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- 2. Photography: Kate Owen Styling: Phil Gomez Art Direction: Asher Torres Photo Assistance: Jamie Ellington Hair: Matthew Green Makeup: Katie Robinson C O V E R 3 — 1 6 J I L L I A N M E R C A D O THECREATIVEEXPLORATIONOFIDENTITYRyanBurke(42—51) 3 — 1 6
- 3. F O U N D E R / E D I T O R - I N - C H I E F FA S H I O N E D I T O R A R T D I R E C T O R C O P Y E D I T O R P U B L I S H E R D E S I G N D E S I G N D I R E C T O R A D V E R T I S I N G D I S T R I B U T I O N C O N T R I B U T O R S W R I T E R S P H O T O G R A P H E R S S T Y L I S T S H A I R A N D M A K E U P Winter Mendelson Phil Gomez Asher Torres Darragh Dandurand Wayward Wild Lotta Nieminen Ryan Essmaker posture@waywardwild.com distribution@waywardwild.com Annie Rose Malamet, Chris of Hur, Corinne Goldenberg, Courtney Stirn, Demi Kampakis, Ebony P. Donnley, Efrem Zelony-Mindell, Greg Mania, Horrorchata, Julie Vick, M. Sharkey, Maya Harder-Montoya, Miss Malice, Rify Royalty, Sasha Velour, Shane’a Thomas, Sonny Oram, Winter Mendelson AnRong Xu, Asher Torres, Daniel Bergeron, Gabriel Goldberg, Joe Kramm, Kate Owen, M. Sharkey, May Lin Le Goff, Mengwen Cao, Mike Ruiz, Molly Adams, Patrick Arias, Phil Gomez, Ryan Bevans, Ryan Burke, Signe Pierce, Thibault- Théodore Babin, Tiffany Smith, Yenny Garcia Gary Russell Freeman, Keli Lucas, Tanya Quigley Aracely Arocho, Deney Adam, Esteban Martinez, Katie Robinson, Lorenzo Diaz, Matthew Green, Raquel Martuscelli, Rashad Taylor, Shavaughn Byrd Proudly printed at Hemlock Printers in Burnaby, British Columbia. T H A N K S T O O U R F R I E N D S AT R O L L A N D E N T E R P R I S E S , the interior of Posture is printed on 100% post-consumer Rolland Enviro™ Satin made with biogas energy. You can learn more about Rolland and Enviro™ Satin at rollandinc.com. Environmental impact estimates were made using the Environmental Paper Network Calculator, which is based on research done by the Paper Task Force. For more information visit: calculator.environmentalpaper.org. 74 fully grown 34,721 gallons 34 million BTU 2,324 pounds 6,402 pounds E N V I R O N M E N TA L I M P A C T T R E E S W AT E R E N E R G Y S O L I D W A S T E G R E E N H O U S E G A S E S By using paper made with post-consumer recycled content, the following resources have been saved: Like many humyns, I have had a number of jobs in my life and therefore a number of bosses. All of my bosses were so different and yet, some I respected more than others. I have always wondered what makes a good boss? Are there magical characteristics one is born with that dictate this aspect of their life? Is leadership just a skill that can be learned? As a kid, whenever I envisioned a “successful” person it involved this abstract idea of climbing within a capitalist corporate structure. Ultimately, I imagined that this success revolved around power. I was wrong. The Boss Issue engages in critical dialogue with creative individuals of varying backgrounds to deconstruct stereotypical notions of success. We explore experiences with personal development, leadership, and community organizing. We learn what it takes to bring people together, to forge a legacy, to make a difference. The creators in this issue are those who seek to build something sustainable, whether it’s a company, a personal brand, or an activist project or organization. The traits that they all share in common are drive, passion, and the yearning for progress — not a desire for power or control. This issue is very important to me as it marks one of the most important chapters in my professional life: the debut of Posture’s partnership with Wayward Wild, a new NYC- based media incubator that launched this fall. Wayward’s founder, Brad Smith, is one of the most impressive leaders I have ever met. Because he saw something in me and the potential for Posture’s growth, he decided to give us the support needed to take this project to the next level. After working on Posture nights and weekends for three long years, I was able to go full-time this summer and I can confidently say that my life will never be the same. I don’t know what the future will bring, but I do hope that I can become the type of leader I’ve always wanted to work for. Luckily I am surrounded by genuine and inspiring people; people who know that success is not about power, it’s about progress. Dear Reader, Sincerely, Winter Mendelson Founder and Editor-in-Chief 23
- 4. A M A N D A L E P O R E 24 33 RYANBURKE BYUSFORUS B U N N Y M I C H A E L J O E L S A N D E R S S U S A N N E B A R T S C H H Y M + K A LY P X O B R A N D S W E L O V E S I G N E P I E R C E S H A N T E L L M A R T I N LEONWU LAURENFLAX ELLEHEARNS H R A G VA R TA N I A N + V E K E N G U E Y I K I A N BOSSQUEEN PÊCHEDI J I L L I A N M E R C A D O 62 69 100 111 146 155 52 61 6 13 124 135 14 23 34 41 7077 7885 8693 94 99 156167 136145 4251 112123
- 6. R A P P E R S O F T H E I N L A N D E M P I R E L E F T Kalypxo, Top: Charlotte Russe / Pants/Jacket: Salvation Army / Shoes: JustFab / Choker: Forever 21 / Hand Accessory: The Santee Alley, LA / Eyewear: The Santee Alley, LA. On a Wednesday in August, I woke up early and sat down at my computer just as the sun was creeping in through my window. With a fresh cup of coffee in hand, I wanted to see what was happeningintheworld.Likemanypeople,Istart the day with Facebook — an unwelcome but un- avoidable addiction. As I was casually scrolling throughmyfeed,avideoappearedandautomat- icallybegantoplaytheopenerforthesong,Who Dat, which consisted of letters against a black background appearing one at a time to form the words “Somewhere in Hollywood.” Intrigued, myeyesglanceduptothedescriptionandlanded on: “We take FEMALE and GAY rapper to the nextlevel!”Followingthis,Ilearnedthatthesong wasacollaborationbetweenHYMandKalypxo, tworappersIhadadmittedlyhadneverheardof. IwasnaturallyverycurioussoIcontinuedwatch- ingthevideoandwasimpressedbythehighqual- ity production and incredible confidence that resonatedfromwhatIsoondiscoveredtobetwo youngambitioushumynsintentonchangingthe music industry. While Who Dat was (sadly) not available on iTunesatthetime,HYMcommentedbeneaththe video that he would personally email the file to anyonewhowantedit.Nowatthispointthevideo wasonitswaytoviralityandIhadmydoubtsthat he could keep up with the hundreds of requests, but I added my email to the mix anyway. Sure enough,within24hoursIreceivedanemailfrom him containing the song of interest along with fourothersIhadnotheardyet:LosingYou(Remix), Kiss It Better (Remix), He Want It and Flawless. When we explore what it means to be a “boss” in this issue, I realized that they were the epitomeofbosses.Theycommandedthescreen and demanded respect without having to ask for it. HYM was bold, shamelessly queer, and Kalypxo reveled in her strength — both so full of self-assurance that I couldn’t stop watching. I realizedthattogethertheyembodiedsomething thatIconstantlyseektofindwithinmyself.After watching the video many more times than I will confess, I felt compelled to respond to HYM’s email and request an interview with both him and Kalypxo. They happily accepted and we all got on the phone that week. Their voices were bright and honest as they unveiled intimate truths about themselves, their pasts, and where they seek creative inspiration. HYMwasbornandraisedbyasinglemoth- er in Inland Empire, a lower income region in Southern California that is known for the grow- ingartandmusicscenes.“I’vealwayshadamu- sical background,” he begins. “My uncle was a pianist and my grandma was a choir director and preacher’s wife. I started out dancing since I was little, but didn’t come out as a dancer until Iwasaround13.IstarteddancinginHighSchool andperforminginvariousshows.”WhenIasked HYM when he started to experiment with rap he admitted, “I’ve always wanted to rap but was afraid that people would tell me to just stick to W R I T T E N B Y Winter Mendelson 89
- 7. dancing. I started to rap with Kalypxo because we met and bonded over this mutual hidden se- cret. We first started collaborating about three years ago.” SimilartoHYM’sorigins,Kalypxowasborn in San Diego. She was raised by a single mother in the navy and as such, they moved around a lot but eventually landed in the Inland Empire area. “I’ve always been creative,” Kalypxo says, “I started with art and then writing. I went from writingstoriesandpoetryandthenshiftedeven- tually to songs. In High School, me and one of my friends decided to start a musical group to- gether and we were going to do screamo type of stuff...but I decided I didn’t want to sing. I was considering rapping around the time that I met HYM.Wemetthroughamutualfriendandboth confided in each other that we wanted to rap.” As a result, the duo did an exercise where they eachwroteaverseforthesongFlawlessandcame together to show each other. Their respective work fit perfectly and it was then that they knew they had a special bond and decided to pursue a collaborative relationship. Kalypxo’s name was inspired by Homer’s The Odyssey, and specifically the story of the nymph Calypso who lived on the island of Ogy- gia. She fell in love with the Greek hero Odys- seus and held him captive until Zeus eventually ordered his release much to Calypso’s dismay. For Kalypxo, this represents the simultaneous feelings of pain and pleasure, two elements she considersimportantinherwork.HYMwasorig- inally going to call himself Journey because he likestotellastoryandtakethelisteneronavisual journey with his music. However, he decided on HYMbecauseHIMwasanandrogynousvillainin thePowerpuffGirls,oneofhisfavoriteanimated television series from the 90s and early 2000s. He decided to replace the “I” with “Y” to give a masculine word a feminine feel. It is also an ac- ronym for He Yearns for More. “I am the music, and I am gay, but I am still a man,” he says. Since both HYM and Kalypxo have evolved significantly in their artistic practice, I was curi- ous how they felt they had grown and changed over time. When I inquired, they both grew qui- et for a moment and then Kalypxo spoke first, saying, “When I first started out in High School, I was going through a lot of personal issues...I started cutting...so a lot of my songs were re- volvedarounddepressionandpain.I’vedoneso muchgrowingasaperson.I’vegonefromcutting daily to being confident and sure of myself and my art. I think you can see this if you compare what I used to write about to what I write about now, which is very much about confidence.” HYM chimed in, “My journey has been similar. I struggled a lot with being myself, I was always insecure.Ididn’twanttobegayandtherewereso many times that I had to hide it and be someone else. I did not have a father and I would write about that a lot. I want to be a voice for the gay community because rappers do not tackle sub- jectsthatwegothrough.BeinggayinaChristian home I had to hide myself. And I open up about relationships as well in my music. I have been through some interesting situations.” For queers and cis women, the hip hop in- dustry is often a challenge to navigate. I asked HYMhowhepersonallyfeltaboutthestateofthe industry.“Icouldgoonfordays,”heconfides,“It istimefortheindustrytohaveopenlygaypeople and more women in the spotlight. I feel like it’s timetounderstandthat‘gayrappers’and‘female rappers’ are just rappers. It will take people like us to change this. We have amazing stories to tell and the way we execute that will connect to audiences even more. Music has gone downhill. Everyone sounds the same. You don’t even have tosaycompletesentencesandwordsanymore.I wanttobringbacklyricsandlyricistsandpeople whotaketimetotellastorywiththeirmusic.The 80/90s feel is what we need now in 2016. We wanttobringbackthatoldschool.WhenKalypxo andIdovideostogetherwesitanddissectevery- thing. We want to evolve and recreate.” “I agree with HYM,” Kalypxo says. “I feel like music is at a point where people don’t say complete words. I remember back in the day when I was influenced by Lil Kim, Left Eye, and MC Lyte. I remember them being so confident and I feel that women are pushed to the back- ground now. You hear female rapper or gay rap- per but you never hear just rapper. Most of my friends are gay and we recently performed at Pride. I wanted to show that a female and gay rapper can command the stage and command the space. It is such a male dominated industry and the times we’re living in. In the 60s and 70s the drugs that were the big thing were cocaine and speed, now we have weed and everything is RIGHT Top:MishkaNYC 1011
