Image: Trans Forming Liberty, Amy Sherald, 2024
If you have visited the Statue of Liberty perched at the East gate to New York City harbor, you will read at the foot of Lady Liberty herself, “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free/The wretched refuse of your teeming shore/Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me.”
In reading this you will no doubt feel awe, a tingle, and a bit of pride. Yes! This is the kind of receptivity and openness that America stands for. Her flame burns bright for all. But the light of good will on this torch has gone out in rejection and hatred toward the trans community.
In February of this year, we had the good fortune to attend a retrospective of Amy Sherald’s work at the MOMA in San Fransisco. She is best know for having painted the portrait of Michelle Obama. Her work is vibrant, hopeful, and all-inclusive. But just this past week Sherald cancelled her show at the Smithsonian in Washington DC due to controversy around her painting Trans Forming Liberty. Can we as a nation tolerate all difference? Can Lady Liberty include individuals who identify with their gender of choice?
All beings “yearn to breathe free.” Breathing free is certainly the practice we espouse for any walk of life to enter our practice space. The declaration carved at the foot of Lady Liberty’s tall proud form is bold. Making Lady Liberty into a trans figure is equally a bold move. Can we be as courageous accepting whomever shows up at the gate, irrespective of color, creed, or preference?
