Antoine Dodson has been accused of “turning rape into a joke,” and before his viral video fame, he survived sexual abuse and homophobic bullying. But he’s not letting any of it get him down, he told me recently.
Antoine had no way of knowing that when he gave a fiercely indignant interview to a local Alabama TV station, it would lead to a chart-climbing song on iTunes, an Antoine Dodson Halloween costume, or an endorsement deal for an iPhone app.
But he’s trying to be strategic about his message of supporting sexual assault victims, he said in a recent interview. Also, some words for his critics: “They really can bite me. For real.”
He’s also faced a backlash from his former neighbors in Lincoln Park, who say he doesn’t represent them. “I think it has something to do with my sexuality,” he said. “Because I’m queer and fabulous.”
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