- 8. I want to be a voice for the gay community because rappers do not tackle subjects that we go through.” —HYM meanttoslowyoudownandeverythingbecomes sloppy.Irememberwhentherewasnodifference between being a rapper and a lyricist. I want to bring that back. Music has the power to change the world. And I think people have forgotten.” In terms of inspiration, they had difficul- ty choosing contemporary artists to look up to. “Welltherearepeopleintheindustrytodaythat IcantrulysayIadmireandrespect,buthonestly they are few and far between,” Kalypxo admits. “The artists that I look up to are the ones who have transformed the industry through their own unique styles like Aaliyah and Prince, or the artists of the nineties. I think I’m looking for something specific in the music that I listen to these days — truth, depth, and creativity, along withanidentifiablestyleandsound.butI’mlook- ingforanewsound,somethingthathasn’tcome to the forefront yet…something that I feel like I’m in the process of creating, so I’ve been more preoccupied with my own shit honestly.” I can almost see HYM nodding through the phone. “Same for me. I don’t really look up to anyone now and I don’t listen to male artists either. But mytopfourinspirationsarewhatIcallmy‘Mount Rushmore’: Missy Elliot (where I get my creativ- ity), Busta Rhymes (my speed and humor), Toni Braxton (my pain and emotion), and Janet Jack- son (my performative sexual side). I use sound and rhyme to go along with my poetry. It adds a little pepper.” WhatisnextforHYMandKalypxo?Kalypxo answers, “HYM has a lot of records out now. I work a little bit differently and I’m working on a full length project right now. I’m going to try to incorporate a lot of my art and do original music with that.” HYM responds, “Yeah, I have a lot of music already out and I’m building my fan base now. My goal is to work on a couple more remixes. I’m working on a full length project as well and music videos collaborations with other LA artists. I’m always trying to perform more.” I feel that HYM and Kalypxo have very brightfuturesaheadandI’mreallyexcitedtosee howtheygrow,togetherandseparately.Change is coming. P. LEFT Top:BestCody/Bottoms:Refuge/Shoes:NatureBreeze “1213
- 10. Evenifyou’veneverheardher name,chancesareyouhave eitherstrolledorscrolled pastthemeanderingblack linesofBritish-bornvisual artistShantellMartin.Known worldwideforherunique styleofimproviseddrawing, live-drawingperformances, andlarge-scalepublicand privatecommissions,Martin redefinesartistryintheageof collaboration,workingwith fashion,technology,business, I think the idea that a pen is able to take you around the world and meet people and do incredible things is kind of amazing. Beyond that, what I’ve done is found a way to uniquely share what I do with the world, and that is to create lines, and to work with drawing as a foundation across mediums. I put myself in a very vulnerable position where people experience my improvisation and the creation of myself. What I’ve been able to do is connect, and share, and create experiences that encourage, inspire, and make people smile. You’ve created your entire career out of essentially two elements, pen and paper. How do you deal with that dichotomy? Of making the everyday into something vast? A .Q . and creative entities across almost every imaginable media. Rendered in simple black and white, her drawings encompass patterns, faces, characters, and text — each movement of her pen the creation of a visual language that communicates a profound narrative of learned experience. Throughout the course of her career she has lent her monochromatic mark making to projects with amFAR, Martone Cycling, Converse, Kelly Wearstler, and Jawbone. In addition to her collaborative projects, she regularly generates live digital drawings at events, installations, and institutions such as the Museum of the Moving Image, Brooklyn Museum, and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. She was also a former Artist in Residence at NYU’s ITP (Tisch School of the Arts) and a fellow at the Brown Institute for Media Innovation at Columbia University. In this interview with Maya Harder-Montoya for Posture, Martin speaks about the value of honesty, her process of navigating identity and how she interacts with the notion of success. W R I T T E N B Y Maya Harder-Montoya I draw like I am, I make music like I am, I collaborate like I am. Anything that I do that is creative, it has myself in it. It’s interesting that you mention vulnerability, because the way that you work encompasses your entire life — that is a highly intimate position for an artist to put themselves in again and again. Do you draw like you are? A .Q . 1617
- 11. A B O V E Outfit: Subject’s Own 1819
- 12. Yeah, pretty much everyday. I think I’ve just become very comfortable and very confident in my own skin and knowing like what that is and who that is. You know, at first, I go, “Okay, I have a recognizable style,” but that’s just with my drawings. Then, I go and do something completely different and it still has that same feeling, or image, or kind of style attached to it. Then you realize, “Oh, no. It’s this foundation. It’s this core of you that is able to translate through different mediums.” There’s an essential idea or a theme there that perhaps everything you create is connected. I think that’s very apparent. You also wear your art literally — is it every day? A .Q . It’s a question that we’re all struggling with, or battling with. I ask this question a lot of “Who are you?” in stickers, installations, art pieces. One thing that I’ve come to learn is that it doesn’t matter how well traveled or educated or articulate we are — we don’t really have the words to talk about who we are. It’s very easy for us to just label each other and say, “I’m this, I’m that. You’re this, you’re that,” but it completely misses this deeper approach of emotionally articulating who you are and what that means. I think by asking that question, outwardly, to other people, over time it will hopefully help me answer that question to myself. You’ve spoken about various experiences of being an outsider: racially, artistically, et cetera. How do you relate to the notion of identity? A .Q . The central theme is this idea about questioning, about practice, about understanding the process, spontaneity, intuition, vulnerability, and honesty. You know, the fact that you can go and create work in front of people, in real life, in real time, and be content with that. I think it keeps me content because it keeps me honest. If I’m drawing in front of people, I don’t have time to be anyone else. What would you say is your central theme? A .Q . You know, yes and no. People add the color you could say. If I see the world in black and white, people bring the color to it. There isn’t an absence of color in my work, but I kind of really enjoy the simplicity and equally the kind of complexity of black and white at the same time, and the fact that people can bring color to that. Do you see the world in black and white? A .Q . Yeah, you could say that. I’m half black and white myself, and the way that I approach things is quite black and white. I think there’s many layers to that. It’s almost as if you see color as an outside factor — like color is the world and you are black and white. Is that fair to say? A .Q . A B O V E Outfit: Subject’s Own 2021
- 13. A B O V E Outfit: Subject’s Own I think in a way, any kind of creative is a brand. What is a brand? A brand is something that’s recognizable, that has a set of values, that has a message, that is sharing something, that has a bigger, long-term goal or agenda. Any creative has that, or is that. I do believe that the way we consider all this needs to be rethought — the idea of the artist as this, “romantic person,” that is kind of a little helpless, doe-eyed, and wandering. Why can’t we have artists that are incredibly interested in many fields, competent, successful, and also business people? I think that’s what we’re starting to see. Your work stands at the intersection of fine art, illustration, commercial, and academia across so many different venues and fields. Is it fair to say that you’ve almost built yourself into a successful brand, in a way? A .Q . A .Q . It’s funny, music is one of those things I’ve thought about doing for many years, and I’ve been putting it off, and I’m going to be brave and step it up, and do it. I’ve been playing on my childhood Yamaha keyboard that I brought over from England, and you know, I play with two fingers. I have no musical background or experience, but I really enjoy it, and I enjoy doing this kind of stream of consciousness playing, and singing spoken word at the same time. I recorded some and yeah, I’m going to make an EP and put it out there, and if people like it, and get it, great. If they don’t, you know, it’s not for them. Exactly! For instance, I know that you’ve done a fair amount of technology- based projects, like your collaboration with the M.I.T. Media Lab. Now music is a new thing that you are getting into? Yeah, the drawing will progress, as it has done. I’m also open to creating, and allowing, and seeing what happens. In the future, if I’m designing buildings or furniture, or directing film or making documentaries, and some of the things that I want to do, I know that my style will still kind of be a thumbprint in there. I’m excited to see what that might look like. Your style has become exceedingly recognizable — like a visual calling card across so many platforms. How do you see your drawing style evolving in the future? A .Q . You know, I think myself and perhaps a lot of people that will find themselves in Posture magazine, we’re the wild cards, we’re the odd ones out, we’re the ones who don’t really fit in. We are constantly challenging ourselves so really we are never content. I see myself as a work in progress, and finding more tools along the way to reach success. Success, I think, is something that I, personally, might not ever reach. You just have to work really hard, everyday, forever. You don’t stop, and you make, make, make, and you share, share, share. At some point in the future, that will come back to you. We start to think better, drink better, eat well, think well, surround ourselves with positive people, say no to things that we don’t want to do, say yes to things that feel right. The more that you do that, you’re going to put yourself in a better position, and you’re going to naturally, as a result, want to do what you love, creatively. In that way, you can inspire yourself from the inside. P. So the concept of this issue of Posture is “Boss.” What does success look like for you? How do you navigate space as your own boss? How do relate to that? A .Q . 2223
