Pride Month Logo Redesign

Tell us about yourself and your work

I’m an artist and designer currently located in Philadelphia. I’m 41 years old, I grew up in Houston, and I’m a proud transgender man. I came out and began my transition in 2008.

I work mostly as a graphic designer and animator. In my spare time I run a business called Draculad through which I sell artwork and products I design (patches, buttons, prints, etc.). Whatever I’m working on I always try to tell a story, communicate a point of view, or help people connect around shared ideas.

Why is Pride Month meaningful to you personally?

A huge part of Pride for me at this point is seeing how much has changed. When I came out as trans, I was also explaining what trans is to a lot of people. I was fortunate to be met with positivity, and to have access to gender-affirming care, but not everyone is so lucky. Many of my peers have been rejected by their families or are unable to pursue what is essentially life-saving medical care. This is, of course, still the case for a lot of people coming out.

But nowadays at a Pride festival, you can see the trans flag right alongside the Pride flag. Parents are there with their kids buying them flags and pronoun buttons and making them feel secure. Awkward gaggles of Queer teens come laughing through, enjoying the summer day of being themselves together. Grey-haired leather daddies and dykes on bikes turn heads with their effortless cool. So much of Queer life is still a nighttime thing, taking place in darkness. But on this day we get out in the sun and we shine.

Another element of pride that has changed a lot in my lifetime is the way festivals are organized. When I started going to Pride, it always seemed like a corporate-focused, rather than community-focused event. I’ve been seeing a shift in that recently, at least in Philadelphia. More emphasis on local artists and performers, a diverse set of organizers, limited police involvement, etc. To me, the community is the true heart of pride. We keep each other safe. That was true at Compton’s Cafeteria and Stonewall, and it’s true today. We have to have each other’s backs and lift each other up.

Where did you draw inspiration for this design?

My process almost always starts with research. I wanted this design to come from my own experiences but I also wanted it to be relatable to the community as a whole. I watched a lot of documentaries looking for some common threads. It was especially important to me to find connections between previous generations and the ones coming up. We all just want to feel safe, connected, and free.

What emerged for me as I watched people tell their stories and reflected on my own was the clothing. So much of Queer culture is tied to fashion (and so much of fashion history is tied to Queer creativity). It’s all about self-expression. Often in the past, we had to communicate with each other with nonverbal signals. Oscar Wilde’s green carnation, the hankie code, lesbian key rings, and even nowadays with the wide array of flags to represent different gender identities and sexualities-there is a history of using clothes and accessories to find each other in a hostile world.

From there I started to brainstorm different outfits and styles and subcultures. I imagined my favorite Queer places and who I see there. Whether it’s a bar or a book store or a coffee shop, the Pride flag acts as a beacon to bring us all together. This logo design essentially represents what we wear to be ourselves and where we go to feel at home.

How do you hope people react to this artwork?

I hope that anyone, Queer or straight, can relate even if they’ve never dressed in any of these ways. I think the desire to connect and be seen is pretty universal. As is the fear of being vulnerable.

I also hope it can serve as a reflection of how far the LGBTQ+ community has come and a warning of where we could be headed. I’m living a life I could not imagine for myself when I was a kid. So many people are able to live freely and verbally express who they are and what they want. In many ways, we’ve gone beyond the need for codes and symbols. Unfortunately recently in the US, there has been a backlash to this evolution. On both a political and social level that relatively free Queer life we enjoy is being threatened. Legislation around drag performances and access to gender-affirming care doesn’t make anyone safer and puts many at risk. We don’t belong in the shadows or in the closet and we will not let ignorance and fear send us back there.