Justin Vivian Bond Instagram – Today, World AIDS Day, would have been my sister Kitty’s 60th birthday. Every year on Dec 1 I take some time to honor her memory and I allow myself to get lost remembering the irreverent joy and laughter she brought to this world, how much her zest for life and her raw carnal power intimidated and inspired me. She showed me how to live and maybe more importantly she showed me how to die with courage and grace. She was an actress, a showgirl, a singer, a shamaness, and a brilliant visual artist. She took me camping in the mountains of California, made magical tents on motel balconies for us to dream in under the stars, we cooked pot into flavored butter on a hot plate, did shows together, wrecked people together, and recognized the spiritual aspect of our gender journeys in one another. I try to make this world one which she would have created and loved. It certainly would have been more fun if fate would have allowed her to stay with us in her physical incarnation, but the people who loved her, and who’s lives she touched will always carry her shine and a bit of the sparkle of her glamour. Look at that devilish grin in the first photo. The second, a self-portrait, is a sensual depiction of the power of self-love and actualization which is strong, beautiful, and unashamed. The third photo was taken by @rickgerharter in May of 1994 in The Empire Lounge in SF at my going away party before I left for New York. She was very sick and very open about it. She had some dementia and wasting but she continued to take part in everything she could. We performed an improvised duet that night. She berated the audience, “You have no respect for my AIDS!” I could cry tears of pride, heartbreak and longing just thinking about it. The fourth photo is a portrait she did of our friend Arturo. The final self-portrait is one she painted after a few weeks on AZT. That one is difficult for me to look at. The pain it represents is so visceral. So happy heavenly birthday to Miss Kitty Litter Green who’s incredible legacy is the powerful work she left behind and the influence she left on all who knew her and those whose lives we touch. #worldaidsday #whatisrememberedlives