“It is easy for people to misunderstand and even hate an
idea, a concept. It is a lot harder to hate a human being, especially if you
know their story, their journey. Of course, people can still be hateful, but if
they know about the struggles of their fellow humans, the chances that they
will accept and love them are much higher” -Abby Chava Stein, from the
Introduction.
Trans New York is a photography book giving a glimpse into
the lives of transgender individuals living throughout the city, much in the
style of Brandon Stanton’s Humans of New York blog.
The folks interviewed run the whole range of ages, genders,
and experiences. Some people are trans, others genderfluid, nonbinary, or
genderqueer in some other way. Some people say they have finished
transitioning, others are still in the process. And others feel their gender is
a continuous evolution with no point at which their identity is complete.
Each profile has basic information: preferred name, preferred pronouns, hometown, current age, age of transition, etc, along with three open-ended questions (paraphrased): What was your path to transition like? What makes you unique as a person? What would you like people to know about yourself that are different from typical assumptions about trans people? I have to admit these questions feel a bit limiting to me as they focus only on the person’s transness. While I understand that this is because the focus of the book is on being transgender, it would have been nice to devote some more space to finding out who these people are as individuals. What are their hobbies? Their passions and goals? What is their most beloved memory? And so on.
The interviews do not shy away from trauma and struggles.
Some people mention abuse they suffered growing up and how it has shaped them.
Others describe having to advocate for themselves because they had no other
resources.
Some of the photos can feel abrupt and unframed, as if the
photographer just caught a quick shot of someone as they were going about their
day. Since Bussian is a professional photographer with 20 years of experience,
I assume this was a deliberate stylistic choice to portray the interviewees as a
part of their world, rather than as models or subjects for examination. In this
way, perhaps, it allows trans readers who may not know many- or any- other
folks like themselves to get a glimpse of the diversity of trans lives. And
perhaps cis readers too will come to a better understanding and empathy with
people who are really not much different from themselves.
You can get a copy of Trans New York at Bookshop
And at Amazon
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