Trans liberation, racial justice, (dis)ability accessibility and abolition are more than yet another “cause” for incarcerated LGBTQ folx. They are a part of our desperate struggle for survival.
The intersectionality of the multiple oppressions of the PIC renders our voices mute. The state says we do not matter. And the world dismisses our deaths in the same way it belittles our lives. As the punchline to a joke.
The problem is not that the world is intentionally out to get us, though it may feel that way sometimes. The problem is that the world has no intentions towards us whatsoever. Foucault wrote that the power of the state is no longer built on the power to kill, but on the power to let die. This is just as true today as it was 50 years ago when he wrote it. Lack of intention means that we fall through the cracks of care, concern, and wellness. This results in us being allowed to die by inches, day after day after day until we are attacked and unable to survive it. Or worse, we attack ourselves with a ferocity no one else could muster.
The result is the same. Another tragedy. Another name to recite on a list which is already far to long. Another story to be told and retold until the lesson in it is wrung dry of all wisdom. And we are once more left empty. Numb. Parched.
In the face of this state-sponsored apathy, intentional acts of kindness, grace and beauty are the most revolutionary acts of all. This is what I demand of myself and this is what I ask of you. Water each other with compassion.
Black Lives Matter.
Trans Lives Matter.
Thank You.
Amber Fayefox Kim 