Love, Jamie
- Description
- Reviews
- Citation
- Cataloging
- Transcript
Jamie Diaz is a 65 year-old Mexican-American trans woman and self-taught artist who is currently incarcerated in a Texas prison for men. In 2013 Gabriel Joffe was volunteering for an organization advocating for LGBTQ+ people who are incarcerated, when they happened upon a letter written by Jamie. Gabriel was enraptured by the elaborate, colorful illustrations that adorned the letter, and felt compelled to write back. Hundreds of letters and phone calls later, a deep and profound friendship formed between Jamie and Gabriel. Though physically separated by walls and miles, the pair have sustained each other through pivotal life moments including gender transition. During the years of her incarceration, Jamie became an ever more prolific artist, spending her days in her cell creating works of art with the limited supplies available to her. With brushes fashioned out of human hair, she is on a mission to produce the largest collection of queer-themed art in the world. She began sending her growing body of paintings and comics to Gabriel, who archived and cataloged them on a website where they caught the eye of Daniel Cooney, owner of a New York gallery well known for bringing largely unknown artists into the public eye. In October of 2022, his Chelsea gallery was overflowing with art lovers who marveled at Jamie’s paintings and their declarations of dignity, pride, and liberation. Although Jamie couldn’t be there in person, she addressed the crowd through a recorded message and attendees were able to send messages to her. LOVE, JAMIE touches on themes of pride, profound friendship, and the transcendent power of art.
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Distributor subjects
Transgender Friendships & Chosen Families; Self Taught Artist; LGBTQ Incarcerated People; Liberation; LGBTQ+ Pride; Painting; ComicsKeywords
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[Gabriel]
I was a volunteer for this organization.
00:00:49.382 --> 00:00:52.510
And we would get mail from LGBT people
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that are incarcerated across the US.
00:00:54.971 --> 00:00:57.057
So it’s hundreds and hundreds of letters.
00:00:58.933 --> 00:01:01.603
Because of the sheer amount of mail,
00:01:01.603 --> 00:01:04.522
we can't respond to every single letter.
00:01:06.316 --> 00:01:09.736
But around January 2013
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I open up a letter
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and I've never seen anything like this.
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The art just really captured me.
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So when I responded,
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I included my personal home address
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in case she wanted to write back.
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And she wrote back!
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[Gabriel reading letter]
Dear Gabrielle,
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[Gabriel reading letter]
I hope all is well in your world.
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Thank you for your kind words
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about my art.
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I'm really a surrealist, abstract
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figure painting kind of artist,
00:01:38.640 --> 00:01:40.308
but I love illustrating my letters with
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my cartoons, comics, and of course
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about 90% of my art is queer related.
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I'm 55 years old.
00:01:47.982 --> 00:01:50.360
I became serious about art at age 15
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when I took art in the ninth grade.
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But for the most part,
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I’m predominantly self-taught.
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Please feel free to write,
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and if you have any questions at all
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I'll answer them.
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Thank you again for your
00:02:01.913 --> 00:02:03.331
kind words and thoughtfulness.
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James
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[Gabriel]
I don't think initially I knew
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[Gabriel]
what our friendship would become.
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You know, I don't think any of us do
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when we meet someone.
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You know, 2013
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yeah like a decade is a long time,
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and like so much has changed
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for both of us.
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It's also such a short amount of time
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when you think of like
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she has a life sentence.
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[Gabriel reading letter]
Dear Gabrielle,
00:03:02.473 --> 00:03:04.726
[Gabriel reading letter]
Hey, I'm just sending you these few lines
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[Gabriel reading letter]
to see if you're all right.
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Please use enclosed, stamped envelope
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to send me a note.
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Hi, it's great to hear from you again.
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Thank you for sharing
00:03:14.694 --> 00:03:16.237
pieces of your life with me.
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This is my 18th year of incarceration.
00:03:20.825 --> 00:03:22.160
I'm in prison for robbery
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and a drug habit,
00:03:23.369 --> 00:03:25.288
but mostly for being stupid
00:03:25.288 --> 00:03:26.623
and making bad decisions.
00:03:29.834 --> 00:03:30.668
If you don't mind,
00:03:30.668 --> 00:03:32.754
I'd like to get this free color catalog
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for trans and cross-dressers,
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but the advertisement only shows
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a website and phone number.
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Could you have me
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put on their mailing list?
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[Gabriel]
From the commissary,
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[Gabriel]
she's able to get those little trays
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[Gabriel]
of watercolors that you kind of use
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[Gabriel]
as a kid with those little plastic brushes
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[Gabriel]
with the plastic bristles.