- 14. AMANDA LEPORE A CONFESSION ABOUT HER S T Y L I N G Phil Gomez M A K E U P Esteban Martinez H A I R Lorenzo Diaz P H O T O G R A P H Y May Lin Le Goff P H O T O A S S I S TA N C E Stefany Mohebban 2425
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- 17. A C O N F E S S I O N O F H E R Absolute elegance, Amanda Lepore becomes whatsheapplies,orrathertheotherwayaround really. She has spent her whole life learning herself and building an empire; her body, and clothes,thepeoplearoundher,thereisnolonger aseparation.Leporeallowsherbodytoraisethe platform of identity and the culture of commu- nity.Watchingherprepareforourinterviewand to have her picture taken reveals an ounce of the majesty. “I’ve been doing this a long time,” she says to the stylist and photographer. She under- standsherfunction;shecollaboratesineveryway she can, transforming the room and situation to her.Gravity,gratuity,gravitasshegrowsacollec- tion of everyone around her. My personal confession is that as a kid I grew up with her name on my lips and in my mind.AmandaLepore.Nearlyeveryday—allthe time — there was no escape from the obsession. I wasn’t alone. My friends and I were not alone. Therearemillionsandmillionsofpeoplewhosee Lepore for what she is. One word: icon. Tenderinvoiceandfullofabroadredeager smile,AmandaLeporehasanexcitementinher. You may not know who she is, but you won’t for- getherafterthis.Lepore’slegacyanddemeanor will be cast in your imagination in pale oddity. She will scorch a new reflection of beauty and identity. She doesn’t leave; she stays with you. Lepore has that kind of power in presence and personality. She’s cultivated a legion of profes- sionalism through her transformation. There’s a spectacular shroud of mystery around exactly where Lepore came from. That wonderment will remain, as she is a private per- son in regard to the past. She prefers to focus on the now, the next, new-new-new. She’s a Jersey girl, born and raised as a boy in Cedar Grove. Leporealwaysknewshewasawomanandstart- ed taking hormones as soon as she could. The surgeries started early on as well. She has made a career for herself as an entertainer, singer, actress, vaudevillian, and mischief. She is New York nightlife; in fact she is nightlife wherever she goes. Mouths agape, adorationadorned,theconstructionofherbody and dress — she is the center. Lepore has been doing this since the late eighties, early nineties, and she’s not anywhere near stopping. She is an originator of self-expression and a champion to anyone who ever felt less than, or different from,uncomfortable,oryearningformorefrom themselves or out of their bodies. Lepore is a re- alization that we can be whoever we want to be. Andmaybemoreimportantlythanthat,because of her, we realize we shouldn’t cast doubt on the freaks and terrors of ourselves. In the end the freak show inside each of us makes us innately who we are. It’s to be celebrated and professed, not shunned or cast out. “I’m not such a blond girl. Except for per- oxide.” She laughs. She loves to laugh; when she doesit’slikelookingintothefaceoftheCentena- ryDiamond.Everythingshines,biggerandbetter. W R I T T E N B Y Efrem Zelony- Mindell
- 18. Thelightreflectshercurves;sheabsorbstheecho of that glow. I wonder how Lepore has gotten to know herself so well? “Well you can’t put a wish under your pillow,” she remarks coyly. Lepore feeds the notion of herself and when she pivots everythingchanges,butnothingisoutofcontrol. Hertransformationwasanactofmindover matter in many ways. “I was panicked at first. I never felt like a boy, I needed a vagina as soon as I could. It was the first thing I had done.” The calm euphoria and sublimity of achieving that comfort settled in, her transformation became sculpturalafterthat.Yes—sheistransgendered, and she is a woman, but she has also become herself,awholepersoninmorewaysthanmostof uscouldpossiblyimagine.Leporehastakenhold of her life and created herself, her identity, her humanness. The body begets the enterprise she broods. She is an international figure for many people.Queer,gay,straight,questioning,unsure ortotallycertain—sheinspiressomethingmore than labels. She is a beacon of equality, that’s what she does. She hosts parties, she entertains troupes of houses filled with smoke and drink, but in the end she wants to love everyone and she wants them to love each other. “It’s got to be the whole thing, head to toe. Becomingyourselfislikeorderingacoffee.Light andsweetplease.Butthenwhenthebaristahands you your drink you look into the cup and see it’s dark. So you go back up to the counter and ask formorecreamandsugar.”Sheisn’tjustlooking at her nose, or her breasts, her waist, or her legs. She seeks a balance for her entire life. Lepore breaks many idealistic notions associated with elective surgery. Any form of body modification shouldn’tbeaboutnotbeinggoodenough.It’sso clearthatsheloveseveryonenomatterhowthey are.Shewantstomakeeveryonefeelasbeautiful astheyare.Toquoteamovieshehasacameoin, “It doesn’t matter what you look like. I mean if youhaveahunchbackjustthrowalittleglitteron ithoneyandgodancing.”Ifsomeonefeelsconfi- dentaboutbeingcrazythentheyshoulddomore ofit.Thatconsiderationhastakenhertothetop. “Achangeinappearance.Corrupter,condi- tion,orfunction.Achangeintheformorhabitat of an animal during normal development after theembryonicstage.Ausuallygenerativechange in the structure of a particular body tissue. This process is called metamorphosis.” Sheslipsintotheairaroundher.Consumed, confounded in the confusion and curiosity of her heady construction and wonderment. Her body consumes its own flesh the way a sculpture does and she traces herself into each garment. She becomes totally fluid in this way; it’s less about labelsandmoreaboutbeingaperson.Sheusesher nudityasawaytoconnectwitheveryone.There’s no fear, how could there be in such a state of pro- digious naturalness? The contradiction of that realizationaboutLeporeamalgamatesthereality ofhereffectontheworldsheinhabits.Withallthe change and adjustment she has become herself. Her disposition is inherent as it is in all people trying to understand themselves more. Lepore’s considerationofothersisadreamcometrue.She isanentrepreneur;sheisthebestkindofdiva. P. 3233
- 19. TheModel ofFortitude —Jillian Mercado R I G H T Necklace: Ayaka Nishi / Brooch: I Still Love You NYC P H O T O G R A P H Y Kate Owen P H O T O A S S I S TA N C E Anabel Evans S T Y L I N G / S E T D E S I G N Phil Gomez ARTDIRECTION AsherTorres HAIR/MAKEUP MatthewGreen 3435
- 20. Jillian Mercado has always been a lover of fashion, and she grew up admiring the modeling work of iconic beauties like Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss. She just never thought that she could ever be in the same conversation as them, much less be signed as a model to one of the top agencies. Everything changed when artistic director Nicola Formichetti selected Jillian during an open casting call to be part of Diesel’s SS15 ad campaign. Yet, even then, she wasn’t sure about the future of her modeling career. It had never been a major goal of hers to be a model, but when she saw how positively people had reacted to and been affected by this campaign, it fueled her drive to keep booking jobs and landing meetings with agencies. These days, Jillian is represented by IMG Models and is one of the faces of Beyoncé’s 2016 Formation tour merchandise. No big deal. L E F T Outfit: COLLECTIONS BK 3637
- 22. T H E M O D E L O F F O R T I T U D E Jillian is clearly stunning, with her own unique style.Yet,whatmakesherevenmoreinterestingis thatsheisapersonwithadisability—shewasborn with muscular dystrophy and uses a wheelchair. Yet,herdisabilitydoesn’tdefineher:“Ihave adisability—itdoesn’thaveme.Itisapartofme but it is not who I am. Just like my hair or what color shoes I have on [doesn’t] decide who I am as a person.” With this newfound visibility in a sector notorious for perpetuating unrealistic beautystandards,sheclearlyismakingapositive impactandisembracinghernewroleasadisabil- ityactivist:“Ineversigneduptobeanactivistbut it kind of came with the territory. And I’m not complainingbecauseIwholeheartedlybelievein everything I speak out on. My motivation really comes from the hundreds of people that contact meonlineandconfideinmeandtellmehowjust seeingmyimageorreadingoneofmyinterviews hashelpedthem.I’verealizedthatIamsomehow now in the position to use my voice to speak for millions who will never get the chance to and I don’ttakethatlightly…Knowledgetrulyispower and enlightening the ignorant creates a ripple effect that I believe would be a great start to a better existence.” Sherecognizesamajorstigmatowardspeo- ple with disabilities is the misconception that they’re not capable of doing the same things as everyone else: “I feel like a lot of people look at people with disabilities and instantly (maybe subconsciously) categorize them into this tiny box.Iamhumanjustlikeyou.Iamjustascapable as you and I don’t ever want or need pity.” Nev- ertheless,sheneverdoubtedthatshewouldfind success in the industry: “Did I know how much success or how the hell I would do it? No. Rising to the top of any industry is no easy task but the fashion industry especially is very intimidating. Putting the blinders on when it comes to caring whatpeoplethinkreallyhelpedmepushforward andcontinuetoworkashardasIcan.Theformu- la for well-deserved success is always the same: work…andthenworksomemore.”Althoughshe has had some setbacks due to discrimination towardspeoplewithdisabilities,ithasneverde- terred her from pursuing her career goals, and if anything,hasmotivatedhertoworkevenharder: “People didn’t think I could keep my modeling career afloat after the Diesel campaign? Cool! How about I book a Nordstrom catalogue and signtothebiggestmodelingagencyontheplan- et? We all can go as far as we’d like if we want it bad enough and put the work in.” Jillian hopes that her success and greater visibility is changing the fashion industry and that it will eventually lead to a shift from more conventional, oppressive, and often unrealistic beautystandards:“Idoseemoreinclusionasthe years go on, but I won’t be satisfied until casting someone who looks different and is beautiful in their own way doesn’t even have to make head- linesandbeabigconversation.Thatwillbealife of true acceptance and change.” P. W R I T T E N B Y Corinne Goldenberg R I G H T Eyewear: Mercura Dress: COLLECTIONS BK 4041
- 23. ULTIMATEFORM — RYAN BURKE S E L F - P O R T R A I T S Ryan Burke 4243
