The below editor’s letter originally appeared in our 7th print issue, “Revolution.” Over 7 months after the issue’s release, a revolution went into motion, with people rising up across the United States and beyond to demand justice for Black people, and to begin to tear down the systems of white supremacy to which we’ve grown accustomed and of which we’ve grown extremely tired. The message that this issue presented is essentially the foundation of our publication, prevailing across all projects, and it feels all the more relevant months later.
None of us are free until everyone is free, and no lives can matter until Black Lives Matter. No matter how big or small our platform, we need to use our space to insight change in any way we can. And while a fight for justice has been a constant for us, it’s time to take it to the next level; there truly cannot be a moment of peace until concrete change is made.
Although we decided to take a brief pause following our latest print issue, we will continue using our space and our platform to promote these causes and to help contribute to the revolution in any way possible. At our core, we have always stood in support of Black lives, the LGBTQIA+ community, especially Black trans people, and especially Black trans femmes. This is now a fight we hope to perpetuate from every angle possible.
From our end, we have always stood to support people of a variety of different backgrounds both in front of the camera and behind the scenes. Now we will be donating 100% of all proceeds from all remaining issues to various organizations in support of Black lives, Black trans lives, direct reparations, and more. Issues can be purchased at desphosphenes.bigcartel.com. Meanwhile, several valuable resources regarding a variety of different issues can be found at the Do the Right Thing Carrd page, as well as Patia’s Fantasy World’s Master List of Resources on How to Dismantle Systemic Racism, both of which have helped us stay educated and informed while we continue to contribute to this larger fight.
Our space in fashion barely touches on this massive battle that we should plan to participate in and prioritize indefinitely. However, we hope to use our space to provide insight, resources, and images of hope however possible.
Don’t get tired, we’re in this for the long haul.
WHEN THE MUSIC CHANGES, SO DOES THE DANCE.
How do we spark change, and at what cost?
It goes without saying that things are dark at the moment. Leaders and policies have emerged in recent years that have sent us back in time and brought ugly, hateful rhetoric to the surface. This is not the world we know; we’re tired, and we’re angry. So, there’s no better time than now to put up a fight in whatever way we can.
A variety of politicians, public figures, and movements are emerging to work against these transgressions, but it’s up to us, the average people, to keep fighting.
Everyone has a platform or an opportunity to promote change, whether on a smaller scale or in a more formal act. In our case, the fashion world often removes itself from reality. But this is no longer an option. At the very least, empowering all members of society comes from representing all members of society, both in front of the camera and behind the scenes. It is crucial that we spotlight as many different faces and tell as many stories as possible, and it is more urgent now than ever before that we use our platform to promote something different in order to truly inspire change.
In this issue we hope to use this space to fight against the current state of the world, whether that’s by simply broadening representation or having meaningful conversations on important topics.
We sit down with a true revolutionary to hear her experiences fighting against the totalitarian Trujillo era in the Dominican Republic. We acknowledge and promote the insights and experiences of Black and brown trans womxn, a demographic who persists in the face of epidemic levels of oppression and murder, whose existence deserves to be validated, not compromised. We interpret the battle more literally at times, heading towards the front lines with militaristic fashion, while we explore far corners of the globe (and even the great beyond), all while spotlighting a unique variety of identities to move beyond tradition- al concepts of “beauty.” And we take a moment to reflect on our current environmental crisis, a cautionary reminder to treat Mother Earth with respect or face the consequences.
Is what we’re doing here necessarily revolutionary? Maybe, maybe not. But we can no longer be stagnant; it’s time to shape and promote the world we want to see and fight relentlessly in our own capacity until we do so.
The future is Black, brown, and of various other backgrounds. It is queer, trans, and nonbinary, it is for the empowerment of womxn and femmes, and it is built by the hands of immigrants and refugees. A change is on the way, moving towards a society where everyone can thrive freely. The fight has just begun.
Find out more on Phosphenes #7 – “Revolution,” and get your copy here.