This zine was created, collectively, by the students of Nishant Upadhyay’s course, Queer and Trans of Color Visions at CU Boulder in the spring of 2021. Each student studied and compiled the information in this zine as presented by trans and queer BIPOC visionaries, writers, and activists working and dreaming on Turtle Island, so called, US. We hope that this collective work provides both an analysis of the histories and work of these visionaries as well as a method for moving forward, amidst continuing violent and structurally racist oppressions to BIPOC, queer and trans people, and the earth, into an abolitionist, decolonial, queer, radical, and communitiy-focused futures.
We acknowledge that our campus is situated on the traditional territories and ancestral homelands of the Cheyenne, Arapaho, and Ute peoples. Further, we acknowledge the 48 contemporary tribal nations are historically tied to the lands that comprise what is now called Colorado. Indigenous peoples and their lands in the state of Colorado and what is now called United States continue to be colonized. As we collectively think about decolonial futures, it is our responsibility to center the lives, struggles, and visions of Indigenous peoples across Turtle Island, and commit to be better accomplishes in struggles for sovereignty. We also acknowledge that Black and African peoples have been foundational to the making of what we call United States. Fighting against legacies of enslavement and anti-Black racism are central to our visions of abolition. Furthermore, without the scholarship, activism, and art of Black and Indigenous visionary feminists, queer, trans and Two-Spirit peoples, this zine would not have been possible. Thus, we are committed to Black & Indigenous decolonial and abolitionist futures. In addition, Nishant is thankful to Haruki Eda for sharing his expertise on zine-assignments. Also, Nishant is grateful for the opportunity to engage with Jordan Garcia, Stevie Gunter, Maya Rothlein, Gwendalynn C. Roebke, and Dr. Kristie Soares on dreaming trans abolitionist futures. You can find the recording of the panel here: https://www.colorado.edu/wgst/TransVisions Illustration Team: Anne Aquino, Lily Drevno, Kristen Narona, and Tiana Sandoval. Editorial Team: Ceili Mirrelson, Macy Wallace, Sashi Sharma, and Emily Sadler
Table of Contents 1.
Decolonization...Pages 1-9 (Kelly Lolly, Spencer Henderson,Kevin Cross, Yuka Vogenthaler)
2.
Abolition...Pages 10-15… (Allyse Zimmerman, Paiton Coleman, Keaton Brannigan, Brian Melendez)
3.
Trans and Two-Spirit Liberation...Pages 16-23 (Chris Hendrie, Christina Withstandley, Tonara Goldsby, Ethan Frahm)
4.
Anti-Pinkwashing and Homonationalism...Pages 24-30 (Sarah Suliman, Devin Marquez, Samuel Britten, Jason Lawrence)
5.
Disability Justice...Pages 31-40 (Jennifer Carrillo, Andrew Goldstein, Colton Romero, Janely Arzate)
6.
Pleasure Politics….Pages 41-48 (Theya Wood, Carsyn Tilp, Experanza Garcia, Maria Martinez)
7.
Mutual Aid...Pages 49-56 (Maymuna Jeylani, Karia White, Violet Stoudt)
8.
Trans Abolitionist Visions...Page 57 (Anne Aquino)
9.
Reflections page 58
Art by Kelly Lolly
Defining Decolonization It’s simply the undoing of colonialism, to see a vision of a world without colonial rule and to unpack the legacy of colonialism.
Settler colonialism is a form of colonialism that seeks to replace the original population of the colonized territory with a new society of settlers.
Art by Tiana Sandoval
To make visible what colonialism makes invisible; to address Indigenous people with respect, compassion, and empathy.
Settler Colonialism: the ongoing system of power that perpetuates the genocide and repression of Indigenous Peoples and cultures.
We are ALL affected and constrained by colonialism “If we don't decolonize, we are powering the existing injustices of the world. ” ―Anni Liu. Everyday Feminism
Designed by
Pepper Eppinga
“Our radical imagination is a tool for decolonization, for reclaiming our right to shape our lived reality.” ―
adrienne maree brown, Pleasure Activism: The Politics of Feeling Good
Decolonizing Land A central part of what decolonization Leanne Betasamosake means for Indigenous Simpson discusses that Peoples is Indigenous resistance is a decolonizing land. radical rejection of
Art by Dylan Miner
contemporary colonialism focused around the refusal Simpson centers Indigenous feminist and of the dispossession of queer thought with both Indigenous bodies land-based methodologies, laws, and knowledge and land in As We Have systems to propose radical resurgence as a grounding Always Done. Art by Gord Hill
normative framework for Indigenous mobilization.
Decolonizing Land (cont.)
