Big Cat Lounge

But just a reminder that it is not only places like Paris, places with great media coverage, that are attacked. On the same day close to 50 people were killed in suicide bombings in Beruit but we see barely a whimper of support for those victims and that city.

In 2015, there have been terrorist attacks all over the world. If we truly want to stand up to extremism, we must do it everywhere, everytime, not just when it’s in a city/country we’d like to travel to.

We need to not just say, “Je suis Paris” but “Je suis dans le monde” - I am the world.

#iamtheworld

Félix González-Torres, “Untitled (Portrait of Ross in L.A.)”, 1991

The artist created a series of conceptual portraits of his lover, Ross Laycock.  Ross contracted AIDS in the 1980’s and died years later from AIDS-related illness.  This is my favorite; a reflection on both the wonderful personality and slow death of his partner.  

In practice, this takes the form of a 175-pound pile of individually wrapped pieces of candy.  When Ross was diagnosed with HIV, his doctor placed his ideal weight at 175 pounds, so this pile of candy is meant to symbolize his sweet personality and his weight.  Visitors to the gallery/museum are invited to each take and eat a piece of candy from the pile, taking a piece of Ross with them.  The candy pile therefore slowly dwindles, reflecting Ross’ weight loss and eventual death.  

transphobic violence, especially against trans women of color

LGBTQ teen homelessness and suicide rates

lack of access to important resources for lgbtq teens (especially trans teens)

accessible healthcare/mental healthcare, especially for trans people

bullying of lgbtq teens in schools

the over-sexualization of the queer comminuty (let’s create more safe queer spaces that aren’t bars and clubs)

inner-community issues like biphobia, asexual erasure, etc

promoting the voices of queer people who aren’t white gay men

decolonizing the lgbtq narrative

supporting lgbtq people who have no desire to get married and whose relationships might now be perceived as less legitimate 

(Just a Few of) The Federal Benefits of Marriage Equality