Unquiet
Things

Do you know about my amazing friend, Lau? That’s not her name, per se, but I have a bad habit of referring to people whom I first met on the internet, by their internet moniker–even long after I have actually met them in person. At any rate, a Lau by any other name would be just as amazing, and I want to share something she’s created recently which I know, Know, KNOW will resonate with so many of you.

{P.S. Lau is the fantastic eye + brains + talent responsible for the the design of Unquiet Things!}

“Fix your hearts or die”. I get chills whenever I think of this beautifully devastating sentiment, courtesy David Lynch’s character, Gordon Cole, expressed to badass transgender DEA agent-turned-Chief-of-Staff,  Denise Bryson. After more than two decades of working her way up to a position of authority in a hostile environment which hasn’t always accepted her, it was such a fantastic, empowering moment to see her in that huge office of her own, behind a stately desk, addressing Cole as an equal, and or, if memory serves correctly–as his superior

In their short scene together in the Twin Peaks revival, Cole points out that Denise didn’t have an easy road to her new title.

“When you became Denise,” he reminds her, “I told all of your colleagues, those clown comics, to fix their hearts or die.”

As someone more eloquent than I remarked, “It’s a surprisingly affecting moment, showing not only a former superior addressing his mentee-turned-boss but also seemingly Lynch himself addressing the situation of a marginalized character in his own universe.”

When I heard those now iconic lines uttered, I knew deep in my heart, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that it was to be a passionate notion that would resonate with so many people, and within hours–on twitter, instagram, facebook, blogs, think pieces, etc–it was tenderly, joyously, triumphantly resounding far and wide.

“Fix your hearts or die”. My eyes brim with triumphant tears every time these words echo across my heart. And now, thanks to Lau & RECSPEC, I can wear it emblazoned across my chest. 

The shirt is $25 and 10% of all proceeds go to Casa Ruby, the only Bilingual Multicultural LGBT Organization providing life saving services and programs to Transgender, Gender Queer and Gender Non-conforming Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual people.

Curious as how to style this shirt? I’ve got some ideas for you, below. As always, click on the image for a link to all of the items used. And if you’re looking for a righteous, empowering scent to accompany it, you should take a look at Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab’s “activism” tag, where they offer fragrances to specifically raise funds for the American Civil Liberties Union and National Center for Transgender Equality, as well as, Planned Parenthood and EMILY’S list.

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