show’s presence has brought visibility to the art form of drag, however, the show’s theme of broadening gender identity and expression has been contradicted by the comments RuPaul Charles himself has stated. RuPaul, identified as creating positive reinforcing shifts in mainstream media, has commented such statements during an interview targeted to potential transgender women being contestants; “Probably not. You can identify as a woman and say you’re transitioning, but it changes once you start changing your body. It takes on a different thing; it changes the whole concept of what we’re doing.” Despite the avoidance of previous transgender contestants and sub-sections of varying queens, RuPaul’s actions were concluded with a subtle apology in return. As stated prior, the drag community varies, between alternative styles to presence; meaning, RuPaul, although arguably the most known ‘drag queen,’ is unable to speak on behalf of a community that is individualistic and that advances the primary question further; how does one describe a ‘Drag Queen’? The art form of drag originated from Shakespearean times and for more so utilitarian purposes, originating in the seventeenth century during Shakespeare’s plays, in which solely men could partake in production due to the religious rites. Men would dress as women, to fill the void of lack of female presentation and to depict drag in its earliest form; with the word ‘drag’ being created from how the drag queens’ dresses would drag across the floor throughout the performance. Drag, however, began to become individualistic and modernised through the introduction of ‘vaudeville’ into American culture and audiences. Shakespeare's 'As You Like It' features a cross-dressing character, Rosalind, when she disguises herself as a persona named Ganymede. Vaudeville performances gained traction in the early twentieth century as performance acts, with combinations of comedy, musicality, and other genres to create its own alternative form of live entertainment for the masses. Female impersonation became intertwined with vaudeville performance, with female impersonation subtly becoming ingrained into gay culture throughout time, specifically during the United States’ Prohibition era, which abolished alcohol production and consumption from 1920 until 1933. During these periods, gay men, specifically, used underground clubs and speakeasies to express their identities and as an opportunity of entertainment. 'The Rocky Twins,' a duo that consisted presumably during the Vaudeville era. The popularisation of drag during the Prohibition era became known as ‘the Pansy Craze,’ which explored the ideals of sexuality, gender and thought process in such a strict-minded era. The Pansy Craze was prominently popular in underground environments, such as; New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco. From the midst of underground culture, gay culture continuously was policed in non-underground environments; meaning, gay individuals were not permitted to dance with each other, or to even be served alcohol in bars. New York’s Mafia and the Genovese family offered an outlet for the LGBT community and drag queens in particular; a safe environment of self-expression during repression of one’s entertainment. A member of the Genovese crime family purchased the Stonewall in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village, in which created an outlet for gay individuals in the area and ignited the series of riots in 1969, resulting in adaptation of such environment and the gay community gaining authority against oppression. Organisations, although treated in a marginalised manner, began to blossom during the time period. A drag queen known as ‘Flawless Sabrina,’ instigated pageants across the United States, similar to traditional beauty pageants. Sabrina’s involvement and influence during the period affected drag competitions and culture for decades to appear, and plausibly could be considered the reason for modernised popularity of drag queens. Another genre of drag known as ‘drag ball culture,’ has been theorised to originate during the early 1970s, in areas such as uptown Manhattan. The influence of such actions led to gender-bending performance, such as; Tim Curry in Rock Horror Picture Show, David Bowie’s stylistic choices, Pete Burns and Boy George. 'The Queen,' circa 1968. A pageant show started by Flawless Sabrina and is considered to be one of the first appearing Drag Queen pageant shows. An undeniable force of a drag queen in the modernisation of drag, however, is RuPaul. His local celebrity image fostered in New York’s City club scene, achieving the budding artist success from their single from 1993 named “Supermodel (You Better Work).” This led RuPaul the possibilities of becoming a spokesperson for MAC Cosmetics and multiple television shows, later conducting the opportunity of the reality competition series RuPaul’s Drag Race. Alternative drag shows, such as; Dragula, RuPaul’s Drag Race Thailand and UK and other mediums have evolved in the modern era from both RuPaul’s achievements and from drag queens from earlier adaptations of the definition of ‘drag.’ RuPaul's hit-single 'Supermodel (You Better Work)'. Beyond gaining visibility in culture, specifically mainstream media, drag queens have partaken in scientific research in the psychology of drag performers. A recent research is from Moncrieff & Lienard in 2017, which evolutionary psychology is posed to both drag queens and gay men. The primary question of the investigation process is, what possibly could drive individuals to the lifestyle that is known as drag? The inquiry was questioned in an evolutionary psychology formation, with ‘signalling theory’ explaining behaviours that do not deserve as an evolutionary advantage, commonly behaviours that are deemed to attract the attention of an audience. This theory relates in apposite with drag, serving as a description of behaviourism that occurs to gain status within a specific area, despite the potential costs or drawbacks from the behaviour. Moncrieff & Lienard communicate in the introduction to the theory that the gay communities in which drag was born ‘serve as a backdrop due to their exclusive and protected nature that was once necessary for the survival of these communities.’ In the study, Moncrieff & Lienard surveyed 133 gay men, alongside a control group of heterosexual men and women. The individuals partaking in the scientific research were inquired about their perceptions of drag queens, discovering that evolutionary costs were recognised as being the core cost to performing in drag across all sections of the group interviewed. A percentage of the study detailed on how the perception of individuals partaking in drag lessened the attraction from potential mates. The theory theorised that the reason for this was due to ‘overtly feminine attire and stereotypical behaviours,’ which are seen as less desirable traits among gay men. Those who perform in drag full-time are met with personal, financial and physical sacrifices from being included in the community. Furthermore, ‘signal theory’ clarifies that engaging in ‘costly behaviours’ for intentional targets implies that performers are not ‘faking’ the their drag-personified behaviours, but more so benefiting from being validated and appreciated for their efforts to entertain, whether that may or may not signal negative response. Moncrieff & Lineard’s takeaway from the study is the hypothesis that drag performers are motivated individuals, despite the potential costs, whether that may be signalling or performing to promote equality within the community. The exaggeration of behaviourism from the opposite gender can have potential costs due to it not being ‘the norm,’ however, a surge of underground or alternative drag queens are flourishing into main-stream media with the television series The Boulet Brothers’ ‘Dragula’. The show’s competition rivals RuPaul’s Drag Race; however, the contradicting themes are present and two separate agencies are beginning to formulate with the widening spectrum of performers developing in environments that are not so underground anymore. 'Dragula,' known as a rival show for RuPaul's Drag Race, which demonstrates an alternative and darker theme compared to RuPaul's easier conceptualised series. To finalise the article in a personalised manner, I want to specify on my own experience as a drag performer. As a transgender woman, who’s transitioning went from performance art to legitimacy, I began questioning my gender identity through the over saturated femininity that is ‘Drag.’ Growing up in an urban setting, especially in an orphanage, I was disallowed to have self-expression and to ‘go against the grain,’ or to go against societal norms. The costly hours of transitioning through makeup, even gluing down those prickly brows and other tedious acts left me feeling as I had for years; dysphoric. From the earliest stages of my transition, I overly feminised my conceptual views of "femininity" to fit into a narrative to ‘pass’ or to be attractive for the sole purpose of men potentially finding me ‘attractive.’ However, throughout the underground bar scene, I realised that the reason I felt exhaustion due to the fact that I’m no performer; I’m simply a woman that is discovering herself in a situation that is wrong, but yet right. The environment expressed sexuality, comfort, and self-identification; all of which I lacked but desired to express. The sisterhood of drag remains encouraging, determined and welcoming, particularly when I needed a form of escape. For that, although misunderstood by few, drag performers(and performers in their own right) remain deeply embedded in my heart. An earlier illustration of my drag persona known as 'Ms. Cummingham'.
