In New York this year we are celebrating, The 50 th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. Later she asks to take a picture because she wants to show my ninety-year-old aunt. She commands me to show the catalogue to my father. They said he was a burglar.' 'I wanted to paint the pictures of his family grieving because they had no voice and were made invisible.' My mother got quiet, mouthed something like a ha Her eyes narrowed and full, like when I visit and we watch shows about slavery together/like in Roots when Chicken George has to leave his son at the crossroads to gain freedom. 'That Black kid from Sacramento police shot in the back six to eight times, unarmed in his backyard. 'It's the family of Stephon Clark,' I explained. 'I don't see yours, oh but here it is!' She fastened on a blue and red watercolor of figures gathered in grief titled, 6 times. 'A pregnant butch,' she said again as if fascinated by the idea. 'Pregnant butch,' she said out loud and giggled. 'I like this.' The next was an image of a man with cock and balls out, 'I don't like this one,' she said. 'Ooooh this one with flowers,' she pointed. She knows I don't usually show her stuff for many reasons. She thumbed through the images, eyes wide with wonder. She saw the word queer first, 'Why do you call yourselves that? That's like saying you're Niggers.' I tried to explain the concept of reclaiming language used against us. Holding my breath, I handed it to her, asked her to guess of all the images which was mine. l want to thank that mixed-race lesbian Josie on Top Chef I want to thank every LGBTQIA person on every show that my mother watched religiously, because each and every one of them in one way or another prepared my mother at eighty-four years old for the queer art catalogue I was a part of that I brought home to show her called Cast of Characters. When eventually she was fired for wearing women's clothes, to my shock, my mother said, 'That's unjust and I think it's discrimination.' I want to thank that person wherever they are. I also want to thank Walmart and the trans person who worked behind the register when my mother worked there as a greeter. I extend condolences to the lover he lost when the tsunami hit Sri Lanka. Thank you to the Jersey and Atlanta Housewives and spin-offs To all their queer queen besties I want to thank RuPaul and every queen on every episode of Drag Race Also, that dollar store cashier I ran into with my mother in smallВ-town Massachusetts who actually thought I was RuPaul and kept calling me, 'Miss Honey.' Thank you, Oprah, her close friend designer Nate Berkus. I want to thank the maestro Tim Gunn, Heidi Klum, also every episode of Project Runway and Runway All-Stars, Every gay and lesbian contestant that ever sewed, stitched sequins to dresses or pantaloons every queer who ever threw a tantrum, walked out and came back to win.

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