upcoming grant deadline: 05/15/2024
Grey will document the history of criminalized and incarcerated queer and trans populations in Philadelphia and then design, publish, and distribute Unbecoming Suspects, a literary work containing their findings. Employing a prison-abolitionist framework, with a focus specifically on the last 50 years, Grey will conduct research in several archives in Philadelphia, study trans and queer histories, and conduct their own interviews. As a trans person who has both spent time in jail and worked for years to support prisoners, Grey understands how finding and sharing these narratives are crucial to survival, self-determination, and ending unjust criminalization and mass incarceration among LGBTQI people. The project will also include an evening of sharing the stories of queer and trans folks both inside and outside the prison system.