After the artist’s own gaybashing in the Bay Area, they wondered what it would take for their story to make the news. Allegra went on to research reported instances of hate violence targeting LGBTQIA2s+ individuals in the archives of 16 local print and online newspapers. After going through nearly two years of archives – the artist discovered only 33 articles detailing individual hate crimes or stories concerning hate crimes legislation for the broader LGBTQIA2s+ community in the Bay Area. Where they could get their hands on the physical news articles detailing hate crimes, the artist spun that newsprint by hand into thread to weave a shroud marking those specific sites of hate violence which are marked in the film. Finally, woven into the docu-performance are first hand narratives of LGBTQIA2s+ people who have—like the artist—survived hate crimes but who’s stories never made the news.
