Liberty’s Resignation and Liberty’s Pride are the first two in a set of three paintings/prints that myself and Amanda Palmer conceptualized together, called “The Liberty Triptych”.
We will be unveiling one more installment.
When we release the third, we will put up a variety of prints and poster packages (including the original paintings, and a fully-matted-and-framed trio pack, signed by both of us), and 100% of the profits of the sales will go to the ACLU. (American Civil Liberties Union)
This is the piece I wrote to go with the second of the three images.
My dear friends,
I will start this with a fond memory.
One of my formative life lessons, and most liberating experiences, was realising I was pangender. It was the mid 90’s, when I left home to live with my partner at the time, who had revealed to me 6 months into our relationship that she was transgender. It occurred to me in the blink of an eye, that I didn’t care what body she inhabited, it was who she was that I loved.
It became the foundation for how I set out to treat everyone I met…not that I’m a saint, by any means, but I feel grateful that I got to learn a lesson about equality and basic humanity so young in life.
It was framed, and maybe emphasised, by the fact that, although my country had just held our first democratic election – and been dubbed “The Rainbow Nation” – public attitudes toward trans rights would only start to catch up to anything worth writing home about a decade or two later.
I don’t really need to point to the agonising irony and the devastating effect that America’s most recent election has and will have on those rights and freedoms.
In the years leading up the election in 2024, a noticeable and promising upwards shift in both the visibility of, and societal attitudes toward the LGBTQ+ community was something that had me (and many others, I’m sure) thinking “about damn time”. This burgeoning hope has been cruelly hobbled, it would seem, in a few short months. As Amanda said in her brilliant piece on fever dreams, Jinkx Monsoon and the creative ache, on Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/posts/last-night-drag-122713077):
“…the attack on trans rights has been swift and will be deadly….and the attack on trans rights won’t end there.
Once legal rights begin to fall, they fall for everyone.
It does not end here. It begins here. The arts. The queers.”
As with the other Liberty works, I don’t feel I need to explain or contextualise this.
It BURNED TO BE MADE. It is a narrative work…it tells a story; it whispers a poem.
“Thousands of years ago, our poems kept the tribe safe and connected, with memorable information. It wasn’t just about catharsis. If we, as a tribe in a cave, were going to stay safe from harm, there had to be a memorable, memorable story about how to escape, how to run, how to tend to the fire without letting it go out at night, how to keep the bears out of the cave. The fire has to stay lit.”
When times are hardest, as she says, there is a song (for her), a painting (for me)…they shine brightest in our minds when chaos and devastation are all around.
Here it is: TRUE liberty is the freedom to be who you are, to be with whom you wish and to embrace your authentic self, without judgement, or fear, or discrimination. True liberty embraces diversity.
Remember this story. Keep the fire lit.
Living with a transgender person and being accepted by the then-cautious LGBTQ+ community, opened my eyes to the harsh realities they experience every minute of every day. Their resilience and authenticity were inspiring. It devastates me that their ongoing challenges will only worsen under Trump’s regime, and I can only plead each and every person reading this to do everything you can to STAND TOGETHER, build communities, foster tolerance, and protect the vulnerable members of your society.
The journey toward full equality must become a battle if that is what is called for. With continued advocacy by people like Amanda, who has always been courageously outspoken about the rights of this vulnerable community, there’s hope for a more inclusive future. With open-mindedness, bravery, action and community, the rights of all those currently being marginalised and disenfranchised, will be saved. That starts in your heart.
Amanda told Jinkx she was going to have to stay quiet for a while. Jinkx said she knew.
“I am protecting my internal organs, I told her, like a person getting frostbite in the arctic. Send the blood to the organs that can’t die: Ash. My family. My very life itself. My heart, my lungs, my motherhood.
Don’t worry, she said. Jinkx is going to sing. Jinkx is going to keep the fire lit.”
So am I.
SO CAN YOU.
With love,
Niki
Cape Town,
February 2025
You can see more on Amanda’s Patreon here, or donate directly to the ACLU here.
This is the piece I wrote to go with the first of the three images.
LIBERTY’S RESIGNATION:
As a South African artist, witnessing Donald Trump’s inauguration stirred a complex wave of emotions within me—a mix of sorrow, anger, and deep empathy for my American friends. This work was born within hours of the news of the election. This piece, developed alongside Amanda, is more than just an artistic statement; it is a visceral reaction to a pivotal and troubling moment in American history. It speaks to the disillusionment many felt as they watched a democracy, once a beacon of hope, teeter under the weight of rising hate and division.
Why would a South African surrealist care about the political turmoil in the United States? My connection to America runs deep. I have walked its streets, absorbed its spirit, and formed bonds with its people, you. Bonds forged through shared ideals of freedom and equality. Yet, my perspective is shaped by my own nation’s tumultuous history. I was born into apartheid—a system that legalized hate, restricted freedoms, and dictated every aspect of life. In that oppressive environment, choices about love, movement, and even speech were determined by law. This history is not distant; it is embedded in my very being.
I remember the suffocating silence enforced by media bans and censorship. It wasn’t until my teenage years, as apartheid began to crumble and Nelson Mandela walked free, that the truths of our past atrocities came to light. The rage I felt upon discovering the lies I’d been fed burned fiercely—an anger that still smolders today. This is the emotional landscape from which this work emerged.
In America, I now see shadows of the past. The hateful rhetoric, the marginalization of vulnerable communities, and the erosion of democratic norms echo the dark chapters of South Africa’s history. My heart aches because I understand the pain of watching a nation betray its ideals. Under Jacob Zuma’s presidency, South Africa endured rampant corruption, economic decay, and deepening social divisions. Zuma, much like Trump, embodied the dangerous blend of populism and self-interest that corrodes public trust and democratic institutions.
But I also know that change is inevitable. Zuma was eventually forced to resign, a testament to the collective will of the people. South Africa, though scarred, began to heal, inching toward accountability and renewal. Similarly, I believe America will endure and emerge stronger. The path ahead may be fraught with hardship, but resistance, resilience, and unity can pave the way for change.
Liberty’s Resignation captures this delicate balance between despair and hope. Lady Liberty, in this piece, does not stand tall but bows her head and looks back in sorrow as she walks away—not in defeat, but in mourning. Yet, within that sadness is the potential for return and renewal. To my American friends, I offer these words: Abide. Rage. Scream. Sing. Know that this darkness is temporary.
Art allows me to process and convey these complex emotions, bridging the gap between my experiences and yours. This creation stands as a symbol of solidarity, a reminder that across oceans and borders, we share a common struggle for justice and freedom. This moment in history will not define you forever. Everything changes.
Niki McQueen
Cape Town, January, 2025
You can see more on Amanda’s Patreon here, or donate directly to the ACLU here.
