Dear Beloved Community,
In these times of turbulence, as the world around us contorts under the weight of hate and despair, I write to you with a heart full of gratitude and love. This letter is for us: artists, lovers, educators, scientists, healers, and visionaries. It is for all of us who carry the vast beauty of the LGBTQ+ experience and who dare to live boldly and authentically despite the persistent storms of oppression.
As an artist and abolitionist, I have learned that love and liberation must go hand in hand. Our community has always embodied this truth. We are the ones who create sanctuary amid chaos and weave resilience into the fabric of our lives and the lives of others. We are diverse, dynamic, and deeply connected to the divine within ourselves and the world around us. And in the face of historical and present attacks, we remain.
We are no strangers to resistance. We have weathered centuries of persecution, and yet we continue to rise. When the Trump administration stokes the fires of division, targeting our trans siblings, rolling back protections for queer youth, and attempting to erase our identities, we must remember: we have been here before, and we are still here. Our survival is a testament to our collective power.
But survival alone is not enough. Our journey must be about healing, not devastation. Healing requires us to tend to the wounds inflicted upon us by systems that seek to control, harm, and erase. It calls us to embrace joy as an act of defiance and to imagine worlds beyond the cages of oppression.
Healing means rejecting the narrative that we are broken, sinful, or unworthy. It means knowing we are sacred. We are two spirits, bridging the seen and unseen worlds. We are protectors of the earth, artists who reflect its beauty and pain, and spiritual guides calling on our gods to teach us how to be in the right relationship with one another.
Our community has always been at the forefront of transformation. It was queer and trans people of color who threw bricks at Stonewall and demanded dignity. It is LGBTQ+ youth who are leading movements for justice today, from fighting for racial equity to climate action. We are the architects of possibility. Even in times of despair, we dream fiercely of freedom for ourselves and all.
And let us be clear: we are not alone in this fight. We are interconnected with every liberation struggle. Our existence challenges patriarchal systems, racial capitalism, and white supremacy. Every act of queer joy, every moment of trans visibility, every time we love openly—it shakes the foundations of the death-dealing structures that would rather see us silenced.
But we must also turn toward each other and care for ourselves and each other. The politics of destruction want us to burn out, to be divided, exhausted, and hopeless. We cannot allow that. We must center rest, joy, and tenderness as much as we need legislative action and a demand for justice.
To my trans siblings, who bear the brunt of this administration's hatred and are targeted for simply existing: you are divine. You are loved. Your truth is an anchor in a world that desperately needs it. To our elders, who have carried the torch through years of struggle and loss, your wisdom and persistence guide us. And to our youth, who are stepping boldly into leadership: keep dreaming big. You are building the world we have always longed for.
As I write this, I think about how we've healed each other. The drag shows that bring laughter to heavy hearts. The chosen families who wrap their arms around those rejected by blood. The marches where we stand arm in arm, refusing to back down. The art that tells our stories and ensures we will not be erased. These are acts of love, and love is our most potent weapon.
At this moment, as the weight of the world feels crushing, I want us to remember that we have faced worse and endured. But endurance is not the goal—flourishing is. This administration's politics may try to reduce us to statistics or silence, but they cannot touch the magic of our collective being.
Let us move forward with a commitment to our shared healing. Let us dream together of a future where no one in our community is left behind—where our Black, Indigenous, Latine, Asian, disabled, immigrant, and Two-Spirit siblings thrive without fear. Let us root ourselves in the knowledge that we are sacred.
We are not a community of devastation. We are healers, storytellers, and architects of liberation. And no matter how gut-wrenching these times feel, we will continue to shine.
With love and gratitude,
Patrisse
Patrisse Cullors believes in the power of alchemy. The NYT bestselling author, artist, and abolitionist has long been drawn to the unseen, and is inspired by the beauty of freedom found in different planes and dimensions. Over the last two decades, her art and performances have been featured at cultural institutions across the globe including The Broad, The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA, The Fowler, Frieze LA, Hammer Museum, Southern Guild and more. In addition to her work as a solo artist, Patrisse is the co-founder of the Crenshaw Dairy Mart as well as the founder of The Center For Art and Abolition, a trailblazing nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering abolitionist artists and leveraging the transformative power of art to catalyze social change. Her current work and practice is focused on “Abolitionist Aesthetics,” a term she advanced and popularized to help challenge artists and cultural workers to aestheticize abolition.
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