Juniper Rag is celebrating another PRIDE month for 2023. We support LGBTQIA and BIPOC communities in our mission to elevate artists and share their work with the world. We are allies and we are your tribe every day. Bringing awareness during the month of June is important in an effort as friends and allies, we flood media with camaraderie and support. Many people in our communities need to know where we stand. Every bit of representation can influence people that do not fully understand. We believe that very conversation is an opportunity.

For any marginalized community in 2023, the landscape is full of landmines. It is PRIDE month, so today we focus on LGBTQ artists, who continue to face various challenges in their respective fields. While we see some progress being made in terms of LGBTQ equity rights and representation, there are still significant barriers that artists in the LGBTQ community may encounter. Some of the challenges they might face include discrimination, limited representation and bias, funding and resource gaps, censorship, mental health and suicide, and intersectionality. Imagine being having three or 4 marginalized groups that you identify with? While Queer Art is having a moment in news cycles, we must keep the pressure on, even Skittles is marketing pride packs and using a QR code to bring awareness to LGBTQ artists. Admittedly, we do not know the politics of Skittles, but all kids can visually see this marketing and that is progress.

To begin with the obvious, the D word, discrimination. LGBTQ artists still face insane amounts of discrimination based on their appearance, sexual orientation, gender identity, or expression. They may encounter prejudice or bias from the barista to institutions, galleries, or industry professionals, which can hinder every opportunity for exposure and success. Identifying organizations that support your tribe is very important, no matter what your tribe is. We are lucky to live in Massachusetts where there is a lot of community support. Even here, you see a lot of discrimination. Find your tribe though, this can change your world. Artists and creatives thrive so much better in a world surrounded by others like them. If you don’t live in a community that supports all of you, navigating the waters can be full of sharks. Better to be surrounded by a strong network of LGBTQ-supporting organizations who can help connect you and support you in your mission.

Limited representation has been grossly obvious for every single marginalized community there is, including being a woman. White men rule the art world. Sorry friends, truth is truth. Although there has been some increase in LGBTQ representation that we have seen in mainstream media and the arts, there is still a lack of diverse and authentic representation for LGBTQ artists. When drag is still outlawed in towns in Massachusetts, you know some of these places are just going back in time to ridiculous beliefs. Politics, reelection, religion..whatever the stories are, we have to provide more pathways for LGBTQ people and artists to be seen, heard and accepted. Closed-mindedness, stereotypes and tokenism can limit opportunities for LGBTQ artists to showcase their unique perspectives and experiences.

Massachusetts is very lucky to have a cultural council lead by a very forward thinking gay black man who is making huge headway in re-teaching what equitable means from the ground up. Michael J. Bobbitt, who we featured in our V.3 issue of Juniper Rag is formidable and he shares his messaging across the country. It is through local cultural councils that artists are most likely to get funding and resources. Follow and apply for grants and get to know the folks that represent your constituency. They must hear your voice and know what your needs are. Also, run for those positions in your town. Get in the game! LGBTQ artists often struggle to access adequate funding and resources to support their work. Funding bodies, art grants, and sponsorships may not prioritize LGBTQ artists or their projects, leading to a lack of financial support and resources for their artistic endeavors.

People act out of insecurity and fear. Enough is enough with the censorship and backlash. Reach out to art calls and organizations that support your missions, even if they are in another state. Apply to shows nationwide. Tell your story. LGBTQ artists who address LGBTQ themes or explore queer identities in their work may face censorship or backlash in certain contexts. Some audiences or organizations may attempt to suppress or limit the visibility of their art, leading to self-censorship or the suppression of LGBTQ voices. Keep moving, go around them, keep advancing. Again, seek out people that can help you advance your mission.

Oyster & Linen, fine art photograph, Curtis Speer | CUSP Gallery in Newport, Rhode Island

People act out of insecurity and fear. Enough is enough with the censorship and backlash. Reach out to art calls and organizations that support your missions, even if they are in another state. Apply to shows nationwide. Tell your story. LGBTQ artists who address LGBTQ themes or explore queer identities in their work may face censorship or backlash in certain contexts. Some audiences or organizations may attempt to suppress or limit the visibility of their art, leading to self-censorship or the suppression of LGBTQ voices. Keep moving, go around them, keep advancing. Again, seek out people that can help you advance your mission.

