Pride Was A Riot!
Over Pride 2019 and World AIDS Day 2019
Tattoos by:
Pride is always such an exciting and complex time for me. I am proud of my gender identity and sexuality, it has come with such complexity and also such joy, in being myself. I have struggled with the monetizing of Pride and with the irony that just like Black History, Pride is a month. We all pretend to be proud or to support LGBTQ+ culture and then Pride ends and what do we have left but rainbow crepe paper, non -biodegradable glitter and solo cups to clean up, alone, without the continued support of societal embrace. And don't get me started about how much Pride is for white cis-gendered gays and lesbians as opposed to trans folx, genderqueer/fluid, bisexual and pansexual identifying folxs. The reality is we have come so far and have such a long way to go.
In my professional life I work with many people in the LGBTQ+ community. I help teens and adults transition, walk with them as they discover their sexuality, figure out how to feel safe and loved in a world that does not reflect their face and culture back to them.
I know about Marsah P Johnson and the Shot Glass heard round the world. I know about the thousands of gay men and BIPOC who died of AIDS during an abhorrent political administration who allowed AIDS and HIV to kill countless people. I've watched "But I'm A Cheerleader" and "Paris Is Burning", I've read "Party Monster" (and watched the movie), and I've dated people of the same assigned at birth gender, trans people, drag queens etc. And as a member of this community I do not know enough and have a lifetime of learning and growing to do. WE ALL DO! And we should continue until LGBTQ+ and Black History is a normal part of history and daily life.
If you don't know the true history of Pride or seek to understand more, Bustle gives a good conscious history and critical analysis found here. If you have questions about what these time periods were like I highly suggest watching Pose on FX. And if you or someone you love needs help or is looking to help the resources below are a great start.
SOOOOOOOOO......Now to these tattoos, that's why people read this right?
The first set of tattoos was done by Ash at Show Off Ink. They were doing a pride event and my partner has an amazing experience there, getting over his tattoo phobia so we decided to go. First, their flash was killer and encompassed the full experience of gay culture from kink and sex positivity, to romance and the more traditional symbols. I chose a rainbow semi-colon, an homage to both my own journey and the journey I get to be apart of with so many. I chose my hand because as an art therapist and an artisit my hands are a large part of my self-expression and the way I facilitate the healing of others.
The second tattoo is far more exciting. So most flash events have a one tattoo limit and FOR GOOD REASON. I was feeling ballsy and asked if Ash would be willing to do a second one if I let her pic it out and put it on my bald head. She chose the perfect image and it felt like she very much summed up a part of my personality I enjoy, Love, Nails and a big Fuck You if you don't like it.
The final tattoo was done at an event I hosted with Earthship Studios and Ty's Nail Candy, called Happy Holi-gays, hosted on World Aids Day. We envision a world where we each are accepted and walk through life without fear of judgement or of others. And we all know this is not yet the world we live in. Dora and Heather did a phenomenal job making this event a reality. I ended a long and snowy day with a pink triangle. The first time I saw one was at the Stonewall Inn. My parents took us as children, it was where I learned about LGBTQ+ history, where I saw men holding hands and kissing for the first time, it was where I learned that different was not only okay but it actually made the world a better place. My mother taught me that the pink triangle was taken from a horrific symbol of death and degradation during Nazi Germany and turned into a symbol of safety and hope. I wanted this idea and meaning on me forever. I want people to know when they are with me they are safe, they are loved, they are valued and they are meaningful. And I want every human interaction that I can muster to reflect that. I fail at it, we all do, but this reminds me to be a better person, a better ally, a better Queer person, the be better, to be safe.