On the Shedding of Light and Love:
I very recently found this website belonging to photographer and documentarian, L. Weingarten (I have searched the Internet and for the life of me, cannot tell you what the 'L' stands for). All of Weingarten's projects are stunning and you should absolutely sit down with them, perhaps accompanied by a glass of wine. Or a nice aged brandy. Or a hot chocolate with marshmallows if you prefer that sort of thing. There is one project though that stands out for me, and that's A Series of Questions.
Read the artist's statement HERE.
On National Coming Out Day, I think it's easy to take advantage of the platform and say, "Hey. I'm gay. And I feel good about it, although sometimes it's hard. Let's try to make the world a little bit more aware, and hopefully less harsh of those with a different sexual preference than my own." And I do commend people for doing so. But what if we focused a little less on ourselves and our own coming out stories, and a little more on the stories of others. Yes, sometimes life as a woman married to another woman has its obstacles, discomforts and limitations. But most times life as woman married to another woman is blissful, honest and full of joy because I'm living a life as and for myself.
My hope for this day is that we'll pause the focus of our energy on our own lives and our own challenges; and instead direct our advocating toward something outside of ourselves (albeit gay, bi, transgendered, abused, consumed by self harm, an addict, homeless, ill, phobic or just plain afraid to be one's self). If we could all pull that off, the powers of selection and elimination would suggest that eventually, someone else will tell your story for you. While you're off telling the world what I've had to go through and why times need to adapt to a world more accepting and less hateful of me, I can be free to do the same for someone else.
Just like Weingarten's "A Series of Questions" project. Which makes me extremely grateful to call a transgendered person my friend. To know someone so acutely aware of the person that lives inside of them and embraces that person without apology. I'm honored to have him and his openness about feeling trapped in a woman's body in my life. If anything, to teach me about my own insensitive curiosities; but also about knowing someone so completely non judgmental, supportive and full of absolutely nothing but love. And I admire the hell out of him for creating a beautiful life for himself with his wife and now baby daughter without pausing for concern toward how he may be judged. For him and anyone like him I say, "happy Coming Out Day." And for everyone unlike him: unable (for now) to come out about who you really are, I say, "you're not alone."
Read the artist's statement HERE.
On National Coming Out Day, I think it's easy to take advantage of the platform and say, "Hey. I'm gay. And I feel good about it, although sometimes it's hard. Let's try to make the world a little bit more aware, and hopefully less harsh of those with a different sexual preference than my own." And I do commend people for doing so. But what if we focused a little less on ourselves and our own coming out stories, and a little more on the stories of others. Yes, sometimes life as a woman married to another woman has its obstacles, discomforts and limitations. But most times life as woman married to another woman is blissful, honest and full of joy because I'm living a life as and for myself.
My hope for this day is that we'll pause the focus of our energy on our own lives and our own challenges; and instead direct our advocating toward something outside of ourselves (albeit gay, bi, transgendered, abused, consumed by self harm, an addict, homeless, ill, phobic or just plain afraid to be one's self). If we could all pull that off, the powers of selection and elimination would suggest that eventually, someone else will tell your story for you. While you're off telling the world what I've had to go through and why times need to adapt to a world more accepting and less hateful of me, I can be free to do the same for someone else.
Just like Weingarten's "A Series of Questions" project. Which makes me extremely grateful to call a transgendered person my friend. To know someone so acutely aware of the person that lives inside of them and embraces that person without apology. I'm honored to have him and his openness about feeling trapped in a woman's body in my life. If anything, to teach me about my own insensitive curiosities; but also about knowing someone so completely non judgmental, supportive and full of absolutely nothing but love. And I admire the hell out of him for creating a beautiful life for himself with his wife and now baby daughter without pausing for concern toward how he may be judged. For him and anyone like him I say, "happy Coming Out Day." And for everyone unlike him: unable (for now) to come out about who you really are, I say, "you're not alone."