- 24. Brooklyn-basedRyanBurke hasbeenlaudedasan otherworldlynightlifeentity, suprememakeupmuse,and visualmastermind.Hisglued andpaintedfacesarethe foundationforhisworkas brandambassadortobeauty iconPatMcGrath.Hiselaborate lookscaptureandenthrallNew Yorkpartygoersatthewild club-kidsocialsofSusanne BartschandLadyfag.His stunningportraitureevokes theeleganceofRichardAvedon withanextraterrestrialtwist. ArrivingatVononBleecker Streetduringthebustleof Tuesdayeveninghappyhour andawkwardfirstdates, Burkelooksasonewould expectofanoff-dutyNewYork partypersonality—crispand reserved,inallblack.Ablank canvas,sotospeak. Transformation, especially in New York City, exists as a permanent state. One could argue that the very nature of artistic creation is one of transformation — a mediation of materials, an elemental change from raw dust to inven- tion. Late in August, as every fashion guru, special event czar, and window storefront hums with the energy of pre-Fall transition, it is a rare and inspiring occurrence to wit- ness the calm, collected presence of an artist who has built a career out of transformation. Whenyouseeitonamap,Fairfield,Virginia, looks less like a town and more like a smattering of houses along one main road. Burke describes W R I T T E N B Y Maya Harder- Montoya 4445
- 26. his hometown as “rural”, drawing out the first syllable with a charming tilt of his head. Grow- ing up in a nurturing yet restrictive environment fostered an early reliance on pure imagination intheartist,whooftenperformedelaborateout- door productions, dressing up in anything and everything he could find. His parents’ aversion to technology meant that Burke’s childhood was without many of the usual cultural influences — and stereotypes. “I grew up with parents who neversaidIhadtobeonewayoranother.WhenI sayIdressedup,itwasalwaysgenderambiguous. Iwouldweardresses,Iwouldwearcapes,Iwould wearasuit,whateverIwanted.Myparentsnever said, ‘don’t do this, don’t do that.’ It was more, ‘whateveryouwanttodo,’”saysBurke,“They’re very, very open people.” Glimpses of pop culture came few and far between for the artist, who re- calls one specific instance of seeing Bjork on the coverofhismother’scopyofVanityFair.Somere- searchuncoveredanewwayofthinkingaboutthe intersectionofart,music,andfashionforBurke, whostillcountstheexperimentalmusicianasone ofhisinfluences.“Thewayshepresentedherself, like an art form,” he says, “There’s a visual ele- ment, and it’s all interactive. It’s organic, but it’s alsotechnological.Herworkisjustonadifferent level.” Aside from Bjork, much of his early inspi- ration came from the natural world, a focus that has not wavered in the years he has spent living in New York and Los Angeles. In many of Burke’s elaborately crafted looks, nature is not only the inspiration, but also the medium. Flower petals, tree branches and butterfly wings appear on headpieces and in makeup looks, alongside cut paper shadows, pearl-like bulbs and colorful feathers. Building each image from the bottom up, Burke begins his process in vintage shops and trimmings stores, creating each look based on its eventual function. He describes the process as ultimately intuitive, “I find whatever it is that works, and then once I know that, I know what colors I’m going to work with, what the vibe is going to be. Then it’s a matter of finding the right materials, and that comes from anything. It comes from either wandering around and seeing the right texture, brainstorming, or lying awake at night, notbeingabletosleep.”Likeaconductorofcolor andform,Burkearrangesandexperimentswith each material component until the right mood strikes, pulling the various elements of fashion, makeup and art into place. Once each look is composed, Burke sets aboutdocumenting,oftenagainstavibrantlycol- ored backdrop — although he prefers something moreenvironmental.“Tobehonest,Ihateshoot- inginfrontofbackdrops,”Burkespecified,“Ilike a natural backdrop. In my last apartment, I had thisbackcourtyard,andIwouldshooteverything there.Nowit’sjustcolorbackdrops.”Hisprocess of self-portraiture has always had firm roots in documentation, even back when it was purely personal. “When I was younger, I was secretly dating this guy, and he wasn’t out yet. He was in California, so it was like online dating. It was my first experience with another guy. I would create thesefunlooksandsendhimpicturesofmyself.” While it still retains some of its romantic edge, Burke’s current work centers on the evocation of a feeling, which he describes as, “everything has tohavesomesortofemotionalelementtoit.Most ofmyportraits,andmostofthelooks,comefrom some sort of feeling that I had, not just a divine aesthetic, but something that I’m promoting in a way, even if I don’t realize it at the time.” While his two-dimensional work succeeds in capturing a sense of the sublime, the perfor- mative aspect of Burke’s work adds an entire- ly separate element — movement. Tassels and pom-poms sway amongst sweeping fringe and long chains sparkle from piercings as Burke saunters through events and parties. The effect is highly musical, a concept that the artist em- braces, saying, “rhythm is huge, it’s the biggest thing. Rhythm to me involves movement, but it also includes the way things flow and connect. That’s funny too, because music is my other background. Since middle school, I had private lessons, and I was in band. I thought I was going to be a musician.” Burke’s relationship to com- position is highly apparent in both the move- mentandstructureofhiswork,whichattimesis playful, and others deeply symphonic — almost reminiscent of notes on a sheet of music. At once tactile and transcendent in their ambiguous beauty, Burke’s portraits have caught the attention of everyone from fashion designers to television executives, allowing him to bring his vision to a variety of platforms including art installationsandrunwayshows.Despiteworking for years in the fashion and beauty industries, Burkeiswaryoftraditionalnotionsof“success”in those fields. “Being popular is not success to me, that doesn’t matter. Having integrity, and ideally enoughmoneytolive—tobeabletofreelycreate thethingsIwanttodo.That’sit,Idon’tneedextra, andIdon’tneedapprovalfromeverybody.Idon’t needallofthat,IjustwanttodowhatIliketodo.” Manyartistswhoworkinvisualstylingpull features and inspirations from film, television, vintagefashion,andfineartwithelaboratemood boards and magazine clippings — Jean Harlow brows, sweeping 70’s bangs, De Stijl geometry. While he has come to accept certain cultural in- fluences over the years, Burke’s true inspiration comes from a heightened sense of emotional realization. “I look at artists like Cindy Sher- man, for instance, and her transformations are verypolitical.She’stryingtoaddresssomething. There’salwaysapoint,youknow?Forme,it’snot political,becauseitcomesfromadifferentplace. I’m not thinking in terms of all of these outside things. It’s not about one idea, not about trying to make a point. It’s just an expression.” As dusk approaches and bar noise begins to permeate every back corner table, the subject of personal transformation arises again, a concept best de- scribed in the world of underground nightlife as “feeling your fantasy.” “It’s exactly that,” Burke muses, gesturing in mid-air as if molding clay, “You get to feel like your ultimate form.” P. U LT I M AT E F O R M 4849
- 29. When we discuss queer theory and identity, architecture isn’t usually something that comes to mind. But for architect Joel Sanders, gender, queer theory, identity, and architecture all go hand in hand. Much of Sanders’ work in queer theory discusses the insight and creativity that derives from looking at heteronormative practices from an outsider’s perspective. As a gay male architect, his work reveals the way the conventions of architecture and codes of professional conduct perpetuate mainstream and often problematic ideas about men, women, and the LGBTQ community. To mark the 20th anniversary of Sanders’ first publication addressing architecture and gender, Stud, Architectures of Masculinity in 1996, I reflected with him on the evolution of his thinking over the arc of his career. A common theme running throughout his work is looking at how cultural values and ideologies shape professional practice. Looking back, Sanders divides the past 20 years of his work into four overlapping chronological periods during which his interest in gender and architecture evolved from looking at architecture from a gay male perspective to his more recent collaboration with trans historian Susan Stryker that focuses on the needs of the transgender community. B A C H E L O R ’ S E R G O -T E C T O N I C S G R O U N D W O R K S TA L L E D ! L O O K I N G B A C K 1994—1999 1999—2003 2004—2013 2014—2016 2016— 5455
- 30. Bachelor’s 1994—1999 Ergo-tectonics 1999—2003 The early 90s brought the new disciplines of queer theory into academia. Female writers like Mary McCleod and Beatriz Colomina were dis- cussingarchitecturefromafeministperspective, but few architects had yet broached the idea of architecture as a means to uphold masculinity. AsayoungprofessoratPrinceton,Sanders’work was heavily influenced by the academic culture around him, as well as his friendship with Gran Fury,thelegendaryAIDSactivistartistcollective from New York City. Sanders published Stud, Architectures of Masculinity in 1996, which was one of the first and now one of the most prominent academic books on the subject of architecture and male identity. Sanders invited an interdisciplinary group of architects to explore the role architec- ture plays in the “construction” of male identi- ty. Stud examined two issues that Sanders has revisited in his current work on gender neutral bathrooms — how the cultural convention of sex-segregatedbathroomsnaturalizesthemale/ female binary based on the notion that anato- my is destiny and how the design of supposedly functional bathroom fixtures like urinals, rein- force heteromasculinity by assisting male per- formance through the culturally imposed act of upright, public peeing. Looking back, Sanders notes that Stud was shaped and therefore limited by his personal perspective: “I see that the book was very much aproductofitstime,inthatthebooklooksatthe question of gender and space through a white male, gay lens during the AIDS crisis.” But he alsonotesthatStudhelpedtoinitiateadiscussion about queer space and was a starting point for work to follow. “It paved the way for all of my future work, which is dedicated to exploring the pivotal role the designed environment plays in enabling all of us as embodied humans to per- formmultiplerolesandidentities,bothpersonal and professional, in public and private space.” Soon after publishing Stud, Sanders orga- nized a conference at the Parsons School of De- sign called “Curtain Wars,” which looked at the professionalseparationbetweentwooverlapping fields — architecture and interior design — of- ten pejoratively referred to as “decorating.” In 2002 he later published an essay on this topic titled Curtain Wars: Architects, Decorators, and the Twentieth-Century Domestic Interior. Sand- ers ascribes this false dichotomy to problematic assumptionsaboutthenatureofgenderandho- mosexuality. “Ever since the emergence of the interiordecoratorasadesignprofessionalinthe late 19th century, interior decoration has been dismissed as a superficial pastime practiced by women and gay men, tainted by its association with femininity and homosexuality.” During this time Sanders designed a series of bachelor pads that reflected his interest in combining architecture and interior design to express the identity of his gay male clients. For example,TheLeeLoftin2000blurredtradition- al distinctions between architecture, furniture, and fashion by “dressing” the interior in an