#FreeKesha was everywhere this weekend. Twitter. Instagram. Your best friend’s Facebook wall. But right now, Kesha needs a lot more than a hashtag.
Last Friday, a judge in New York ruled that Kesha couldn't break her contract with Sony Music and Dr. Luke—whom she had accused of sexual, physical, and emotional abuse in a 2014 lawsuit. Kesha's attorney claimed her career was "on ice" because she didn't want to work with Dr. Luke, but Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Shirley Kornreich ruled that the singer had ways to record without working directly with the producer, so the contract would stand.
That's the news part. The reality part is that Kesha used her voice to talk about her abuse and was legally silenced. If she wants to make music, she has two options: to work with Luke, or to somehow buy her way out of her contract. In other words, even Kesha needs a "Fuck Off Fund."
A Fuck Off Fund, for those who don't remember, is an idea first coined by Billfold writer Paulette Perhach, who said that every young professional woman should have a stash at the ready if they ever needed to leave an abusive relationship, or to quit a job where they're experiencing sexual harassment. Yes, it's insane that women know that they're not necessarily safe at work, or that sometimes the only way to escape abuse is to move out of an apartment they share with a boyfriend. But living while female teaches you a lot of things—things that anyone following Kesha right now is learning.
The bright side, if there is one, is that the Internet is starting a Fuck Off Fund for her. After Friday's ruling, #FreeKesha began circulating online. (Using the language typically associated with releasing those falsely imprisoned made a strong statement, that—as a Guardian op-ed pointed out—her body isn't her own.) It soon trended, and soon everyone from Miley Cyrus to Demi Lovato was expressing their support on social media. (Disappointingly, male pop stars haven't been as vocal.) Internet queen Taylor Swift gave Kesha $250,000 "to help with any of her financial needs during this trying time."
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And, in the best attempt at crowdfunding yet, someone started a GoFundMe to raise the money necessary to get Kesha out of her contract.
No one except Kesha and Sony knows how much it would take to buy out her contract, or if it's even possible, but the GoFundMe is seeking to raise $2 million. But despite 425,000 people visiting the page, and 57,000 people sharing it on social media, barely more than 1,000 people have contributed, netting a (not) grand total of around $16,000—or 0.8 percent of the total. Granted, giving money to help empower a woman whose employer is legally binding her to to her accused abuser isn't as much fun as trying to fund a Veronica Mars movie, but goddamn, Internet.
Sharing is easier than caring, but if you have your own Fuck Off Fund, now is the time to dip into it. Yes, Kesha is a pop star who has made some money, but she needs a Beyoncé-sized FOF right now. There are people out there pissed that Swift is writing a check instead of stating her support publicly, but 250 large speaks a lot louder than a tweet or Instagram post. We’d all be saying a lot more if we followed Swift’s lead. (The creator of the GoFundMe has promised that even if it doesn't hit the $2 million mark, any cash raised will go to the pop star regardless.)
Dr. Luke, whose real name is Lukasz Gottwald, maintains that Kesha's claims are untrue and his lawyer said in a statement yesterday that Kesha's fans are subjecting him to "trial by Twitter." Last time we checked, that's what's also known as "believing the alleged victim." And if the legal system won't help, of course people took to social media. People are just doing what they can. Women too often don't come forward when they're the victims of abuse because they fear no one will believe or support them. That's why the very idea of a Fuck Off Fund exists.
The legal system may be failing Kesha, but the Internet can at least try to right the wrong. There's a petition, you can boycott Sony, you can tweet, but most importantly, you can donate.
Money may seem like cold comfort in the face of what Kesha is going through. Her talent is making and performing music, and her current situation all but prevents her from doing that. And maybe there's no Fuck Off Fund big enough to put her back on track, let alone back on the charts, but it's something. If you truly want to #FreeKesha, remember what Beyoncé says: Your best revenge is your paper.
