A year after the incident, however, Zeke made the brave decision to share his story with the media, though he states it was partially because he understood it may come out anyway. He took a seat with Robin Roberts from ABC’s Great Morning America and Carl Swanson from New York Magazine to discuss the attack in depth– he does not think in glossing over information– in addition to its fallout, and how he got back to himself with the assistance of family, buddies, therapy and his own will.
We overtook Zeke, fresh back in New york city from speaking at the very first Teen Vogue Top in LA, to chat about what it’s resembled to be a public survivor in this moment and his vision for a much better world: You invested the first part of your adult life focused on music. What are you as much as now?I’m concentrated on a lot on
activism. It’s sort of taken first position in my life. When I came out about my story
about sexual assault, my rape and dealing with trauma and dependency and recovery, it was just truly more for me to inform my story. When I was going to these groups and whatever, and individuals were being like, “Can you be on my podcast?” I resembled, all right, I require to inform this before it gets out.
I didn’t understand the impact that it would have and protection that it would get. It’s certainly something that’s altered my life. I delight in helping individuals, I take pleasure in talking, I take pleasure in now this activism area that I remain in. Before, I was encouraging of other causes like education, but not something that truly impacted me.
Music’s my passion and first love and always will be, so I’m excited about whatever that’s coming out, and still DJing. Even when I’m at home, I’m much like okay, let’s mix, and I have 4 new singles coming out soon.
You’ve spoken about how important it is to have an excellent team behind you. Who is on your team?The top thing
that I need to cope with [is] myself. I have to handle me initially. And what I indicate by that is, my mind has to be right, my body has to be. This is your vessel. What are you putting in your body? What sounds are you hearing? I do a meditation every day. I eat beets and green juice and horrible things, however it keeps the center going. You have to understand what you’re putting in your body.
And then I have a phenomenal manager, I have a fantastic press agent, and I go to therapy, you need to have a great core around you and a favorable core. An uplifting core. If you have a great deal of negative individuals around you, you’re going to do unfavorable things. The energy that you surround yourself with is going to assist you.
I would imagine that’s become especially crucial to you over the previous year.It definitely has.
I lost a lot of good friends. I got detached from a great deal of buddies when I was going through my trauma, and entering drugs and getting into alcohol, heavy. Just wished to numb myself from the world. Missing out on appointments, missing weddings, missing out on infant showers. All I desired to do was just be in bed by myself or with negativity.
And it was simply a time where, you got to climb out of that hole. And now that I have actually climbed up out of that hole it’s like OK, got to alter your way of life. Even that is a shift and it takes some time. It’s become the most crucial thing over the past 6 months. After dealing with trauma and dealing with therapy and actually doing the work to get my mind right. I needed to go back to my core good friends and say appearance, I know you know what I went through simply in regards to mass media and it’s out there but hey, I’m sorry that I missed this. Can we return to how it was and repair this? And a few of them stated yes and some said no.
Were you friends helpful before you told the story to the media?My pals, they’ll
state they understood something was wrong but they didn’t know what to do. And that is a typical subject. For a great deal of things. Even with people dealing with depression and suicide, it resembles, “What do we do? How do we talk to you, who do we go to, is it my job to do this?” I truly inform people, if you generally ask somebody, “Are you all right?” it’s not your job to make them much better. We just tell you, “I care, I love you, I’m here for you. What’s up, what can I do?” There’s nothing incorrect with telling somebody’s moms and dads or a partner or a partner or whatever, “I’m noticing something, perhaps you must look into it.”
When you’re out now doing gigs and things, do individuals bring it as much as you?I get people reaching
out everyday. I check my Instagram like a beast. I do not truly engage individuals on Twitter, but the DMs on Instagram that I get, even people connecting to me in different languages that I need to like, Google equate, I read. I did a show at Public Hotel recently, Sugarcube and Parson James and Lil’ Kim came through and it was remarkable. And there were two individuals who came and said, “I really value the work that you’re doing, you’re changing my life.” Which’s in a party atmosphere!
Individuals are coming near me all the time and it’s special for me since it was really hard for my core, for my moms and dads, family, and good friends to accept that this happened. That this happened to someone they love and care about, and you have to let them grieve, let them go through injury, let them accept that this occurred. I did rely on a lot of people to inform me, “You’re doing the right thing. You’re doing the best thing.”
What was your household’s reaction to you informing them?The reaction from my
family was excellent in terms of,”Let’s aid, let’s get therapy, let’s do the work, let’s get you right.” However in terms of them having the ability to verbalize it and accept it, that’s something that we’re still working on.What’s it resembled to be going through this moment, where females all over are sharing stories, as a man and as a gay man?It’s been intriguing
. I definitely applaud TIME for doing the [Individual of the Year] cover, however there’s a lot of gaps. And there’s a great deal of gaps in their story and the way they presented this. Even what they called it, what was it?
And now much later on it resembles, all over. It’s TIME, it’s, “we’re going to push this narrative.” That to me is fantastic, however we need to get to a point where we’re telling the raw story. Because that’s the truth that’s going on. Even hearing the Harvey Weinstein tapes, to understand these things are going on, that’s the story, which’s what we have to raise and speak about.
Why do you seem like that’s so important to concentrate on the details?It’s so essential because,
even myself being a gay guy and it taking place a lot in gay culture, and gay culture is pictured to be over-sexed and gorgeous and this is all we are. That’s not the photo of truth. The picture of reality is, we’re just people who are homosexual. We have to get much better at informing
the real story of who individuals are, and I feel like that is necessary because you’re providing combined messages of groups. And that’s the method history is going to be told. With black people, you get an image of gangbangers or whatever, for awhile that was the narrative. That’s what’s triggered authorities violence, because this is the image we’re seeing on TV, this is all you’re hearing, about so suddenly, I feel threatened by a black man. We need to inform the genuine story. Who these individuals are. How they work. How they play. Which’s what’s gon na change the world.Many of the guys challenged have actually made apologies that seem to fall short. What makes an excellent apology?Even in Congress, people are having to apologize, are losing tasks,
for things that took place 20 years ago. They occurred. And you are now in a position of power. Should you be there? Would you have existed if everyone understood this taken place? It’s something that we as a society have to make a mindful decision about. It’s tough to now look at some of these individuals who have actually done such excellent with their lives, whether it’s charitable work or great political work or whatever, but we have to redefine what it is to be fantastic. We have to redefine that, and then stay with it. So, if you are a rapist, you’re not excellent. You need to not be president of the United States. We need to specify that. What inspires you?I just got back from the Teenager Style Summit, which was
extraordinary. These girls are going to change the world, it’s amazing. And that’s what I’m concentrating on: the next generation. I seem like my generation, yes we are changing things and moving things and pushing boundaries, but it’s the next generation that’s going to take our work and take it to the next level. In regards to sexual attack, in terms of climate change, in regards to whatever, it resembles we missed a great deal of beats. Maturing, all I heard on the radio was”bitches and hoes. “That’s all I heard, every day. Now it’s like, “Okay, that’s what we heard, what are they hearing “Modification appears to come in these waves.Change is hard. I was just informing a woman today who composed me, “You are doing fantastic work, and you’re going to run
into walls.”And when you encounter that wall
, look back not on what you’re doing wrong and the challenges and the wall you’re striking, however take a look at the development that you have actually made. Whether that’s the development you’ve made in a week or in six months. Which’s what you focus on. Not the negative, you focus on the positive. You have to say everyday,”You are fantastic. “Since you are.Photo Courtesy of Sam McKnight
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