  2. Yearly, in June, Pride Month occurs to celebrate individuals that protested after The Stonewall Inn in New York City was raided during 1968. The annual event visually represents the discrimination, incrimination, testimonies, and other issues that the LGBT+ community have dealt with throughout prior generations, and the current day. The protests have led to a series of events occurring, such as; the first same-sex marriage law in Asia, the first openly gay state governor in the U.S., among other feats. Corporate America, for example, has begun to legislate laws with the U.S. House of Representatives passing the Equality Act, legislation designed to protect LGBTQ people from discrimination in education, housing, employment, and other areas. The furthering of improvement for the LGBT+ community, however, is far from over. Discrimination remains visible throughout the community, and even has subtleties in LGBTQ-inclusive marketing and advertising, for the inclusive support to halt altogether when Pride Month has ended. The continuous questioning of Pride Month is a legitimate debate due to its visual representations, faith-based assumptions, and views on the reasoning behind the orchestrated events administrators and probable personal-gain for administrators, and companies. I, however, want to question individuals in Los Santos on their individualistic opinions on Pride Month’s conception and legitimacy, doing so by questioning four individuals that are associated with the LGBT+ community. (Anonymous) An anonymous user, representing bisexuality, discusses their ideals and views on Pride Month as an individual associated with the LGBT+ community, whilst remaining anonymous throughout the portion of the article. The anonymous user remains neutral in terms of discussion; however, their personal experience furthers the narrative on Los Santos’ relationship circumstances. Photo Credit: Nasa Q: What is your perception on Pride Month as an event? A: ‘I believe that Pride Month can be seen as a memorable event to our group, just like any other organisation or country celebrate its own days of history. An example would be the nationwide celebration of the 4th of July, which is seen as a very holy day for a lot of American folks. There's no reason stopping us from celebrating this month, and we should definitely be proud of our identity in a free country that guarantees us these human rights.’ Q: What do you consider the primary flaws, and or positives of Pride Month? A: ‘As for the effects of Pride Month. I think that it positively impacts on some people who are not aware of what Pride Month is about, therefore it's a good idea to educate people on this matter and show them that we're just as human as anyone else. One the cons however I would say, is that some people within our community misrepresent us and give a bad inaccurate image of what we believe in. A solution to this issue would be hosting seminars that can enlighten ourselves on these sensitive topics.’ Q: What legislation's could be enacted to improve discrimination and incrimination against the LGBT+ community? A: ‘I don't think that there's any legislation that we require, as this is already a fundamental right under our 1st Amendment according to the US Constitution. We're starting to grow larger, and I believe at one point this would become a very normal thing in the eyes of all people; whether they support it or not.’ Q: How would you define sexuality in the LGBT+ community? And what are your personal sexual experiences being a member of the LGBT+ community? A: ‘Sexuality in the LGBT+ community may be a subjective topic to some individuals, as sexual orientations differ from a person to another. Some homosexual males are not fan of penetration for example, and instead revert to other methods of sexual pleasure such as masturbation, or through oral intercourse. Some people on the other hand, are not really fan of sexual connection, and instead just stick to love and mental feelings. Going back to the question though, I'd personally define it as a further connection between two parties; regardless of their gender to further strengthen their bond and to gain sexual pleasure.’ The individual adds, ‘As in reference to my own sexual experience in Los Santos, I would say that it wasn't purely the luckiest, as people seem to prefer having intercourse for the sake of pleasure rather than anything else. I feel like this is not only a problem in our community, but it's a city-wide issue where people no longer value feelings that are necessary for an everlasting relationship.’ Tyson Sheridan An enthusiast of ‘travelling, beaches and partying,’ Tyson is a self-acclaimed bisexual man, and aspiring photographer. In Tyson’s section of the article, a discussion on the necessity of Pride Month, and the definition of the LGBT+ community are discussed in further detail. Photo Credit: Tyson Sheridan Q: As a bisexual man in Los Santos, have you experienced discrimination? And how would you consider your experience thus far, positive or negative? A: ‘I'll be honest, I haven't faced any discrimination since moving to Los Santos, so, this one I can't really answer all that well. I don't know if I just ain't gone out enough or if it's because I am still somewhat new to the city.’ Q: What are your views on Pride Month, and do you think it’s a necessary event? A: ‘I love Pride Month. I love that it brings awareness to the LGBT+ community, which for as long as it has been a thing for, many people still ignore it and think that it's a joke of an event. I do think that Pride is a necessary event to help bring focus to the issues that the many people in the LGBT+ family have to face, and Pride helps bring that stuff to light.’ Q: How do you think that we could broaden Los Santos’ LGBT+ community? Should there be more activities, or events? A: ‘Maybe a few more public events at like the major areas in the city, like Mirror Park or down at Del Perro Pier. Maybe even night clubs in the city could host pride events to help support victims of attacks that are aimed at members of the LGBT+ community and raise some cash for them.’ Q: How would you define the LGBT+ community? A: ‘I define the LGBT+ Community as a place that should a be considered a safe place for people to visit and to discuss their feelings and all that kind of stuff. In my eyes, the LGBT+ Community should be more like a family for people to turn to when they are in need of help.’ Tyson’s statement emphasises on the lack of community in Los Santos at this given moment for members of the LGBT+ community. Rose ‘Mackie’ McKenzie Rose, also known as the alias ‘Mackie,’ defines an experience being associated with the plus in the LGBT+, and their views on Pride Month as an annual event. Her views align conservatively in comparison to the other opinions given and validate the views another individual apart of the LGBT+ community may have to another. Photo Credit: Mackie Q: What is your personal experience with Pride Month? Do you believe that the annual event is necessary? A: I've never had an actual personal experience with Pride Month since I always kept to myself regarding such up until recently. As for an 'annual event', I don't see why not. I just feel that an entire month dedicated to this is far too much compared to more important things. The level of attention given to this was far too elevated due to the simple fact that most people doubled their cries to the public in comparison to what may truly have gone done. Q: How would you define Los Santos’ perception of the LGBT+ community, and the treatment the LGBT+ community receive in Los Santos? A: ‘I'd define the city's perception of said community as one-sided. There are a lot of sexualized women regarding their love over other women, and it becomes a stereotype that the public eye can use to define certain people, earning them a bad rep or a bad pair of eyes within the society's spectrum. Everybody talks about 'lesbians', but very few mention the transgender, and even less the bi or gay in my opinionated order. The treatment is rather basic-sounding, you have people that yearn for the attention they seek, and others work on getting all they can done against a group of people.’ Q: Should Pride Month be an organised event in Los Santos? A: ’Pride Month as an event? Definitely not. As I said, I personally insert myself within the group as a '+' but with all due respect a day is more than enough. People fought wars, people did amazing achievements throughout all their lives and they get one day. Important events regarding our planet get one day. And suddenly, a portion of humans decide it's fine for them to get 30-31 days instead a singular one like everything else. Even Christmas is one bloody day. And that's what I think Los Santos could organise, Pride Day.’ Q: What is your personal experience being either associated with, or being in the LGBT+ community? A: ‘My personal experience falls in the fact that. I find a lot of lesbian women seeking for raw attention without giving little care into detail. I personally follow suit but try to not recreate their mistakes which is to openly call out for the first female to respond for them to have a nice night together. Please, work on having a loving relationship, work on establishing social connections with people. I know lesbians, I know bi, I know gays, I know trans and I'm a '+', and life couldn't be better regarding that area for me. I don't go to extravagant events; I don't call attention to the community or myself regarding such and try to be as casual about myself when needed to. Personally speaking, I wish things weren't as pushed onto people's faces and spoon-fed down their throats with all this information. And instead take things a bit more easily.’ Danny Waltz Self-acclaimed as being pansexual, but more so female leaning in terms of preference, Danny’s sexuality and gender representation is discussed in the portion of the article, emphasising on the treatment received by Los Santos to those that are altering with their gender identity. Q: What are your personal views on Pride Month? Are there specific improvements that you think could be possible for the event? A: ‘I think Pride Month is very important for people in the LGBT community. Despite common perception, Pride Month isn't just about "Being proud to be gay". It's a celebration of the struggles that the LGTBQ community have had to go through in the past. Previously, these people would have had to hide who they were, in fear of prosecution, bullying, exclusion, or even death. The fact that Pride Month is all about celebrating these people, in the open, especially with all the parades that occur during the month shows that these people, DO NOT have to hide themselves anymore. We're not yet at complete acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community, but we're getting there.’ Q: What type of reception do you think is given to LGBT+ individuals in Los Santos? A: ‘I think the acceptance of LGBTQ members in Los Santos needs some work. There's a current double standard where it's okay for female's to be gay/bi, but for guys it it's still a big no-no. People still make fun of LGBTQ people, because I guess they think it's funny, or they feel like it? There's really no reason this should be occurring, but it is.’ Q: What is your personal experience being an associated member of the LGBT+ community? A: ‘My personal experience has been rough in the beginning. I used to be a feminine guy, and my first day in LS, I was called faggot, made fun of, called a tranny... and yeah. I find that the females in LS are much friendlier than the guys, that should change. It's like guys are afraid of gay people sexualizing them like they sexualize women. Just saying.’ Q: Do you have any advice that you could offer to the youth of the LGBT+ community that may be facing discrimination themselves? A: ‘For the young LBGTQ members in the community, you're not alone. Cut out all negativity in your life and find people who accept you, and care for who you are, and don't let them go.’ June is a national pride month, a month of celebrations and empowerment to aside discrimination, and differences. Across the country, LGBT+ people and allies gather to festivals, parades, parties and accommodating areas to proclaim freedom and quality by societal standards. Specifically, for me, the writer, pride marches and festivals are statements of subversive displays of light in the midst of hatred and discrimination; a display of normalcy in the community, where individuals of same-sex partnership can be affectionate in public without potential backlash, and or celebrate their own personal growth instead of embracing self-regression and reverting to internalised hatred. The reasoning behind Pride Month, for most individuals, is to further separate barriers and to support those who are in the position to be unable to attend festivals, or safe spaces. Progress has, however, has occurred for LGBT individuals in multiple areas, including such examples as; • June 2013: The Repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), in which had previously legislated the government from recognising same sex couples. • October 2009: The Matthew & James Bydr Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act is enacted. Matthew Shepard, a twenty-year old man, was tortured and murdered near Laramie, Wyoming in 1998 due to his identification as being gay. The law was passed in October 28, 2009 by President Barack Obama to enforce protection for victims of perceived gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability motivated criminal acts. • June 26, 2015: Same-sex relationships are considered in the law of the land in fifty states. These multiple acts are the main reason that Pride Month and associated festivals, in this writer’s eyes, are justified despite the potential exaggeration of costuming or exploitation of specific companies. Although lacking communities, Los Santos’ welcoming-wagon varies when an individual is associated with the LGBT+ community, sharing similarities with other regions across America. Regardless of opinion, communication is important for allies, LGBT individuals, and non-supporters too. For this reason, a FaceBrowser group known as ‘Pride,’ has been set up on FaceBrowser’s services to provide further open discussion between alternating opinions. You, the viewer, can either comment your opinion on whether you believe that Pride Month and associated themes throughout the article are necessities in modernised society below or on the FaceBrowser page. Thank you for reading! - Ezra
  3. A term known as being a ‘sex worker,’ is loosely referred to those engaging in prostitution. However, in the modern age, sex work that does include pornographic content and literature is considered to be associated in the field, and even questioned. Sex work is a term to describe a wide range of activities relating to the exchange of money for the provision of sexual service in return. A sex worker is labelled in two categories, from indirect and direct sex work, referring to indirect sex work that involves lap dancing, stripping and or virtual sex; whereas direct sex is self-explanatory and has the inclusion of sexual acts in person. Scambler, 2007, describes women as the prominent figure in sex work, estimating women to dominant the field by 85-90 percent. For multiple reasons, the sex industry is current in today’s current socioeconomic climate. A small amount of sex workers includes those who engage in such acts to fund their studies, defying the stance that sex workers originate from lower social economic backgrounds. It is, however, apparent that those who engage in the sex industry whilst in university often experience exclusion and or discrimination and continue onto a separate path other than their initial involvement in the industry. Despite the frequent occurrences of discrimination and stigma attached to the sex industry, a report study involving four individuals has been studied, questioning their personal involvement and or experience surrounding the sex industry. As viewed in the commentary received from each individual, westernised sex involvement in return for money has shifted into positivity, and independence, regardless of expected treatment. Discrimination against those in the sex industry are included in many forms, such as; racism, stigmatisation and prejudice. These forms of discrimination can be the primary cause of isolation, loneliness and suicide in the case of individuals partaking in sex work, especially for individuals that are labelled as outcasts within the community and or immigrants. The cyclical involvement in the sex industry can cause an individual to be experience difficulties in finding employment in other fields, however, Los Santos’ perspective differs in multiple ways. Juliet, Arden and Carmen are three women that are associated with the sex industry field. Juliet is an owner of an adult company, whereas Arden is a prior sex worker, and Carmen is a virtual sex worker and stripper. All women share similar experiences, however, differ in perspective in the following report. The final questioned individual, named JJ Ras, has a culturally differentiated answer, to provide further narrative from the affairs women could pursue whilst in the sex industry. Juliet Dylan The brand-owner of the upcoming adult company known as ‘PlayHouse Entertainment,’ Juliet Dylan’s self-described ‘adult company’ has made subtle ripples among other businesses during its production. As a female sex industry business owner, Juliet’s narrative adds a separate perspective to most, with her communicating about the freedom and liberation that her brand inspects through over-saturated comparisons. Q: Partaking in the adult entertainment industry, how does the community perceive you, and have you yet to have any backlash? A: ‘The general community in most cities often tends to be split between those who are far more liberal and accepting of the idea that sexuality is just another part of the human personality and those who still believe that it’s a disgusting, taboo subject that shouldn’t be publicly acknowledged. We’re relatively new to Los Santos and so far, the welcome has been overwhelmingly positive. Many who have taken the time to listen to me speak about the company and brand understand that it’s more than just the nude photo-shoot that you hide under the mattress for sake of modesty. We have of course been subject to the usual internet trolls and meme-ers but in all fairness, what relevant brand isn’t?’ Q: What are your positive and negative experiences been from having a business that revolves around the adult entertainment industry? A: ‘The sex industry has come a long way in the years that I’ve been working in it. Since I started the magazine 5 years ago the culture surrounding sexuality has evolved into something vibrant and enlightened. I try to surround myself with like-minded people and portray a product that is less about solely sex and rather embraces multiple aspects of being an adult. This usually attracts people with genuine interest or sometimes just curiosity but very few people I speak with leave without a positive experience. As to the negatives, I’ve been called everything under the sun, threatened, stalked and branded as exploiting impressionable woman. It’s a symptom of those who still see sex as something shameful rather than simply another facet of the human condition. It’s a strange thought that we freely use things such as our humor, intelligence and charisma to get ahead in business but to employ something like sexuality is still seen as tawdry.’ Q: Your business, ‘Playhouse Entertainment,’ has started production and is expanding past the regions of precaution that Los Santos has seen for adult entertainment businesses. What are some of the precautions that is undergone for your models? A: ‘One of the things that sets PlayHouse apart from many webzines and blogs is the interaction between our representatives and our subscribers. The community business model is not a new concept. We’re here to create some sensationalism around our representatives, that’s the business. Take twitch for example, it pairs internet personalities with their audience in real time streams. PlayHouse offers a barrier beyond just the computer screen by having polls and subscriber content moderated by the company. There is no direct contact through the website with the models. We also don’t publish our models contacts info, last names and the like. As to Events, there are always precautions taken in the form of security on premises.’ Q: Finally, do you have any further information about your business for the article? What concept are you planning to delve into for your business? What does Los Santos have to prepare to see from ‘Playhouse Entertainment’? A: ‘PlayHouse entertainment is at the very essence a community. It’s there to offer entertainment in the form of interactive web content and events. We want people to have fun with a side of provocative titillation. Why? Because it’s something very natural, very adult and not as freely offered as it should be. In short, Los Santos can expect a good tease for those who want it. ‘ Photo Credit: Arden Arden Known as a prior sex worker, Arden’s perspective as an independent porn actor furthers the narrative of an independent woman in the work industry; control, freedom and emphasising on Juliet’s statements in the initial questioning. Arden’s perspective is narrated in the following section as prominently positive, with the inclusion of tips for beginners in the industry, and her personalised experience as being a sex industry worker. Q: As a known sex worker, how has your experience been in the field thus far? A: ‘Yes, that's correct. Only I was a more "independent" porn actor, I started my career just like other independent porn actors by opening a account on Pornhub.com and Freeones.com. My alias was "Lady Havoc", me as a independent amateur pornstar went from country to country to meet up with other independent actors and that's where we shoot the videos, sometimes I did stuff with fans also. And that's how I got ball rolling really, do porn, post it on the pages, gain a following on Bleeter, FaceBrowser and of course, both Pornhub and Freeones. I was also asked to work with Burning Angel which is a porn site that's based on Female goth/punk pornstars, but I refused as I wanted to stay independent.’ Q: Have you been discriminated against for your past work in the industry? If so, how has that felt or shifted your perception on other people? A: ‘Discriminated? Never. Most people that I've met and know I was in the industry were very cool with it to be honest, they still treated me like a normal human being, my friends know that I did porn and they don't have a problem with it, they never had. I even had people coming up to me for autographs or pictures. Unlike my parents, they pretty much disowned me after they got to hear or see that I did porn, but my uncle was very cool with it, I currently live with him now.’ Q: During filming of pornography, have you felt misinformed of the situation and or not in control of yourself during the environment? A: ‘Never, not even at the beginning, the thing is, I just love having sex, it’s something I love doing, doesn't matter If it's Passionate, Hardcore, Kinbaku, BDSM, etc.’ Q: What is your opinion on the high rate of suicides in the porn industry? Do you feel as viewers encourage the attempted or successful suicides of porn actors? A: ‘Yes, I feel like some fans encourage these actions due to the simple fact that, they tend to sexualize these actors and actresses 24/7 and disconnect themselves from reality to the point where they forget that these performers have normal lives, feelings, dreams and personal lives.’ She continues, ‘My best selling/most viewed video was, "MASSIVE BBC DESTROY LADY HAVOC'S TINY HOLE" that had I done with my friend, Randall. It had over 1,5M views and 1M likes which I am very proud of.’ Arden’s best experience: ‘I'm happy how I worked with some of the actors that I've worked with, that, even when they're independent like me or work with a industry, they’re polite people that are hardworking, and make sure that the other actors or actresses feel comfortable as they work together, in other words, almost every shoot I did with actors or actresses where my best experience, there was never any hate or jealously or whatever, It felt like we're best friends even when we don’t see each other often or meet for the first time and that feeling just a great experience.’ She adds, ‘My worst experience when doing porn was when I accidentally farted from out of my vagina, It also was still early in my career and I felt completely ashamed by it, now I don't have any problems with it but back then, It was different. We both laughed it off, but I still was like, "Oh shit, that was embarrassing." Arden’s advice to porn actors: ‘It’s difficult to have any weight in the decision making when you are first starting out, When I first started out, I probably would have been more careful. Now I can say ‘no’ to the biggest studios in the world because it’s something I don’t want to do. It’s not the matter of money or exposure. It must feel right. I’m not ashamed of anything I’ve done. It’s helped make me who I am and made me a better person. People will really respect you for that.’ Photo Credit: Carmen Carmen A modern-aged technique of soliciting in exchange for money, Carmen’s experience revolves around both the sales of pornographic images and servicing herself as an employee of Vanilla Unicorn. Carmen describes herself as a ‘confident woman,’ and ‘extroverted’ on stage, defying prior expectations of her everyday persona whilst on stage and or in her own work environment. Following the statements below, Carmen's answered inquiries adds perspective to the morality individuals often forget when dealing with sex workers, due to them still being classified as regular human-beings despite their occupational duties. Q: What has your experience been as a woman selling pornographic images? Has the experience been prominently negative or positive and if so, why? A: ‘My experience has actually been pretty positive, especially from other women. Men have very positive reactions too, but those are usually in private whereas some women will publicly show their support. I think we are at a time where this line of work is getting more excepted rather than the negative stigma from the past.’ Q: Have you had any rivalries with any other women in the industry? And could you explain to us the day-to-day activities you partake in? A: ‘I don’t really have any rivals or at least I don’t think I do? I know there is another girl who sells pictures, but I fully support her regardless of her feelings for me. I do also work as a stripper, when I started Vanilla Unicorn there was one girl who really had it out for me and always tried to brag if she made more that night. For my day-to-day I don’t really have any special routines. I usually face-time my little sister back home, she’s pregnant so I like to see how she’s doing. If I have any request for pictures, I’ll try to take them in the morning before I eat to avoid bloating. And yeah.. That’s about it I guess.’ Q: What are misconceptions that individuals have about the adult entertainment industry? What is a statement that you want to tell those who are not educated? A: ‘Misconceptions? I don’t really know. I think like I said earlier about the negative stigma is one thing. The sex industry used to be a lot taboo, and more kept in the dark. As well as every woman in the industry being labelled as a “whore” or a “slut”. To those people that brand us with titles like that I guess I would say it’s time to grow up. We are making a living for ourselves just like everyone else.’ Q: How would you describe ‘Carmen’ as a person? A: ‘Carmen on stage is a strong confident woman who loves the attention when on the pole. She sometimes gets herself in sketchy predicaments, but always comes out on top. When I am on stage, I feel a new more bad ass persona come out. I’m not nearly as extroverted and confident as the Carmen at work. My brain keeps on wanting to quote from the book Lolita “Light of my life, fire of my loins. My sin, my soul.” A Jamaican citizen, JJ’s discussion of the sex industry breaches past the modernised ethics of the sex industry, and culturally does so too; with him discussing the involvement of women in the sex industry in Jamaica, including the brief inclusion in the discussion of his niece’s experience. Among sex trafficking, prostitution and cultural differentiation, the man further narrates a final haunting realisation in comparison to the modernised discussions above. JJ Ras’ experience depicts the opposite of the women’s experiences above; showcasing vulnerability and worrisome information about Jamaica's current sex work industry. Q: Earlier in our private conversation, you stated that you had personally witnessed prostitution occurring, and women being harassed and or handed down to person to person in an inhumane way. Could you explain to us your experience witnessing this? A: ‘Mi done seen erry'ting, gyal… mi gwan list one, though. One man'dem snatched a youth'dem at 'dee age a' sixteen... trainin' 'dee gyal ta' twerk in public, bleach she skin up, an' sniff 'dem lines. By 'dee age a' eighteen... she gwan be hooked ta' 'dem devilish powduh, gyal! If she nah listen, man would whip her widda' stick fa' hours on end! Mi hear she screams nex' door.... cryin' an' shit... as 'dee man'dem was beatin' her 'till she blood come out she behind! Den, when she wounds heal, he sell her fa' five-hundred per hour... yuh… jus' one story outta' 'dee whole 'ting, bredrin.’ Q: What has your nieces’ experience been in the adult entertainment industry? What are the negative and positive experiences that you have viewed first-hand whilst in Jamaica? A: ‘Nah iree... gyal done got tossed in 'dee riva' afta' she call Babylon on man'dem fa' tings... mi nah speak 'bout who... but... yuh… she talked... she got popped.... nuff said.’ Q: How would you describe Jamaica’s sex industry and adult entertainment industry? A: ‘Gyal, Jamaica done ruin theyself by fallin' ta' they slavemassas… Ya'see'meh? Man'dem gwan treat gyal like meat... wah yuh 'tink 'dem slave-massas teach we? Dat gyal nuttin' buh' second-class 'tings! Gyals taught ta' bleach up ta' impress they man, shakin' they rass all ova' 'dee place... all 'dey seen as... is dancin' sex objects... Yuh gwan hav' gyals respected by man'dem outside 'dee industry... buh, in entertainment? Jus' a sex object... nah housewife, nah doctah, nah nurse, nah strong woman! Slavery done fuck we minds up, ya'see'meh?’ Dear, reader; In consideration to the multiple perspectives provided, sex work can be labelled as liberation, despite its misconceptions and indirect encouragement of prominently negative outcomes and or emotions. The women included, and JJ, provided personal experiences with the sex industry from different perspectives and cultural divides. Noticeable divides were present in JJ's section which prominently included negative past-tense to his experience, indicating to the progression of westernised views and environments surrounding sex workers, and the safety of the environment bettering as time progresses. Lastly, as a reader, I want for you to notify me below what your personal opinion on the sex industry is below, and your personal experience. - Ezra
  4. In a prior article release, FaceBrowser’s administration and community were discussed by multiple women, whom shared their opinion on the harassment received from various users and the site’s lack of administration. To offer an unbiased opinion, I have asked men about their perspective and opinions on the site’s matter, and harassment that they have received. Similarly doing so by questioning individuals that were previously accused, and ‘controversial figures’ about their association with FaceBrower’s system. This article’s primary focus is on alternative views, whilst remaining similar to the article classified as ‘Behind FaceBrowser’s Harassment: A Female’s Perspective,’ which addressed the site’s utilisation and the defamation that occurs on the site. With likeness to the previous article posted, four men’s perspectives are going to be investigated, to contrast against the prior article’s participants. The participants include Keinan Walker, Dean Bell, Keith and lastly, Rot Garden. The site was deemed as being ‘merciless, lacking administration’ and other labels in the earlier article; however, in this investigation, we seek out opinions to counteract the bias and to inquire whether FaceBrowser's services need to adapt to the users or the users need to adapt to the platform. Photo Credit: Kaylee Keeton Firstly, we identify Keinan Walker’s opinions and perspective against the allegations in the prior post, stating the harassment received on his part and creating an equalised story between the two articles. Posting regulated opinionated posts, Keinan’s a spoke-person for his views, and has a fighting-spirit and a misunderstood friendliness. As of right now, Keinan has a part-time job, and vocalises his perspective on the alleged harassment he has said to have given to multiple women across the site. Q: Firstly, in our prior article, there were allegations that you harassed the women who participated in the article, do you believe for this to be true? How would you describe the situation from your perspective? A: ‘It's so easy to play victim and get all the sympathy and attention. But there's always two sides of a coin. You simply can't judge a situation and come to a conclusion before you've heard and seen both sides of the story. Nobody wants to 'harass' people for the fun of it, it's not like I wake up and suddenly go "lemme harass a bitch today", no, that's not how it happens. From what I've seen during my few months on Facebrowser, nobody gets harassed unless they're straight up asking for it.’ Keinan states, continuing his paragraph shortly after. He adds, ‘In my case, which I may add is a case being used by a bunch of women to victimize themselves and get people like me banned, it all started with a woman named Sara. I'll be short and straightforward. Sara and I met, became friends quickly due to her extremely friendly nature, things escalate, she admits she has a 'crush' on me, but I ask for time because I know she'd been sleeping with multiple guys. Sara one day breaks down and cries after being abandoned by her friends, I help her out, talk her out of it, lift her up and get her going. She promises to change and find better friends, but I see her go back to the same old people and fuck herself up. She fucked the same guys who'd been using her, got played, called all men pigs and turned lesbian. I felt like she was being stupid. This pushed me away from her. We'd been barely talking ever since.’ ‘One day I post a meme about the LGBT. We ALL know memes are never meant to be taken seriously. Sara takes it personally, attacks me in the comments, following which I get annoyed and shit kicks off. Sara thought it'd be funny to capture slick, thoroughly cut-out screenshots of some of the messages I had sent her back when I tried to be nice to her so I could get her out of that dark place she was in, and posted them all over the social media site for everyone to see. How FUCKED up is that? You help someone who's been acting depressed, only for them to screenshot your messages and show them to the public to laugh at a month later? This fucked me up and I started exposing all of Sara's messages that she'd sent to me, which eventually shut her up. If anything, I should be the one bitching about being harassed because the shit she started with me was so uncalled for.’ ‘When you shit on someone who's literally saved your fucking life, you can't expect them to be quiet. People didn't find Isabella's activities cool, they started sending me material that I could use to 'expose' Isabella. I received messages of her agreeing to do questionable things for likes, as well as her nudes. Of course, I warned her I'd have to take the extreme step if she doesn't stay out of mine and Sara's dumb fight, but she once again asks me to fuck off, following which I release all her personal things as a proper response. I feel like what I did was justified, and it was all started by the same women who claim to be 'harassed'.’ ‘They both tried to get more women involved in the argument which was originally meant to be between just me and Sara and eventually die out. A few more women joined, tried having a go at me every opportunity they get, but I wouldn't back off. If I hadn't 'exposed' them, they would've kept going and going. My response was necessary, I had no option but to defend myself that way. So, there you go. Don't believe everything you hear on the internet without looking at both sides of the story. My response ended the situation, forcing them to delete whatever they'd posted about me, following which I deleted everything I posted about them. Now that I've narrated the whole thing, I actually find it so funny when they complain about being depressed and harassed... like they had every chance not to bring it upon themselves, it's like you play with fire then cry when it burns you, simply put.’ Keinan’s sentence emphasises on the importance of furthering questioning, and seeking the opinions of both perspectives, and how men are often targeted without receiving similar emotional support that women receive. Q: Have you been harassed on FaceBrowser’s services? And if so, has FaceBrowser’s support been limited? A: ‘I would say I've been harassed by the two ladies I just spoke about earlier. I mean you give them a helping hand, be there for them and shit, they accept the help, rise up, only to make a fucking mockery out of it. I've never done anything to deserve harassment, which is why I've never (the above case being an exception) been genuinely harassed by anybody on the site, or in real life. Even if I were harassed, I'd respond back with equal or more harassment, but that's just me. FaceBrowser's doing it right. They shouldn't get involved in people's personal feuds. The only thing they should be handling is illegal content. Apart from that, you just reap what you sow. Can’t handle harassment? Don't give people a reason to harass you.’ Q: How would you describe FaceBrowser’s services and community? Should FaceBrowser aim to improve these qualities? A: ‘The site, as well as the community are both completely normal, just like any social media site should be. Just because a few people want to make it look like the whole thing revolves around them doesn't mean it actually does. Admins of a social media site are not meant to involve themselves in personal feuds between site users, because they're nobody to judge and generally have better, more important things to do. Facebrowser is perfect as it is.’ Q: How would you describe your online persona, and do you have any final words to be included into the article? A: ‘I personally prefer to keep my circle small. If I have say, three or four friends in my circle that's pretty much all I need. I don't care about the rest. I work part-time and do spend a bit of my spare time on Facebrowser, where I post my thoughts, opinions and a meme or two occasionally. As I've mentioned before, memes are memes and if it offends you, then you should probably take a break from social media, or just avoid/block me if that sounds like a better option. If you're going to start genuinely fighting me or arguing with me over a fucking joke, you're just asking for more. I'm not going to change myself because Karen who is supposedly 'depressed' and 'harassed' lacks basic sense of humour. I've never actually made enemies on the site, nor do I ever plan to. Whatever I post, I do it in good will, to either state my opinions or to just make people laugh, and never to make enemies and find 'harassment opportunities'. In the end, I'll just remind y'all again that nobody's going to harass you until you force them to. Don't bring it upon yourself if it's something you can't handle. Oh, and stop seeking attention with that self-diagnosed 'depression', focus on the positive things in life. You're not depressed, you're just upset. Accept the fact that the world doesn't revolve around you, embrace it. Stop victimising yourself to be at the centre of everything. Trust me you'll love your life a lot more.’ Photo Credit: Dean Bell Secondly, Dean Bell’s viewpoint is explored with the harassment he has received for being apart of the LGBT-community, emphasising on the potential chastising that can occur against individuals that associate themselves with said community. Known as an activist, Dean Bell’s statuses are often those of social justice, and humour. Previously associated with ‘Baby, Bell & Jameson, P.C.’ Bell’s is now partaking in cases that revolve around his own law-firm, known as ‘Bell Law.’ Q: Have you been harassed on FaceBrowser’s services and if so, how did the harassment occur? A: ‘I have been harassed on Facebrowser, I posted on a picture of an individual being beaten up by a bunch of hoodlums, for over a week they have tried to get my location and threaten me, leave me alone!’ Q: Earlier in our discussion, you mentioned that you were targeted for your sexuality. Has FaceBrowser provided support to you throughout the harassment? A: ‘I did not report the harassment, the individual called me a “faggot”, due to my prior relations with Derek Freelander. I am sure if I did put in a report, they would help me, however.’ Q: How do you view FaceBrowser’s community and services? A: ‘I don’t know where all of the Nazis came from, but all and all… I am sick of the people who fight over Facebrowser… grow up kids! Just be Dean Bell, cool, awesome and respectable.’ Q: How do you think FaceBrowser could improve their services? A: ‘I think FaceBrowser is as good as it is going to get, I like it a lot!’ Q: How would you describe your online persona, and do you have any final words to be included into the article? A: ‘I would consider myself an intellectual revered by all lower IQ males, I am basically somebody that every man in Los Santos wants to be.’ This article-writer has to admit that Dean's confidence and perspective is interesting, to say the least! Photo Credit: Keith With a self-described ‘troll’ish and laid back’ personality, Keith’s good-humoured personality is often seen around the in Dazed Depot's store working as an affiliate, selling the newfound company’s well-reviewed and legalised products as a Sales Associate. Furthermore, Keith’s regularly posted modelling-based photographs can be seen across his FaceBrowser, and other social media platforms. Q: Have you experienced harassment on FaceBrowser’s services? Have you perceived harassment on FaceBrowser’s services and if so, why do you believe the reason it is that it occurred? A: ‘I've never experienced harassment and probably never will. A lot of harassment has happened on this website and it's mainly towards females, for some reason. There's no actual 'main' reason as to why that happens, in my opinion. People are just be jealous or hate the person because of what they've done to each other.’ Q: How do you view FaceBrowser’s community and administration? A: ‘FaceBrowser's administration? Who? Never seen any administrative work being done and I probably never will. This site's administration has been non-existent since the early days of the website, they've honestly done nothing. The community's a rollercoaster really, it's mostly accepting and friendly if you don't act like a total idiot. There are a few bad people out of all the good ones, though they can be easily avoided after you block them on the website.’ Q: How do you perceive FaceBrowser’s actions against ‘hate-posts’? How do you believe that FaceBrowser could improve its services? A: ‘More administration, really. While people have a freedom of speech, they should be mindful of others. Racism and anti-Semitism of any kind should be deleted, it only breeds hate between the parties involved in certain conflicts.’ Q: How would you describe your online persona, and do you have any final words to be included into the article? A: ‘I would definitely consider my persona as being more troll'ish and laid back, I like to have fun on the internet. I like to think that people do not take me seriously on the internet, I at least hope they do not.’ Photo Credit: Rot Garden Lastly, an affiliate to Sevencz is interviewed, known as their alias ‘Rot Garden.’ Rot Garden’s persona is fiery, entertaining, and welcoming. Although subtle with his answers, Rot Garden’s answers specify on FaceBrowser’s community being welcoming, and humorous to others across the site’s platform. Additionally, Rot Garden subtly answers the rumours associated with his character, and is the last participant included in the article. Q: Have you personally experienced harassment on FaceBrowser’s services? If so, how did it occur and did FaceBrowser’s services compensate against the targeted posts? A: ‘Yes, I'm actually being harassed by a band of rogue feminist who are either trying to fuck me, or fuck my friends.. Sevencz.’ Q: How do you perceive FaceBrowser’s community and have you witnessed indirect and or direct harassment that could have been avoided? A: ‘FaceBrowser's community is honestly hilarious as fuck and the best people I've ever encountered in my life. I love you guys.’ Q: How do you believe that FaceBrowser could improve their services? A: ‘FaceBrowser’s service is great, just stop verifying these people that don't do a damn thing.’ Q: How do you feel about FaceBrowser’s associated pages spreading rumours about you? Whether that may be falsified or truthful. A: ‘A lot of it was true, that is all.’ Q: How would you describe your online persona, and do you have any final words to be included into the article? A: ‘I am Rot Garden, the Sevencz gang-gang leader in training. Final words? When life has you down remember truck nuts, let them drag, let them spark. Follow me on FaceBrowser, Rot Garden.’ In contrast to the female’s perspective and initial response to FaceBrowser’s platform – the men associated in the article expressed a more so positive opinion to FaceBrowser’s services, despite some being harassed personally. The secondary article varies with the prior article, explaining a male’s perspective and detailing on four male perspectives on FaceBrowser’s platform and the harassment they have received, or lack of harassment received on the website. To the viewer reading, who’s opinion do you align with more? The women’s perspective or the male’s perspective? What are your personalised beliefs on FaceBrowser’s services and or administration? And lastly, do you the reader, believe that the individuals being harassed are justified in being harassed? - EZRA
