I Was a 20th Century Lesbian > 1: The Curse

moku hanga woodblock print: An image of a young boy singing in a church with a minister standing near him.
PASTOR JEFF
Woodblock print
14.5" x 20.5" (37 x 52.4 cm)

Like most gay people, I grew up in a heterosexual family in a heterosexually-oriented society. I learned the same lessons that most Americans in my generation (late baby boomers) learned about homosexuality -- that it’s a sin or a sickness, something to be ashamed of, something to hide. I learned those lessons way before I had enough consciousness to reject them. This learning process, where LGBTQ people learn to hate themselves, is sometimes called “internalized homophobia.”

This print is based on a still from a video that went viral recently, where a young child of about 5 years of age is coached to sing a song with the refrain “Ain’t no homos gonna make it to heaven.” Unfortunately, the loudest voices against homosexuality in America for many decades have been the voices of the most passionate followers of Jesus.

12" x 17.75" (30.5 x 45 cm) image size
made with 3 shina plywood blocks
25 hand-rubbed color layers
Nishinouchi paper
Edition: 10