00:03:51.606 --> 00:03:52.398
But then
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she's able to get real watercolors
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and make her own brushes
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with real hair from people
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she met inside.
00:04:04.327 --> 00:04:05.703
[Gabriel reading letter]
I'm working on a small collection
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[Gabriel reading letter]
of what I call my real art for you.
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[Gabriel reading letter]
I hope you will like them.
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[Gabriel reading letter]
Your friend James.
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[Gabriel]
Some of the white on her paintings
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[Gabriel]
is actually some extra paint
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[Gabriel]
lying around left over from what
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[Gabriel]
they paint the prison walls with.
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[Phone Recording]
Press 1 to refuse this call Press 2...
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[Gabriel]
For many years it was just letter writing.
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[Gabriel]
I was really anxious
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[Gabriel]
about our first few phone calls.
00:04:43.324 --> 00:04:45.034
[Gabriel]
I was like, I don't know what I'll say.
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[Phone Recording]
You may start the conversation now.
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[Jamie]
Hello Gabriel?
00:04:47.745 --> 00:04:49.330
[Gabriel]
Hey, Jamie.
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[Jamie]
They just opened the door
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[Jamie]
and let us out.
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[Gabriel]
Okay.
00:04:51.874 --> 00:04:53.209
[Jamie]
I ran straight out here
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[Jamie]
first one on the phone...
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[Gabriel]
You know, Jamie loves to like
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[Gabriel]
tell stories and talk,
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[Gabriel]
so it's great
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[Gabriel]
because usually I can just listen.
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[Jamie]
Are you home?
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[Gabriel]
Yeah, I'm home.
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[Gabriel]
Before you called for about an hour,
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[Gabriel]
I was, like, looking through all your art.
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[Gabriel]
It's amazing to see how it’s changed, and...
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[Jamie]
Yeah, I guess it keeps evolving, huh?
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[Gabriel]
Yeah.
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[Jamie]
If I come out,
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[Jamie]
I will no longer paint any artwork
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[Jamie]
related to prison life. [laughs]
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[Gabriel]
Mmm.
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[Jamie]
But I hate being cooped up
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[Jamie]
in that cell so much.
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[Jamie]
Like sometimes I'll walk to the cafeteria
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[Jamie]
And I’ll go real, real slow
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[Jamie]
and I'll take my time coming back
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[Jamie]
and I'll even stall in the hallway somewhere.
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[Jamie]
You know, we've been going through
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[Jamie]
this COVID19 for over a year now.
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[Gabriel]
Wild.
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[Gabriel]
They're just starting to talk
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[Gabriel]
about people going back into the office.
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[Jamie]
I’ve been listening to NPR
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[Jamie]
and there's [laughs]
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[Jamie]
there’s a lot of people that
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[Jamie]
don't want to go back to work [laughs]
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[Jamie]
Hey, guess what's been
00:05:56.731 --> 00:05:57.940
[Jamie]
coming to my window
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[Jamie]
three days in a row?
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[Gabriel]
What?
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[Jamie]
A bird.
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[Jamie]
It's a redheaded cardinal.
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[Jamie]
It came to my window and it was whistling.
00:06:05.573 --> 00:06:07.367
[Jamie]
There's a lot of small sparrows around
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[Jamie]
but there's not many cardinals.
00:06:09.410 --> 00:06:10.828
[Jamie]
And I heard it whistling
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[Jamie]
and I started whistling back
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[Jamie]
and I said hey a little birdie!
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[Jamie]
It was pretty neat.
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[Gabriel]
Yeah.
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[Jamie]
Anyway,
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[Jamie]
we can talk next Sunday, huh?
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[Gabriel]
Yeah.
00:06:22.090 --> 00:06:23.549
[Jamie]
Then the following Wednesday
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[Jamie]
will be your birthday.
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[Gabriel]
Yeah, call me on my birthday [laughs]
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[Jamie]
You know that a lot of times
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[Jamie]
during our conversations
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[Jamie]
when we’re talking?
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[Gabriel]
Yeah, what?
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[Jamie]
I can see you smiling.
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[Jamie]
I can feel it.
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[Jamie]
I can hear it in your voice.
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[Gabriel]
Yeah.
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[Jamie]
And be safe, okay?
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[Gabriel]
You too.
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[Gabriel] Love you.
[Jamie] Bye.
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[Gabriel]
Bye.
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[Gabriel]
This one is the first portrait
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[Gabriel]
she ever did of me from a picture
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[Gabriel]
ten years ago.
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Hope you like your portrait.
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Love, Jamie
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Um so there’s watercolor
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But there is, um.
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She found little sparrow feathers
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in the yard.
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And there's little feathers.
