“It’s really hard doing interview after
interview,” Rose offers. “While you
know you have to push an agenda
forward for social justice, you’re
seeing your
rapist’s face
everywhere,
you’re being
triggered
by stupid,
inconsiderate
questions, and
people thinking
that your rape is
entertainment.
“That’s a
brutally difficult
thing to go
through. And I
wouldn’t wish
it on anybody.
I feel like I barely survived the last
couple of years, but I always knew it
was going to be the fight of my life.
And I was right. It was.”
Part of Rose’s fight included the release
of the book – her truth, in her words.
She also worked with E! on a four-part
documentary, Citizen Rose. Rose was
immensely proud of the first part.
“I had control of the edit and
worked really hard. It had my music
and art in, and it was unique and
beautiful. The other episodes I
didn’t watch, because it was almost
happening in real time. And it was
literally too painful.
“It was filmed at a very traumatic
period of my life, and I couldn’t relive
what was happening, literally the
week or two before – it was too much
for my brain. But I’m very proud of
what I did. I wanted to show truth,
and I wanted to show how hard it
was to fight.”
One particular moment that stood
out for me was when Rose was being
photographed at a bookstore. She
stands alone against the backdrop as a
sea of flashes go off, the photographers
hustling and shouting her name.
Rose steps forward, and asserts that
she will do the shoot but they need
to cease the aggressive yelling. They
do. The shoot continues in silence.
She thanks them and walks away.
Someone later mentions how well
she controlled the photographers, but
Rose insists it wasn’t about control –
she simply reframed the situation.
This example demonstrates her
desire to question everything weaccept as the norm in society, and
her optimism around “being better”.
It’s part of this quest for a better
society that saw her create the hastag
#RoseArmy, not in reference to
her name, but after a moment of
inspiration walking around the city.
“I saw this bent flower, this bent
rose, growing through the cracks in
the sidewalk. I was staring at it and I
thought, that’s like most of us – we areI saw this bent
flower, this bent
rose, growing
through the cracks
in the sidewalk. I
was staring at it
and I thought, that’s
like most of us –
we are bent but
not broken