Bill T. Jones / Renée Jones

Renée Jones
Bill T. Jones

What a wonderful dancer. Bill T. Jones clearly expressed all of who he was through his dancing, but strangely I don’t believe he ever specifically choreographed a piece about being gay or the epidemic of AIDS. I love the idea of patterns and tribal art painted on a body. It reminds me of the kind of scars that map our lives. If every scar was viewed as art, perhaps the healing wouldn’t be so difficult.

The Queer Ancestors Project

The Queer Ancestors Project is devoted to forging sturdy relationships between LGBTQI people and our ancestors. Using history as a linchpin, we build community by providing Queer and Trans artists, age 18 to 26, free interdisciplinary workshops in printmaking, writing, and Queer history. Public exhibitions and readings of their work provide a window on the past through which the larger community can glimpse our collective future.

The LGBTQI community has a limited visual record, or none at all, of significant Queer events before the 1970s, particularly in the histories of Queers of color and transgender people. This lack of imagery makes it harder for LGBTQI people to connect with, learn from, and be inspired by our history. Just as photographs from your early life help to anchor personal memories, a visual record – even an imagined one – can bring historical events to life, creating the kind of indelible connection that enables us to engage deeply with our ancestors.