To ring out 2024, the Political Notebook asked fashion designer Tria Connell to create a plush bunny op-art based on the ones she's stitched up to fundraise for Mill Valley-based rabbit rescue SaveABunny, as featured in the Bay Area Reporter's Pride issue in June. The lesbian longtime San Francisco resident, who's taught beginning sewing to Academy of Art University students, hopped into overdrive, sewing up a gigantic Oryctolagus cuniculus hugging a nongender-specific human.
Titled "Shelter in each other," the piece stands 46 and half inches tall and 52 inches across at its widest point. Her first art piece specifically designed to make a statement, Connell incorporated fabrics featuring rabbits and different LGBTQ Pride flag colors.
Two signs reading, "You will be hurt" and "You are not wanted" bookend the piece, representing society's animus toward LGBTQ people and mistreatment of rabbits. Just as LGBTQ people have fewer rights than their heterosexual counterparts, rabbits have less protections than dogs or cats even though they are the third most populous house pet, noted Connell.
"The outside world wants to hurt and kill them, but they are rescuing each other, basically, because they have so many things in common," explained Connell of the embracing figures, with the person telling the hare, "You are safe and loved."
Connell, who adopts and fosters rabbits, and also cares for an elderly Indian ringneck parrot named Bubu, conveyed that message to LGBTQ individuals via the Pride-themed swatches, such as the Progress Pride flag design forming a heart sewn onto the rabbit's chest.
Connell will raffle off her op-art and two smaller plush bunnies she created during a live New Year's Eve drawing via her social media accounts at 2 p.m. December 31. To enter, people need to Venmo $5 to @tria-connell, with the proceeds split between SaveABunny and the LGBTQ youth-focused Trevor Project.
"People do not have to be present to win. I will pick three names, the first will win the art piece, the second will win a regular size rabbit, and the third will win a small rabbit," said Connell. "I will post the receipt of the donations on all my SM. I will ship, but winner must pay for shipping costs."
She can be found on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook all via the handle @bea.dazzler
Web Extra: For more queer political news, be sure to check http://www.ebar.com Monday mornings for Political Notes, the notebook's online companion. This week's column reported on a pronoun usage change in Contra Costa County.
Keep abreast of the latest LGBTQ political news by following the Political Notebook on Threads @ https://www.threads.net/@matthewbajko and on Bluesky @ https://bsky.app/profile/politicalnotes.bsky.social.
Got a tip on LGBTQ politics? Call Matthew S. Bajko at (415) 829-8836 or email [email protected]
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