Infographic – LGBTQ+ communities in prison
I chose to focus my infographic on the LGBTQ+ individuals within the prison system.
Instagram Post 5: Cassils (Art)
Cassils, a trans performing artist, displayed 200 gallons of their own urine in New York City in 2017. This performance piece, part of the exhibit entitled “#PISSED,” was intended to protest the Trump administration’s rollback of federal guidelines instructing schools that transgender students are to be allowed to use the bathroom that corresponds with their gender identity. This rollback makes it even more difficult for trans students to use the bathroom that they identify with. Cassils collected their urine every day since February of 2017 for approximately 200 days to show the burden that this rollback would inflict on trans students.
Image Received From:
https://www.out.com/art-books/2017/9/27/queer-artist-collected-200-gallons-urine-protest-federal-trans-bathroom-guidelines
Instagram 4 – AIDS Die In Protests (social issue)
The AIDS epidemic hit the LGBTQ+ community hard in the 1990s. Despite it’s large impact on multiple communities, the AIDS epidemic was largely ignored by the political administration. Pat Buchanan infamously said, “The poor homosexuals. They have declared war on nature and now nature is exacting an awful retribution” (Rimmerman). Die ins, like the one shown above, were used as a form of protest and a way to gain awareness for the issues faced. Organizations like ACT UP called for political action and funding of AIDS research.
Photo by Chuck Stallard June 1990
Image Received From: ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/singleitem/collection/p15799coll4/id/375/rec/54
Additional Citation:
Craig Rimmerman, “The Conflict Over HIV/AIDS Policy,” in The Lesbian and Gay Movements. Assimilation or Liberation? (Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 2015), 33-74.
Instagram 3 – Major! Documentary (film)
The documentary Major! consists of a series of interviews with Miss Major, a trans woman of color and activist who seeks reform the criminal justice system. Throughout the film Miss Major identify’s a number of obstacles trans women face on a daily basis. Whether it is coming out and not being accepted, homelessness, sex work, or the prison system, Miss Major seeks criminal reform for the safety of her “children” and “grandchildren.” Miss Major explains how many times sex work is one of the only forms of work that trans women can get. This often leads to their arrest where they face increased rates of physical and sexual violence as well as unjust solitary confinement within the prison system. Miss Major hopes to use her activism to reform the prison system and protect trans women.
Image Received From: http://archive.transgenderuniverse.com/2016/03/10/people-profile-miss-major/
Major!
Before watching the film “Major!” I had honestly never heard of Miss Major. Miss Major has been a trans rights activist for over 40 years. She focuses on standing up for trans women of color, particularly in the prison system. Trans women are overwhelmingly housed in mens jails and prisons. If they are not housed in mens prisons they are typically put in solitary confinement. They are often told that this is for their own protection but it is often done to make the job of the guards easier. Many trans women are kept in solitary confinement for extended periods of time. The United Nations says that if an individual is kept in solitary confinement for more than 15 days it is considered torture. Further, the prison system is an excellent example of the systemic oppression against people of color and trans individuals. For example, in 2008 58% of all US prisoners were African American or Latino while they only made up 25% of the US population. This is even more true for trans women of color who are often unable to get typical jobs accepted by society. To survive they often do illegal sex work or sell drugs which results in the incarceration of these individuals due targeted laws such as the war on drugs. Further, trans women of color are often written out of the gay rights movements history. They are often forgotten and therefore are often the most oppressed.
The film made me wonder what individuals outside of the trans community can specifically do to aid in the representation of trans individuals and specifically trans people of color. I think that this is such a huge issue but it’s obviously still not being addressed properly and needs to be addressed by people in the LGBTQ+ community who come from a greater place of privilege. How can individuals of privilege bring to light the struggles these oppressed individuals face.
MAJOR! (2017, dir. Annalise Ophelian and StormMiguel Florez).
AIDS Poster Collection
I find this particular poster about HIV and AIDS awareness interesting because there were two versions made, one with all white males and the one shown above. I think that it is extremely effective to show this type of representation within the awareness posters because it shows that HIV and AIDS does not just effect white middle class people but has effective a large number of individuals of multiple backgrounds, races, sexes, and classes. This allows the individuals to connect with the image more seeing themselves represented within the ad itself. It also gets the message across that using protection is sexy rather than just an extra step that “ruins the moment”.
Gay Mens Health Crisis. “He Plays Hard… And He Always Uses Condoms.” New York, 1992. Retrieved from http://aep.lib.rochester.edu/node/40831
Instagram Post 2: Pulse Shooting (event)
It’s hard to believe that the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida took place less than two years ago on June 12, 2016. While this tragedy is most certainly a part of the LGBTQ+ movements recent history, it is no less important. This event shook the LGBTQ+ community with the 49 individuals that were shot and killed that night. This event took place during a Latino Night hosted by Pulse, further highlighting the increased difficulties for minority LGBTQ+ individuals. This event was truly heartbreaking and we remember the 49 individuals that lost their lives to hate.
Image retrieved from http://abcnews.go.com/US/hours-body-camera-footage-orlando-nightclub-shooting-released/story?id=47753356
Week 4
One of the objects from the Special Collections that we visited during our last class that I found most interesting was the dairy entries from a previous student at the University of Rochester. In his diary entries, this student described his interactions with transgender individuals in the Rochester community. I think that the inclusion of this specific object in a public exhibit would be important because it may help show transgender experiences in the time frame that the diary was written, the late 1970’s to the early 1980’s. The diary also does a good job at showing the authors progression to meeting a transgender individual for the first time to learning more about transgender issues and attending and facilitating transgender forums at the University of Rochester. The author talked about specific transgender experiences such as an individual transitioning after marriage and what came along with the transition, in this case divorce. While these experiences are not told by a transgender individual, I still think it shows transgender experiences at the time.
I think that throughout the LGBTQ movement, the movement has mainly been focused on white gay men rather than minorities or even individuals that identify as bisexual, transgender, gender queer, pansexual, etc. I think that this is displayed in both the policies that the LGBTQ movement has fought for an media representation of LGBTQ issues. For example, a big focus in LGBTQ policies has been in winning the fight for gay marriage. Meanwhile, minority members of the LGBTQ community have been fighting for simple rights such as the right to use the bathroom of their identified gender. Minority communities also face systematic racism which, with the possible stigma LGBTQ members may face, just makes it that much harder for individuals. Inclusion and representation is important for minorities in LGBTQ communities because it allows people who identify with those represented feel less alone and have a role model to look to.
Instagram Post 1: Sylvia Rivera
Sylvia Rivera was an important part of the LGBTQ movement. From being credited to the first person to throw a beer starting the Stonewall Riots to reaching out to her community through her cofounded STAR organization that aimed to help gay and homeless youth it’s hard to deny that she played a central role in history. And not just the LGBTQ movement and history as well know it today. Rather, she represents the fight for equality for gay trans people of color.
Photo credit to Angelica Becerra http://angelicabecerra.bigcartel.com/product/palabra-series-sylvia-rivera