A Woman’s Instagram was Deactivated After Raising $500K for Australia’s Fires
- thelmaarose
- Jan 5, 2020
- 2 min read
Online sex worker Kaylen Ward has raised over $500K for the heartbreakingly destructive brushfires in Australia. Promising a free nude to whomever donates at least $10, Ward sends a photo via DM after verifying their donation. Dubbing herself The Naked Philanthropist, she told BuzzFeed News: "I was seeing all the posts on Twitter about the Australian fires and I was really concerned there wasn't a lot of media coverage and not a lot of people donating.”
The Australian fires hit close to home for Ward, as she had to flee the Carr fires in California last year, which destroyed her home and more than 200,000 acres.
Over 100 wildfires have run across Australia since September, destroying more than 12 million acres, killing 17 people and more than half a billion of Australian wildlife. Due to record-breaking temperatures and a lack of rain, the wildfires have continued to spread on the island.
Ward’s Instagram campaign took off, leading her to hire additional people to help manage the influx of messages she was receiving. However, Instagram deactivated not only one, but two of her accounts— stating that she violated their guidelines by posting “sexually suggestive content.”
While the surface level debate confirms that Ward did violate Instagram’s Community Guidelines, deeper conversations should be had regarding a woman’s role in a sexual exchange. When it comes to retaliations and criticism of Ward’s approach, is the issue just that Ward is sending nude photos or because they are: A) in her absolute control as a female entrepreneur and B) funding a cause that has no immediate financial gain for an internationally capitalist system?
The core of Ward’s campaign is to raise awareness and money for the Australian wildfires. Which with over 500K raised in a few days is proving successful. The fires have been spreading since last fall, but have not been getting as much news financial support as the Notre Dame Cathedral fire in April last year.
Where is the same energy of billionaires offering financial support for an 800+ year old building, when it comes to the destruction of wildlife due to human abuse of our climate?
While waiting for a response from Instagram regarding her deactivation, Ward has moved her campaign to Twitter, where she has seen an endless amount of support from both customers and admirers. To help evacuees, wildlife, firefighters and more visit her Twitter or these websites. And remember, "not all heroes wear clothes."
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