Tai talks to Heather Johnson about being a young queer person during the beginning of the AIDS epidemic in the United States, and, through the lens of Heather's new book of poetry, they talk about surviving as a queer and black person in America. Heather Lynn Johnson is a writer, photographer, performance artist and poet, living in New York. Her work is characterized by its lyricism and cultural critique. Through the use of imagery and the written word, Johnson explores being other-ed in a consumerist society by mining the history of gender, sexuality, and the racialized body. Her formal approach to the narrative, whether visual or poetic, is distinguished by her willingness to lay bare her own existence.Johnson received an MFA from the Rhode Island School of Design and her BA from Columbia College Chicago both in Photography. She is the 2017 literary fellow for the Queer|Art|Mentorship program.LINKS:List of definitions: https://genderblenderpodcast.tumblr.com/definitionsHeather Johnson's book of poems, Survival Guide: http://inpatientpress.bigcartel.com/product/survival-guideWebsite post of photos: https://genderblenderpodcast.tumblr.com/post/162361825954/check-out-heather-johnsons-book-ofLeslie Feinberg's website: http://www.transgenderwarrior.org/about.htmlRock Hudson, the Reagans, and AIDS: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/feb/03/nancy-reagan-refused-help-dying-rock-hudson-get-aids-treatmentACT UP NY: http://www.actupny.org/Police Violence US: https://mappingpoliceviolence.org/unarmed/Article on how banning police float at pride makes the event more inclusive: http://www.cbc.ca/news/opinion/banning-uniformed-police-pride-1.4077861Article on Toronto Police shootings: https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/16/world/americas/toronto-police-shootings-black-lives-matter-canada.htmlArticle on carding by Desmond Cole: https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/16/world/americas/toronto-police-shootings-black-lives-matter-canada.htmlArticle on Andrew Loku Inquest: https://www.thestar.com/news/crime/2017/06/23/andrew-loku-coroners-inquest-revealed-crucial-new-details.html