Bones!

Bones! reflects on queer joy from my perspective as a non-binary teenager in the United States, and how I interact with my community differently than others. I often hear queerness being a topic of contentious debate, and more often than not viewed in a pessimistic light the the plight of youths such as myself. Discrimination seems widespread, and I, amongst others, often find ourselves feeling confined in how we can safely express ourselves without drawing danger in. This piece is based on the claim that if I as a non-binary person were to have my grave excavated in the future, they can assume my biological sex and interpret that at face value. I had originally wished to name this piece "What Would You Do If You Dig Up My Bones?", jesting at the probability of my remains being examined by future anthropologists and holding any value at all. Rather than focussing on what could happen in the future, Bones! focuses on queer joy in the present, celebrating ones identity, and the hardships that we endure in the process. I personally liken it to the sempervivum plant in that it's resilience continues to live on through its offspring without losing their roots to the past (literally!).