Through ceremony, Natalie Avalos discusses Indigenous people how Indigenous people Native land-based ethics and protocols are affirm their sacred act as stewards of the essential for decolonizing. relationships to the land, protecting and lands and the spiritual nurturing the life within power within them it in “Indigenous that make them Stewardship and the sovereign. Death Rattle of White Favianna Supremacy." “Decolonial Slut Love”
Wiki Public Domain Art
Rodriguez
“Religious life acts as a grounding point in the face of continued colonialism, strengthening community relationships and mobilizations of land defense.” -Avalos
Art by Shanti Basu
Section 1: Decolonizing the Mind ★ ★
Undoing of colonialism; we need to recognize that the very processes of colonization mean colonial impact is invasive and often present in our everyday lives in ways we may not immediately realize (i.e normalization of work culture, academic culture, etc.) Understand that we can achieve freedom from the systems that oppress us all. ○
★ ★ ★ ★
“Kina Gchi Nishnaabeg-ogamig— the place where we all live and work together.” (Simpson As We Have Always Done) learning from indigenous elders, thought, and practice.
Deconstruct the Idealization of whiteness under colonialism ○ Colonialism has normalized white supremacy. Understanding this is key to taking steps to decolonize ourselves. Landback efforts, naming the places you are in as indigenous land, and other listening practices help us comprehend how we all have been oppressed under settler colonialism. Know sovereignty of the land has been taken from the indigenous people, and that efforts to restore these indigenous lands continues to be opposed. ○
“Indigenous land defenders in the U.S., Canada, and around the world are criminalized and often targets of violence.” (Avalos, Indigenous Stewardship)
Kevin Cross
Queer Normativity ★
★
★
★
We should be considerate of the ways Simpson describes Nishnaabeg grounded normativity; indigenous processes of understanding are rooted in acceptance and interdependence, as well as rejecting the idea that western education makes someone intelligent or more qualified than someone who did not. It is crucial to know respect and validate each other, and to reject the consumerist and meritocratic aspects of patriarchal western capitalist society. To decolonize, we need to decolonize all the aspects of life that deal with this settler colonial framing. Queerness is something that we have been conditioned to see as “other” in western societies. In many other and especially indigenous social groups, this “othering” is not as thoroughly enforced through law and social mores in the way Western gender roles have been. The impact of colonialization and centering of whiteness has also lead to a centering of western queer people who reject binary gender norms, rather than centering the BIPOC voices that have stood against the colonial regime as a function of their survival, and the survival of their individual cultures. I think that centering QTBIPOC voices and addressing the needs of this community to be something that we consider as a function of beginning to approach queer normativity in all of society, regardless of the impact white supremacy under settler colonialism has had in our society.
Kevin Cross
Decolonizing the Media
Spencer Henderson
Decolonization means the undoing of colonialism. As we have seen throughout history, colonialism has played a key role in shaping our society today. Although it may be true that decolonization had a role in shaping society, it does not mean we cannot decolonize the media we consume. To look at decolonization through the lens of the media could be vague, but racism, sexism, hate speech, etc. are all qualities that can be decolonized through the media. “The article ultimately attempts to fold the intersecting trans struggles that have made these advancements possible into the time and space of a nation-state that supposedly has transcended the “frontiers” of racism, sexism, and more recently homophobia and now is ready to conquer the new frontier of transphobia.” - Jian Neo Chen
Artwork by Lily Drevno
Decolonizing Holidays
The Truth will not be Whitewashed Truthgiving
“Indian Country” (Native American Reservations) use a lot of American holidays as a time to celebrate culture. Such as Indigenous Peoples' Day instead of Columbus day, and “Truthsgiving” instead of Thanksgiving. Or even using President's Day to remember their own tribal leaders instead. Decolonize our national holidays.
Despite our comfort.
Despite our traditions.
In spite of our history.
Truthgiving Mission Statement: “It’s about telling and doing the truth on this day so we can stop dangerous stereotypes and whitewashed history from continuing to harm Indigenous lands and Peoples, as well as Black, Latinx, Asian-American and all oppressed folks on Turtle Island.”
Dismantle the existing barriers that continue to oppress minorities and bury the truth of history to comfort the Oppressor. Kelly
Art by Kelly Lolly
Truthgiving https://www.truthsgiving.org/about
Kelly
Decolonize Holidays ‘For many Native Americans, Thanksgiving is a day of mourning and protest since it commemorates the arrival of settlers in North America and the centuries of oppression and genocide that followed after.’ -Native Hope ‘Voices of Indian Country’
Decolonizing Holidays also means removing acts of cultural insensitivity and appropriation. No more paper headdresses in non-Native schools “Thanksgiving is the third in a line of problematic holidays of the fall season — holidays that may seem harmless, but that actually have a grave effect on the well-being of Native Americans. The other two are Columbus Day and Halloween.” -Sikowis Native Hope https://blog.nativehope.org/what-does-thanksgiving-mean-to-native-americans Truthgiving Zine https://50d4cf13-27e9-4590-bd5f-5c4fad41076c.filesusr.com/ugd/8d2c20_7a647715b2694c43b456fdca865ba273.pdf
Art by Kelly Lolly
What is PIC/Prison Abolition? PIC refers to the Prison Industrial Complex, a term for the way that prisons in our society function as a system to oppress people of color
Abolition, in a modern context, is the movement to end the prison industrial complex and policing industrial complex, by getting rid of both of these structures within our government. Instead it calls for $ funds to be redirected to communities so that crime can be prevented in the first place
PIC and Police Origin Origin Based In Violence
According to Kaba, Prisons were originally a reform to capital punishment. The result was instead a holding center for any social deviant. Jailing rises as Lyndon Johnson enacts the war on poverty at the same time as social justice and civil rights movements rise. This created the composition of primarily black people in prison and frames the young black face as the face of crime. The police originated from runaway slave patrols…… Instead of being dissolved after slave emancipation, they were simply given new a name and carried on with their original purpose.
