Get Out of His Country (transcript)
(Acetone transfer of handwriting) At the election of 2016, me and my friend get scared by the follower of Trump, he throw the newspaper on my friend face in the airport, yelling at us the get out of his country, we are not belong to here. But we both are American but just in different race than white.
I hate the uncomfortable, shameful feeling I sometimes feel when thinking about other people looking at my girlfriend. Its one thing to not care what other people think, to subvert expectations, to speak out, to be unabashedly me -- but I have been hoping against hope/circumstance throughout my whole life to BELONG to something - a group of friends - a school - a town - a community -- I have always felt like an outsider. like all subliminal messages, we soak it up like sponges, & no matter how many times I wring myself out & refill w/ beauty, light, people who build me up... the residue remains.
it is scary + heart breaking that my family voted to put him in office. Even more terrifying that they (my dad) boasts about how the news is against the president & how good he is for the economy. How this president is shaking things up and how all the good he has done is misrepresented. And i can't fight back + i can't tell them that all this "good" is tearing apart our humanity. These laws effed everyone + make me scared - at times for my safety + my partners safety. Who is he talking about all the good as injuries & crimes + deaths add up b/c this government process needs to be shaken up. Will he be shaken up if it effects me?
There is always hope. even in the bleakest of times.
[drawing of corn growing] Against all odds and statistical measures, I S U R V I V E D, but every day is a struggle to stay present and to accept loss; I suppose the moments of happiness and living authentically are what keep us.
I remember when the first Muslim ban (though of course they didn't call it that; it would have admitted too much) was announced. I first felt disbelief, and rage, and confusion, a disillusionment... and then, perversely, relief because at least they were hypocritical enough that they only banned Muslims from countries they didn't have financial stakes in, and that meant my Muslim friends were safe. At least for the time being.
You and I talked for a bit, then we visited each other's studios to see what/share what we were up to. Otherwise it was (and largely continues to be.) a bad time!