en- semble of materials — mahogany, leather, glass, and steel — that connote masculinity. From 1999 to the early 2000s, Sanders began applying lessons learned from queer space to a new discussion that arose at that time — the transformative impact of digital technologies on the spaces of everyday life. The advent of new electronic devices such as computers, faxes, and cell phones heightened the ability for people liv- ing in diverse domestic arrangements to work fromhome.However,architectswereslowtoshift their designs in accordance with these radical technological changes. Sanders’ essay Ergotec- tonics:TheMulti-Identity/Multi-TaskEnvironment (2001), published in his monograph Joel Sand- ers: Writings and Projects, addressed this issue by encouraging architects to adopt a new design approach called Ergotectonics which he defined as “domestic environments with polymorphous identities,” achieved through the “creation of flexible multi-purpose spaces that combine liv- ing, working, and leisure.” Building on the ar- guments he espoused in Curtain Wars, Sanders proposed that we bring together two disciplines that have been kept very separate: architecture andinteriors.Herecommended“inventinganew design vocabulary that merges the best aspects of the divided worlds of architecture and dec- oration” to make space for the technologically advanced home. The “24/7 Business Hotel,” a speculative project commissioned for the exhibition “New Hotels for Global Nomads” at the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum in 2003, exemplifies Sanders’ interest in the seamless integration of architecture, interiors, and new media.Thehoteliscomposedofstackedprefab- ricated modular rooms equipped with remote controlprivacyscreensthatdoubleasprojection screens which descend from the ceiling to sub- divide the room into activity zones for sleeping, washing, working, and sex. With his design “Vi- tale Loft,” the bathroom and kitchen, although bisected by a translucent glass privacy screen, are linked by a continuous, poured, waterproof concrete surface. B 24/7BusinessHotel,2013 C VitaleLoft,NewYork,2001 A LeeLoft,Manhattan,2000 A B C 5657
- 31. Groundwork 2004—2013 Stalled! 2014—2016 ThereleaseofAlGore’spopularfilmAnInconve- nient Truth in 2006 struck up a national conver- sation around the threatening reality of climate change. Sanders told me that while “Green Ar- chitecture” was receiving a lot of attention at that time, there was a tendency to treat it sepa- rately from “Green Landscape,” a topic that was largely overlooked. Much like his discussion of architecture vs. interior design in Curtain Wars, Sanders began looking at the fields of architec- tureandlandscapearchitecturetoexaminewhy they suffered the same duality — separated in academics, professional organizations, and li- censing procedures. NowaprofessorattheYaleSchoolofArchi- tecture, Sanders met and began collaborating with the noted landscape architect Diana Bal- mori.Theirworktogetherculminatedinthepub- licationofaco-editedbookGroundwork:Between LandscapeandArchitecture(2011),whichinclud- edSanders’essayHuman/Nature:Wildernessand the Landscape Architecture Divide. Groundwork’s mission called for “a unified practice of land- scape and architecture that would allow build- ings and landscapes to perform symbiotically to healtheenvironment.”SandersnotesinHuman/ Nature, that “it is imperative to understand the ideological roots of the architecture/landscape divide in order to transcend it.” Sanders discov- ered many parallels between the troubled rela- tionship between architecture and interiors and architecture and landscape. TheBible,westernliterature,philosophy,and popular culture have conceived of nature and cultureasseparateentities,andasaconsequence, buildings and landscapes, as opposites. Sanders notesthatthisfalsedichotomyjustifiedbygender prejudices is ingrained into the American con- science.AswecanseethroughoutSanders’work, bothhumanlivingpatternsandthesustainability of our global environment require combining fields that were previously kept separate. IfErgotectonicsandGroundworksinvolvedbring- ing a queer perspective to such mainstream top- ics as digital media and climate change, over the past few years Sanders’ career has come full circleasheagaintakesonspecificallyLGBTQis- sues.Thisyear,Sandershasturnedhisattention to the trans issues that have hit a breaking point with states across the country panicking over the presence of trans people in sex-segregated public spaces. Sanders returned to previous ex- aminations of bathrooms, walls, and urinals as performativeobjectsand,togetherwithtranshis- torianandgendertheoristSusanStryker,isinthe processofdevelopinganewmodelforanall-gen- der restroom. In an essay titled Stalled: Gender NeutralBathroom,publishedintheSouthAtlantic Quarterly,SandersandStrykersaythatthepanic evident in the anti-trans campaigns “speak to a fundamental anxiety about gender ambiguity” which “underscore our society’s refusal to ac- knowledge the instability of gender itself as a social system for classifying and administering human lives according to a purportedly natural sex dichotomy.” Their essay advocates shifting towardsmulti-occupancy,all-genderrestrooms, ratherthankeepingthesystemasitisandadding single-usebathroomsfortransindividuals.They argue that the single-occupancy gender-neutral bathroom “spatially isolates and excludes,” and can “exacerbate problems of social exclusion by segregating transgender people from shared public space and stigmatizing their presence in mixed groups of people.” In discord with many populararguments,theybelievethateliminating divisive walls will improve rather than threaten publicsafety.MuchalongthelinesofJaneJacob- sen’s “safety in numbers” theory, “increasing bathroom occupancy reduces risks of predation associated with being alone and out of sight.” Sanders and Stryker are holding workshop discussions at various educational institutions as they continue to research bathroom politics with the goal of designing a practical and eco- nomicalalternativerestroomprototypethatwill accommodate not only the needs of the trans community, but a wide range of individuals of different ages, genders, and abilities. Although initiated in response to address- ing the urgent needs of the trans community, Sanders sees the Stalled! project as a lens to look at gender, architecture and space more broadly. Gender neutral bathrooms would improve the flowofbathroomusage,andultimatelythesafety of its subjects in ways that would have positive impacts not just for trans people but for people from all walks of life. D TheCommons,PalmSpring,2014 E All-genderpublicbathroomproposal,2015 A LeeLoft,Manhattan,2000 D E 5859
- 32. Looking Back 2016— One of the most critical points that Sanders in- vested in his career, he told me, is “how can you useanoutsider’sperspective,inthiscaseaqueer perspective, as a way of dismantling the way in whichthenormsandconventionsofarchitecture perpetuate problematic social relationships?” A common theme running throughout Sanders’ work is looking at how cultural values and ideologies shape professional practice. He aims to break down boundaries — whether pro- fessionaldistinctionsbetweenfields,orphysical walls, such as the walls that separate the wom- en’s and men’s bathrooms. To break down these barriers Sanders told me we must “first call into questiontheproblematic,deep-rootedandoften unconscious cultural values that led us to erect boundariesinthefirstplace.Onlythenwillwebe in a position to effect real change by rethinking institutionalstructures—betheylegislationand buildingcodestomakepossibleall-accessbath- rooms,ordesigneducationandlicensingproce- durestofostercross-disciplinarycollaboration.” Hisworkaimstoovercometheconstraining architectural norms we inherited from the past whichinhibitsdesignersfromcreatingaccessible designs for human subjects. He told me, “The common denominator between architecture, landscape, and interior design is embodiment. All three fields ultimately create environments, both indoors and outdoors, that allow a wide range of people of different genders, races and abilities to meaningfully interact with one an- other in social space.” Sanders advocated across his career for bringing down the walls between professions. He told me that to accept the separation of two related fields is, “to perpetuate and reinforce a professional identity, much like gender identity, whichweperceiveasnaturalandtakeforgranted, butarereallyproductsof19thcenturythinking.” I see Sanders as an example of someone who, through embodying the most privileged class within the LGBTQ community — a cis gay whitemaleprofessional—hasexpandedhishori- zons to introduce innovative solutions for mar- ginalized groups throughout the progression of his career. At the same time, he has courageous- ly and effectively challenged deep assumptions heldbythemanyfieldshehasworkedin,produc- ingmodelsforotherpeopleinthosefieldstofind creativesolutionsforrespondingtotheneedsof individuals, communities, and the planet. P. 6061
- 33. — BUNNY MICHAEL THE HIGHER SELF SPIRITUAL SEXUALITY & TRANSCENDING GENDER P H O T O G R A P H Y Ryan Bevans P H O T O A S S I S TA N C E Dylan Long, Zita Zenda and Mengwen Cao A R T D I R E C T I O N Asher Torres S T Y L I N G Keli Lucas S T Y L I N G A S S I S TA N C E Marcus Elliot 6263
- 35. Spirituality is the purpose of my life. I identify as a spirit having a human experience. So being spiritual is being myself and having an awareness of a power that is beyond the physical realm. That outer realm is where I source my art as well. I channel my art from meditation, dreams and visions during sex. I believe spirit speaks to me through my subconscious mind and I have to get out of my ego mind to receive those messages. Meditation, dreams, and conscious sexual experiences provide a space for that. To be spiritual has become this trendy word that in my opinion is misunderstood by many. It’s not a hobby or something you do outside of work, it’s a lifetime dedication to using your gifts to bring about consciousness expansion, compassion, and change in the world. You’ve talked a lot in your writing and other interviews about spirituality, sexuality, and art making. In regards to your practice, what is the relationship between these aspects? A .Q . As an art form Bunny utilizes self-portraiture, doubling their image to fashion parables that examine the relationship between the masculine and feminine, the body and the soul. For example, their music video for their cover of Daddy Yankee’s “Gasolina” displayed two of Bunny’s personas dancing and floating through a pastel, sensual, otherworldly reality. Recently they have been creating memes that exist on social media platforms that utilize their dual personas, making cheeky commentary on the avatar as higher self. Another persona they’ve been exploring is called “Khum Princess,” an angel/priestess who creates her own, psychologically charged songs separate from Bunny’s other music. Themes that tie together all of Bunny’s works regardless of medium are vulnerability, spirituality, sexuality, feminine energy, self-image making, and transcending worldly restraints such as gender and capitalism. W R I T T E N B Y Annie Rose Malamet Vulnerability is the key. My work is about showing the journey, the ups and downs, the mistakes and the failures, the dreams and the obsessions. I recently