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Thank you so much for joining me here.
“Queer not as being about who you are having sex with, that can be a dimension of it, but queer as being about the self that is at odds with everything around it and has to invent and create and find a place to speak and to thrive and to live.” - bell hooks
TW: Mentions of death
First things first, I really want to thank you for subscribing to the newsletter whether you are a free or paid subscriber! My heart has been so full seeing how many of you all have taken the time to read, share and subscribe to this. I am currently plotting some special things for paid subscribers and figuring out my rhythm in regards to how frequently newsletters will be coming out.
It’s June which means Pride month is already here again. I created this piece above awhile ago, but it’s still one of my favorite illustrations. When June started to approach I felt this urgency to have this newsletter out on June 1st but, this won’t come out the first day of Pride and that’s okay. I am still Queer & Non-binary whether I share something immediately on Pride month or if this just ends up being on the last day of the month.
It is more important now than ever before to be supporting folks in the LGBTQIA+ community directly through mutual aid & financially supporting people directly whether that’s buying their music, art, books etc vs buying something from a big corporation. I’ll continue to be sharing Queer resources, mutual aid, artists and folks to support on this newsletter. Things feel deeply tense & exhausting right now as a Queer Non-Binary person.
Pride month wouldn’t even exist if it weren’t for Black & Trans folks. It wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for the Stonewall riots. Pride asks us to remember those who have fought for our rights that are no longer with us. It asks us to be aware of the moment in history we are in now. It asks us as Queer folks to be inclusive of Black lives, of Trans lives, of Latinx lives, of Disabled lives, of Non-binary lives and the many facets that Queer life holds besides just able-bodied, white, cis people.
I’m proud to be Queer & Non-binary. That pride took time though, to enter my life. Growing up with a rare syndrome & being deaf, I never once knew that a life as a Queer person could exist for me. I never saw representation for people who were disabled and Queer and who were in healthy, successful, loving relationships.
This made me hide who I was.
I knew I was Queer ever since I was little but didn’t have the words for it. It was an inner knowing that slowly unfolded. I remember being little wanting the “Barbie” happy meal toy at McDonalds and when the cashier giving me a Ken doll, I was so pissed. I remember having fashion shows with the girls in my neighborhood. I recall seeing animated shorts by Keith Haring on “Sesame Street,” being so deeply drawn to his artistic style and feeling a connection to his work. Queerness was always around me. As a teen it really started clicking for me that I am Queer. I discovered Arthur Russell, his song “That’s Us/Wild Combination” struck a nerve that I really couldn’t explain. I read about him and his sexuality. I also rediscovered Keith Haring’s artwork as well as a teenager and was just in awe by how Haring expressed his Queerness through the artwork he created. Keith also opened me up to the possibility of murals, his work heavily influences me to this day.
I kept discovering new artists, filmmakers, musicians and writers that showed me that my own Queerness was unique, just by being myself. The older I got, the more I started to accept my Queerness & me being Non-binary.
Around the same time of me coming out as Queer, I also came out as Disabled. I then recently came out as Non-Binary. These three facets of myself mean that I’ll always have to “come out” for as long as I exist. While I have pride in who I am, there are times where I don’t want to perform the emotional labor of coming out to others. The labor of having to explain what Queerness is to me, correcting folks who misgender me or having to explain the syndrome that I was born with. The pride also continuously fluctuates.
I don’t have all the answers and I am still unfolding. Queerness allows me to unfold again and again, which is beautiful. I’ve come a long way and I am so thankful for that. I am also so grateful for continuing to grow & learn in my identity.
Being out for me, means to hopefully help others feel less alone in their Queerness, especially as somebody who is Disabled. I’ve been able to have projects that express Queerness in bold ways which I feel so thankful for. I found myself making murals and being able to pay homage to Keith Haring who was the first visibly Queer artist to show me that it’s okay to make public Queer work. In 2019, “Living Walls” asked me to paint a mural for their initiative with the CDC “Start Talking, Stop HIV.” This mural was deeply inspired by Haring. This mural is still located at the “Outfront Theatre” in Atlanta, GA. You can read more about the mural here.
There also becomes the awareness though that Queer, Trans & Non-binary folks continuously get discriminated against still to this day. Trans children are being actively attacked for merely existing. The community still sees murders of BIPOC Trans folks that go unsolved. There are still those who witness racism, sexism, ageism, biphobia, transphobia, body shaming and ableism in these communities too.
We still have work to do. We are still unfolding. We are still fighting. We can’t be silenced. Keep supporting Queer folks not only during Pride month, but all year round!
“No pride for some of us without liberation for all of us.” – Micah Bazant
I wanted to highlight a few places you can give your money to, to support the community. These just scratch the surface but as stated before, I’ll continue to be sharing resources in and outside of Pride month.
Four things for you!
Trans Justice Funding Project - Taken from their website, “Trans Justice Funding Project is a community-led funding initiative founded in 2012 to support grassroots, trans justice groups run by and for trans people. We make grants annually by bringing together a panel of six trans justice activists from around the country to carefully review every application we receive. We center the leadership of trans people organizing around their experiences with racism, economic injustice, transmisogyny, ableism, immigration, incarceration, and other intersecting oppressions. Every penny we raise goes to our grantees with no restrictions and no strings attached because we truly believe in trans leadership.”
Trans Housing Coalition - From their website, "The Trans Housing Coalition helps Atlanta’s chronically homeless Transgender and gender non-conforming people move from the streets into long-term housing and on to the lives they want to lead."
Southern Fried Queer Pride - Quoted from their donation page, “Southern Fried Queer Pride is a queer and trans, arts and advocacy organization building community in the South!”
Speaking of Southern Fried Queer Pride, if you are in or near Atlanta, Georgia please go support Southern Fried Queer Pride’s SFQP Fest which will include a lovely artist’s market happening featuring some talented folks from the community June 25th & 26th at Eyedrum Gallery.
Thank you so much for taking time to read my newsletter and I look forward to sharing more things with you soon! Stay safe and be well. <3