Veronica Arreola started this 365 selfie project at the beginning of 2014. You can read about the original idea of the project below. This fundraiser is happening because, through the project, many participants came together and created a supportive, non-judgemental, and diverse online community. We have laughed and cried together, seen every kind of milestone - marriage, childbirth, loss of loved ones, relationship endings and beginnings, career changes.... And in March we decided to come together in Portland, OR for a conference so we could learn from and with each other in person. Because we have members all over the country (and continent, and world), we have been planning a second conference in a different region to give those who could not travel to the west coast a chance to attend. These conferences feature speakers and workshops covering a wide variety of topics related to feminism, community, body love/acceptance, and more.

The funds raised through this auction will go toward conference expenses such as space rental, paying speakers, and assisting with travel and hotel expenses for those in need.

You can find more information about the November conference in Columbus, OH here:

http://the365feministselfie.blogspot.com/2015/08/midwest-retreat-hotel-information.html

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#365FeministSelfie is a radical response to the theory that selfies are vain or plain right stupid. Many of the participants in #365FeministSelfie are using this challenge to create media that includes:

The vast majority of  participants identify as women, but we have men and those who do not fit into the gender binary in the project as well. Most participants live in the USA or Canada, but we do have participants in Australia, the UK and Mexico as well.

So what is feminist about selfies? The people participating in this project are not seeking external validation through their photos. Rather they are creating media that includes people who do not fit the mainstream definition of beauty...although we have some of those too!