went through a heartbreak and posted a video of myself crying because on this level I found the pain so fascinating. I’m interested in conscious witnessing. I’m interested in exploring what it means to be human and how we can save our species. What do you think is the role and value of vulnerability in your practice? A .Q . I can control how I represent myself but I can’t control how people see me. That is a hard lesson I’ve had to let go of. My ancestry is a major source of my power. I use the pronoun ‘they’ because gender is an illusion. I am a spirit. I want to dismantle all forms of social conditioning that have repressed humans for generations upon generations. Can you speak on the importance of controlling your own image and self representation as a queer person of color? A .Q . Feminine energy couldn’t not be an important component of my work even if I tried. Feminine energy is the planet, the moon, the stars...it’s the receiver, the seducer, the magnetic force. It has been denied its natural expression for too long. We are so out of balance. I pray for the end of the patriarchy and I work diligently to be a revolutionary of that change. How is feminine energy an important component of your work? A .Q . Khum Princess is a project that came out of this need to have a psychological purge. I had been unearthing a lot of past trauma for my own personal healing when I started creating this new persona. She is a mix between a guardian angel and a priestess of the underworld. All of the songs for this project are “collage songs.” They are mashes of my own production with samples from teenage nostalgia and my own writing. Can you talk about your Khum Princess project? A .Q . I am releasing a telenovela soon — a four song visual story, which begins with a new video for the first chapter, 888. I’ve been working really hard on this so I am really excited to share. P. What are some new projects you’re working on? A .Q . I definitely think memes are an art form. They are interesting to me because the language provides a container, a cultural context that you can play around in. It familiarizes the viewer and makes them part of the piece. It’s unpretentious and inclusive. The Higher Self memes are messages of self love and expressions of how we can all treat ourselves better, that we are more powerful than we even realize. I’ve noticed that on your social media platforms you’ve been creating self reflective memes using your image, your alternate personas. Do you consider the meme an art form? A .Q . 6667
- 38. MODELLalithaMuthusamy GARMENTCruzShirt,DowlingPants Leon Wu is the Founder, Chief Designer, and CEO of Sharpe Suiting, a revolutionary exploration into the possibilities that technology can afford us in a custom fit experience. Founded in queer style and experience, Sharpe is a response to the larger fashion industry, which often does not empower the different identities and bodies in the world. Sharpe is about the individual, whether queer or not, for all those who feel like they have never found the right fit. W R I T T E N B Y Courtney Stirn As CEO, Leon Wu’s responsibilities range from creative direction all the way down to finance. Basically, Leon Wu is the boss. He says “managing complexities” is the most important part of his job. Sharpe has grown dramatically since its initial Kickstarter, becoming a rising name in Hollywood and providing custom clothing for celebrity and entertainment industry clients. Sharpe suits have been photographed on the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival, the Oscars, and the Emmy Awards, worn in top 40 music videos, and featured in numerous publications including the Wall Street Journal, the Huffington Post, the Los Angeles Times, Fashionista, The Advocate, Frontiers Media, Curve, and Qwear. 7273
- 39. Queer fashion is a social movement that is shaking up the fashion industry, led predominantly by queer-identified women. It ranges from urban swag to dapper luxury, and is inspired by butch lesbians, masculine-of-center individuals, and masculine-identified women, as well as transgender men and women. All of these identities were previously invisible. I would also be as specific to say that queer fashion is a feminist movement, because of the “who” this market often represents. Previously, in the standard fashion industry, styles and fit were predominantly determined by cis gay men. Gay men and fashion? Yes! Queer women as main influencers in the fashion industry? Not until now. What does “queer fashion” mean to you? A .Q . As an entrepreneur, Wu has been featured on HBO’s The Trans List, AT&T’s Business Circle, Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, Canvas8, Workaholic, and Native Society. Now in Sharpe’s third year, Leon is looking to really expand, both in terms of Sharpe’s signature AndropometricsTM (the process of fitting based on an individual’s own style and identity), as well as his own personal image. “In the first and second year, I felt like I had to have a really positive message; this year, my image is more about just being me,” Leon shares. “It’s not just red carpet picks and runway shows and publications, but it’s also about sharing the experience as an entrepreneur, especially in an industry that is so structured and binary, and to be able to be in tune with my emotional side, to show the struggles I’m going through. When you’re going out, fashion is about your identity and expressing yourself. But the fashion industry isn’t providing that for you. We’re about developing something new, even in the face of adversity.” My good friend, Mika, is a five foot eight butch: handsome, confident, with a smile that can light up a room, and broad shoulders that any M.O.C (masculine-of-center) would envy. Already turned away from the tailor shops, we finally decided to go to a suit outlet that guaranteed they had something for anyone, of any size. After a few hours and a dozen suits to no avail, the salesman finally nonchalantly declared, “I’m sorry, she does not fit anything we have in the store.” Mika, next to me, seemed to shrink by a foot as the disappointment and shame radiated from him, his abundant self-confidence all but gone. Unable to suppress my anger at the utter lack of empathy it was all I could do to fling back, “Maybe it’s the other way around. Your store does not have any suits that fit her.” I already had an idea in place for providing custom suits to people in the community who identified similarly to Mika and myself, from when I studied at business school in New York. Within a few months after that outlet experience with Mika, I launched Sharpe. What was the spark that encouraged you to start doing this as a business? A .Q . I typically keep it simple and wear a black or white t-shirt with a pair of jeans, but lately I’ve been incorporating clothing from other queer fashion designers as much as possible as an act of solidarity. What is your personal style? A .Q . We will be launching custom sizing prediction software with our new collections on the Sharpe website very shortly. Our software has a 95% accuracy level when testing clients of all different shapes or sizes. Essentially, our users need only know a few simple inputs which most people already know about themselves (body weight, height, age, and jean size), and our website will be able to predict all the other metrics needed to produce one of our collection looks in the client’s custom size. People who are now remote will be able to see a Sharpe look on the runway and order it, with 95% accuracy to their size, and have it shipped to their home or office within 4 weeks. No tape measure is required! We will also be offering a rebate for minor alterations, if needed. Most people have their body issues, whether you grew up AFAB (assigned female at birth) and are masculine presenting, or are cis identified. Masculine presenting cis men have another type of body dysmorphia. After doing drag for ten years, you learn to fashion masculinity on a female body, and I want to use that to help people. We want you to write all your concerns, and then tweak the measurements to address those concerns in our clothing. It’s weird that the fashion industry makes everyone feel bad about themselves, when it should be making everyone feel good about themselves. We want to personalize a fit for every person, so it doesn’t matter if you look like this model, or that campaign. You can just be you. I heard you have some technological advancements coming up on your website. Can you tell us a bit about that? How will the use of AndropometricsTM help customers who can’t make it to an LA consultation take advantage of your styles? A .Q . 7475
- 40. Technology has been known to allow businesses and services to be more personalized in many realms. If fashion is really about identity, then why not be able to provide a better fit using technology? We’ve worked and partnered with tailors around the world to obtain measurements for remote clients and models before making a suit. The fact is, everyone measures differently. My goal is that I can use the developments in AndropometricsTM and technology within my business, which was initially inspired by the LGBTQ community, to benefit anyone who wants a Sharpe look. How do you see technology evolving to improve customer experience, specifically in regard to Sharpe, but also more generally? A .Q . Along with the launch of our online software, we will be increasing the quality of our local services. We will be offering the Trey Sharpe True Bespoke Experience which is made from a true bespoke pattern and using the highest quality wool fabrics (super 140 and above), or a client’s choice of fabric provision. We do both masculine and feminine suits, and are very excited to be collaborating with Christina Pacelli for a gorgeous femme suit for Laverne Cox. Custom dresses, specifically, have not been our core business as of late, but we have infrastructure and resources in place if someone wants a dress designed by Sharpe. So far, we’ve made about 4-5 custom dresses, which our clients have really loved. I’ve heard you’re adding dresses and some more feminine formal wear to your arsenal. A .Q . It’s not about the clothes so much as it is making people feel good about themselves. Watching one of our queer- identified models walk down the runway, seeing their expression elevate to one of self-empowerment in a style and fit that is made for them, is exhilarating. Helping people feel confident and empowered in themselves is the most fulfilling work I could ever do. P. How does it feel to provide for folks who maybe haven’t ever worn clothes that felt made for them? A .Q . Gay men and fashion? Yes! Queer women as main influencers in the fashion industry? Not until now.” “ MODELSebastianLysen GARMENTBogadoSuit
- 41. GROUND YOURSOUND —Lauren Flax P H O T O G R A P H Y Asher Torres P H O T O A S S I S TA N C E Anabel Evans S T Y L I N G Gary Russell Freeman S T Y L I N G A S S I S TA N C E Yvo Battad-Cook H A I R / M A K E U P Katie Robinson R I G H T Top: Julian Zigerli from Elkel Boutique / Bottom: Levi’s from What Goes Around Comes Around / Necklace: Alibi DJ Lauren Flax discusses how she got her start, who her role models are, and what it means to succeed in the electronic music industry. 7879
