But I am HERE

Portraits of foremothers and fallen angels in the sex worker movement: Sylvia Rivera, Marsha P. Johnson, Mary Jones, Lorena Borjas, Layleen Polanco, and Yang Song.

But I am HERE project has launched artwork at the Love Gallery on Myrtle Avenue in Bushwick/Bed-Stuy, the neighborhood with the most prostitution arrests in New York state, overwhelmingly of Black and Trans women being profiled by police while walking down the street. The pandemic is temporarily keeping us from having a larger exhibit, with video projection of the protests over the summer and wall art featuring sex workers throughout New York history, but we look forward to joining outside together here next week, as the Walking While Trans bill is being held for a vote in the New York State legislature.

Many thanks to Paperboy Prince and the Love Gallery for hosting our art and our exhibit during Black History Month. Physical copies of our book will be available at the gallery for purchase. Any and all proceeds from this publication goes towards supporting community mutual aid and advocacy.

This book is a collaborative effort of many authors and artists, including an editorial team led by TS Candii (Founder, Black Trans Nation / Lead Organizer, Walking While Trans Coalition & DecrimNY), SX Noir (Black Sex Worker Liberation Project), TD Tso (Asian American Feminist Collective), and Kate Zen (Red Light Reader / Co-Founder, Red Canary Song). Many thanks to the Oldest Profession Podcast for financially supporting the project by paying sex worker community artists and writers who contributed their work.