Dear Reader,
In this third issue of I Don't Do Boxes: Act Out, we're speaking out about all the things we were told we couldn't say and we're armed with all things we were told wasn't meant for us. Our editorial team sent out a call for submissions for queer creatives to send us poems, essays, stories, and art surrounding the theme of acting out.
We all struggle with taking action - whether it's getting out of bed, writing our scolarship essays, correcting pronouns, or saying what we really think. And as queer people in the south, we're constantly on the brink of choosing between action and safety, between justice and survival.
And no matter if you're acting out of rage, love, or fear, it can be terrifying. But actions don't have to be grand to matter. Acting out doesn't just mean protesting in the street- it's any way that you use the power that you have. It's building your own community where there is none. It's rewriting histories to include people who've always been left out. It's creating art. It's letting yourself be loved for who you are when you've always believed you're wrong. It's resistance. It's allowing yourself to exist, unfiltered, with or without boxes.
We hope that the varying perspectives in this issue will help our readers continue to explore ways of acting out. You already have the power - it's just how you decide to use it.
Finally, a note on survival: it's okay if the person you need to fight for most is yourself. If you need permission to reach out, here it is. Exhaust every resource to keep yourself from burning. As your battle dies down, breathe and pull another from the open flame.
Collect others. Heal together. Survival is the greatest act. The rest is an encore.
"It is our duty to fight for our freed.
It is our duty to win.
We must love and protect each other.
We have nothing to lose but our chains."
- Assata Shakur.
Sincerely,
The I Don't Do Boxes Team
