Cruelty's Mirror

A project I did for my Pre-Ap Communications class in school. We received a creative project prompt that basically asked us to choose a specific social injustice that mattered to us and then create an art piece with the purpose of providing empathy from the viewers to the people who are affected by the injustice. I have always felt extremely strong about providing equality and support for the LGBTQ+ group, but I had already done art on the issues of discrimination that Lesbian, Gay, Bi, and Queer people face. I had, however, not ever worked with a project specifically centering around the Trans community, and I felt that the trans individuals of our society deserve as much love and support as the rest of the LGBTQ+ group. So this was the project I created to express the discrimination trans individuals face almost everyday throughout their life.

To explain, I'll start with a definition of transgender for those of you who may not know what it actually means. As stated by the Webster-Merriam Dictionary, transgender means "of, relating to, or being a person (as a transsexual or a transvestite) who identifies with or expresses a gender identity that differs from the one which corresponds to the person's sex at birth". Basically, it is an umbrella term for a person who was born into a sex that they do not personally identify with. These individuals often know from very early in their life (sometimes as early as 3 or 4 years) that they are not the sex they were born with. Some know that they are actually female, some male, and some don't identify with either of these binary genders. It is a medical condition that is as normal and unchangeable as a person's race or sexuality.

But many trans individuals are brought up to believe the opposite. These individuals are often raised to believe that they are sinful, that they are selfish and attention seeking, and that what they are doing is just wrong. Countless individuals are isolated from the people that once loved them, the people that swore they would be there till the end, and all because they tried to be themselves. 

One famous case displaying this discrimination that trans people face was the tragic story of Leelah Alcorn. Leelah Alcorn was a 17-year-old MTF (Male to Female) transgender. She came out to her family at the age of 14 years and was met with extreme negativity. Her parents placed her into conversion therapy, a controversial method of therapy in which the therapist tries to stop the individual from possessing transgender feelings. The therapists told Leelah that she was selfish and wrong for having her thoughts, that she should look to god for help. Leelah of course could not change who she was and so her mother took away her access to social media due to her looking at "innapropriate things". Leelah was isolated and depressed, wanting only to be accepted but having no one in her life that understood her. Eventually she committed suicide at the age of 17 by walking out in front of a trailer-tractor on the highway. She left behind a signed suicide note online detailing her experience and hope for a better world, which can be found here: secretofsilence.tumblr.com/pos…. Even after her death, her family still continued to refer to her with male pronouns and even deleted her entire blog.

This should have never happened, and I hope that it never will happen again. But with the way our society treats transgenders, it it inevitable that it will. That is, unless we make a change.


That is what I am trying to do through this art piece. I wanted to draw attention to the horrible discrimination that many transgenders face. To explain this piece, each side represents the lives a transgender individual may lead. The side with the dark version of the creature represents a closeted trans individual. They may live a more "loved" life, hence the kind words around the creature, but they will never be who they truly are inside. This forced lifestyle will usually lead to depression and self-loathing, and sometimes even suicide. So while the individual may be more loved and accepted, they will never truly be happy.

The side with the light creature represents an openly trans person. As stated above, trans individuals rarely get all the support that they need. Many people hate them for being "abnormal" and will express their distaste for the person. So while the individual may feel happier with themselves, they will often fall into depression because of the hate and complete isolation they receive from the ones who were supposed to love them.

For each side I chose words that society commonly labels these people. Closeted trans are considered perfect and likeable, whereas open trans are called disgusting and selfish. I hope to bring attention to the fact that this behavior is horrifying. Many people believe it is okay because it is what they were taught, but I hope to show those individuals through these completely non-human creatures that it is wrong to act this way toward anyone for being who they are. It creates this vicious cycle of pain and sadness.

I hope I can inspire others to take a stand for transgendered people everywhere. They are humans just like the rest of us and should be treated with the same love and care. So next time you see a trans person, don’t laugh if they’re a little clumsy in heels or maybe look a bit strange in masculine clothing, let them know how wonderful they are. Everyone has to start somewhere and they are trying to be the absolutely amazing people they really are inside. Tell them they are beautiful and handsome, that they are incredibly brave for being themselves, and that you are so happy that they are alive. It only takes one nice comment to change someone’s entire day. Who knows, you might even save a life.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I'm sorry if I became a bit disorganized toward the end of this description, I just really wanted to get my message across. It doesn't matter if your male, female, or non-binary, just be a good person.

If you'd like to know more about the transgender condition, you can learn about it here: www.apa.org/topics/lgbt/transg…

You can also learn more about Leelah Alcorn's case here: www.cnn.com/2014/12/31/us/ohio…

Thank you for viewing my art. And please, no negative comments. All mean or disrespectful comments will be removed. This is a safe page for any and all people. :3

Anyways, I love you all, and I hope you have a wonderful day/night. 

Artwork © Me