- 42. R I G H T Top: Jose Duran Bottom: Martin Keehn Bracelet: WXYZ Jewelry Lauren Flax’s first memory of music is listening totheDollyPartonandKennyRogersChristmas album with her family on Christmas morning in the early eighties. Full disclosure: Lauren is one of my best friends and we have been house- matesfornearlyadecade…andshestilllovesthat Christmas album. “IrememberhearingHerbieHancock’sRock Itforthefirsttimewhiledrivingsomewherewith mymotherandbecomingobsessed.Thatshould havebeenverytellingofmyfuture,”shetellsme. “MyfatheralwayslistenedtoForeignerand JourneywhichIdidn’tlikeasakid,buthedidturn meontoFleetwoodMac,whoarestillsuperinflu- entialtometoday.Then,ofcourse,Iwasallabout Tiffany and New Kids until a schoolmate gave me a Primus tape and brought me to my senses.” Thankfully, there is very little influence of Primus evident in Flax’s own musical output. Hermusicisuniquelydark,butdanceable,fullof housebeatsandswellingsymphonicstrings.Her soundoftenstrikesmeasparadoxical:awarmly ecstatic core encased in a melancholy veneer. Flax favors the yin and yang symbol — she ownsanumberofclothingitemsandaccessories featuringit,andthisseemsfitting,giventhedual- ityofhernatureandart.Shehasmanagedtostay relevant,respected,andconsistentlybookedfor a decade and a half due to her undeniable talent and ability to remain balanced amidst excess. She is serious; she buckles down and works for long stretches every day, but is also capable of slipping seamlessly into an easy-going moment morethananyoneelseIhaveeverknown.People like to be where she is, because where she’s at is always more fun. BorninDetroit,Flaxistheyoungestofthree children, all girls. When she was very young she wassureshe’dgrowuptobecomeanun,butnow it is impossible to imagine her as anything other thanamusician.Thereisavocationalelementto herrelationshipwithmusic,whichenabledherto be comfortable in her own skin; music is woven throughout her entire identity. “I grew up playing the drums and took up playing guitar in high school, but I didn’t start DJing until 1997,” Flax recounts. “I learned on 2 Belt-drive turntables with a wheel pitch control. I mixed a Sade record with a Jungle record and everyone at the party went quiet. I was literally hooked from that second on.” Hermusicallandscape,fromDollyandPri- mus,toadventureswiththeundergrounddance scene,gaveherrelatableexperienceswithgenre outsiders and music junkies. “As a teenager I had an unhealthy ob- session with Hole and Courtney Love. It was a mixture of my teenage angst and coming- of-age sexuality. She gave me an outlet for my discomfort when realizing my sexuality in a very religious, Catholic family. I was allowed to scream and yell it out with every song. It was W R I T T E N B Y Julie Vick G R O U N D Y O U R S O U N D 8081
- 44. G R O U N D Y O U R S O U N D the first record I learned to play from start to finish on the guitar. “Later, Shirley Manson became a more positive role model for me. She still is. Her hu- mor and genuine, grounded attitude has always movedme,”FlaxsayswhenIaskifheridolshave changed after years navigating music as a queer woman. “Now that I’m older, I find that I can’t celebrate someone’s art without being able to celebrate their character.” Riding the wave from that first Sade mix, eighteen years old and freshly out of the clos- et, Flax stayed with friends in an assortment of dodgy living situations (above a strip club, in a closet) during a period she still describes as the timeofherlife.ShewasattendingtheRecording InstituteofDetroit,whereshefoundtheprogram disappointing. “We didn’t touch any gear until the final exam,”shecomplained.“Ilearnfromdoing,not from just reading instructions and taking tests, so I didn’t really benefit much.” Thankfully there were plenty of oppor- tunities to learn from doing. Adriel Thorn- ton, a hugely influential pillar of the Detroit electronic music scene, gave her a residency at Motor Lounge — one of the top clubs in the country. She recalls this with gratitude, espe- cially given how young and new she was to the DJ scene. Legendary DJ Carl Craig was also an early mentor, believing in her enough to book her for the first Detroit Electronic Music Festival in 2000. “I looked up to him and his wife at the time, Hannah. She is a wonderful artist and was always looking out for me as a teenager, on my own for the first time. We’re still in touch today.” A few friends had moved from Detroit to Chicago and she decided to take one up on an offer to be taught music production if she joined them in the Windy City. “It was so great living there — both Detroit andChicagohavethedeepestrootsindancemu- sic. To be surrounded by the people that created houseandtechno,alltheselike-mindedindivid- uals that had a deep care for the music — those things all put me on the right path.” A path that ultimatelyledtoNYC,herhomebasesince2002. “My time in New York can’t be summed up easily,”Flaxreflects.“Thisplacehasmademefeel likeI’velivedmanylivesinonebody;somuchper- sonalgrowth.Ihadthetimeofmylifeinmytwen- ties, but I didn’t get a whole lot done musically.” This carefree period came to an end when, overthecourseof2007,fourclosefriendspassed awayunexpectedly.Itwasatimeoftremendous grief and anxiety. “I had lost the plot somewhat, butwhentragedieshappenwegetourshittogeth- er.From2007on,it’sbeenanon-stopjourneyof growth: some forced, some sought.” “I found myself again with my band, CREEP,” she realizes. The duo, a collaboration with longtime friend, Lauren Dillard, released their widely-praised debut album, “Echoes,” in 2013. The album featured collaborations with a diverse cast of music-world luminaries, includ- ingSia,HollyMiranda,RomyMadleyCroft,Lou Rhodes, Tricky, and Nina Sky. “CREEPwasmyfirstforayatjustwritingex- actly what I was feeling with no intentions other than to create. I thought things had to sound a certain way, but really I just needed to find my- self, my sound, my voice. Then came the time to perform and I had never really performed live before, so we were thrown out there to just figure it out in front of an audience. It was very humblingandI’msothankfulforit.Ihadtoface andovercomethesenewandpowerfulfearsthat ultimately gave me the confidence I needed.” IaskFlaxhowheridentitytiesintoherwork; howsheunderstandswhereitfits,whereshefits. “Dating back to the rave days in the 90s I would always try to stay away from the all fe- malelineups,”sheconfesses.“Myfeministbelief says that we are equal to our male counterparts, so why separate us? But at the very same time, women booked at major festivals worldwide average around 3 to 10% of the entire lineup.” Shecontinues,“Idon’tnecessarilythinkthatwe need to have more female-focused festivals to make ourselves better known, although I’m not saying that those events shouldn’t exist either. Wesimplyneedtobebookedmore,soughtafter more, heard more [as women]. I am surrounded by unbelievably talented female producers and DJ’s,soIaminmyownbubble.Thereisnoshort- age of us to take up space on these lineups. We deserve to be booked.” Expectingthekindofpessimisticreflection that is common from a long-time musician, I questionwhereFlaxthinksdancemusicishead- ed and receive a uniquely optimistic answer. “I thinktheundergrounddancesceneisasstrongas ithaseverbeen,”sheshares.“Whatishappening in the EDM world hasn’t affected the validity of whatishappeningunderground.Fadsdefinitely comeandgoinallforms,buthouserunssodeep and has a very solid foundation. It’s a wonderful movement and innovation is happening.” Wonderingwhatitmeanstohertobeatthe top of a game, the best, a boss, I ask how she un- derstandstheidea.“Tobeabossmeanslistening as well as offering; to let yourself live and to let yourself work, in equal parts. To be a boss is to be grounded, open and compassionate. We are strong and we are weak, but we always get back up because we are brave. Being a boss is to be a warrior. You’ll only become stronger.” Are there pitfalls she’s learned to avoid over her lengthy career? “I’ve seen quite a few people become successful, or even moderately successful, and lose themselves in it. It’s always frustrating to watch because this industry is so full of ups and downs and if you don’t stay grounded through- out the process you’ll have a more difficult time bouncing back from those downs. You have to stay grounded and not accept the highs as per- manent — or the lows.” In an industry as fickle asmusic,keepingalevelheadissomethingFlax considers especially important if sustaining a career is your goal. Likewise, it’s important to understand the difference between fame and success. “You can be famous and still be broke. I could care less about fame; success to me is being able to take goodcareofyourselfandcareforyourfamilyand friends if needed. Oftentimes fame comes with success, but not always. Success means staying true to your sound...not succumbing to making music for anyone else aside from yourself.” LaurenFlaxiscurrentlyfocusingonhersolo career, but one that is especially filled with col- laboration; She’s been working with musicians FritzHelderandJoshCaffeandwillbereleasing new tracks with Nina Sky. The near future in- cludes a couple of EPs and a European tour. As of this writing she is halfway through a season in Berlin. P. 8485
- 45. LOVEIS EVERYTHINGTOME —TheGuideon HowtoLovethe MovementandStill BeSeenasHuman ELLEHEARNS P H O T O G R A P H Y Tiffany SmithW R I T T E N B Y Shane’a Thomas 8687
- 46. A R T D I R E C T I O N Asher Torres S T Y L I N G Tanya Quigley and Keli Lucas P H O T O A S S I S TA N C E Mengwen Cao and Anabel Evans H A I R Shavaughn Byrd M A K E U P Aracely Arocho Elle Hearns is the co-founder of the now-defunct Trans Women of Color Collective Ohio, the former central regional coordinator for GetEQUAL (an LGBTQ non-profit focused on equality), and a strategic partner to the Black Lives Matter Network. Now based in Washington D.C., Elle is finding even stronger support for the work she is passionate about. From a liberation standpoint she is shining new light on how entities perform Anti-Blackness, all the while doing what she can to propel the Black Lives Matter movement forward. Thegraceembodiedbydancers,aswith the patterns of love, is grounded in the foundationofmovement.Dancershave the ability to migrate from one space to another, withthehopefortransformationthroughmove- ment at every step. Social movements, whether towardtheliberationofBlackbodies,orthefree- dom to love and be loved by all Black lives, sim- ilarly bring a momentum that constantly fuels the next pirouette, the next sashay. Figuring out her place within those intersections, with head heldhigh,isthewayElleHearnsmovesthrougha room—andonecouldargue,withinherself.With herjourneysupportedbythementorshipoftrans activist greats like Juan Evans, Miss Major, and Miss Janetta, the 29-year-old organizer, dancer, and art enthusiast from Columbus, Ohio knows each step forward is a necessary act of opening up.Yet,eveninsittingdownandspeakingabout her life as an activist and her search for love, there is an inner radiance as she expresses her- self that proves the movement really lies in the marrow of her bones. “The movement,” in Elle’s definition, “is visual depiction of emotion.” She continues, “I think about it in relation to people who are constantlymoving,whoareconstantlyemoting. There have been so many entry points for Black peoplearoundtheterm‘movement’inthehistor- icalcontextofcolonialism.Soforme,movement is very large and it’s also very loose because ev- eryonehasadifferententrypoint.Myentrypoint