This week’s challenge #188 by the Zentangle Diva was inspired by an email she received from a 12 year old boy, who wrote to her in recognition of a gay friend and asked her to consider “a achallenge to somehow put some aspect of LGBT in a tile. Perhaps using the colors of the rainbow, or using tangles that start with L, G, B, and T, or using those letters as a string?” (For our foreign friends, LGBT is an acronym for “Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender”). He noted that October 11, 2014 is National Coming Out Day.
To be honest, I consider my attempt at this week’s challenge to be a pretty epic fail because my intent was to “celebrate” the LGBT community, and instead I came up with a pretty somber (morose even) design that seems to reflect this week’s challenge theme only in that it is superimposed on a background of the colors of the Rainbow Flag.
Maybe the somberness crept in because I recognize that although the LGBT community has made considerable strides in the United States in the last five years, there is still a considerable way to go before our fellow Americans who are LGBT share the same civil rights supposedly guaranteed to all Americans. I realize that the Founding “Fathers” did not expressly contemplate this group in particular in 1787, but at that time, they also did not extend basic civil rights to those enslaved in the United States nor even to women . Times change. We live and, hopefully, we learn.
The issue of gay marriage is likely to be decided by the Supreme Court of the United States this year. As a recovering lawyer, my prediction is that the Court will partially punt and decide that states do not have to grant the right to marry, but that if a couple is legally married in another state, a state that does not itself permit gay marriage must recognize the marriage legally performed elsewhere.
So, without further ado or excuses, here’s what I came up with for this week’s challenge:
{ 17 comments… read them below or add one }
Well maybe sombre is how we should be. As you will have gathered from the rant on my blog, I feel rather the same way – perhaps more indignant but…As for the tile, I rather like it. the gentle colours work well and the slightly Dali-esque tree works well too. Maybe you’ve seen the dawn of a better world?
You have composed a beautifully serene piece with your lovely rainbow. It certainly has a positive vibe!
Very beautiful yile and lovely colors!
Yile must be Tile ofcourse;-)))
I looked at the tile before reading your post and admittedly, I thought “hum that looks great but there”s something almost sad about it” I like the gentle colours and the patterns and the tree however it feels like some one lost something. It’s very emotional and clever. It gets one thinking. Your post is very instructive too. However let’s not forget that the US have been the leader as to gay awareness and tolerence. Whilst we (french) have only granted gay the right to marry months ago and with such a negative response from some of the population I actually feel ashamed.
Nat, I guess it’s a sea change in thinking compared to how life was when I was in my 20s. On the other hand, it wasn’t until the 1970s that some of the elite colleges in the United States started admitting women and women were still a rarity in professions like law, medicine and politics. I guess the good news is that the younger generation is much more accepting.
I like your tile. I like to think of the Thumprint tangle as breaking free from the restrictions imposed by society. I think the purpose of art is to communicate and make one reflect. Your tile does all of that.
Now, if only I knew which wad the thumprint tangle. 😉
I love your Tile, Suzanne. Beautiful Pattern work. I very much like the line weighting in the tree. You have created a very interesting Tangled Universe.
I think your tile is quite beautiful. Subtle does not have to be somber. the sky, the tree, the ground – it’s all quite lovely
I like this tile with it’s soft colors and also your post.
I’m not a foreigner and I did not know what LGBT stood for until you explained it 🙂 I have virtually no artistic ability when it comes to drawing, etc. Even my stick figures are crooked. So, the beauty you accomplish with your Zentangle drawings is so incredibly impressive, Suzanne. This is awesome, my friend 🙂
I’m happy to say I was wrong! Yesterday, the US Supreme Court decided not to decide whether states may outlaw LGBT marriage which allowed decisions by some Circuit Courts of Appeal in favor of gay marriage to become law. Now, over half the states in the U.S. allow LGBT marriage.
Beautiful! I especially love the tree and the rainbow arches in the bottom corner. Nice work!
Lovely landscape!
So lovely tangled landscape! Wonderful tile and great post, too!
I think sensitive more than sombre with the light in the sky.