RMiddleton

Detail of More Perfect Union, an abstract expressionist painting of acrylic, oil, marker, and newspaper on canvas. The painting was made in 2013. The title comes from a small piece of newspaper stuck to the surface of the painting that shows a photo of a couple in the New York Times weddings section. Prior to nationwide legalization of gay marriage in 2015, the Times began publishing same sex marriage notices in its pages. The fight over recognition of all marriages was in the news and on my mind for many years. The couple (not shown in this detail; it's just as well — schedule an appointment or buy it to see!) in the announcement attached to this painting is a man and a woman with an “androgynous” short haircut. It amuses me that on first glance I saw a male-male couple; I wanted to see it that way. Gender nonconformity is wrapped into the LGBTQ community's equal rights struggle — we are also fighting for the right to be a slightly built, soft spoken straight man & a tall, short-haired straight woman. What just happened in Paris is a Cis woman being harassed due to transphobia. Equal rights are always best understood as protection for everyone. There can never be a single “normal ideal” that's beyond all suspicion. “Mind your own damn business” makes for a funny retort that VP candidate Tim Walz has been employing to fend off the right's nonstop harassment campaigns. But so much more is possible than the negative freedom of leaving others alone. All freedom is interwoven. Respect for self is necessary to respect others & respecting others strengthens self respect. Truly loving ourselves transcends skin, appearance, and abilities. A more perfect union is love for all.