Abstract
Black trans people are made visible within dominant media coverage as spectacularized subjects, often coming into view only on being violated by the state and its actors. Yet and still, Black trans counter-hegemonic conceptions of PIC abolition continue to be created amidst this background of terror. Through a close reading of texts, including Janet Mock's Redefining Realness, Cheryl Dunye's Stranger Inside, Jac Gares's Free CeCe!, and songs by Jay-Marie Hill, this article asserts that these works constitute an intellectual archive of Black trans geographies. These geographies challenge the notion of carcerality by offering abolitionist visions of communal care and connectivity. By understanding the role of art in the proliferation of abolitionist struggle, we can appreciate abolition as a gender struggle and encounter more nuanced depictions of Black trans life.
