UPDATE: the messaging has changed on the T-shirts—I am pasting what I am sending out to those who responded after reading this. The original message is below that, just so you get the gist of what I wrote initially:
Hi again! A friend of mine and I discussed the messaging behind “I am America”. She very aptly brought up that it is problematic due to the history of this country. I agree with her.
She, being absolutely brilliant, came up with two amazing slogans:
“ABORT THE COURT”
And
“MY CHOICE REIGNS SUPREME”
I did mention she’s a genius, right?
I hope either of these slogans speak to you, and if you want to move ahead, just let me know which slogan you prefer, and what size you wear (if you’ve already sent that part, disregard!). READ BELOW THE PICTURES THE DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT!
I’m nailing down a place to shoot, and the shoot will happen when the Tshirts arrive. If you have any questions in the meantime, don’t hesitate to reach out!
Thank you,
A
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Hi all! Based on the amount of interest I got, this is a quick note so that I don’t need to retype this over and over again, so I apologize that this isn’t more personal to you, and I’m REALLY honored that you’re interested in hearing about this.
First off: WHAT THE FUCK. I’m so incredibly angry and devastated, not just at the patriarchy bringing us to this point, but also the women who support and buy into this.
As of last year, Pew Research states that 59% of Americans support abortion being legal, and 39% think it should be illegal in all or most cases. While these numbers aren’t great (and may have changed since then—I will admit to not being up to date with the lastest data), it still soundly attests to the fact that the majority of Americans believe we should have safe access to taking care of our own bodies and needs. Roughly 1 in 4 of us will undergo abortion in our lifetimes. I am one of those people.
I’ve been thinking recently about national identity, and how propaganda shapes perception. Having grown up as a dual-citizen, it’s been interesting to see how one of my home countries sees the other, and vice versa. I think about people following the news around the world and seeing what is happening here and having perhaps no real idea how the majority of residents in the United States actually feel about what is happening to them.
I’d like to shoot a portrait series of people who benefit from reproductive health services and stand to lose so much, simply because we have child-bearing organs. The concept is simple: I’d like to invite participants to pose in a white tshirt which says “I AM AMERICA” (I will be making these, so if you want to participate, just let me know your size!). While I know America is much larger than just the United States, this is the least awkward wording I could come up with—if you have a suggestion, I am open to it. But the point, in my mind, is to take that which MAGA/conservatives/the Christian Right so enthusiastically claim as their own to the detriment of everyone else, and take it back. We are the majority, truly, and it’s time to own it. Along with the tshirt, I would like people to be wearing simple white underwear/boxers. The point of this is not to be cheeky, but to put the emphasis on the fact that we have bodies and they are ours and at risk. With enough of us wearing these, they will also look more cohesive than everyone wearing different colors. While I shot GrabHimByTheBallot nude, I dont think this project needs nudity to be effective, and it will be easier for us to share on social media if we want to.
Finally, as with GrabHim, this project is about you and your feelings and your desire to take a stand. To that effect, any props you’d like to bring are fine, and if you have specific thoughts you’d like in a caption, those are yours to say/write, and I will include them with your portrait. also, as with GrabHim, if you are doing this for yourself and would rather not be on the internet, that is fine! You can let me know on the day of the shoot or even change your mind at any point.
Ok, this got wicked long. Thank you for reading this far, and if it’s not your thing, I still know that you are furious and will make your stand however you see fit, and for that I am honored to stand alongside you in this greater fight.