Portraits
under construction
The Beauty of Community - The idea for this project came right before Pride weekend in June of 2020. While I initially held myself to planning 11 shoots w/ 15+ people, editing 50+ shots, and collecting written pieces from friends in one week, I quickly realized I needed to let that go. I had to remind myself that we are in the middle of a pandemic where we carry on work productivity expectations as “normal” despite the horrible situation we find ourselves in. The focus on finishing by a specific date was completely abandoned, and instead returned to the essence of the project - love for community, and love for self.
For far too long, our social institutions & systems have erased the voices of the lgbtqia2s+ community. We deserve to share our wealth of experiences more than once a year because being proud at any and all times is an act of resistance when you exist within this community. Most of us have done & continue to do a lot of work to love ourselves. Globally, we have been conditioned & indoctrinated not to. This project is a reminder that loving & caring & supporting the queer community, especially our Black and Indigenous Trans & Non-Binary siblings, is an on-going process & an intentional act. There is an incredible amount of work, reflection, and deprogramming to be done. We are part of a collective struggle.
The Beauty of Community spotlights some of the people I have been fortunate to have in my life and to be in solidarity with. In their own words, they share a bit of themselves, and organizations they care about. Please follow them, and if you have the means, please consider donating. This project is dedicated to our transgender, non-binary, lesbian, gay, bisexual, questioning, queer, intersex, pansexual, two-spirit, androgynous, and asexual family. To all the lgbtqia2s+ ancestors that existed before us. To all the Black & Brown Trans women & femmes who fought & continue to fight tirelessly to create the possibilities of what our lives look like. To the folks that haven’t come out yet. To the Beauty of Community. We deserve to be seen, to be heard, to be supported, and to be loved. We are worthy beyond measure.
Creative & photos by me
Assisted by my friend Stephanie Fiel
