Tag Archives: civil rights

My Existence Is Not Political

This 64″ x 44″ quilt is one of a series of three quilts I’m creating in response to the anti LGBTQ+ legislation happening in the country. As of the creation of this quilt in April 2022, Florida and Texas have enacted laws that will harm LGBTQ+ youth. Politicians in other states are trying to follow suit. California and Colorado currently have the most protections for LGBTQ+ youth in the country. They are represented by the two right side up light gray triangles in the field of “stars” in the upper left-hand corner of the quilt.

I am not a very outspoken person by nature and creating these quilts is not nearly as helpful as the amazing folks doing the brutal work of fighting back against this legalized bigotry, but this is a very minimal way I can contribute.

I’m appropriating the upside down pink triangle motif that homosexuals were required to wear in Nazi Germany. In the early 1980s, Avram Finkelstein, Charles Kreloff, Jorge Socarrás, Brian Howard and Chris Lione, and Oliver Johnston created the Silence=Death poster, turning the triangle right side up and changing the color to a hot pink/fuchsia. They wanted to change the symbol from one of victimization to one of empowerment. And their poster has become an instantly recognizable call to action in the LGBTQ+ community. However, I’ve flipped the triangle back to its original orientation as a stark reminder that history repeats itself.

The actual quilting consists of the following statement.

People are going to label this project as a series of political quilts, but I want to reiterate that no one’s sexual identity or gender identity is a political act. Our existence has absolutely nothing to do with politics. It is simply who we are, just as your sexual and gender identities are who you are. Just because you might have trouble understanding it doesn’t mean we are not deserving of the same right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness as everyone else. But since our society seems to be insisting on making identity something that can be legislated, I feel compelled to speak out against the dangerous path our country is heading down. As of the creation of this quilt series, seven states have laws protecting LGBTQ+ youth. Seven states have no protections whatsoever. Two states have passed laws that actively endanger LGBTQ+ youth. The resulting physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual harm that will result from this hateful legislation will be the fault of the legislators who voted to pass these laws, the constituents who voted these legislators into office, and all who did not speak out in defense of the children who will be harmed. And they will be harmed. When these children are abused and bullied for being their bright and beautiful selves, where are they supposed to go to seek help now? How can anyone supporting these abhorrent laws possibly believe they will be on the right side of history?

I Will Not Be Silent

This triangular quilt is 53.5″ across the top and 47″ down the middle. This is the second of three quilts I have created in response to the anti LGBTQ+ legislation happening in the United States. Not only have laws actually been passed in some states that make non-heterosexuality something wrong to acknowledge or speak about in public, there are laws in many other states that are hoping to do the same or go to even further extremes when it comes to relegating non-heterosexuals into a category of subhuman in this country. The conservative Supreme Court recently struck down Roe v. Wade, which means women’s reproductive rights have taken a huge hit. And many believe the right to same-sex marriage will be next on SCOTUS’s list.

The design of this quilt was inspired by the Silence=Death graphic created in the 1980s to bring awareness to the AIDS crisis. The creators were inspired by the pink triangles the Nazis forced homosexuals to wear during the Holocaust, but the designers inverted the triangle as a way of symbolizing empowerment instead of victimization. I have chosen to turn the triangle back to its original orientation, not to necessarily symbolize victimization, but to indicate my fear that current political actions and rhetoric are creating an atmosphere of grave danger for our community.

The piecing method was inspired by Chawne Kimber, a brilliant quiltmaker and artist who has created several quilts that have pieced words to make a statement. The quilting itself is made up of my thoughts concerning these troubling times. This idea was inspired by Faith Ringgold, who has created several art quilts where she writes her thoughts, feelings, and stories on the actual quilt. I have also been greatly influenced by Sylvia Hernandez and her prolific collection of powerful statement quilts.

The message of the quilting is as follows.

My existence is not a political statement. Stop treating my sexuality like it is debatable. Non-heterosexuals have existed since the beginning of humanity in all cultures and geographies. The only people who fear those who are not heterosexual are people who fear their own inner truth. Growing up in a society where being LGBTQ+ is still cause for stigma and possibly even death, it is infuriating that our governments are making it even more dangerous for people to accept who they are. This quilt was inspired by the Silence=Death graphic created to bring vital attention to the AIDS crisis in the 1980s. Today, I would never tell someone afraid of coming out that silence equals death because speaking up may actually cause their death at the hands of those in their community or family. But I can speak up. And if you feel safe doing so, please, use whatever method you can to speak up, too. Hold our lawmakers accountable for ALL of the lives they have sworn to protect. Let love conquer fear.