In October 2019 curator Bill Arning hosted No Trigger Warnings, an exhibition exploring the line between tasteful expression and provocation. During the exhibition a stage was set up with Steve Locke’s “Untitled (GOD IS LOVE/you little faggot)” as a backdrop to host special events. Locke is an African American artist exploring themes of masculinity and homosexuality. His work explores growing up black and gay in Texas. Arning attempted to post images from the show’s events and had them deleted. (READ ARNINGS ESSAY ON HIS EXPERIENCE HERE)
It is unclear if the word “faggot” was flagged under Instagram’s hate speech policy or if trolls flagged the images in protest. Either way, the result was Arning re-posting a cropped version of Locke’s work. The idea that Instagram forced Locke’s artwork to be cropped in half (erasing the homophobic part of the story) mirrors a closeted experience familiar to many in the LGBTQ community.
Left: Original post from No Trigger Warnings. Right: Subsequent posts were cropped.
IMAGE CREDIT: TOP IMAGE: Steve Locke Untitled (God Is Love/You Little Faggot) , 2018, Jacquard Tapestry in Cotton and Rayon, 48 × 72 in Courtesy The Artist. BOTTOM IMAGES: No Trigger Warnings - Bill Arning Exhibitions - October 9 - Flatland Gallery, Houston Texas. LEFT: Comedian and visual Artist Bob Morrisey hosting Gay Shame Parade. RIGHT: Poet John Pluecker reads from his new Chapbook Hooks