Buttons are strange historical objects. After they are retired from their honored place on a backpack or jean jacket (or perhaps rescued out of the junk drawer), scores of buttons have found their way to queer archives where they are proudly claimed as valued queer heritage artifacts. Buttons rarely have attributed creators and usually lack specific dates (aside from, say, political campaign buttons). Buttons are designed to be worn or posted, to be mobile through space and often transient in time. We rarely know who wore them or for how long, why they mattered, or what effects they may have had. In other words, we are often left talking about how fun they are, but they remain obstinately vague historical objects despite our efforts to pin them down (sorry, I couldn't resist).
The “TS'S AGAINST RACISM” button pictured above—attributed to Mirha Soleil-Ross and Xanthra MacKay's genderpress—is now part of an...