The United States remains the country with the highest number of incarcerated individuals in the entire world. With black men and women as the highest incarcerated group in the nation.
Illustration here
The Prison system is not broken, it functions exactly as it was intended.
Prisons and Police Function Together in the Name of Control Sources: Mariame Kaba, We do This ‘Til We Free Us (2021) Illustration: Jasmine & Brian Melendez Garcia
Men, women, and non-binary people of color remain the targets of police violence. The police only protect and serve certain Americans.
The police will not police themselves, and reform is not working and will not work.
“Abolish Police.” Salon.com, www.salon.com/2021/04/18/if-black-lives-matter-dont-simply-reform-policing--dism antle-the-system-entirely/.
Reform vs Abolition
Kaba, Mariame. We Do This Til We Free Us: Abolitionist Organizing and Transforming Justice. Haymarket Books, 2021.
“Police Reform.” Yonkers Times, yonkerstimes.com/westchester-police-departments-to-review-policies-procedures/.
Reform sounds like a good solution or compromise, but there are guidelines for evaluating any suggested reforms of policing in the US. Oppose if: 1. They are based on giving more money to the police 2. They are asking for more policing (be care of the term community policing) 3. Primarily technology focused, just means more money going to the police 4. They are based on “dialogues” with the police, which would basically be paid for by taxpayer money. 5. Focused on individual dialogues with police which reinforces the “bad apples theory” of oppressive policing
Support if: 1. Offer reparation to victims of police violence and their families 2. Decrease and redirect policing and prison funds to other social needs 3. Independent civilian police accountability boards with real power to hand down real consequences 4. Disarming police 5. Simple solutions to dissolve police dept. 6. Data transparency 7. The proposal has nothing to do with reforming or morphing the police but still allowing them their corrupt power
School-to-Prison Pipeline The school-to-prison pipeline (STPP), as Kaba defined it in her book We Do This Till We Free Us, refers to “interlocking sets of structural and individual relationships in which youth, primarily of color, are funneled from schools and neighborhoods into under- or unemployment and prisons” (Kaba, 76). Students are being ripped from the classroom at an increasingly alarming rate, particularly students of color, since the 1950s when the first “school resource officer” was stationed at a public school in Flint, Michigan. This was part of a deliberate plan to “embed police officers in community contexts” as a means to help justify their necessity (Kaba, 77). Only 1% of schools had an officer in 1975, and now the school districts have employed so many that the school district itself is technically the 5th biggest police district in the US. There’s been a growing carceral logic within our school system, which Kaba defines as a “punishment mindset”, and zero tolerance policies are a prime example of it. They began to pop up as a supposed response to the emergence of the school shooting phenomenon in our country, yet they are most often applied to minor offenses such as fighting, not for bringing weapons or other felony crimes. Zero tolerance policies, which overwhelmingly target youth of color, have ramped up the rate of student suspensions in our country, and this is so detrimental because getting suspended triples a student’s chances of dropping out by the time they’re in tenth grade. The US could save “$209,000 in prison and other costs” on each high school dropout if we instead got them to graduate. The fact that many states spend more on prison than education is just… wow.
“Arresting the Carceral State.” We Do This Til We Free Us: Abolitionist Organizing and Transforming Justice, by Mariame Kaba, Haymarket Books, 2021. Maxwell, Zerlina. “The School-to-Prison Pipeline Is Targeting Your Child • EBONY.” EBONY, 1 Aug. 2016, www.ebony.com/news/the-school-to-prison-pipeline-i s-targeting-your-child-405/.
Divest to Invest ●
●
●
Divest to invest focuses on investment in black lives and community based restorative justice instead of the overinvestment in the surveillance and exploitation of Black people in the PIC ○ Militirization of police during war on terror -> overpolicing and terrorism of black communitties ->surveilance “Paid does not necessarily mean money… Maybe it's got to be free housing, maybe it's got to be free for from the community farm” (kaba, 101) ○ NYPD has the largest police state, and a militarization budget of about 11 billion a year ■ Making 5X more than other services like department of health and mental hygiene (city of ny office of management and budget, 2020) “We demand investments in the education, health and safety of Black people, instead of investments in the criminalizing, caging, and harming of Black people. We want investments in Black communities, determined by Black communities, and divestment from exploitative forces including prisons, fossil fuels, police, surveillance and exploitative corporations.” (m4bl)
Image Credit: Monica Trinidad We Do This ‘Till We Free Us Abolitionist Organizing and Transformative Justice, Mariame Kaba “DEFUND THE POLICE.” M4BL, 20 Aug. 2020, m4bl.org/defund-the-police/.
