Post Hate Recovery
Donation protected
My name's Ash Farah and it's really hard writing this. I love being queer and I love being Somali. However, being visibly brings out a unique set of violence and harassment. It’s very difficult to ask for help when I want to show the world that you can be QPOC and happy but in my current state left me unable to independently take care of my self financially, physically and is troubling mentally. I’m asking for support as I can not work in this state until mid-August for groceries, my summer tuition (takes a big chunk) and other monthly bills, transportation to appointments, as well as a way to actually compensate the people who have been taking care of me.
On the Fourth of July, a traumatic homophobic incident, an armed homophobic incident and one assault by a man on drugs left me with injuries that will take a month and a half to heal. I’m currently having a friend type this because I broke my left shoulder and my right forearm, as well as more troubling, have a serious concussion and I’m jumbling my words. This is the 8th time in two years I’ve been concussed with 7 times being caused by homophobia.
HOMOPHOBE #1
I was going 15 miles per hour through riverside and because of a homophobe in Somali yelling slurs and hearing a loud bang. Unable to disconcern which direction it was from and with my previous history of bashings. I wanted to not be caught off guard this time. Resulting in a crash going 15mph. I bleed out onto the sidewalk from impact and still have a healing laceration on my head. And broke my left shoulder. I was prayed over by two older kind women however for someone with my history of conversion therapy it made it a more horrific experience. My blood pressure dipped to a shock level low. The only time I want to be in the back of an ambulance is if I’m paramedic. My partner rode with me. We arrive to the hospital.
ASSAULT #1
We leave the hospital. I had no money actually so after discharge we walked to the train stop downtown from hcmc at night. We are only one stop from home. I get dizzy from pain and need to sit down and this man robs my things because I look like a good target. No arms I guess. Snatches my phone starts pushing me. I’m already in pain. Sadistically pushes my shoulder too. Fights me. My partner flags down a security guard and the man suddenly escalates. The altercation ended with me trying to defend myself putting him in chock-hold. He was a lot larger than me and the man was very clearly on drugs. The result was I got my stuff back, the man was kicked out by security, and I ended up with a worse torn ligament in my right forearm. Scared and terrified that the guy was still around waiting for us. We walk two blocks to the other train stop. I’m fully delirious now.
ARMED HOMOPHOBE
We arrive at the station, there’s a bench I sit down waiting for the train. I can’t walk well because the head hit. We get approached by this Somali guy around 24-30 who asks if we are Somali. We do not engage. He escalates, looks disgustingly at me and asks “are y’all gay?” Gets closer to me “y’all do anal?” Increasing antagonistic. Slurs you know the 9 yards. He sits down next to me and starts being creepy whispering creepy things like “you know you’ll be going to the lowest point of hell you faggots. God hates you.” in Somali. there’s recognition of what he’s saying on my face it’s too hard to do poker face in pain. And that’s how I was feeling. That God hated me. He tried to grab me and goal was to provoke my partner. He is looking for a fight and is very drugged up. Slurring. He makes it clear to me by gripping his pants he has a gun pointed towards my thigh and got off on seeing me scared. My partner can not see this. Stands up and the guy stands up and says I’ll fucking kill you both. Starts recording us laughing saying I’m posting this y’all gonna be famous. I get up now dizzily. I don’t want to relive the rest.
We managed to get home. I was in too much pain and the entire day was traumatic. I slept unsure if this would mean more death threats as a result of this video. Unsure if my head was going to get better. Unsure of what to do. It took some days to put my pride aside, but I do know I need help if I want to get better.
In order to do the work, I want to do. Thank you for any donations and shares.
On the Fourth of July, a traumatic homophobic incident, an armed homophobic incident and one assault by a man on drugs left me with injuries that will take a month and a half to heal. I’m currently having a friend type this because I broke my left shoulder and my right forearm, as well as more troubling, have a serious concussion and I’m jumbling my words. This is the 8th time in two years I’ve been concussed with 7 times being caused by homophobia.
HOMOPHOBE #1
I was going 15 miles per hour through riverside and because of a homophobe in Somali yelling slurs and hearing a loud bang. Unable to disconcern which direction it was from and with my previous history of bashings. I wanted to not be caught off guard this time. Resulting in a crash going 15mph. I bleed out onto the sidewalk from impact and still have a healing laceration on my head. And broke my left shoulder. I was prayed over by two older kind women however for someone with my history of conversion therapy it made it a more horrific experience. My blood pressure dipped to a shock level low. The only time I want to be in the back of an ambulance is if I’m paramedic. My partner rode with me. We arrive to the hospital.
ASSAULT #1
We leave the hospital. I had no money actually so after discharge we walked to the train stop downtown from hcmc at night. We are only one stop from home. I get dizzy from pain and need to sit down and this man robs my things because I look like a good target. No arms I guess. Snatches my phone starts pushing me. I’m already in pain. Sadistically pushes my shoulder too. Fights me. My partner flags down a security guard and the man suddenly escalates. The altercation ended with me trying to defend myself putting him in chock-hold. He was a lot larger than me and the man was very clearly on drugs. The result was I got my stuff back, the man was kicked out by security, and I ended up with a worse torn ligament in my right forearm. Scared and terrified that the guy was still around waiting for us. We walk two blocks to the other train stop. I’m fully delirious now.
ARMED HOMOPHOBE
We arrive at the station, there’s a bench I sit down waiting for the train. I can’t walk well because the head hit. We get approached by this Somali guy around 24-30 who asks if we are Somali. We do not engage. He escalates, looks disgustingly at me and asks “are y’all gay?” Gets closer to me “y’all do anal?” Increasing antagonistic. Slurs you know the 9 yards. He sits down next to me and starts being creepy whispering creepy things like “you know you’ll be going to the lowest point of hell you faggots. God hates you.” in Somali. there’s recognition of what he’s saying on my face it’s too hard to do poker face in pain. And that’s how I was feeling. That God hated me. He tried to grab me and goal was to provoke my partner. He is looking for a fight and is very drugged up. Slurring. He makes it clear to me by gripping his pants he has a gun pointed towards my thigh and got off on seeing me scared. My partner can not see this. Stands up and the guy stands up and says I’ll fucking kill you both. Starts recording us laughing saying I’m posting this y’all gonna be famous. I get up now dizzily. I don’t want to relive the rest.
We managed to get home. I was in too much pain and the entire day was traumatic. I slept unsure if this would mean more death threats as a result of this video. Unsure if my head was going to get better. Unsure of what to do. It took some days to put my pride aside, but I do know I need help if I want to get better.
In order to do the work, I want to do. Thank you for any donations and shares.
Fundraising team (2)
Ash Farah
Organizer
Minneapolis, MN
Hibaaq Said
Team member
