Activist and poet Kai-Isaiah Jamal has always believed in the power of words. In an interview with METAL, they described how they were first introduced to poetry in grade school, and now, as an adult, they use their poetry for activism, personal reflection and as a means to illustrate the incredible power of words. This June, in honor of Pride Month, major brand Gap has partnered with Jamal to publish a poem by them in all of its stores in Spain.
The display of the poem, as well as t-shirts with Gap’s rainbow-coloured logo, will go live on June 28. The poem centers around dreams and exclusion, which reflects Jamal’s experience with transphobia and bigotry more broadly. They have spoken about their desire for transness to be normalised, not something that has to be rooted in exceptionalism and pitied. In their short, powerful poem for Gap, Jamal stresses that if someone’s dream for a perfect future does not include trans people, then they do not want to be a part of that dream. In doing so, Jamal reminds us to be mindful of who we’re centering when we talk about liberation and pride.
