My zine page submission bridges two pieces of my visual art: acrylic painted ambiguous figures at the top, whose blurred out visages make the figures universal symbols of humanity, with a pastel drawn figure and tree at the bottom. The two duplicates of this figure juxtapose two alternate versions of one person. One figure stares at an upside-down, alternate version of themself who dares to be powerful and uses their strength in the face of fear to speak out and rebuild. I placed these two images in conjunction with each other to demonstrate the delicate balancing act that I as an LGBTQIA+ identifying person in the South must embrace. Despite the uphill battle and the attacks on our rights and freedom to live and exist, we must keep telling our truths just as the South Carolina author and social activist, Dorothy Allison urged. Tell your truth in your own way to not lose hope. We have no choice but to keep telling our truths to learn, grow, and protect our lives, bodies, and futures.
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