We know that mental health and well-being are challenges that present themselves from an early age. Organizations like The Trevor Project help youth populations that are vulnerable. “Suicide is the second leading cause of death among young people aged 10 to 24 (Hedegaard, Curtin, & Warner, 2018) — and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth are at significantly increased risk. The Trevor Project also estimates that more than 1.8 million LGBTQ youth (13-24) seriously consider suicide each year in the U.S. — and at least one attempts suicide every 45 seconds.” What kind of world do we live in where our society does not protect our children? The challenges and discrimination faced by LGBTQ youth have a catastrophic impact on mental health and overall well-being. Dealing with familial and societal prejudices and the pressure to conform can lead to increased stress, anxiety, and emotional exhaustion. We have to do our part to spread positivity and awareness.

Intersectionality is a framework for understanding how interdependent and multidimensional social identities at the individual level, such as race/ethnicity, gender, and sexuality, are shaped by interlocking systems of privilege and oppression at the societal level, such as heterosexism, cisgenderism, and racism (Crenshaw, 1991).
-The Trevor Project

LGBTQ artists who belong to multiple marginalized groups, such as people of color, people with disabilities, or transgender individuals, may face compounded challenges due to the intersections of their identities. In America, the melting pot, this number is very high and privilege and oppression compound and prevent progress when understanding and education are not an option. The labels are long and for most people outside the community, hard to understand. These artists may encounter additional barriers and biases that need to be navigated within their respective fields. Our friends at Love Your Labels in Worcester, Massachusetts “fiercely advocate for LGBTQ+ youth and families. A world without bias, stigma, and shame is our vision.” Love Your Labels is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that believes each person should be able to live free and express who they are without fear of bias, stigma, and shame influencing their opportunity to live happy, healthy, and fulfilled lives. Their mission is to support LGBTQ+ youth through art, fashion, and design and work with families and communities to create inclusive and loving space everywhere.

With all of these challenges, it is absolutely our job to acknowledge the resilience, creativity, and impact of our LGBTQ artists in our community, pushing boundaries, challenging accepted norms, and creating a more meaningful and thought-provoking dialogue through art that contributes to the LGBTQ community's visibility and progress. Additionally, ongoing advocacy efforts, support networks, and increasing representation can help address these challenges and create a more inclusive and equitable environment for LGBTQ artists in the future.

Our mission with Juniper Rag is to showcase significant work and exceptional creatives to deepen their relationship with viewers and to simultaneously offer up a curated collection of art for those who love to collect or consider original art for interior design. We celebrate creative business and lifestyle, as well as curate some of the most sought after contemporary visual arts. We feature Visual Art & Design, Photography, Fashion, Music, Technology, Travel and Lifestyle profiles--all facets that relate to building a creative culture.

We seek the attention of LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC artists because we are HERE and this is a safe zone for all. We are your tribe.

We will be featuring art all month from our LGBTQ artist community members. All of these artists have been curated into the Juniper Rag community either through the print magazine call for art or a live or virtual call for art. We feature our artists retrospectively as often as we can and when images in our library illustrate an event. Not all of our artists identify themselves as queer, so these represent art from some of our artists that publicly do. If you are a Juniper Rag artist and would like to have your art featured for PRIDE month, please message us!

Our collaborative partner for the month is Love Your Labels. Our missions and goals are so complimentary. Let’s bring more attention to the organization and to promote the essential work they do to advocate for young LGBTQ people.

Follow Love Your Labels on social:

IG: @love.your.labels

FB: @LoveYourLabelsMovement

Learn more about Love Your Labels and their off-the-hook event QUEER AF

QUEER AF has a rolling call for art, fashion designers and models. Queer AF is elevating the visibility of diverse bodies and life experiences in an iconic nightlife event in New England. Local and international designers, artists, and models take to the runway to celebrate being unique and coming together to eliminate bias, stigma, and shame.

Event proceeds go to support Love Your Labels programming.

Learn more.