“Two Spirit is a contemporary term used to identify Native American Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and some Transgender individuals with traditional and cultural understandings of gender roles and identity.” - Elton Naswood
ategies to ety of str ri a v a d e d ers us oples an n coloniz enous pe Europea ig d In e s and era . alienate, er binary oppress, the gend m o fr d te eviants’ that devia gender ‘d s u o n customs e dig h ericas, In .” (Debora ut the Am o h g u rmination ro te x Th e r fo ] “target[s ed out of ntified as ften forc o re e were ide w uals ing the e individ s coloniz da) Thes rd ia n a p S A. Miran ce, or instan tolerate, unities. F m m o c r that to ir a le the c it e ia "mad t death.” in Californ der mean n e g d Chumash ir e th te with th r associa o r, o rb a h
“Two Spirit” original wool blanket crafted by Ojibwe two-spirit artist Ryan Young. (Red Lake Nation News)
is a film about a black trans woman named Cece McDonald who was incarcerated for second-degree murder for the maximum sentence of forty-one months for defending herself from a hate crime, Cece was release after nineteen months in prison with the help of protest and visible support. On June 5, 2011, twenty-three year old Cece Mcdonald and her friends were walking when a group of white people began harassing them, calling them very derogatory terms regarding their identity. As Mcdonald and her friends tried to walk away, she was attacked with a glass bottle and a fight broke out. When McDonald attempted to
Was trial for surviving a hate crime!
leave the scene, one of the attackers followed. McDonald took a pair of scissors out of her purse and the man was stabbed in the chest and died from the wound. Despite the fact that she was attacked first and was defending herself from transphobic racist, McDonald was arrested that night and then charged with second-degree intentional murder and relased after serving nineteen months of her sentence.
●
Many are placed in the wrong gendered prisons, such as Cece, who was placed in an all men’s prison despite her pronouns and violence against transgender people tends to be worse in places that are separated by sex
●
The U.S. Transgender Survey Report found that transgender people are ten times as likely to be sexually assaulted by their fellow inmates and five times as likely to be sexually assaulted by staff and A California study found that transgender people were 13 times more likely to be sexually assaulted than non-transgender people in prison.
●
In ICE Dentenions, many trans reported experiening sexual assault and other forms of abuse and ill-treatment, including denial of access to necessary medical care
Violent altercations can put LGBTQ+ migrants at risk of deportation whether they are undocumented or not. The individual may be held in a detention center prior to trial or deportation. Immigration detention houses people who are being detained while the government determines whether or not to deport them.
Although LGBT people were 0.14 percent of the people ICE detained in 2017, they accounted for 12 percent of victims of sexual abuse and assault in ICE detention that year. In other words, assuming each report of sexual violence is substantiated and involves a separate victim, LGBT people in ICE custody are 97 times more likely to be sexually victimized than non-LGBT people in detention centers (NBC, 2018). “U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has zero tolerance for all forms of sexual abuse or assault against individuals in the agency’s custody, and we are committed to investigating and responding to every allegation of sexual abuse and assault." -Matthew Bourke, ICE spokesperson.
Art by, @ArtTwink in collaboration with @familiatqlm
Increased support ○
○
More than six in ten (62%) Americans say they have become more supportive toward transgender rights compared to their views five years ago. By contrast, about one-quarter (25%) say their views are more opposed compared to five years ago. More than three-quarters (79%) of Americans believe that transgender people face at least some stigma in their community, including just under four in ten (38%) Americans who believe transgender people face a lot of it.
Military ban ○
○
“Despite the Trump administration’s ban on transgender personnel in the U.S. military, more than six in ten (63%) Americans favor allowing transgender people to serve in uniform – a level of support that is unchanged from 2017 (64%). While it is good that trans folk get more inclusion we must consider how allowing trans folks to join a predominantly conservative community, could lead to aggression and violent acts towards the trans folks.
Role models ○ ○
Laverne Cox being featured on the outside of the Time magazine was a huge step and acknowledgment However, we must learn from the past and be wary of spotlight and attention as we have seen this lead to more aggression and violence towards trans people and trans communities.
Kearns, Madeleine. “The Origins of the Transgender Movement.” National Review, National Review, 14 Oct. 2019, www.nationa“Trans Liberation Not More US Invasion.” Micah Bazant, www.micahbazant.com/buy-art/trans-liberation-not-more-us-invasion.
Matthew Shepard & James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act A federal law that amended federal hate crime law to include gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, and disability.
Trans Day of Remembrance & Resilience November 20th
Human Rights Campaign announces 33 states have introduced more than 100 bills that aim to restrict transgender people’s rights around the country (HRC, 2021).
