While organizing this project there came a moment that forced us to stop and think about what this campaign means and why we started it.
We knew it was about women's legacy--that the stories of women are often not preserved. The passion has always been to preserve the stories of those who have been historically minimized and/or excluded.
One of our nominees declined to participate because there was as an assumption of their gender based on their appearance versus lived experience. We knew--right then--there was a gaping hole in our campaign. Our first step was to change the "e" to "x," something we wish we would have done from the beginning. But what we've come to understand is that there is no "fix" that is easy. The conversation of inclusion is just that: it's a conversation.
The person who declined their nomination agreed to meet with us, and we talked at length about inclusion, the assumption of gender, and the fact that we're still seeking language that embraces people as they are. This person was open, generous, and so supportive of our campaign which made it a double-blow that there was no space to honor them in it.
So, for the final day of Womxn Among Us, we would like to bring attention to people. We want to participate in this conversation of awareness so that the larger culture can see people as they are. It is our goal that this campaign can evolve to be a place that honors ALL left from our history books.
To the LGBTQQIAP2S community: we will continue to listen, constantly communicate, and bring awareness to these blind spots we find within ourselves. To the one--the many--our campaign excludes: we honor you.