Black Is Beautiful 2021 - Transgender Cultural Center

 

I'm listening to Alicia Garza's podcast "Lady Don't Take No" when she mentioned the Compton Cultural District. Then I found about these three ladies. Janetta Johnson (54)- who is the executive director of an organization called TGIJP or the "Transgender Gender Variant Intersex Justice Project". Honey Mahogany (35)-An artist, activist, social worker, and candidate for office in SF. And Aria Sa'id (29)-Former program director at St James Infirmary, current founder of Kween Culture, and the executive director of the Transgender Cultural District. 

Each of these women have worked in some capacity as advocates for the Trans community. They came together to help found the Transgender Cultural District which is now the worlds first cultural district in a city that honors transgender people. Its 6 city blocks of the Tenderloin neighborhood located in San Francisco California. And it is one of the places trans people come to when they first enter the city.

The story is, a developer wanted to build a new condo, the community pushed back because it was not lifting up the people who live there currently and it did not preserve the local history such as the Compton Cafeteria riot of 1966 which is one of the first documented times the queer community fought back against police harassment (Stonewall 1969). A coalition of activists fought to preserve the history and got Jane Kim (Dist 6 supervisor) to make it happen at the city level. This cultural district has plans to help Trans folks with tenant rights, jobs, space for arts & culture, historical preservation, and cultural competency. 

Sources: TransgenderDistrictSF.com, Forbes, Out Magazine, NPR

Did you catch the ptg of Miss Major?

The last one before this was Wilhelmina Godfrey

Transfinite: Neelu Bhuman

Hey folks, I made some illustrations for this film "Transfinite" by Neelu Bhuman. This is by far one of the hardest illustration projects I've ever worked or collaborated on. This is the fourth independent film I've worked on after Holding on to Jah, A Journey to Understanding, and America's Shadows. Film requires vision, patience, communication, and a huge amount of team work.

Transfinite is a sci-fi omnibus feature film composed of seven standalone short stories where supernatural trans and queer people from various cultures use their powers to protect, love, teach, fight, and thrive.

I did many many illustrations , characters, and scenes for Transfinite and the individual/collective pieces were animated by artist Pamela Chavez! If you're in the Bay and want to see this film go here and cop tickets.

If you're in other parts of the world, please visit this LINK and get ready for the premiere near you. Support Trans filmmakers of color!!!

Inktober 15 - Harmony Santana

I saw Harmony for the first time like most in Gun Hill Road. I believe she did an incredible job in this film showing us the audience what it is like for a boy to transition into a girl. She showed us what it is like to have allies who support trans kids, and what it is like to live without it. For this image I imagined harmony in a post apocalyptic film/story. I imagine her playing a young woman as simply one of the survivors, who kicked a lot of ass to continue living. And although it would be great to have the film acknowledge trans poc, it does not have to be about that. Harmony was born in the late 90s and came to NYC as a homeless youth. She landed a role in Gun Hill and has since worked on projects such as Eating Out and You're dead to me. In addition to being a great actress, she is also an advocate for trans people of color in film, for the queer community, and for homeless youth. I look forward to seeing more from her in front of and behind the camera.

Sources: Gun Hill Road, Wikipedia, Indiewire

Want this original drawing? $60 or Print? $20 (includes shipping)  
Got an idea for an org to donate 30% cost to? Email me info@robdontstop.com

Kindred Journey 18 - Geena Rocero

Geena Rocero is a trans activist and model from the Philippines. She was born there and migrated to the Bay Area to join her mother as a teenager. She worked as a clerk in department stores and later went to NYC to pursue a career in modeling. Before coming to the US Geena was part of a very visible group of trans models or pageant competitors in the Philippines. When she got to NYC she did not immediately tell her full story as a trans woman. In fact, only her close friends knew. Recently she decided to come out by giving a well received TED talk. In addition to coming out and continuing to model, she also went on to found an organization called "Gender Proud" which produces media highlighting the stories and lives of trans folks.  In addition to this, she has spoken at the UN, and many other places fighting for the rights of trans folks who are often ostracized, bullied, discriminated against, or murdered. Her work inspires young people to be themselves and to fight for their right to exist, live, love, and work.

Sources: TED, Girl Boss Radio, Rappler.com

Kindred Journey 8- D'Lo

I first heard of D about three years ago when my wife was working on his website. Then I saw a feature in Hyphen magazine. Just this past April I had the chance to see him perform live at a conference called "Re-Map" where he did a dope piece which he's performed several times about coming out to his parents and having an operation called top surgery. It was a dope piece and really blended a somber emotion with comedy. It touches on some of the complexity Asian Americans and all people go through with parents who are not familiar with or comfortable with LGBTQ identity. D was born in Queens NY to Sri-Lankan parents. Later he moved out to LA and has been there ever since. He has toured doing comedy and rhyming as an mc. He has also appeared in television series for HBO, Amazon, and Netflix. Definitely someone to keep your eye out for.

Sources: The Guardian UK, http://dlocokid.com/

Who is She? 19- Sylvia Rivera

Sylvia is the one who threw the first bottle. She was one of many who set it off. Sylvia was a Puerto Rican Trans woman who lead a life of activism for young gay and trans youth in the city of New York. Along with Marsha Johnson and others she dealt with the harassment, the threats, and bullying of the NYPD, straight society, and even fellow Gay and Lesbian folks in their movement. Sylvia lived from 1951 to 2002 and inspired a generation of LGBTQ activists to stand up for their rights. I'm still learning and admit that I know very little about the Gay Rights movement, or the lives of Trans folks, but I do see that their history, herstory, stories need to be told so people learn about the discrimination, homelessness, activism, triumphs, legacy, classism, patriarchy, and love that is their story. Sylvia founded an organization with Marsha P Johnson called STAR-Street Transvestite and Rvelutionary. This organization pioneered advocacy and support for young gay and trans youth who were on the margin, kicked out, ignored, and murdered simply for existing. She challenged Gay and Lesbian activists who wanted nothing to do with trans folks and by throwing a bottle at the NYPD, she helped to ignite a rebellion that no longer accepted being oppressed. I consider her a woman to be talked about more during "Women's History Month" for Latinos, people of color, lgbtq folks, and straight/cis people like myself to learn about.

Sources: Pay it No Mind (documentary), Sylvia A Radio Onda Rossa (interview), Wikipedia (site)