Merit Honor emerges as a gesture of reparation and self-empowerment, placing cis and trans women at the center of an act of recognition. The performance reflects the power of self-love and communal affection, while simultaneously questioning the invisibility and historical erasure of these women.

The symbolic act of self-medaling unfolds as a process of rescue and empowerment, where each participant claims her protagonism, breaking free from the norms that determine who is worthy of honor. Thus, the performance creates a space of exchange and belonging, where recognition of others begins with the act of recognizing oneself.

Merit Honor expands the notion of love, encompassing justice, care, and reparation. By allowing women to share their achievements and talents, the action builds a space where love manifests in the appreciation of each other’s experiences and histories. Here, love is also a political act of resistance. This practice of recognition, therefore, reminds us that merit goes beyond a formal gesture. It is, in fact, a way of rescuing silenced histories and creating a space where justice can flourish. It is a celebration of what each woman brings to the world, as she writes her place within it.