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we create ourselves. we create our belonging. we create our freedom.
Our Why
Our
Story
The Underground Rainbow Experiment (URE) was founded on Juneteenth (June 19) 2021, in Baltimore, Maryland, by Djérae, a Black Transmasculine artist, educator, and cultural organizer, and their sibling Kaja Limberg, a Black Transfeminine artist, healthcare professional, and disability justice organizer. What began as a creative production initiative for QTBIPOC artists has since evolved into an ecosystem of interconnected communities for and by Black Trans and Gender Nonconforming (GNC) creators committed to creating ourselves, our belonging, and our freedom.
URE is rooted in the Theory of Autoluminescent Being, a framework developed by Djérae through their lived experience as a Black trans and gender-expansive person. The theory proposes that all people possess an internal source of light born from the soul that can be shaped, regenerated, and expressed in different ways throughout our lives. Just as light can be produced through friction, movement, and sound, humans retain the capacity to create and recreate themselves under any condition.
At its core, the theory asserts that self-creation is a natural human capacity. Transformation is not a departure from who we are, but a process of becoming more deeply aligned with our souls. Through intentional acts of self-definition, we generate new expressions of ourselves, creating multiple lives within a single lifetime.
This understanding became the philosophical foundation of URE. Initially envisioned as a space where QTBIPOC creators could learn, heal, and express themselves freely outside systems of extraction and survival, URE emerged from a recognition that both arts organizations and social justice organizing spaces were missing something essential.
Community organizing often lacked spaces for imagination, joy, and artistic experimentation, while arts institutions frequently lacked pathways for collective care, movement building, and liberation.
After relocating to California in 2022 to deepen their organizing practice and access gender-affirming care, Djérae encountered another critical question: What would it look like to build environments where Black Trans and GNC people did not have to fight simply to exist?
The challenge of securing safe and stable housing alongside their sibling, Kaja, revealed the persistent barriers facing Black Trans creatives, even within politically progressive regions. In response, Djérae and Kaja began reimagining URE not simply as an organization, but as infrastructure: a living network of spaces, relationships, resources, and opportunities designed to support Black Trans and GNC people in becoming who they are.
Today, URE applies the principles of the Theory of Autoluminescent Being at both individual and collective scales. We believe that just as people can intentionally create new expressions of themselves, communities can intentionally create new expressions of society. Through artistic practice, cultural production, mutual support, and community-building, we cultivate environments where Black Trans and GNC people can experiment, evolve, and thrive.
Our long-term vision is the development of an interconnected ecosystem of Black Trans and GNC-led live-work communities across regions and generations. Inspired by the pathways of the Underground Railroad and the cultural networks of the Chitlin' Circuit, we are building an ecosystem where people, resources, creativity, and care can move freely between communities. We believe that the practices Black Trans and GNC people have cultivated for generations, the ability to consciously transform, adapt, and create ourselves beyond imposed limitations, hold vital lessons for collective liberation and human evolution.
URE exists because we believe that when we create ourselves, we create our belonging. When we create our belonging, we create our freedom. And when we create freedom together, entirely new worlds become possible.