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I had this one on my wall
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too for a while.
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The little, little peeking out,
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and the fingers are so detailed.
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Pretty early on, a goal emerged.
00:07:20.940 --> 00:07:22.358
It was her idea.
00:07:22.358 --> 00:07:23.734
She wanted to build the
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largest collection of queer art in the world.
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You know, it sounds fantastical
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which like, I love.
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That's her art too.
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You know, it's surreal.
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It's fantastical
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So we, we're doing it.
00:07:36.539 --> 00:07:38.040
She's creates work
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and mails it to me. And,
00:07:41.002 --> 00:07:42.420
You know, now I have things like
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archived and cataloged and on a website
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These pieces are where she really
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talks about, you know,
00:07:49.260 --> 00:07:50.928
experiences on the inside.
00:07:51.512 --> 00:07:53.514
I love with the radio saying this is NPR.
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You know, so always listening to NPR.
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This is about
00:07:59.103 --> 00:08:00.354
time she got a disciplinary action
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for her hair.
00:08:03.191 --> 00:08:05.151
“A prison guard filed a disciplinary report”
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“against me for what”
00:08:06.110 --> 00:08:07.987
“they're calling an extreme hairstyle.”
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“And I want people to know”
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“what's going on here with girls like us.”
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Oh and this was just a little drawing she sent
00:08:15.745 --> 00:08:17.747
as a letter, but um
00:08:18.122 --> 00:08:19.415
you know, she's kind of gotten to know
00:08:19.415 --> 00:08:21.125
a few of my friends over the years.
00:08:21.125 --> 00:08:23.169
And she wrote a little notes.
00:08:23.169 --> 00:08:24.253
And this was um,
00:08:24.253 --> 00:08:25.880
she's in solitary confinement.
00:08:27.048 --> 00:08:28.257
I knew she was in solitary,
00:08:28.257 --> 00:08:30.301
so I had people write little notes.
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She was experiencing like
00:08:38.017 --> 00:08:40.144
harassment and violence, and
00:08:40.144 --> 00:08:42.021
really the only option is you request
00:08:42.021 --> 00:08:44.190
safekeeping for someone and
00:08:45.191 --> 00:08:46.692
for trans people, sometimes
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that means solitary confinement.
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[Jamie]
Sometimes I'm having trouble breathing.
00:08:58.454 --> 00:09:00.248
[Jamie]
If I'm laying there the dark,
00:09:00.248 --> 00:09:02.375
[Jamie]
it seems like it's closing in on me.
00:09:04.418 --> 00:09:05.836
[Jamie]
But if I turn on the light,
00:09:06.420 --> 00:09:08.047
[Jamie]
then I kind of calms me down
00:09:08.047 --> 00:09:09.674
[Jamie]
and I can relax a little bit
00:09:09.674 --> 00:09:11.342
[Jamie]
breathe better.
00:09:18.975 --> 00:09:20.810
[Phone Recording]
You may start the conversation now.
00:11:25.559 --> 00:11:27.311
[Gabriel]
Sometimes it is difficult to explain
00:11:27.311 --> 00:11:29.271
[Gabriel]
to people what Jamie means to me.
00:11:30.731 --> 00:11:32.983
You know, I met her in my early twenties,
00:11:32.983 --> 00:11:34.527
Um, and those were some
00:11:34.527 --> 00:11:36.112
difficult years for me.
00:11:38.781 --> 00:11:40.866
My gender presentation at the time
00:11:40.866 --> 00:11:42.618
on a daily basis, I'd get
00:11:42.618 --> 00:11:44.203
some sort of harassment,
00:11:44.203 --> 00:11:45.413
you know, comments,
00:11:45.413 --> 00:11:46.747
or I’d get harassed in bathrooms
00:11:46.747 --> 00:11:47.581
and sometimes
00:11:47.581 --> 00:11:49.333
I wouldn't want to leave my apartment.
00:11:51.919 --> 00:11:53.754
But over the years, like
00:11:53.754 --> 00:11:55.464
she's been one of the few constants
00:11:55.464 --> 00:11:56.382
in my life.
00:11:59.260 --> 00:12:01.387
Us both being queer and trans
00:12:01.846 --> 00:12:03.639
and communicating through letters
00:12:03.639 --> 00:12:04.724
for so long
00:12:04.724 --> 00:12:05.516
I think we were able
00:12:05.516 --> 00:12:07.643
to build up an intimacy that
00:12:07.935 --> 00:12:08.978
I don't have with some people
00:12:08.978 --> 00:12:10.104
that I know in person.
00:12:11.772 --> 00:12:13.816
And she's like almost twice my age.
