About the Agenda Collection
About the Agenda Collection
This collection was designed as a response to the Club Q Shooting in Colorado Springs on November 19th-20th, 2022.
The collection features clothing and accessories with the phrases:
“The Trans Agenda is An Average Life Expectancy”
“The Gay Agenda is An Average Life Expectancy”
These phrases are meant to draw attention to the urgent need for:
- Safety
- Protection from discrimination
- Awareness and education about LGBTQIA+ existence/issues
- Accessible healthcare
- Financial equity
- Removal of harmful policies
- Bodily Autonomy
- Freedom to love
- Societal acceptance
I recognize that these statements provoke strong emotions and reactions.
I hope that their use sparks meaningful conversations and mobilizes action. By using these statements on merchandise, my goal is to bring attention to the struggles and discrimination faced by LGBTQIA+ individuals and raise awareness about the need for change.
Profits from “The Trans Agenda is An Average Life Expectancy”
All profits from this design will go towards the following non-profit organizations that advocate for and support transgender individuals.
Tranzmission is an Asheville-based organization that was formed with a mission to make the lives of nonbinary, transgender and gender nonconforming people in western North Carolina happier, healthier and safer through education, advocacy and support. They offer a variety of support groups, the Talya Mazuz Food Pantry, assistance in the name change process, connections with trans-affirming mental and physical health care providers, an affirming garment program, transgender awareness and support trainings for businesses and organizations, and several other programs.
Youth OUTright is an Asheville-based organization with a mission to create a world in which all Queer and Trans youth are supported to realize their power and autonomy through self-determination. They help youth resist oppression by building community, healing, and growing together.
Youth OUTright engages in intersectional and intergenerational dialogue with a focus on gender and racial justice. Their work includes programming for youth ages 11-24, training for youth-serving organizations, and advocacy for policies that protect Queer and Trans youth.
Campaign for Southern Equality’s Southern Trans Youth Emergency Project (STYEP)
This project provides rapid response support directly to the families of youth who are impacted by anti-transgender healthcare bans in the South. Through STYEP, and in close partnership with state and local organizations, Campaign for Southern Equality is providing grants, patient navigation support, and accurate information to impacted families to ensure that youth can access the care they need and deserve, even in the face of oppressive laws. They have developed a regional referral network of providers in access states and are helping as many families as they can through this time of crisis.
Profits from “The Gay Agenda is An Average Life Expectancy”
All profits from this design will go towards the following non-profit organizations that advocate for and support gay/queer individuals.
Blue Ridge Pride’s mission is to promote equality, safety, and quality of life for western North Carolina’s LGBTQ and allied communities, working as a united community through advocacy, celebration, education and service. They envision an inclusive community, where people are embraced for who they are and feel welcomed to engage and contribute.
They seek to support communities in the following 23 North Carolina counties: Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Swain, Transylvania, Watauga, Wilkes, and Yancey.
GLSEN believes that every student has the right to a safe, supportive, and LGBTQ-inclusive K-12 education. They conduct extensive and original research to inform their evidence-based solutions for K-12 education and author developmentally appropriate resources for educators to use throughout their school community.
They advise on, advocate for, and research comprehensive policies designed to protect LGBTQ students as well as students of marginalized identities and coordinate a network of 43 chapters in 30 states across the nation, to ensure that they have access to schools and districts across the country to reach every student.
They empower students to affect change by supporting student-led efforts to positively impact their own schools and local communities, and have thousands of registered GSAs nationwide.
A Note About Mutual-Aid:
I considered mutual-aid as a more direct way to divert profits to those that need it, but I do not believe that it is ethical for me to choose who receives support and who does not. Due to my queer family’s close ties with the LGBTQIA+ community in Asheville and beyond, complete objectivity in selecting beneficiaries might be challenging.
Selecting someone at random online for mutual-aid might also inadvertently exclude people who require assistance but are not able to voice their need electronically or publicly.
By donating the funds to reputable non-profits, these organizations can allocate the resources based on their firsthand knowledge of the need in the community.
A Note About Tax Deductions:
Because I will not be able to donate more than $25,000, these donations will not benefit me financially either directly or indirectly. All of the profits will go towards the previously stated non-profits.
How Profits Are Calculated:
Profits are calculated by subtracting all expenses from total revenue received.
Expenses include things like cost of materials, labor (paid at the Buncombe County livable wage of $20.10 per hour), credit card transaction fees, packaging, shipping, taxes, etc.
About Me:
I am a cisgender, queer, neurodivergent, polyamorous artist working in the surrounding area of Asheville, NC. Read more about me here.
Suggestions?
If you have any suggestions/opinions on where this money could better be spent, please DM or email me to ensure a response. Because of my other jobs, the number of notifications I receive, and the impact that social media has on my mental health, I do not always see social media comments, though I do try my best.
I always try to be open to constructive criticism and receptive to everyone’s ideas and opinions.