Ban on gender-affirming care & same-gender sports among youth
Violence Against Women Act The House of Representatives approved an amendment in March 2021 that would establish the first grant program for LGBTQ+ survivors of stalking, sexual harassment, domestic abuse, and hate crimes. Art by, Transgender Europe (TGEU)
Researchers from the Williams Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles, School of Law discovered that transgender individuals are over 4 times more likely to experience a violent crime—rape, sexual assault, and aggravated or simple assault than a cis-heterosexual person (Advocate 2021)..
2021 Breaks Record for Anti-Transgender Legislation
"Transgender Day of Remembrance seeks to highlight the losses we face due to anti-transgender bigotry and violence. ...it is vitally important that those we lose are remembered, and that we continue to fight for justice." - Gwendolyn Ann Smith, Founder of Transgender Day of Remembrance & Resilience
22 states have introduced bills that prohibit or impede the administration of gender-affirming therapy to minors, and 31 to ban transgender athletes from participating in sports consistant with their gender identity (CNN, 2021).. With 37 confirmed deaths this past year, the Human Rights Campaign has officially reported more violent deaths of transgender and gender nonconforming people than in any previous year since they began monitoring the abuse in 2013
●
Paying Homage ○ Without Sylvia Rivera, Marsha P. Johnson and the Stonewall Riots we wouldn't be where we are today.
Bazant, M. (2018). Trans Liberation Not More US Invasion [painting]. Retrieved from www.micahbazant.com/ buy-art/trans-liberation-not-more-us-invasion. Do You See How Much I'm Suffering Here? (2020, May 27). Retrieved from Retrieved from https://www.hrw. org/report/2016/03/24/do-you-see-how-much-im-suffering-here/abuse-against-transgender women-us#. Gares, J. (Producer), & Gares, J. (Director). (2016). Free Cece! [documentary]. United States: Jac Gares Media. Retrieved from https://www.freececedocumentary.com/. Glaad. (2020, November 19). Transgender Day of Remembrance. Retrieved from https://www.glaad.org/tdor Greenberg, D., Najle, M., Jackson, N., Bola, O., & Jones, P. R. (2019, July 11). America’s Growing Support for Transgender Rights. PRRI. Retrieved from www.prri.org/research /americas-growing-support-for-transgender-rights/. Kearns, M. The Origins of the Transgender Movement. National Review. (2019, October 19). Retrieved from https://www.nationalreview.com/2019/10/the-origins-of-the-transgendermovement/. Krishnakumar, P. (2021, April 15). This record-breaking year for anti-transgender legislation would affect minors the most. Retrieved from https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/15/politics/anti-transgender -legislation-2021/index.html Moreau, J. (2018, June 06). LGBTQ migrants 97 times more likely to be sexually assaulted in detention, report says. Retrieved from https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/lgbtq-migrants-97-timesmore-likely-be-sexually-assaulted-detention-n880101 Naswood, E. (2012, December 12). Mending the Rainbow: Working with the Native LGBT/Two Spirit Community [PowerPoint slides]. National Native American AIDS Prevention Center. Retrieved from http://www.tribal-institute.org/2012/B6PP.pdf
Red Lake Nation News. (2018). Eighth Generation Launches New ‘Two Spirit’ Wool Blanket. Retrieved from https://www.redlakenationnews.com/story/2018/12/10/ features/eighth-generation-launches-new-two-spirit-wool-blanket/76997.html. Pasulka, N. (2012, May 22). The Case of Cece Mcdonald: Murder-or Self-Defense Against a Hate Crime? Retrieved from https://www.motherjones.com/politics /2012/05/cece-mcdonald-transgender-hate-crime-murder/. Police, Jails & PRISONS. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://transequality.org/issues/police -jails-prisons. . Rojas, J. (2018, November 28). These artists And activists Are Empowering Trans Lives Through Art. Retrieved from https://wearemitu.com/things-that-matter/artistsactivistsempowering-transgender/. Roberts, M. (2020, November 19). Marking the Deadliest Year on Record, HRC Releases Report on Violence Against Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming People. Retrieved from https://www.hrc.org/press-releases/marking-the-deadliest-year-on-record-hrc -relesesreport-on-violence-against-transgender-and-gender-non-conforming-people. Ronan, W. (2021, March 13). 2021 becomes record year For Anti-Trans Legislation. Retrieved from https://www.hrc.org/press-releases/breaking-2021-becomes-record-year-for-anti -transgender-legislation. Rude, M. (2021, March 23). Trans people four times as likely to face violent crime as cis. Retrieved from https://www.advocate.com/crime/2021/3/23/trans-people-four-times -likely-face-violent-crime-cis Transgender Europe. (2021, April 1). Trans day of Remembrance Campaign. Retrieved from https://tgeu.org/tdor/. Transgender Incarcerated People in Crisis. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www. lambdalegal.org/knowyour-rights/article/trans-incarcerated-people. 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey Report. (2015). National Center for Transgender Equality. Retrieved from https://www.ustranssurvey.org/reports.
