Post on Social Media

Some people choose to post about their experiences with racism, despite the risks.

What are the benefits?

  • Posting on social media requires little effort since it is fast and easily accessible.

  • You can vent about your emotions while they are still fresh.

  • You may be able to protect others by letting them know about what happened to you.

What are the potential risks?

  • You open yourself up to trolling, doxxing, and gaslighting. Some people won’t believe you, or will think you are being overly sensitive and that what happened to you wasn’t racist. Some of those people may go out of their way to counter what you posted and will potentially even try to out your real identity or other personal details of your life.

  • You could be sued. The perpetrator could file a defamation suit against you in an effort to get you to recant your claim, which you will then have to spend time and money to defend.

  • As a sex worker, you could potentially face discrimination in housing, banking, employment, or other areas of your life as a result of public attention.

  • Whatever you post online lasts forever, even if you delete it, regardless of your privacy settings. Anything you post can come back to haunt you in the future with employers, partners, friends, and anyone else in your life.

What else should I know?

  • The ACLU's article on Staying Safe When You Say #MeToo offers advice that's relevant for posting publicly about racial discrimination as well as consent violations.

More resources:

These resources offer relevant advice for anyone considering posting about sensitive issues in a public forum: