10/12/2026
It is no secret that over the last few weeks, there has been strife and heartache within our local community. In this last month the community has experienced great loss, predatory business owners have been named and demanded accountability of, wedding makeup artists and photographers have been outed for shady business practices, and within the performance community unsafe individuals are being exposed by news reports and subsequently removed.
Everything, everywhere, feels like it's on fire. People are angry, afraid, heartbroken, and overwhelmed.
Through all of this, I have been observing, processing, and truly struggling to find the right words to say. I have felt helpless, betrayed, angry, and sad, and have been grieving while trying to simply move about the day-to-day life requires.
My business and my line of work puts me in one-on-one, very personal and vulnerable situations with my clients. Your trust in me is never taken lightly. I will always strive to do right by each of you and ensure you are brought into a space filled with love, warmth, and safety. As a survivor of not just one, but multiple SAs, I stand with and believe victims, knowing what it's like to not be believed, to have my appearance/dress questioned, to be told "I invited that energy in", and more.
I hope that our community can come together, heal collectively, and move forward to build something stronger and better. Remember to give each other grace, to show kindness whenever possible, and despite it all, try to find the light in the darkness.
Aligned hopes to continue serving the Quad Cities and providing a safe haven where self-expression and self-care come together in a space intended for compassion, empathy, vulnerability, and warmth