Anonymous asked: Lena,
First of all, I love reading your blog. Second, is there any chance you would do a speaking tour again? You spoke at the university I attend, Western, last year, but I unfortunately missed it and I would really like to hear you speak.
That was a one-off event, not so much of a “tour” ;) I do love talking about feminism, hook-up culture, virginity, etc. — especially with college and high school audiences! — but as I told a student recently, I’m not exactly at a point where I’m commanding crazy speaking fees, though I’m certainly very flattered when people do invite me to speak, no matter how much or how little money is involved. (If you’re interested in having me at your event, you can check out my speaking page.) Unfortunately, as a 23-year-old freelancer, I can’t cover transportation and accommodations — not to mention the lost work time —, so I can really only attend events that are in the New York/Boston area or events that fly me out and at least cover lodging (what More Magazine is doing next week), even if there’s no speaking fee.
I hate that this is the way it is, and if I come into a lot of money, I promise that I will spend a lot of it traveling to random campuses to talk to young activists. It’s one of my favorite things to do, and I really wish I could do it more often. But this is just one example of how activism within capitalism is an uphill battle.
More burning questions? Ask Lena Chen.
