Are you \u201cin the life,\u201d \u201ca member of the rainbow brigade,\u201d \u201cfamily,\u201d \u201ca friend of Dorothy,\u201d or any of the many other code terms that have been used to describe queer and trans communities?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With the attempt to erase trans existence, I think a lot about how we have always had encoded language, practices, and culture to find each other and protect our communities. These manifested in the form of code gestures, words, signifiers. To exist in capitalist colonialism as a queer and trans person is to be subversive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The rainbow flag itself was used as a code signifier because most people outside the queer and trans community did not know what it was. Decades ago, I had a rainbow sticker on a notebook and someone looked at the sticker then at me and very confusedly asked if I had that because I was Christian. I laughed queerly, and told them, \u201cNo, not at all.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As history shows us, which is why oppressors want to erase it, queer and trans people have always existed, and we will exist long after oligarchies and Empires<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even with all the attempts to try to erase us as queer and trans folks, I am actually very much looking forward to this era. I am more than happy to revive coded language and a way to counter their dog whistles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019m done with pink washing and rainbow washing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They want to call us \u201csinners\u201d and \u201ctroublemakers,\u201d let\u2019s do it. Let\u2019s go back to our roots. Let\u2019s be subversive again<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Are you \u201cin the life,\u201d \u201ca member of the rainbow brigade,\u201d \u201cfamily,\u201d \u201ca friend of Dorothy,\u201d or any of the many other code terms that…<\/p>\n