One month ago today, a memorial for O’Shae Sibley was organized after his murder on July 29, 2023. He was murdered for voguing to a Beyoncé song, a style of dancing created and popularized by Black Queer people in the ballroom scene. As a Black Queer person myself, it served as yet another reminder that even in New York, we are not always safe. Through this assignment, I hope to gain some insight on how other Queer individuals within the city not only feel a month later, but how they’re able to survive and express joy despite all the hardships that come with our identities. I hope to find people to interview through friends of friends, Baruch’s GLASS organization, and other queer organizations that I may be able to find throughout New York.With the photos I take, I hope to showcase Black joy and the fact that despite everything, we still can and deserve happiness and equality.
-Chantal Green