Queer AF - Do Not Tread On Me supporting Out In The Streets
We follow many queer street artists on social media and our work with Homo Riot brought the account @queerstreetart or Out In The Streets on our radar. The account "explores queer activism through street art. Documentary and book by and book by photography & filmmaker @dustyrebel aka Daniel Albanese". Last year through following the account we caught a post on the first day of Pride Month sharing this work on the streets of NYC.
The accompanying text read:
queerstreetart For the 4th year I’ve (@dustyrebel) had the honor to curate the 2nd Ave Mural for Pride. This year I immediately knew I wanted to work with Rose Cory (@roseinsoho)—whose street art inspired by the poetry of Arthur Rimbaud can be found throughout New York City.
Over the past year, I have enjoyed every minute I’ve got to spend with Rose. In fact, as I get closer to finishing the filming of my @queerstreetart documentary, I often feel so lucky to have had so many wonderful people woven into my life.
As we were plotting out our offer for season 8 we reached out to Rose about using the "Queer AF Do Not Tread On Me" graphic and she was generous and happy to share the art with us. It seemed the perfect graphic to launch in time for Pride Month and as we learned more about Daniel's documentary film project Out in The Streets we decided we would direct 10% of the proceeds from the sale of the tees to his film's production. You can view a trailer of the film by clicking below.
Logline
Out In The Streets is a feature-length documentary that explores the world’s most influential and thought-provoking queer street artists to tell the untold history of graffiti and street art as a tool for Queer Liberation.
Synopsis
Going behind the scenes of this electrifying artistic movement, Out In The Streets reveals how Queer Street Art has evolved into a means of visibility and a call to action for communities marginalized by mainstream culture.
While the film showcases the deeply personal stories of LGBTQ+ artists and advocates from around the world, it also weaves together a half century of queer activism that has influenced much of their work. As Stonewall veteran Mark Segal explains, even on the night of the Stonewall Riots, queer teenagers were chalking “Tomorrow Night Stonewall” throughout Greenwich Village to help fuel the protests and encourage a citywide response.
For decades, there have been numerous queer activist collectives—such as Gran Fury, AKIMBO, and Fierce Pussy—that have very effectively used Street Art as a vehicle for their messaging. In the film, Avram Finkelstein and Maxine Wolfe (members of ACT UP) explain how they powerfully used public spaces during the AIDS crisis.
While our film was in production, a global Queer Street Art community was formed and the artists we interviewed begin collaborating with each other. Kashink and Hugo Gyrl paint a gate together in Brooklyn; Suriani and Homo Riot travel to NYC to collaborate on a mural honoring the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots; and in Los Angeles the first Queer Street Art exhibition was organized, bringing together dozens of artists in a revolutionary celebration of community.
Out In The Streets goes beyond exploring Queer Street Art as a movement—it defines this pivotal moment of queer artists coming together as a way to inspire generations to come.
You may purchase one of our tees or sweatshirts featuring Rose Cory's graphic and know that 10% will be donated to help the film's production. You may also donate through the sponsorship program.
Film Independent’s Fiscal Sponsorship program opens the door to nonprofit funding for independent filmmakers and media artists. Donate today and help bring Out In The Streets to life.
