Storm surge Photo

American societal norms are often in direct opposition to the lives of the LGBT+ community, especially with the current administration. AMERICAN F(L)AGS sets up the opposing values of queer people and the sociocultural norms of modern-day America. I portray them in both a bold call to action and also a soft light, showing that they’re also people who love, laugh, and experience life like anyone else.

AMERICAN F(L)AGS is a photographic series that uses queer models of various ages, races, and genders, reflecting the fear and anxieties that come with being queer under homophobic and transphobic government, while also showing that it’s not all darkness and misery. If I only portrayed the negative feelings that come with it, then people would use it as an excuse as to why being queer is bad, saying that it only brings hardship.