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Radhika "Rads" GuptaRads (she/her) describes herself as a lifelong student and full time friend. She is a class and caste privileged, queer, disabled, (negatively) racialized woman who was born & raised in the Bay Area of California. Rads is passionate about creating community, resourcing herself and others, and justice for us all.
Rads is an activist, creator, educator, and speaker who works in harm reduction and prevention as it pertains to gendered violence, mental health education + de-stigmatization, menstrual justice and equity, and open, accessible movements and information. In the past five years Rads’ work has focused primarily on harm reduction, advocacy, and education with organizations like Courage to Act, UTSC Womens & Trans Centre, Sexual Education Centre, Bleed the North, and The PEARS Project. In recognition of the interconnected nature of all forms of oppression, Rads’ work is largely informed by Disability Justice & intersectional, transnational feminist frameworks. Some of Rads' recent works include: "Supporting International Students Affected by GBV: A Customizable Tool for International Students, Post-Secondary Administrators, and Frontline Workers," Repro Justice Resources, and an Op Ed on period poverty amongst Californian students. Rads first connected with CFM as a cohort member in 2021. The message of "more justice, more joy" gave her an inkling, but Creating Freedom Movements was more powerful, revolutionary, and life changing than she ever could have imagined. Rads regularly says CFM not only changed her life, but probably saved it. "I've never experienced care like that before. It makes me know that a better world is not only possible, she's already being built, she's well on her way. CFM allowed me to expand my knowledge, to immerse myself in truly beloved community, and to work towards liberation in sustainable, restorative ways. Everything I learned, both through facilitated workshops and through the folks I was in community with through the year, I've carried with me into my personal relationships and my work outside of CFM. I truly believe if more people and organizations operate with the values and care that Creating Freedom Movements embodies, we can truly create a just and joyful world." The opportunity to join Creating Freedom Movements as part of the core team was the easiest, most enthusiastic 'yes!' of her life. Rads shares CFM's commitment to cultivating beloved community with respect, compassion, humility, and accountability. The opportunity to invest herself so deeply in an organization that has given so much to her is not only a pleasure, but a privilege. Rads brings an infusion of fresh energy, a huge heart, and lots of skills to the CFM team - including in the realm of social media. So if you are on “the socials,” look for CFM there, and know that Rads is the person making all that happen! Her favorite quote (& life philosophy!) is "I cannot do all the good the world needs, but the world needs all the good that I can do." In her free time, you can find her choreographing dance routines with her younger sister, binging mini-series with her best friend, obsessively tracking her reading stats on storygraph, or eating something cheesy and garlic-y. She currently splits time between the Bay Area and Toronto where she attends school at the Scarborough campus of University of Toronto. You can connect with more of Rads' work and check out other published toolkits at linktr.ee/radhikag or check out her Mental Health Monday series (every Monday since June 2018!) on Instagram or generally through #MHMWithRads! |