Anti-Pinkwashing/Homonationalism Free Palestine
(The Guardian) (New York Times)
(Global news)
History & Background of Palestine In 1948 Jews immigrated to Palestine (Israel). Israel's used their powers and weapons to move Muslims from their land and took over it. This is similar to what happened to native american, they got kill and moved out of their land
Occupation Of Palestine
Course Material
Homonationalism & Settlers Colonialism Homonationalism is often used to further the idea that many non-western countries are homophobic while at the same time ignoring homophobia in westernized nations.
The colonization of Palestine by Israel is a major issue that needs to be addressed, but it is far from the only example of colonialism in the modern world.
U.S. citizens are settlers in a settler colony, a fact that is often forgotten. Pinkwashing is not limited to Israel, and the U.S. and other nations have often used similar tactics in the past. U.S. citizens are currently benefiting from the nations colonial practices.
Pinkwashing and Tourism (Depaul Library)
Israel has launched many LGBTQIA+ tourist ads like this to promote their country as a haven for LGBTQIA+ tourists. This is all done despite the settler colonialism of Palestine.
(Global News) This is a clear example of homonationalism. Canada is promoting that homosexuals are treated well in their country while only addressing one specific group within the LGBTQIA+ community, by stating, “In Canada lesbians are considered hot!” Also, this statement implies that gay women choose their sexuality based on the likings of straight men.
(Jadaliyya - Puar & Mikdashi) Ads like these further institute racism and Islamophobia and the U.S. uses it to “justify” them in attacking other middle eastern countries on the basis that those countries are not LGBTQIA+ friendly.
Islamophobia In Israel COVID-19 Vaccine
Pinkwashing
Israel is discriminating toward Plaistinaian with the COVID-19 Vaccine. The impact of perpetual military occupation mean that local Palestinian health system does not have the accsses to sustain COVID-19 response long-term.
The calling out of Muslim majority countries to appeal more to the LGBTQIA+ community. “pinkwashing serves to conceal Israel`s colonization of Palestine” (Puar & Mikdashi).
Medical Aid for Palestinians
Camera.org
Unlawful killings and excessive use of force Israel is discriminating toward Palestine with praying in their mosques. “Military and security forces killed at least 31 Palestinians, including nine children, in the Gaza Strip and West Bank, according to OCHA.”(© Amnesty International)
BBC
Pinkwashing in Other Places
(Spy.com) H&M released a clothing line where ten percent of profits went to the U.N. Free and Equal Campaign - an organization that helps secure LGBTQIA+ rights. However, the company continued to produce their pride line of clothes in countries like Turkey, Bangladesh, and China, where there is strict anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation (Mentis, 2020).
Amazon has released Pride ads to make themselves look LGBTQIA+ friendly. All of this is done while the company continues to have poor working conditions and tax avoidance (Dahl, 2014).
(Amazon)
(Cars Guide) The police put a rainbow flag on cars to try to show that they supported queer rights movements. This is contradicting considering that queer folks are put into prison at a much higher rate than the general population and hate crimes in the form of police brutality are more common than any other kind of hate crimes against queer folks (Davis, 2019).
Pinkwatching: We Can Do Better
Israel’s actions against Palestinians are a human issue, not only a LGBTQIA+ one. As it stands, queerness is the only lens through which queer people are allowed to speak against injustices perpatrated by Israel. Violences done by Israel do not end with pinkwashing; queer people have a right to criticise all aspects of Israel’s wrongdoing.
Queerness has become the only permited solidarity with Palestinian queers; Israeli occupation of Palestine needs to end regardless of pinkwashing.
None of this is to say pinkwatching has failed. Pinkwatching has been vital in calling attention to Israel’s use of supposedly “stellar” gay rights to obfuscate Palestinian occupation. We, as pinkwatchers, simply need to be cognizant of homonationalism and not fall into the trap of making Israel’s crimes a purely gay rights issue.
Disability justice is a framework that is based on reprogramming what we've been told or "spoon fed" about disability, independence, and allyship as a society. On all levels, disability justice celebrates diversity, questions privilege, and questions what is considered "normal." Ableism, like all other supremacy-based structures, has multiple levels of operation: individual, institutional, and societal. In addition to integrating disability justice into our everyday politics, we must change perception, actions, and community/cultural contexts to lessen the detrimental e fect of ableism on people with disabilities so that we can embrace a future that values mutual care processes, interdependence, the wholeness of all bodies, and collective liberation.
