This page is dedicated to the latest news about the project and it also shows off the work of the other artists and activists were inspired by The Identity Project and documenting the exhibitions of the project around the world.
The Identity Project goes to Taiwan
In 2019, I went to Taiwan and completed two photoshoots with the amazing LGBTQ community in Taipei. The project was featured in a story in the Taipei Times. Thank you to everyone that helped make these photoshoots so successful!
Harry's #ANDPROUD Campaign
In 2018, The Identity Project was the inspiration for a powerful ad campaign created by Harry's. We had two photoshoots (one in LA and one in NYC) with an incredibly diverse group of LGBTQI activists from across the US and the UK. The final advertising campaign asked folks what their identity was and added #andproud at the end of each set of terms. The campaign was rolled out for Pride 2018 in the US & the UK and Harry's also did a total buy out of the Union Square Subway station for the entire month of June. It was an honor to have the opportunity to photograph such an incredible group of LGBTQI folks and cheers to Harry's for making this bold statement during Pride.
Thanks to everyone that participated in the production of the photoshoots and big hugs to the stars of the campaign - iO Tillett, Tia Simon-Campbell, Nadine Davis, Jake & Hannah Graf, Kele Okereke, Angelica Ross, Dr Ranj, Darnell Moore, Amir Ashour, Jonathan VanNess, Charlie Carver, & Joel Kim Booster.
Subway Take Over of Union Square Station in NYC
#LOVEWINS Campaign with Smirnoff Vodka
In celebration of Pride season, Smirnoff Vodka released limited-edition “Love Wins” bottles of Smirnoff no. 21 vodka. Each bottle is unique and features portraits of real couples photographed by Sarah Deragon, the creator of the Identity Project. For every bottle made, the company will donate $1 to the Human Rights Campaign (HRC). “It’s always inspiring when brands take action to encourage positive change, especially at a time when we are working harder than ever to push back against anti-equality forces." said Adam Marquez, Associate Director, Corporate Development at HRC. "The ‘Love Wins’ bottles are showing the country that love truly conquers hate—and that we celebrate you, no matter who you are or who you love.” In a statement, Jamie Young, Smirnoff Brand Manager, defined the brand's stance on equality saying, “Simply put, the Smirnoff brand stands for inclusivity. Whether it’s gender, race, or sexual orientation, we believe the best times are when everyone is included. We are proud to support the HRC and the LGBTQ community, and to celebrate all kinds of love out there.” The limited-edition "Love Wins" bottles are available nationwide.
QueerFest in St. Petersburg, Russia
In September 2015, I traveled to St. Petersburg, Russia to have the first ever exhibition of The Identity Project along with doing a presentation at the annual event called QueerFest put on by a wonderful group of activists at ComingOut. We were able to do two different photo sessions with the LGBTQ community there, one at a nightclub and the other after my presentation. Here are some photos of the beautiful city of St. Petersburg along with photos from their Opening Night celebration and my presentation about the project.
LGBTQ History Month Display at Ohio State University
Big thanks to Angie Wellman and the Student Life Multicultural Center for having The Identity Project as part of the discussion around LGBTQ History Month!
Astrotwitch's Queer The Streets Project in Melbourne, Australia
Astrotwitch is a self taught artist (no formal training other than one class in high school). They been painting seriously (they hate to call themselves a professional) for about 10 years. Astrotwitch grew up in rural Texas but have lived in California, Washington DC, Germany and now Australia. Their art has appeared on the streets of Texas, California, Washington DC, Portland OR, Seattle, Wa. Outside the US their work has shown up in the streets of Australia (of course), also several cities in Germany; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Paris, France; Beijing, China. Astrotwitch's work has also been in a number gallery shows mainly in DC and Melbourne.
Beginning in January of 2014, Astrotwitch started a project to only paint queer identified people. They call the street part of this the "Queer the Streets" project. Astrotwitch had gotten tired of seeing show-after-show with paintings of flawless models painted by cis men in art galleries, as well as streets filled with advertisements exploiting women, so this their my response. They have really enjoyed doing Queer the Streets and intend to continue this commitment for the foreseeable future.
Follow Astrotwitch's work here:
http://twitter.com/astrotwitch
The Identity Project in France
Nicolas Dormont, Caroline Debray & Marie Turcan
This project was born when Nicolas Dormant got together with Caroline Debray and Marie Turcan, two journalists that work for « Les Inrockuptibles » a French magazine. They are all living in a very hard time of explosive of conservatism, and gender and sexuality were two issues that suffered a lot of prejudice and violence, both seen as strict categories. We wanted to show that those categories don't exist anywhere else than in our own judgement and also, we wanted to show people that there are people behind the concepts. We wanted to show faces of gender and its variety.
Nicolas Dormont - Photographe
Nathan's Wheat Paste Art Project on the Campus of The University of Minnesota
Wheat Paste Art Project by Nathan (a sophomore in Gender and Women's Studies and minoring in Social Justice) at The University of Minnesota that was done to fulfill a requirement in a class that would bring focus to queer identities that are marginalized by the mainstream gay movement. These posters were put up around campus for his final project.
