Post-Pride by Stillo Noir in Geneva

I love Pride month: I love getting to celebrate with other queer folks, I love learning more about the community and its history, I love how it emboldens so many to be more loud and visible, and I love how this in turn can inspire others who are in the closet, or confused, or curious, to embark on their own journeys of self-discovery. But like any month, day or week dedicated to a marginalized group, it also comes with a strange countdown, like this is the only time dedicated to us out of the year. This short period is when we’re allowed/tolerated/expected to be visible and loud, and when we’re propped up as tokens (in those places and communities where it isn’t too dangerous to do so). And then it’s back to normal with little actual change made in mainstream, ‘normative’ communities. For this reason, in June I really didn’t feel like posting the “queer content” us queer artists are expected to cram in one calendar month. It would have felt forced, and like I was trying to please some kind of mainstream outside timeline, rather than what felt natural and creative to me, or useful to the community. So I painted this mural the first week of July, after Pride month and after many folks are sick of seeing rainbow-everythings, because we continue to deserve space and visibility and support beyond these 30 calendar days. We’re still out here, and it still helps us to know others are around too, even if we’re assimilating and less visible. I hope this mural can act as a little sign of validation, a little token of our community, to people who need it 365 days of the year. Location: Calle de l’Hostal de Morella, Valencia, Spain