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Hello fellow incarcerated individuals and people that are on the outside,

I am sending much love and respect for people that are incarcerated anywhere in the world during the COVID-19 pandemic, fires, racial injustice, etc.

I am a gay man, but I don’t fit into any specific stereotype. However, I have been threatened cruelly by other inmates and staff, and I’ve received a lot of shade. It hurts, especially considering that San Quentin State Prison is located near San Francisco, the gay mecca of the United States.

I know I made some wrong choices, but I’m still a citizen like everyone else. Will there be any justice for the LGBTQ community? I see a lot of my fellow LGBTQ brothers, sisters, who are homeless and barely have any access to resources that other individuals have access to.

For any change to come, we must love ourselves and stop all the violence. Vote for change because the only way I see mass incarceration stopping is to get change at the top in the White House and in Congress.

One love,
Alex 

Disclaimer: The views in this article are those of the author. Prison Journalism Project has verified the writer’s identity and basic facts such as the names of institutions mentioned.

Alex Edward Taylor

Alex Edward Taylor is a Black trans female writer from Los Angeles who is incarcerated in California. She is serving a five-year sentence at 80%. Alex was born and raised in Los Angeles, her favorite food is pizza and her favorite color is gold. She says she hopes to pursue a career in entertainment or media when she is released.