is one of reference to Black Lives Matter.” Elle’s poignant role in the development of the Black LivesMatterNetwork,iswhereherloveforthose whoareonthemarginsofthemovementshines. Hergoalistoseethoseleftbehindduetosystems ofoppression—particularlythosewhoarepoor, Black,andoftransexperience—stepupintoroles ofleadership.Forher,intersectionalityisnotjust a concept that is taught, it is a lived experience. Elle has had a heavy hand in creating some of the most historic moments of the Black Lives Matter experience, such as The Movement for Black Lives Convening held in Cleveland, and Black Trans Liberation Tuesday, a national day of action for trans women who have been mur- dered. Although Elle sits proudly as a pioneer in these achievements, she also feels that people treat her as having a monolithic view of free- dom. The struggle in having other people define her work based on her experience as a person who is Black and trans, is that those two are the only experiences other people deem she has the authority to speak on. Being Black, trans, poor, formerly incarcerated, uneducated, and a sur- vivor of sexual assault are only some of Elle’s numerous identities. She views her work as lim- itless, using her personal knowledge as avenues of freedom leading to more than just liberation for Black transfolk. Whenaskedaboutherinspirations,heran- swersrangefromtheSanFrancisco49ers’Colin Kaepernick’soutspokennessaroundtheoppres- sion of Black bodies, to mothers and families whose loved ones have been murdered by the police, to every time Serena Williams lives her fullest life unapologetically. Elle is also deeply “How do you want your story to be told?” – “By me.” Elle Hearns T H E M O V E M E N T I . L O V E I S E V E R Y T H I N G T O M E 8889
- 47. If the movement of love were water, Elle would flow right off the edge of the redchairshesitsin.Thereisaglowthat comesacrossherface,aconstantgentleflashing from the distance in her eyes, that makes it look asifsheisalwayswatchingherfavoritelovestory, curledupunderablanketonherbed,surrounded by her Ebony and Essence magazines. At this par- ticular moment, the question I ask, “what does love mean to you?” swirls around in her head. “Lovemeanseverythingtome.Ithinkabout my childhood self and the type of love that I de- sired, all in relation to fairy tales. I believed in a Prince Charming, it was very much in relation- shiptoheteronormativity,whichhasbeenacon- sistentcontradictiontome,andwhatIbelievein. But I am so interested in talking about the con- tradictions.” For Elle, sex, intimacy, and love as aBlacktranswomanconflatelikeatango,onein whichthepartnerssteponeachother’sfeet,alot. Within the movement, activists are seen as pillars of their community, full of force and (mistakenly) layered in armor as they continu- ouslyfightagainstthesystemsofoppression.It’s an experience she knows too well — if you are a “visibleperson,”peopledon’tseeyouashuman. Activists on the front lines of the movement are often seen as impenetrable superheroes. For Black trans women like Elle, finding stable love, andevenrespectasapowerfulbeing,isanuphill battle especially in the confines of patriarchy. “Men respond to power very differently when they don’t view you as powerful. That has been another thing that I have been learning as I continue to organize. There is energy around that.Thisperceptionthat‘you’reaboss’—there is something intriguing about that, and also something that is intimidating. Which is why [someone]canprofess[their]loveanddisappear, andthatissomethingthatIhavedirectlyexperi- enced in the past year.” Though she clearly recognizes the heter- onormativity of the storylines, movies that de- fine the Black experience of love in the ‘90s and early2000s(suchasLoveJones,BrownSugar,and Jason’s Lyric) are still her standards for love. Elle passionatelydescribesbalancingthemovement of all Black people from the bottom up, while continuing to leave her door open just in case a leading man, like Larenz Tate, winds up on her doorstep. There are so many things that Elle has yet to resolve within herself — particularly her arrest in June 2014. Still, she is open to seeking love and forgiveness for herself and the systems of pain that we live in. As she sips on her Sierra Mist, she sits with her heart open, as if to accept A fluorescent magical glow overcomes Elle when asked how she loves herself. “I am constantly learning how to love myself. And the thing is, this is the longest re- lationship you will ever have. And I find new ways to love myself every single day. I love the risks that I take. I love the challenges that I have even internally on what to say, what to do. I love to find new ways to be open to talking about myself. I have been taught that if you talk about yourself, then you have an ego. I am learning to love myself in ways that people say that I couldn’t.” It’s as if she is her own prince charming, the one she’s been waiting for, the one she can walk away with hand in hand when the rallies and speaking events are over, and the protest signs are put away. “Ithinkthatnobodyknowshowtolovelike a Black trans woman. To experience every part the love ahead, making room and space in her heartforthemessyprocess.Lovecontinuestobe a violent thing for Black trans women. Yet, Elle isn’t without hope. She knows that she deserves being, seeing, and experiencing love. “Whenpeopleloveblacktranswomen,they will be able to love themselves.” I peer over my glassesasIcatchhertruth—thetruth—wrapped in her voice with intensity. “Everyone?” I ask. EvenwithinAnti-Oppressionworkitself,whenit comestothelivesofBlacktranswomen,society’s lensmagnifiesdeath.Wehavelost20transwom- en this year in the United States thus far (that we areawareof),andwhilewearemourningoftheir bodies,wearenotnecessarilyincommunionand recognition with their souls. We aren’t hearing the stories of how they loved, if they were loved, or whether they were even deserving of love. The message we as society are left with is that love kills Black trans women, so in the end they do not deserve to have it at all. “Everyone,” she replies. “What [love] looks like is someone offer- ing their complete self to me beyond what the societal offerings are to trans women. There is also respect to all of the things that I am; which is a sexual being, as well as a being who likes to dream and feel. I like dates. I like surprises. Take me somewhere that is a complete surprise to me. I love thinkers, so if you are really able to thinkofsomethingcreativeandinteractive,that will set you apart. And then follow through — if you are able to follow through the whole date, make sure that I am ok. Make sure I don’t have anythinginmyteeth,alsojustbeassuring.Those arehopefullythethingsthatsomeonewastaught to do, and if not, you’re an actor for the night. Play that.” She picks up her drink, and laughs at the challenge she has placed in front of her future suitor. Elle is also an activist who to her core de- fends the agency of women and their ability to give consent, including her own, so the wooing isn’twithoutcritiqueorstandards.Kissesonthe cheek are welcomed, but Elle likes intentions known early. “That will go a long way because it gives me the agency to decide whether or not I even want to go on a date.” As with her work in the movement, Elle does not leave without unpeeling the layers within that exchange. She says she wants to work harder to make sure that these consent conversations are happening be- fore discussions of sex. In the words of Justice to Lucky in Poetic Justice, “let’s cut the bullshit.” inspiredbythosewhosimply“don’tgiveafuck.” Whenaskedtonamethethreetopthingsthatshe is committed to most within the movement, she is conflicted. After much though, she settles on abolishing the police, creating support for Black women(especiallythosewhohavebeenaffected by trauma and violence), as well as support for thearts.“Anddismantlingthegovernment,”she says with a grin. Yet, to only focus on Elle’s work as an activ- ist is limiting because she is so much more than that.EvenElle’ssmallframeshiftinginherchair gives an air of constant exploration. Her energy and focus flow from the goal of the liberation of herpeople,totheliberationofherself.Whenshe speaks and laughs, her voice fills the room with commandingwarmth.Hertoneinvitespeopleto movefromstoicactiontothecandidnessoflove. B L A C K L O V E A N D FA I R Y TA L E S E L L E , T H E D R E A M “I don’t know why your heart doesn’t do what your mind tells it.” Brown Sugar (2002) “Hallelujah you have won it all for me Death could not hold you down.” “The Anthem” by Todd Dulaney I I . I I I . 9091
- 48. of identity is not something that can be taught. IthinkthatBlackwomenperiodarethegateway to Heaven. I think that Black trans women ex- perience things that the world will never know, and that is what sets Black trans women apart.” But are we as a society ready to love and take in Black trans women? Elle’s face looks honest and solemn. “I don’t know,” she replies. “I think it is still yet to be seen. I know that in my life, I don’t think people are truly ready. But it’s another one of the goals.” And this goal is the goal above all others: For society to make space for a love, for free- dom, for liberation that many are not ready for. To open our hearts, ears and bodies to the un- expected, and to be led by those who know it so much better than ourselves. As these forces of justice and love are combined, in the end, Elle is the movement: #blackgirlmagic personified. She is a Black trans woman who lives and sur- vives with the marks of being poor, a survivor of rape, and incarceration. Her passion for her people is an expression of her love for herself. “A goal will feel reached if one person can tell me that they are living their dream. That hasn’t happened yet. I’ve heard ‘I’m inspired by you,’ which is great, but I am just waiting for the one person that tells me that they’re living their dream.” I peel off my glasses to look into her eyes and ask, “are you living your dream?” Elle an- swers sitting poised and upright, “This is the work that I have always imagined myself to do. So I think of this work as artistry. As something that will live on forever which is why I try to be veryspecificandstrategicaboutwhatIorganize and how I organize. There is a spiritual work for me that is connected to the power of the people. You have to be able to feel something. Not only now, but forever.” P. “...Why is everything so urgent to you? Let me tell you something. This here, right now, at this very moment, is all that matters to me. I love you. That’s urgent like a motherfucker.” — Darius Lovehall in Love Jones (1997) 9293 RIGHT COLLECTIONSBK,FriendsNYC,JanebyChloeSchnell
- 50. Hrag Vartanian and Veken Gueyikian are the co-founders of Hyperallergic, an online magazine that describes itself as a “forum for playful, serious, and radical perspectives on art and culture in the world today.” Hrag sees Hyperallergic’s unique voice as informed by their many intersecting identities: “We were often told to compartmentalize our lives but refused. We are many things and we embrace them. We’re both Armenian, I’m Canadian, Veken is American, I was born in Syria, he was born here. We’re both queer; we’re many things and that’s great. We created Hyperallergic so that we can function in this world. There was nothing that felt inclusive of our lives and worlds, so we had to create it.” 9697