Self-Portrait (Section 1557 Regulation)

Keeva Lough
"Self-Portrait (Section 1557 Regulation)"
2020
Video (2:39)
Courtesy the artist.

My art comes from a place of anger. Institutionalized prejudice fills me with rage. I feel compelled to research how the institutions of oppression work and how their language and systems of thought shape reality.

To create this video, I appropriated text from a 2019 Trump administration memo ruling it legal for insurance and healthcare providers to discriminate against transgender patients under the Affordable Care Act. I wanted to contrast the cold, legal language with visuals that were warm, fleshy, and vulnerable. Hands attempt to protect an ambiguous body from the onslaught of institutional language. The title, Self-Portrait, is a little sarcastic.

My closest chosen family is made up almost entirely of fellow Queer trans folks. They are the first audience in my mind. That comes with a lot of responsibility. I want my work to accurately reflect the assault of anti-trans bigotry. If the image in the mirror is uncomfortable then at least we can share in the catharsis of breaking it.