helper of the masses
🕑 Added 2022-08-19 20:58:42 +0000 UTCOne of the things I love about photographing people is meeting fascinating, amazing people, like Danielle Boachie, also known as Miss Velvet. Yesterday, I learned that Danielle died by suicide last year, on the day before my birthday.
Danielle was a fierce advocate for LGBTQ+ equality, sex workers' rights, and a vocal ally for victims of domestic violence. As Miss Velvet, she was a professional dominatrix who made her clients read literature on black feminist theory.
I'd been trying to reach her for a while -- I loved working with her and wanted to see how she was faring. I'm heartbroken. I hope her partner, Andy, is healing.
If you or someone you know needs help in crisis, dial 9-8-8.
These causes were critically important to Danielle's work:
- To support the Sex Workers Outreach Project, visit:
https://swopusa.org/ - To support the Chicago Metropolitan Battered Women's Network, visit:
https://the-network.org/ - If you are the victim of sexual violence, call the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network at:
1-800-656-4673 or visit:
https://www.rainn.org/resources
To celebrate Danielle's life and light, I've posted this public set to my Patreon.