Some Musts Do's to Avoid Everyday Ableism: 1. People with disabilities are people first 2. Stop assuming people with disabilities want to be able-bodied 3. Don't ask "what happened" 4. avoid using ableist language
I dream of a world in which all bodies, all individuals, all minds, all beauties, and all ways of life are regarded as intrinsically valuable, all bodies under the stars. Collectively we can achieve this dream.
more than is t I . x e l p m o ing “Access is c ramp or gett a g in v a h st u j he s/crips into t disabled folk ant ess is a const meeting. Acc ’t stop. It is sn e o d t a h t ss lp, proce n you have he e h w n e v e d n out hard a le to figure ib ss o p im e b it can ah lakshmi alone” ― Le ork: sinha, care w a r a m sa a n z piep e ability justic dreaming dis
"We are more disabled by the society that we live in than by our bodies and our diagnoses." - Stella Young, I'm not your inspiration, thank you very much
“People with disabilities a re different from non-dis abled people and from ea other - and ch those differe nces shape h they live in ow the world, b ut this diffe way of living r e nt , even as it m ay negate do some things, in g opens new w ays of being existing that a n d are valuable Adrienne Ma as well.” ree Brown, P leasure Activ The Politics ism: of Feeling G ood
"My disab led body is not your reminder that thin g s co worse." @Thelisaw uld be alters (twitter)
“Our works n eeds to cente r disability justice and t he activists a t the core of it, where being sick, disabled , mad, neurodiverge nt/autistic an d /o r Deaf is at the heart of our radica lism.” – Leah Laksh mi Piepzna-S amarasinha (124)
“... the real deal is messy and beautiful and real, as messy and beautiful and real as our Bodyminds.” - Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha (125)
Ableism during Covid-19 -Companies not having hardly any resources for the deaf and disabled community -Instructors not having the patience for their students with the shift to remote learning https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVL_5QUOJ44 -People turning to social media to "help" the community but only do it to gain clout/followers -When members of the disabled community call someone out for being
photo from Sammi Haney's disability shirts.com
Intersectionality is Key to Justice! d nd disable a e l p o e p Bipoc e both people hav d forced experience n -sterilizatio justice is both ive ice Reproduct bility just a is d d n a racial
s are m o o r h bat e for l b Public i s s e inacc d often led an b a s i d both people r e d n e transg
Protests are ofte n made inaccess ible to d isab people w ho may w led ant to contribu te
“We cannot allow the liberation of disabled people to be boiled down to logistics. We must understand and practice an accessibility that moves us closer to justice, not just inclusion or diversity.” -- Mia Mingus
Disabled people are also bipoc, queer, and trans: Liberation must fight for all!
Pol disp ice vio l disa ropor ence t tra bled, b ionate nsg l end ipoc, a y targ er ets peo nd ple
Medical institut ions victimiz e and disrespe ct bipoc , transge nder, an d disabled people
Interview With My Family Friend Who’s Son Has Down Syndrome I had the Unique pleasure of getting to interview my Family friends mother who has a son with down syndrome. His name is Caleb and I got the privilege to grow up with him and even graduate high school with him. As we got older throughout the years Caleb was seen by not just me but the rest of the class as just another regular student. I did this interview to shed some light on what parents have had to go through in this pandemic when it came to having a child with disability. There were some key takeaways from this interview where she asked for people with higher power to look out for people with disabilities more, especially in a pandemic.
Interview Continued ●
Up until about a month ago her son with down syndrome couldn’t work because they weren’t approved for vaccine. ○ ○ ○
●
She would like to see grocery stores, gyms and other places not only have specific times to shop and workout for eldery but also for people with disabilities. ○
●
Says she wishes that people with disabilities were a bit more of a priority. Her son had a hard time with the pandemic because he couldn’t have a daily routine or anything, he was stuck inside for almost a year. Kids with down syndrome were very high risk of catching the virus.
She felt like not much attention was put on them. Kind of felt neglected.
“People with disabilities are just like you, they just need a little extra help. But the government kind of neglected that little extra help when it came to the pandemic.”
How to Help -Anti-capitalism: don't encourage competition as means of survival. The nature of disabled bodyminds means resisting conforming to "normative" levels of productivity in capitalist culture and their (disabled people) labor is often invisible to a system that defines labor by abled- bodied, white supremacist, gender normative standards. -Recognize wholeness: Disabled people are whole people. They are more than their history and experiences, just like any person, they have thoughts, emotions, sensations, quirks, etc. -Collective access: Everyone has different needs and should not feel ashamed. Working together, there is no fear in being vulnerable and strengths are respected. Collective Liberation: Move/work together with different groups (abilities, races, gender, etc.) with a vision that leaves no bodymind behind. EveryBODY is beautiful and loved.
Journal Entry #1 Where is your disabled existence/experience at right now?
Journal Entry #2 When you start planning your art, cultural, whatever project: how are you thinking about disability?
While pleasure has been used in liberation for centuries, activist Keith
Cylar was the one to
coin the term “Pleasure Activism.” He was the founder of Housing Works which was a service to help those with HIV/AIDS. adrienne
marie
brown explores the idea of bringing pleasure into their political work and talks to many others who explore pleasure in their day-to-day lives in their book, Pleasure Activism: The Politics of Feeling Good. In their book they have interviews with many pioneers of the movement of centering pleasure within liberation such as,
Audre Lorde, Octavia Butler, Cara Page, and Toni Cade Bambara.
amb describes pleasure activism as a way to escape the weight of oppression and finding joy within these movements. They want people to
“stop equating suffering with a part of how we do our justice work.”