  5. A site utilised for the usage of targeted harassment, ‘tea’ posts, and regulated meme-posts, FaceBrowser’s initial presentation of sociability was to form a ‘community,’ to bring families together and to support its community with consistent monitoring. Los Santos’ community has shifted FaceBrowser’s intended concept into hate-fuelled environment that lacks efficient monitoring, ultimately, producing targeted statuses to defame an individual’s character and or to prove one’s self through defaming another’s character. Four women have been inquired multiple questions throughout the article about prior personal experience with personified attacks against them occurring on FaceBrowser, the lack of monitoring on FaceBrowser, and contagious witch-hunts that transpire on FaceBrowser without the server acknowledging the merciless actions of its ‘community.’ To specify, the article’s main area of investigation is to question Sara, Isabella, Irelia and Amiyah on their personal experience on FaceBrowser’s services, specifically on whether the service has been useful against the harassment that has been forged across the site’s atmosphere. Among uprising groups, such as; Spill the Tea, Guil-Tea, The Whisper and certain users’ negativity, these three women detail individual encounters of harassment received on FaceBrowser’s site with their own individual perspectives. Photo Credit: Rot Garden Sara Kowalski Firstly, we explore Sara Kowalski’s experience with FaceBrowser. Sara has a noticeable online presence, being specifically targeted in multiple feuds on FaceBrowser’s server. Sara has the newfound occupation being signed as a ‘Creative Co-Director,’ at Nithercott Cosmetics, a brand targeted to beauty supplies and cosmetics. Additionally, Sara is a self-described ‘shit-poster and student.’ Q: Have you personally experienced harassment on FaceBrowser’s services? If so, how did it occur, and how has FaceBrowser and Los Santos reacted to said harassment? Secondly, has FaceBrowser provided support throughout the harassment? A: ‘Well, yeah. I got harassed on FaceBrowser last Sunday. Got called out publicly and slut-shamed in front of everyone. I got broken, didn’t know what to do in that situation. I just started panicking. My DMs were blowing up with messages asking me whether it’s true, some of them were positive; asking me whether I’m alright, or not. A friend, Isabella, redirected all of that hate directed on me onto her. I’m still thankful for that. She was like an angel sent from the sky, and I am not prone to criticism.’ She continues, ‘I was ready to hurt myself if she wouldn’t help me.’ This emphasises on FaceBrowser’s dire need for active administration and further support for its community, as the toxicity of the environment caused Sara to consider inflicting self-harm. She, however, continues; ‘There was hate, but there was also help. I’m young, I make mistakes, and I just want to live my life.’ Q: Has FaceBrowser responded to the claims of harassment that you’re actively receiving, or has the community other than Isabella supported you throughout the situation? And has FaceBrowser acted on the harassment that you have been receiving? A: ‘FaceBrowser did nothing because the person who posted the posts deleted their posts, and they didn’t even reach out to me. Unfortunately, I think that they should be more considerate about what people are posting? I mean, okay – racist memes are banned, that’s good. But when it comes to hate posts, they really don’t care. Well, just a couple. Akari, Hazel, Krystal and Lana. Can’t really recall anyone other than them supporting me. They basically said the same thing that I did. I’m young, I make mistakes and I learn from them. And if I ever have any problems, I can vent to them.’ Q: How does FaceBrowser’s lack of monitoring and allowance of hate-posts to be submitted make you feel? How could FaceBrowser improve in these areas as a whole? A: ‘Well, they do nothing. I’m actually kind of disappointed by their lack of action to just do anything to monitor these posts. Obviously, they won’t be able to save people’s lives. I think that the moderation team should really take a closer look at what people are reporting, though. They could act upon that.’ Q: Lastly, how would you specifically define your online persona? And is there any final words you would like to include into the article? A: ‘Well, FaceBrowser’s community varies. We have models, artists, regular people and I’m happy to be apart of it and share my thoughts, and make people laugh. Social media is not something we’re able to get rid of or run away from in the 21st Century, because we’re all somewhat addicted to it. My online persona – I think I’m just trying to be myself. I love supporting and making others laugh by any means, I also, similarly to Isabella, like to support people who are attacked, or shade thrown at them. I just can’t stand when people are suffering both online and offline. I just wish that people won’t ever experience what I or any other person had to go through. Not everyone is as strong as Isabella – and I wish that everyone would be at peace, but I know that’s impossible. We can all at least try to be nice to each other.’ Isabella Roberts The owner of Crucial Fix, Isabella’s notable for her online presence, and being deemed as a ‘controversial figure’ for multiple individuals to personally target. Earlier in the week, Isabella was apart of a mass-leak of private information and photographs, causing the woman’s nudes to be leaked on FaceBrowser’s non-administered website. Isabella and I discussed how this occurred despite FaceBrowser’s regulations in the following text. Q: Have you experienced harassment online? If so, how has Los Santos’ community and FaceBrowser’s reaction been to said harassment? Has FaceBrowser offered any support throughout the harassment? A: She answers by saying, ‘I've been called an attention whore, slut, whore, thot and much more. And how did it happen? Just because I was doing my thing, taking photos and boosted them - which is a feature that I paid for. I remember firing shots back, ya - da, ya - da. And nobody really cared when I got targeted. But that situation was not as damaging as the latest one where Keinan Walker released my nude photos. Nobody really cared about me or how I felt. People made 'jokes' about selling them and shit, for example Hayley Cross. Anyway... FaceBrowser hasn't done SHIT.’ Q: How do you feel about FaceBrowser’s limited response to your nudes being leaked? And their lack of definition on what should be boosted or not? A: ‘I'd love to personally strangle the people who are in charge of moderation in this platform. They should have reacted faster and done their job. They haven't even fixed the blatant racism in this platform, all the KKK shit and stuff, it's disgusting.’ Q: How do you personally think that FaceBrowser could improve on their system? A: ‘By getting new or more moderators, or at least adding a system where it detects any inappropriate shit.’ Q: Lastly, how would you define your online persona? A: ‘From other’s perspective, I’m probably seen as a slut or something bad, because nobody cares to actually get to know me. I actually want to get married, lock myself down onto one man until death parts us ways, I would also love to have children. Unfortunately, nobody actually bothers to even find that out about me.’ Photo Credit: SingleFlash Photography Irelia Podhajna Irelia Podhajna, Director of Weazel is known for her regular trips to the beach as well as open sponsorship of start-up businesses around LS. Her goal is to provide news to everyone within the city and making sure that all news produced is of a high quality. In the article, Irelia and I discuss the hashtag #OccupyWeazel and FaceBrowser’s lack of monitoring of potential defamation. Q: Have you personally experienced any form on harassment online? If so, how did it occur and how has Los Santos' reaction been to said harassment? A: ‘I have been a target of harassment via the racist groups within Vespucci. I've had riots outside my place of work against me, photo's drawn up about me on Face browser and even people following me home to shout things about it. For the last 2 weeks (no longer) I found myself under constant fire from internet trolls and individuals with a grudge against me. Which ended up with someone attempting to shoot me as I left work one night two weeks ago.’ She pauses. Irelia adds, ‘OccupyWeazel was a movement by Mr Nigel Stanton which claimed that my organization were racists and fascists, as well as homophobes, that we killed and ate babies and had a particular grudge against a noodlehouse. They were daily riots outside the HQ which got so out of hand at one point, PD had to deploy all units to keep the protesters controlled.’ Q: How has FaceBrowser’s administration system dealt with the harassment you have received? A: ‘I feel like FB's rules whilst good, they allow too many loopholes in the rules when it comes to abusing copyrights and targeting people. As it stands death threats of course are dealt with promptly, but everything else will be simply ignored and even allowed to be promoted via FB's boost function.’ Q: How could FaceBrowser improve its administration to further avoid harassment from occurring? A: ‘More staff and rules which are combed over to prevent loopholes from being abused to the determent of other users.’ Q: How would you specifically define your online persona? A: 'I am a large business director, so majority of what I post is public relations statements or the occasional photo from my life.' Amiyah Pelrine Lastly, we now have Amiyah Pelrine who also has a very noticeable online presence, mostly for her heavy involvement into the Beauty and Fashion side of Los Santos - Online and Off. She also owns and models for the clothing company, ‘Sevencz’ along with two others. Additionally, she has her own side business, 'Makeup By Amiyah'. Amiyah gives her in-depth insight to the current state of hate on FaceBrowser and how to combat it in general. To quote Amiyah she wishes to, “Shed a more positive light to the online and real world. I want to make changes and challenge the status quo.” Q: Have you personally experienced any form on harassment online? If so, how did it occur and how has Los Santos' reaction been to said harassment? A: ‘Harassment? Yes, I have, sexual and aggressive. Quite a few times over a long period of time using Social Media, but I don’t think I’ve had it nearly half as bad as others from what I’ve personally witnessed online. I get the odd Juvenile comment on my posts, people messaging me privately with vulgar intentions - They come to me thinking I owe them something and can end up becoming rather aggressive when they don’t get what they wanted. Then there’s obviously the odd pot-stirring post that pops up on these drama pages which has never even been close to the truth. Although many people don’t take these pages too seriously, it’s a frightening thought that anyone can just send anything they want in to be posted and someone might just believe it. It has the potential to be dangerous and I don’t think people really contemplate that enough.’ She continues, ‘On how people react to it though, usually quite well or they ignore it completely. There are others who try to jump on the hate, but they usually get shut down very fast. I have the most amazing group of friends and they’ve rushed to my aid ready to be my white knight many a time, haha. Usually we’ll just make a joke out of it and turn it into a pleasant experience. It’s what you have to do. Succumbing to the bait is what the aggressors want. Honey, don’t give them the satisfaction. If people took every single negative comment about them seriously, they would never be happy or content.’ Additionally, commenting on the topic, Amiyah adds; ‘Overall though, my online experience is a mostly positive one but I strongly believe it’s due to how I treat others. There are people online that do find it easier to victimise individuals who are always surrounded by drama and controversy. I’ve also noticed people who put out a lot of negativity are usually the ones online who get it back the most and then there’s the poor sods who just don’t deserve it at all.’ Q: How does FaceBrowser’s lack of monitoring and allowance of hate-posts to be submitted make you feel? A: ‘Sad and Frustrated. Though it depends on the severity of ‘hate’ in my opinion. Nasty, passive-aggressive and nonconstructive comments are always going to be a thing and you know what? Whatever. If those types of comments don’t escalate further and its the odd one here and there by a singular person or a couple you can easily ignore that, it’s the more deeply hateful posts, groups and comments that’s the main issue. Homophobia, Trans-phobia, Racism, Slut-Shaming, Private Media Leaks and The Bully Bandwagon. Why on earth is hate like that not being dealt with properly and taken more seriously? No wonder people are just saying whatever they want to online, there’s no real punishment and therefore there is no fear of consequence. So yeah, very sad and very frustrated.’ Q: How could FaceBrowser improve in these areas? A: ‘I don’t think the pressure of improving your own and other peoples’ online experience is entirely up to the FaceBrowser team, mostly as it is their platform to run but the users have a big part to play too.’ She adds, ‘Firstly and in regard to FaceBrowser themselves, they can start with getting a proper, bigger, more active and more efficient moderation team. We don’t care who you pick. Just make sure they aren’t past aggressors and they have a neutral to positive online presence. Enforcing more punishment to those who are deserving of it. If reports of posts or comments contain illegal content, report it to the Los Santos Police Department and let them investigate it. That’s a good start. I think a lot of the issues can be resolved just with a decent moderation team.’ Amiyah finishes her argument by stating, ‘Secondly to the users who feel like they are being targeted and receive online hate, make use of the functions that are already there. In no way am I saying the hate you are receiving is your fault or that you should have to suffer more in any way but help yourself rather than make it easier for them. Clear your friends out and make sure it’s people you completely know and trust, block those who are giving you grief, make your page more private and set your posts to be seen by friends only. When it comes to your feed make sure it’s set to ‘People I follow’. I promise you that you’ll see a decrease in the hate online, those functions are there for a reason. Utilise them. Of course, then comes the fear that they’ll come at you in real life if they can’t reach you online. Just be careful, have trusted friends around you and stay smart. It will blow over.’ Q: How would you specifically define your online persona? A: ‘Online I’m really not all that serious when it comes to my personal page, I’m myself one hundred percent but I use it as a platform to joke around with friends, connect with people and stay informed. There is obviously a more serious side when it comes to the business online. A lot of the time I’ll be posting creative content whether it be a design, fashion photography or beauty. I’ve been doing the same thing for a long time now, way back when there was less than a handful of photographers. A break in-between here and there though.’ ‘I’d like to think I have a positive presence on FaceBrowser and online in general. I’m confident in the fact I’m a nice and down to earth person. It’s pretty much known now that I run a new page called ‘Positivi-TEA’ to bring a change against the other ‘Tea’ themed pages that are used to spill gossip and confessions. Positivi-TEA is actually going pretty well, again it’s not overly serious, but I’ve already seen a great impact the page has had. People have given me great feedback over it and the lack of troll submissions is surprising. There’s not even been anything negative posted on the comments to any of the posts. I just got so tired of scrolling down my feed and seeing hate, gossip, hate, gossip and so on.. So, I decided to do something about it even if it was just a small addition.’ - ‘I try not to get involved with drama, but I’m human and I’m certainly not perfect. Although it be rare, I have chipped in here and there when it comes to responding to hate but mostly always to defend or give my opinion. I’d rather just have fun and being cruel to someone isn’t on the list of things I enjoy. Overall, a playful businesswoman that doesn’t take herself too seriously and aims to shed a more positive light to the online and real world. I want to make changes and challenge the status quo.’ Q: Would you like to include anything else in the article? A: ‘Nothing other than a short statement. Hate is always going to be there, especially online. Do something about it, if we don’t.. it persists. Apathy will be interpreted as acceptance. Counter it with goodness. Do what you can to help someone and lift people up. Think twice and then thrice before hitting the send button. Contemplate the consequences your actions might have. Be kind and kindness you’ll have returned.’ She pauses. ‘You have one life. Do you really want to spend it being a dick? That’s all.’ To the viewer’s reading, respond to this article by answering a few questions. Firstly, how do you believe that FaceBrowser could improve its administration and how could both men and women avoid being the focal point of harassment? How do you voice your opinions on FaceBrowser, and how would you personally describe FaceBrowser as a platform currently? Do you agree or disagree with the four women’s opinions provided? If so, leave a comment in the enabled comment section below! - EZRA
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