00:12:13.816 --> 00:12:15.317
Like it felt like this adult figure
00:12:15.317 --> 00:12:17.111
in my life that I
00:12:17.111 --> 00:12:19.405
could talk to and get advice from.
00:12:19.613 --> 00:12:21.073
Or we could just talk about art.
00:12:25.035 --> 00:12:26.412
[Gabriel reading letter]
My dearest Gabriel.
00:12:26.412 --> 00:12:27.121
[Gabriel reading letter]
Hi, beautiful.
00:12:27.121 --> 00:12:28.497
[Gabriel reading letter]
How are you doing?
00:12:30.374 --> 00:12:30.958
At the moment,
00:12:30.958 --> 00:12:32.918
I have half a dozen art projects going,
00:12:32.918 --> 00:12:34.378
and I can't wait to get them done
00:12:34.378 --> 00:12:35.755
so I can get them in the mail to you.
00:12:37.006 --> 00:12:39.091
Things are going fine with the HRT,
00:12:39.091 --> 00:12:40.217
so you're right.
00:12:40.217 --> 00:12:41.677
Despite my advanced age,
00:12:41.677 --> 00:12:42.470
the hormones are working
00:12:42.470 --> 00:12:44.930
and I'm gaining amazing results.
00:12:44.930 --> 00:12:46.474
I'm even starting to tell people
00:12:46.474 --> 00:12:47.558
that I'm all woman
00:12:47.558 --> 00:12:48.809
and I even believe it.
00:12:50.394 --> 00:12:52.062
I never knew how much transitioning
00:12:52.062 --> 00:12:52.980
would mean to me
00:12:52.980 --> 00:12:55.065
but it is truly me and I love it.
00:12:56.192 --> 00:12:57.109
How are things going
00:12:57.109 --> 00:12:58.569
with you and your T?
00:12:58.569 --> 00:13:00.029
You look amazing and happy
00:13:00.029 --> 00:13:01.989
and that makes me happy.
00:13:03.282 --> 00:13:04.200
It is getting late
00:13:04.200 --> 00:13:05.159
and your old auntie
00:13:05.159 --> 00:13:06.368
needs her beauty sleep.
00:13:07.077 --> 00:13:08.412
So I'll close here for now.
00:13:08.412 --> 00:13:10.080
Please take care and be safe
00:13:10.080 --> 00:13:11.081
and I'll do the same.
00:13:13.125 --> 00:13:14.710
I love you with all my heart.
00:13:15.336 --> 00:13:16.295
Always and forever,
00:13:16.962 --> 00:13:18.756
Your Aunt Jamie
00:13:35.314 --> 00:13:36.732
[Daniel reading letter]
Dear Jamie,
00:13:37.608 --> 00:13:39.735
[Daniel reading letter]
I just came across your website recently.
00:13:41.153 --> 00:13:42.780
I own a gallery in Manhattan and I'm eager
00:13:42.780 --> 00:13:44.824
to hear about you and your work.
00:13:45.783 --> 00:13:47.785
What I see on your website is beautiful
00:13:47.785 --> 00:13:49.370
and heartfelt and strong.
00:13:50.704 --> 00:13:52.748
I really hope to hear from you soon.
00:13:52.748 --> 00:13:55.000
Sincerely, Daniel Cooney
00:13:57.795 --> 00:13:58.921
[Jamie]
So you like Dan?
00:13:58.921 --> 00:14:00.464
[Jamie]
He seems like a nice person.
00:14:00.464 --> 00:14:02.383
[Gabriel]
Yeah, he seems nice.
00:14:03.342 --> 00:14:04.927
[Gabriel]
He's coming up to Boston
00:14:04.927 --> 00:14:07.179
[Gabriel]
to see your work in person.
00:14:09.014 --> 00:14:11.016
[Gabriel]
How do you feel about it? I want to know.
00:14:11.016 --> 00:14:11.976
[Jamie]
I feel happy.
00:14:11.976 --> 00:14:13.727
[Jamie]
I am excited.
00:14:19.775 --> 00:14:21.235
[Daniel reading letter]
Dear Mr. Cooney,
00:14:21.235 --> 00:14:23.487
[Daniel reading letter]
It is a joy to hear from you again.
00:14:25.030 --> 00:14:26.699
I have been queer and trans
00:14:26.699 --> 00:14:28.033
all of my life, though
00:14:28.033 --> 00:14:29.368
there were periods in my life
00:14:29.368 --> 00:14:31.245
when I struggled with my own acceptance
00:14:31.245 --> 00:14:32.246
of being trans.
00:14:33.455 --> 00:14:35.833
I finally came to love who and what I am.
