In 2022, state legislatures have advanced hundreds of anti-LGBTQ+ bills across the country. As of mid-March, over 400 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been proposed in 2023

As a trans non-binary designer watching the wave of anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment rise, I could not in good conscience create something for Pride month that didn’t acknowledge what was happening in the world.

Statements like “Love is Love” aren’t enough. We cannot forget that the first Pride was a riot, not a parade. I looked to the prominent figures in the Stonewall uprising of 1969 – Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera – for inspiration. I wanted to not only make a statement but also educate and remind everyone about queer issues of the past and present.

Each design tackles a different issue; the complexities of rainbow capitalism and rainbow washing; the devastation of the “Don’t Say Gay” bill passing in Florida in March 2022; the absurd and unnecessary restrictions on gay and bisexual men who want to give blood; and more.

In 2022, my “Pride is a Protest” Series was submitted to the Hermes Creative Awards, an international competition for creative professionals, where it received a Gold Award placement.