Who Are the Pioneers?
“protects and celebrates her girl-child self.”
Audre Lorde explores eroticism as a form of
power in her essay, Uses
Bambara is explained as a Black woman who is unapologetically herself, ready with something to say. She is a warrior who is always
of the Erotic:
She focuses on the pleasure of coming into Black womanhood and the intersection of oppression and joy of growing up as a Black girl.
The Erotic as Power. She exclaims how the body is a tool and every body is desirable, even when not skinny, abled, white, or heteronormative.
Image of Octavia Butler taken by Joshua Trujillo
Image of Audre Lorde by Penguin Classics
Butler is known for deep sexual stories and fictions exploring people's deepest and most secret fantasies to allow people to investigate what turns them on. Cara is known as a healer, as a big-sister figure to help guide others in their journeys to pleasure.
Cara is known as a healer, as a big-sister figure to help guide others in their journeys to pleasure.
Image of Octavia Butler by an unknown photographer
re asu t in e l P exis ite n a n c infi f an unt o o am ays. w
How pleasure can manifest: Examples Pleasure can manifest in an infinite amount of realms. Pleasure and the erotic can be experienced in sexual spaces, creative spaces, platonic spaces, nature, and so many more.
Cent er your plea sure
Pleasure as a form of knowledge: listening
to your gut/body Pleasure in open communication: to find pleasure in complete honesty in every relationship (including the relationship with yourself). Artist: @ggggrimes on instagram provides a lot of art showing pleasure in queer relationships
to KNOW what is good for you: if whatever you’re doing isn’t pleasurable, you can question why you continue to do it.
Decolonizing Pleasure
“No long thrust. No slow deep cook. Summer is perceptible at 53.5 degrees North. It is when the ice mostly goes. Save occasional evening pellets when bruised clouds build,
Pleasure is multidimensional.
shake wind like fancy dancers in cut-glass purple, blue, beaded garments. Summer’s tongue traces our breasts,
Please transcends time and space.
skims kisses across lips, down necks. We widen our eyes—silence. Summer’s gone. Its ghost more present than
@lafaamdulaak
Pleasure is ancestral and is present with non-human relatives. Extending to micro-organisms, constellations and self.
heat of life itself. We long hard for Summer in cool rooms though the horizon is pink past midnight. Summer keeps us wanting its barely attainable touch. Summer relentlessly leaves us. Summer’s love is never not new.”
- Kim TallBear, Summer Relationship Energy, 7.05.17 @chiefladybird
“Bannock/ Roll’kuaken”, Hunger collection, 2020 by @lafaamdulaaak
How do you prefer to eat Bannock or Roll’kauken?
Jazz (the artist) reminds us find pleasure in food, traditional hunting practices, and sharing reciprocity with Earth kin.
“How can you access pleasure if you are exhausted from grinding?” - Nap Ministry Rest is a form of resistance because it disrupts and pushes back against capitalism and white supremacy. The Nap Ministry was founded in 2016 by Tricia Hersey that examines the liberating power of naps.
Destigmatizing the Body, Self Love, and Sex Work Reframing Sex Work Monetizing self-care has added monetary value to taking care of ourselves. It limits what self-care can be rather than having the autonomy to choose for yourself.
“My ancestors love all of me, even my ass”: @ChiefLadyBird uses her art to connect Self Love to her Indigeneity.
Reclaiming yourself and your body is reclaiming your power.
Acknowledgment that there’s no such thing as unskilled labor. The stigma of sex work is that it is effortless. However that is far from the truth like any craft it takes hard work and dedication. “Since it’s too late to worry about being called a whore, they also get to enjoy the pleasures of getting paid for it.” (Pleasure Activism, pg. 125) Under the system of capitalism our bodies are used for labor. “… But the deeper question is: who really gets to choose to work?” (Pleasure Activism, Chanelle Gallant, pg.125)
What Brings Us Pleasure:
Theya: I find pleasure in makeup and putting together outfits. It’s a fun way to express how I feel.
Esperanza: I find pleasure in being with my kin.
Carsyn: I find pleasure in cooking for myself as well as sharing a meal with others.
Maria: I find pleasure in resting and taking time to myself.
@Zany_art on instagram is an artist and pleasure activist that inspired our lovely color palette
Bringing Pleasure Home ★ ★ ★ ★
Smells, textures, a home cooked meal.
How can we bring pleasure into your life? How can we decolonize pleasure? How can pleasure help us be more intentional in our lives? How can pleasure help us in our journey to liberation?
Our Spotify “Pleasure” playlist → to scan: go into Spotify app, open search page, click camera icon next to search bar, and scan this image!
Citations: Emma Bracy, Pleasure Activism: A Feel Good Approach to Changing the World
“Pleasure” Playlist
adrienne marie brown, Pleasure Activism: The Politics of Feeling Good