Across the United States, 41 percent of transgender people are at risk of suicide, and more than 60 percent will face discrimination--all while a majority of Americans remain silent or, worse, complacent under Trump's discriminatory administration. This ongoing trans erasure is being highlighted through a New York City exhibition, Different Expectations, which will raised funds for a public art installation built in collaboration with Trans Lifeline.
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Titled LGB_Q, the NYC sculpture is currently raising money on Kickstarter, with a final goal of $35,000. Trans Lifeline worked closely with creative agencies Oberland and Design For Feeling to develop a big, bold art piece that omits the "T" from LGBTQ in order to spotlight how trans lives are being critically undermined every day. Once fully funded, LGB_Q will be installed in the heart of Manhattan as both a visible reminder and a call for donations to Trans Lifeline.
Different Expectations will help fundraise this project across two days, from October 19-20. A celebration of LGBTQ talent, the exhibition will feature a range of work by queer artists, including Alex Golshani, Mildred Pierce, Anna Marl and Paulina Pikulinski. There will also be live shows and DJ sets--b o t (Daniel McDowell) and Richard Gray on Thursday, as well as Faith Otey and Diet Evil (Jamie Amadruto) on Friday. Bailey Skye, who performs as "Nightspace," will perform both nights.
Photography: Mildred Pierce (Courtesy of Different Expectations)
Trans Lifeline is a 501(c)3 non-profit dedicated to the well-being of transgender people, as outlined on their site. "We run a hotline staffed by transgender people for transgender people," it says. "Trans Lifeline volunteers are ready to respond to whatever support needs members of our community might have." No matter how major or minor the issue, the non-profit is staffed by experts equipped to provide help and connections. Their operators will only call emergency services with the caller's expressed consent.
"Because of politics and privilege, artists in our community are limited in opportunities to be seen in neighborhoods like SoHo, which is why we are incredibly thankful to our host Oberland for allowing us to create an event like this," Different Expectations told OUT. "There is an undeniable, universal truth in the power of art, which is why we believe that this show and hopefully the Trans Lifeline public art installation can provoke more thought and conversation surrounding communities who are too often overlooked and ignored."
For more information on Different Expectations: A Celebration of LGBTQ Arts, click here.
