My project has undergone many transformations since its first conception. Due to the technical complexities of the original idea, I have decided to go in a different direction. The idea of limiting available media and freedom of speech really resonates with me. Freedom of speech and access to media are incredible resources that we take for granted in the United States. After learning about weekly packets of media that are distributed throughout Cuba to make up for the lack of media available from public sources, I was inspired to do something to contribute to this. I believe that in the United States, the ability for marginalized groups to produce media that expresses their reality is an invaluable tool for creating community and support for these groups. It seems like by limiting access to media, the Cuban government is attempting to limit peoples ability to share their experience and come together over social issues. I need to do more research before I can thoughtfully decide on a specific issue to target, however from what I have seen and heard through resources made available to me in this class, it seems like gender identity could be an important issue to target. Forcing people to conform to binary gender limits the individuals ability to be as they are, and love and understand themselves and others around them. In the States, people are able to share their ideas on gender [relatively]freely, without fear of government intervention. People who feel confined by the gender binary are able to discover through media that they are not alone, and there are many ways to exist and express themselves than are presented by the intrinsically patriarchal structure of our country. My goal is to use my access to this type of media to demonstrate how large the community of people is, who feel discontent with being forced to conform to conventional standards of gender and sexuality. As I continue my research into what might be the most relevant topic to engage, this goal may change, however this is my current goal based on what I have gathered so far. I aim to accomplish this by spreading 'easter eggs' throughout the city, in the form of small flash drives containing media that addresses issues, or presents communities that support groups that may feel like they have no voice. I want to 'decorate' these drives with some kind of imagery that would indicate their content, and catch the attention of a person who feels alienated by the standards of their community. I would try to produce these at a low enough cost to myself that I can bring many of them, and leave them about for people to find and share. I would also leave some kind of contact information on the drive so that I can receive feedback about how this media is received by the community.
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