00:14:38.919 --> 00:14:41.130
About my conviction and sentence.
00:14:42.256 --> 00:14:44.717
Texas laws are very harsh for robbery.
00:14:45.634 --> 00:14:47.720
I was addicted to opiates and started
00:14:47.720 --> 00:14:50.514
committing robberies to support my drug habit.
00:14:52.391 --> 00:14:54.852
Like yourself, I was in a very dark place.
00:14:55.853 --> 00:14:57.897
I was out of control and disgusted
00:14:57.897 --> 00:15:00.065
with my behavior, but I couldn't stop.
00:15:01.483 --> 00:15:02.902
It's a wonderful joy to
00:15:02.902 --> 00:15:04.028
learn of your sobriety.
00:15:05.112 --> 00:15:06.488
Welcome to the light
00:15:06.488 --> 00:15:08.073
and thank you for sharing.
00:15:10.117 --> 00:15:12.161
I have no doubt that you will create
00:15:12.161 --> 00:15:14.038
a beautiful and meaningful exhibition.
00:15:14.705 --> 00:15:16.582
Love, Jamie
00:15:20.169 --> 00:15:21.712
[Jamie]
You're going to be at the show.
00:15:21.712 --> 00:15:23.213
[Gabriel]
Of course I will be.
00:15:23.213 --> 00:15:24.465
[Jamie]
Are you really?
00:15:24.465 --> 00:15:25.799
[Gabriel]
Yeah, I'm going to go to the opening.
00:15:25.799 --> 00:15:27.176
[Gabriel]
I'll take a bunch of pictures for you.
00:15:27.176 --> 00:15:28.177
[Gabriel]
I'll take a bunch of pictures for you.
00:15:28.177 --> 00:15:29.553
[Jamie]
God I can't wait.
00:15:39.188 --> 00:15:41.148
[Jamie]
You know what I want people to feel
00:15:41.148 --> 00:15:42.524
[Jamie]
when they see my art?
00:15:42.524 --> 00:15:43.609
[Gabriel]
What?
00:15:45.277 --> 00:15:46.779
[Jamie]
I guess mostly to feel
00:15:46.779 --> 00:15:47.988
[Jamie]
love and understanding.
00:15:48.989 --> 00:15:49.907
[Gabriel]
Yeah.
00:15:52.326 --> 00:15:54.620
[Jamie]
You know, I like people to...
00:15:59.750 --> 00:16:00.668
[Gabriel]
Are you there?
00:16:01.418 --> 00:16:02.419
[Jamie]
Yeah.
00:16:03.671 --> 00:16:06.256
[Jamie]
I don’t know why I get like this [tearfully]
00:16:08.634 --> 00:16:10.719
[Jamie]
You know I want people to feel?
00:16:12.888 --> 00:16:16.016
[Jamie]
I want them to know that we're good people.
00:16:32.866 --> 00:16:34.660
My sister!
00:16:39.540 --> 00:16:41.375
[Daniel]
This is Jamie Diaz.
00:16:41.375 --> 00:16:43.627
She's a transgender woman who
00:16:43.627 --> 00:16:45.004
is in prison in Texas.
00:16:45.379 --> 00:16:47.089
[Visitor]
The shadows here, I don’t know
00:16:47.089 --> 00:16:49.425
[Visitor]
I just really, it’s so striking.
00:16:53.262 --> 00:16:55.848
[Phone Recording]
Press 1 to refuse this call
00:16:55.848 --> 00:16:57.850
[Phone recording]
You may start the conversation now.
00:16:59.351 --> 00:17:01.270
[Gabriel]
Good, we're all here in the gallery
00:17:03.522 --> 00:17:05.274
[Gabriel]
Yeah, everything's hanging up.
00:17:05.274 --> 00:17:07.317
[Friend]
It's two full rooms.
00:17:07.317 --> 00:17:08.861
[Friend]
All the art that you made
00:17:08.861 --> 00:17:10.863
[Friend]
it's all framed and it’s lit.
00:17:10.863 --> 00:17:12.114
[Friend]
It’s professionally lit.
00:17:16.535 --> 00:17:17.953
[Dan]
We absolutely will. I’ll make sure
00:17:17.953 --> 00:17:19.663
[Dan]
I'm taking pictures all night.
00:17:22.416 --> 00:17:24.793
[Visitor]
I love the extras.
00:17:24.793 --> 00:17:25.878
[Visitor]
They’re wonderful.
00:17:30.049 --> 00:17:32.009
[Visitor]
I don’t know why that makes me laugh.
00:17:43.604 --> 00:17:44.938
[Gabriel]
Thanks, Jamie.
