The Day Facebook Set Me Free

Wednesday 2/17 ended with me trying to log into my Trulie Scrumptious Facebook account, only to find I had been reported for my name. I had a feeling that would happen someday, but I couldn't have been prepared for the week of heartache and struggle that followed.

I do not have a government issued ID with my stage name on it but I do have some items from the past four years that I thought would help verify I am Trulie Scrumptious. I sent the items and Facebook responded they couldn't verify my account. I sent more items. They said they couldn't verify my account. So I decided to try and beg because I am classy:

This is very disheartening. I do not have any other forms of ID to share to try and unlock my account. I provided a picture ID although I don't have my pink wig on. I provided mail I've received and I sent something with my birthdate on it too. I don't know what else to provide. I have been in agony over this since it happened. 

I have been on Facebook for four years with no issues. People in Columbus, Ohio know me as Trulie. They call me Trulie everywhere I go. It is my authentic name. It is my professional name. I have not only just  lost four years of my work, I have lost four years of something that brought me happiness and made my sad and tragic existence easier to go through. Being actively connected to my artistic community of friends and co-workers gave me something to look forward to and I have cultivated my presence online and now, I'm just GONE. Every picture, every professional contact, every video I ever made and posted, all of my cast lists and rehearsal schedules-all of it. GONE.

 I am an artist. I have my name, Trulie Scrumptious, on Top Ten Best Local Artists lists (2013 and 2015) My bio on my website at TrulieAwesomeShow.com calls me Trulie. No one calls me by the name my mother gave me. Not even my own husband. 

 

I have never used Trulie Scrumptious to harass or bully anyone. I never post anything offensive. I am respectful and harm none. I am not hiding behind this name I am stronger and happier as Trulie. Having four years of my life and happiness just disappear in an instant has been very jarring and honestly effected me in a way I never expected. The amount of sadness and confusion I've felt over this, to me, just shows how important it is that I am able to be my authentic self which is Trulie Scrumptious. 

I am begging you to PLEASE give me back my account. I am Trulie Scrumptious and for the last four years everyone in Columbus has called me Trulie. 

 

I really enjoyed using Facebook and being a part of that community. Having this taken away from me has been very harsh. Please reconsider. 

Yours,

 Trulie 

 They replied that they couldn't comfirm I was the owner of the account. I responded:

What do you mean you can't confirm I'm the owner of the account? I have the log in info, I am emailing you from the email account I used to set it up four years ago, and I'm desperately trying to get it back because you've alienated me from my entire community. This is my account and I believe I am being unfairly targeted. I don't have a government issued ID with the name I use on it. I've already submitted the forms of ID that Facebook says they accept and they responded that they weren't able to verify it.

If this is so important why don't we have to show our drivers licenses when we set up these free accounts and avoid this heartache altogether?

Is there anyone I can talk to about this?




They replied that I needed to send ID to verify. So I resent it:

Okay well this is what I sent before and what I have. I do not have my pink wig on in these photos as I do in my photos on my profile.  I am an artist/performer in Columbus Ohio with a business called The Trulie Awesome Show.  I have worked with The Columbus Museum of Art and the public has voted me onto Best of Lists in Columbus as Trulie Scrumptious because that is my name. I do business as Trulie Scrumptious and everyone knows me and refers to me as Trulie Scrumptious. PLEASE I really don't understand what I've done wrong to have my account deactivated. I am desperate to get it back. I appreciate you taking the time to look into this, and understand my situation.

They responded they couldn't verify what I had sent, and I was welcome to use my legal name and add a nickname so I was searchable by both my legal name and my pretend name. I decided to touch on a current issue they had altered their policy over:

But that's just it. I don't want to be searchable by my legal name. This is no different than when a Drag Queen or King uses their stage name.  I don't see why the Drag community is allowed to use their stage names and I am not. It seems like a double standard.  I'm not "pretending" to be anyone. That's the name people know me by. If I was doing this for bad purposes: 1) I would have already created another free account and 2) I wouldn't have been able to go on for four years on Facebook without anyone reporting me.

I've spent four years making this profile what I needed it to be and never harmed anyone. If you Google Trulie Scrumptious Columbus Ohio you will find me. If you look all over Facebook you will see where everyone refers to me as Trulie. Why is it okay for Drag Queens and Kings to use their stage names and not performance artists?
And they responded that they could not verify my identity or that I was the owner of the account.
Last ditch effort I asked my lawyer if there was anything that could be done, and he said "their company their rules" which I already knew.

All of this email correspondence happened over the course of seven days and I have to say, the Facebook team was responsive and I understand they are just doing their job. The other thing that happened over the course of seven days is I found myself wondering why I even wanted it back at all. I would go to check Facebook on my phone and then go-oh wait-and then go do something else. Like in the real world! I got my garden cleaned up and  I've even started reading books again! I feel happier not checking in every twenty minutes and seeing all the negative posts and political memes. I feel less like I'm chained to my phone. Any time I want to check Facebook I look up at the sky and breath in some real life. It's been wonderfully freeing and I've been exploring other social media as well which has been fun.

At first I thought this was a low blow and that it was going to make things harder for me, but I realized how much Facebook was taking up my life and I don't want to live my life with my eyes glued to an app that uses my information to make billions of dollars. So I suppose I should thank the person who reported me, and Facebook's name policy, for freeing me!

I would still like it back but the battle is over and sometimes you just count your losses and move on. So long Facebook! It was a good run but now it's done and now it's time to have some fun.

                                                  (Uh...you're welcome Facebook?)