SUBTRACT
Celebrate with friends at the bar/ take the only seat left because she offered it to you/ smile/ say thank you/ drink your martini/ let her hold your hand/ she squeezes your hand/ pull your hand away/ because thats weird/ drink your martini/ with both hands/ Is everyone staring?/ ignore your girlfriend/ ew, don’t say girlfriend/ drink your martini/ order a new one/ continue your conversation with friends/ move away when she tries to kiss you/ is everyone staring?/ the whole bar is/ you’re a freak/ drink your new martini/ your hands are shaking/ drink more/ finish the martini/ shove the olive in your mouth/ are they still staring?/ don’t look at her/ don’t look at her face/ notice her walk away/ notice her hurt expression/ know you hurt your girlfriend because of your internalized homophobia
HOW TO: HURT YOUR GIRLFRIEND WITH INTERNALIZED HOMOPHOBIA
ALLEGRA CINTRON ‘24
I always read stories of LGBTQ+ couples that seem to work out and both partners are comfortable with their sexuality, but I've never seen one where a partner struggles to find comfort in theirs. I wanted to try writing a piece where one of my characters struggles to be happy and at peace with her sexuality, but unintentionally hurts her girlfriend because of her internalized homophobia.
I wanted to create a gestural portrait using only subtractive mark-making. By wiping away selectively, I attempt to develop a nearly melting face. This work is a representation of my view of myself which becomes warped due to body dysmorphia.
