Queer Joy in Resistance

QUEER JOY IN RESISTANCE is a video interview series centering Trans, non-binary and queer people from across Minnesota; uplifting our stories, our work, and the ways we’re surviving, thriving, and cultivating joy despite the attacks our community is facing nationally.

This project is about honoring folks while they’re here, spotlighting the daily acts of resistance and care that often go unseen, and documenting what joy looks like for Queer and Trans people in this moment.

Creative Director: Haley Friesen (@haleyfriesenphotography)

Co-Director: Ash Tifa (@ash.tifa)

Cinematographer: Ryan Stopera (@ryan_stopera)

Editor: Michael Bryant (@michaelsilvabryant)

Art installation: Alexandra Beaumont (@anbeaumont)

Interview 1: Andrea Jenkins (she/her)
"There's lots to love about Andrea." In the first interview of OutFront Minnesota's Queer Joy in Resistance series, Andrea Jenkins–poet, artist, community leader and the nation’s first Black openly transgender woman elected to office–sits down to talk about finding joy, tapping into our resiliency and stressing the importance of coming together into community to keep each other safe.

Interview 2: Craeg Wilton (he/him)
"Creating a safe space...is being out there, being seen, and letting others come and feel seen with you." In OutFront Minnesota's second interview for the Queer Joy in Resistance series, Craeg Wilton (he/him), organizer of Transitioning on the Iron Range, talks about the importance of his work in the Iron Range region of Minnesota creating truly safe spaces for queer and trans folks, where they can be fully, visibly themselves.

Interview 3: Ameera Khan (she/her)
"We will not be scared...because we have each other." In the third installment of OutFront's Queer Joy in Resistance interview series, Ameera Khan (she/her)–organizer, theologian, comedian, and so much more–discusses what liberation looks like for intersectional identities, being held by community, and the importance of meeting attempts to impose fear with joy and hope.

Interview 4: Jess Morgan (they/them)
"Building collective belonging and collaboration requires deep connection...it requires some kind of consistency. Showing up over and over again, taking small steps to build respect or trust with other people." In the fourth installment of our Queer Joy in Resistance interview series, wearer of many hats Jess Morgan shares how getting involved in multiple layers of the queer community in Duluth has helped them build valuable connections for community care.