Black Trans Lives Matter by Ethan X. Parker and BreakOUT!. Photo by Luna Park.
This coming Friday, on November 20th, the world will observe the annual Transgender Day of Remembrance / Trans Day of Resilience. The day of remembrance is an important occasion that “honors the memory of the transgender people whose lives were lost in acts of anti-transgender violence,” and the thread of resilience “is an annual love offering to trans people of color.”
We are marking the occasion with a series of ad takeovers by three trans artists of color, posters that celebrate the transgender community. Guest curator Micah Bazant, with Trans Day of Resilience art project of Forward Together, has brought together work from Colin Laurel, Ethan X. Parker (with BreakOUT!), and Art Twink (with Familia: Trans Queer Liberation Movement). This series is, borrowing from the Trans Day of Resilience art project’s own description, both “a rebellious mourning” and an attempt to “shape an irresistible future.”
Colin Laurel. Photo by Luna Park.
From Colin Laurel:
Our dreams burn brightest when we’re young. Growing up trans, I dreamt of finding true acceptance and self-love; I asked questions about myself to which there were few clear answers. I created this piece to express joy and liberation among queer and questioning youth of color — to depict a world where they have the resources to live their fullest lives.
From Art Twink:
Art is at the heart of resistance. It is what binds us together, motivates us to change, and helps us to understand one another. It is a medium for our anger as well as our joy that we use to dismantle systems of oppression. What Art in Ad Places does is reclaim space stolen by capitalism to bring back love and beauty to public spaces. I hope this project continues to bring people joy and a sense of safety and community.
Dandelions and Butterflies by Art Twink and Familia: Trans Queer Liberation Movement. Photo by Luna Park.
And from Ethan X. Parker:
Advertising is everywhere. We’re told what to eat, how to dress, who to support, and where to invest our most precious resources. And it’s for that last reason that I chose to participate in this project. We, as a Black trans community — especially during this administration, are in peril. Our lives and livelihoods are in danger, and it becomes increasingly more obvious as we form a more interconnected way of sharing our Black trans experiences. For me, our legacies are more than hashtags. As folks board their trains and shuffle onto busses, I want to remind them of that. I want to remind folks that Black trans lives always matter whether our deaths are trending, whether our content is streaming, whether our thought leaders are organizing. So enjoy your commute. Sing, thrive, enchant, and flourish! And extend the same zeal for life to Black trans folks as well.
At a moment when a lot of liberal Americans, but especially liberal white Americans, are breathing a sigh of relief, it is essential to remember that A. Black people got Biden elected, and B. there is still so much work to do. Perhaps, now that we are about to have someone in the White House that says they will listen, more work than before.
The curator and all of the artists involved in this series express the complexities of this moment (and the necessary striving for better) so well, and Art in Ad Places is honored to be amplifying their voices on the street. 🌹