In exactly one week, I will be on a plane to a new town, to a city that will wrap history and mist around me like a cloak. I am nervous to be leaving LosAngeles, but my final summer here in California would not have been the same without the ICI.
Leaving the Institute of Cultural Inquiry is particularly painful because this space has served as a quiet haven for inspired, intelligent work. The building itself is sandwiched between abandoned commercial spaces and an odd gas station; I doubt that any passerby would guess that there is an ecosystem within our gates of advocacy, art, and learning.
I am deeply thankful for the opportunity to work alongside amazing people like Jed, Hanna, Diego, Lise and Sue-Na. Although there are very few of us here at the Institute and we operate independently, we individually contribute to the inviting, open nature of this space. Although I have worked in many places, from DA’s offices to professional laboratories, the ICI gave me a unique opportunity to explore the world of the queer community not just through legislation and protest, but through art and unity. I felt like I was stitching into the fabric of the LGBT community rather than running my fingers across old needlemarks. The work that I did here was not just important, it was deeply enriching.
With love and affection,
Sonya