#ThoughtsandPrayers
Photoshop, 2016

My tribute to those most recently slain as the result of lax gun control laws and institutionalized homophobia. I know this piece won’t bring anyone back, but it’s the only thing I could think to do. I’m still processing what happened, and the impact it’s had on many of the people in my life.

The title of the piece, and the blankness of the flag, calls up the emptiness of the hypocritical sentiments being offered by many politicians after these kinds of murderous rampages. My friends, my lovers, so many people I know could easily have been targets in this attack if it had only happened in Portland this week instead of Orlando, and it boggles me that the best anyone in power can offer to do to fix it is to send their ‘thoughts and prayers’.

These mass murders won’t stop until someone of courage and conviction makes it their mission to end them through sweeping policy change that restricts access to these killing machines.

Seriously, this kind of thing shouldn’t be allowed to happen anywhere, not even here in America.

And if you want to do more than just liking this image to help the people in Orlando get past this horrific event, this is a great place to start: http://transcoffee.tumblr.com/post/145814688253/help-orlando-out