HRC and LGBTQ+ Artist Collaborations

Produced by the HRC Foundation

Since Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Heritage Month 2021, the Human Rights Campaign has been collaborating with artists who are as eclectic and diverse as the LGBTQ+ community itself, as part of a larger effort to reach and engage with multiple intersecting audiences and to honor and celebrate the communities with which they identify.

Black History Month 2023

Kah Yangni's "Black Resistance Lights The Way"

Black folks, including Black LGBTQ+ folks, have long fought back against racism and oppression. That resistance helps light the path toward racial equality, liberation and justice. This Black History Month, we collaborated with Kah Yangni to honor Black resistance and culmination of strength, power and beauty throughout the years. Kah uses their artwork to spotlight their own-and that of others-Black and queer experiences through the lenses of joy and beauty. They aim to spark optimism and hope through their art during a time of racial tensions and anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric, especially against transgender and non-binary community.

Latine Heritage Month 2022

'Orgulloso' by Sam Kirk

To celebrate Latine Heritage Month, HRC worked with Sam Kirk, who is a Chicago-based multidisciplinary artist who identifies as a biracial, queer woman. Her artwork explores the intersection of culture and identity politics while encompassing a call to celebrate differences and enact change. Sam designed a piece titled “Orgulloso” to honor the intersection of her Latine heritage and her queerness.

Juneteenth 2022

'Juneteenth' by Nia Keturah Calhoun'


To explore the joy and pain of Juneteenth, HRC partnered with a local Washington D.C. artist, Nia Keturah Calhoun (she/they). Calhoun, a Black, queer artist, explores the significance of Juneteenth through their intersectional lens. They also dive into their artistic process for this collaboration. The piece draws on the duality of the beauty and pain associated with Juneteenth and the American Black experience.

AANHPI Heritage Month 2022

'No Mākou Ke Ānuenue' by Lehuauakea

To celebrate AANHPI Heritage Month, HRC partnered with Lehuauakea (they/them). Lehuauakea is an interdisciplinary artist who identifies as māhū-Native Hawaiian. Their artistic exploration of culture and cultural folklore as well as their ties to native lands and intersectional identities provide a unique perspective during this AANHPI Heritage Month celebration.

Lehuauakea generously provided HRC with a unique, one-of-a-kind art piece intended to bring the joy and beauty of AANHPI culture to our celebration.

Black History Month 2022

During Black History Month in 2022, HRC worked with Kendrick Daye to create artwork for the cover of the Winter 2022 edition of Equality Magazine. Daye created a piece that depicted Black queer life as a thriving and prosperous entity in contrast to the social turmoil and uproar in recent years due to the United States’ relentless issue with systemic racism.

'Black History Month' by Kendrick Daye

Latine Heritage Month 2021

For Latine Heritage Month in 2021, HRC collaborated with Sonia Lazo to showcase our queerceañera campaign. Quinceañeras are prevalent in Latine countries and cultures as they mark a young girl’s passage into womanhood at the age of 15. Through the festivities, the woman is empowered through her identity, self-worth and profound connection to cultural aspects such as religion, family values and community.

'Queerceañera' by Sonia Lazo

We all deserve to celebrate our passage in adulthood. For many Latine LGBTQ+ folks - and many other LGBTQ+ people - coming into their own empowerment isn’t something that is widely celebrated.

Our queerceañera campaign, a queer spin on the traditional quinceañeras, is an invitation to celebrate their own passage into finding their identity and self-worth, regardless of gender identity, age or nationality.

Lazo, a renowned queer artist, designed the graphic for the campaign. Learn more about Lazo and their artwork on Instagram and Twitter.

APA Out Loud Day 2021

Our APA Out Loud Campaign consists of a spoken word series in partnership with the Asian American Writers’ Workshop and Youth Speaks. Three young LGBTQ+ APA artists are featured in videos to bring visibility to the legacy of issues impacting people who live at the intersection of LGBTQ+ and APA identities.

HRC’s APA Out Loud Campaign also showcased the work of Meg Emiko, a young Asian American, trans, non-binary artist. Since they began pursuing art, Emiko worked to have their designs and content capture their APA and LGBTQ+ identity as a whole. Meg uses their voice and work to fight for equality, representation and safety to live as their most authentic self.

“I had spent so many years trying to push the two most important parts of my identity aside, that I knew I wanted to create a platform and safe space for other AAPI and LGBTQIA+ folks so they could feel represented in some way,” said Emiko.

Below are Meg’s exclusive designs for HRC”s APA Out Loud Campaign along with their own descriptions:

  • 'Family Crest In Trans Colors'
  • 'You Are Loved'
  • 'The Crane and Rainbow'
  • 'AAPI & Proud'

The Human Rights Campaign reports on news, events and resources of the Human Rights Campaign Foundation that are of interest to the general public and further our common mission to support the LGBTQ+ community.

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