Maegan Clark

Transgender Representation in Photography

Independent Study, Spring 2016

Leesa Rittelmann

The LGBT (, Gay, Bisexual, and ) community has pushed its way into history and broken barriers to be seen in public media. While the “LGB” in LGBT has been more widely accepted and understood in society at large, be it because of representation and people learning more about sexuality rather than gender identity, the “T” seems to be just now really breaking through and getting noticed. With names like Laverne Cox on the cover of Time magazine in 2014 or Caitlyn Jenner on the cover of Vanity Fair in 2015(Figure 1), the American society at large is quickly trying to grasp the terms surrounding the transgender community. As we still live in a world where the biases and restrictions of heteronormative labels are still being unlearned as we try to expand our minds, we also still have to consider and realize that we live in a society where cisnormativity is strongly taught and hindering our acceptance of trans individuals and terms. Cisnormativity, the belief that all people are the gender they were assigned at birth, not only erases trans identities but also creates a strict man/woman binary that furthers heteronormativity and creates harsh gender roles. All of these concepts thrown together are why artists are slamming portraits of transgender individuals in our faces – to tell everyone that “We exist!”

To start off everything, breaking down and introducing terms becomes important.

“LGBT” has been the most widely used acronym for the community that these topics are about.

For this paper, I am choosing to use the acronym “MOGII” from here on out. MOGII stands for

Marginalized Orientations, Gender Identity, and Intersex. MOGII is viewed as being a more inclusive acronym than “LGBT” since our vocabulary is always shifting, changing, and being expanded. “MOGII” is also much easier and faster than stringing on more letters such as

“LGBTQIAP” and so on. When talking about transgender identities in particular, it is necessary

2 to establish a base from which we will be discussing these identities. First, understanding that transgender simply means that a person does not identify with the gender they were assigned at birth. Even using the word “assigned” brings significance to this paper. Saying “assigned” keeps in mind that gender is a social construct that is placed upon us – a doctor labels us these words

“male” or “female” and we do not have a say in this assignment. Cisgender people keep the label they were assigned at birth – if they were labeled “male” they identify as a man, if they were labeled “female” they identify as a woman. These terms can be easier to grasp since our concept of the binary is already set in place. Going beyond the binary can be when people dismiss certain trans identities. Non-binary trans people are just that – people who do not identify within the binary of man or woman. They might express femininity or masculinity or androgyny, but they don’t identify strictly as a man or woman. Non-binary is an umbrella term as well as an identifier. Some non-binary identities are demi-girl, gender fluid, genderqueer, and agender, but the term non-binary can be a label someone chooses for themselves as well. Although I will not go into each gender identity individually, it is important to note that these identities exist and some are represented in my project.

“Ex-GI becomes Blonde Beauty” (see figure 2) was part of the headline that hit papers on

December 1st, 1952. Christine Jorgenson, the person who these headlines were about, quickly became the face for transsexuals or more specifically the term “sex change” (which is usually referred to as gender affirmation surgery more recently). The headline was accompanied with pictures of Christine “before and after” – a sentiment that doesn’t seem to go away when talking about trans lives who go through surgery. The headline itself was latent with enticing language that pulled in curious readers and allowed them to gawk at this “freak” or “pervert” (Meyerowitz,

2002). This headline also was centered around the appearance of Christine and reduced her from

3 the important societal role of an “EX-GI” to the simple, cosmetic role of a “blonde beauty.” Not only does this scream misogyny, it also reflects a lot of what the trans community goes through when talking about appearance – that a transgender person must “pass” (look like their target gender and “pass” as cisgender) to be seen as “real.”

In 2015, the moment that Caitlyn Jenner appeared on Vanity Fair, history mirrored what happened around 63 years after Christine’s newspaper headline. Although Caitlyn’s headline was

“I Am Cait” which was way less misogynistic, what was happening online may as well been saying “EX-Olympian becomes Brunette Bombshell.” People reduced Caitlyn down to her beauty, an object to be looked at, and no longer seen as her achievements. It goes to show that transgender people have been put into this “freakish” narrative continually over time. Public media doesn’t even begin to cover how photographs of transgender people have been used construed in ways that dehumanize and critique trans people’s existence.

Ben Singer, a gender theorist and transgender healthcare activist, talks about the “medical gaze” in which intersex and transgender people have often been exposed to. The medical gaze refers to photographs of the body often taken in medical settings or with intentions of being used medically. These photographs may be taken in a room with a blank background or grid like background (to capture height and width of bodies) and the person’s facial features (at least eyes) are censored or blocked out. In his essay, Ben compares a photograph (figure 3) of a trans woman used in a medical book by doctor J. Money and a photo of Marsha P. Johnson, a trans woman who helped lead the fight of the Stonewall riots. His comparison points out how depersonalized and anonymous the photo on the left is while the photo of Marsha P. Johnson on the right is personable and in a social setting.

4 Singer then brings in artist Loren Cameron and talks about his self portraits, particularly his portrait titled “God’s Will” (figure 4). Singer says:

In “God’s Will,” Cameron asserts control over the image-making process, showing the

shutter release bulb in his left hand while injecting body-modifying testosterone with the

syringe in his right hand. The image is provocatively self-representational,

simultaneously connecting his material and aesthetic manipulation of his own body.

Cameron’s self-portrait refutes the Frankensteinian logic of medical expertise that puts

the doctor and the medical establishment in the role of creator; it recasts the sense of

sacrality and power typically associated with the concept of God as an expression of self-

actualization and self-determination, rather than as subjection to an inscrutable external

force. While the medical model asserts that Cameron is a product of medical

intervention—or even invention, and thus a proper subject of the medical gaze—this self-

image represents him as an active moral and ethical agent assuming responsibility for his

own embodiment.

Although Cameron lingers on the medical gaze aesthetic, the control he has in this photograph (along with the others in his Body Alchemy series) puts consent back into the photo.

Consent is a good word to use here. The medical gaze gives a feeling of exposure, coercion, uncomfortable, while Loren Cameron’s feel more like a statement done consensually and purposefully. When it comes to representing transgender people in photographs, consent is one factor that needs to be given. When artists like Loren Cameron are consenting to these photos being taken (in his case, since he is the one taking them) it gives a whole new meaning to the photograph. In his piece Distortions (see figure 5), Cameron uses portraits of himself and

Barbara Kruger-esque quotations to bring up discourse surrounding trans bodies and transphobia.

5 This direct way of using text and imagery can be a way to take the gaze and throw it back at the viewer – blatantly giving the viewer just what you want them to see and having them question what they know.

“Cameron’s work challenges this desubjectification and pathologization, not by

promoting naïvely celebratory images in an attempt to make stigma vanish; but rather, by

restaging and re-presenting the ambivalence experienced by a person trapped, not in a

wrong body, but in the wrong cultural context.” (Singer, 2006)

Singer also brings in photographer Del LaGrace Volcano who often photographs transgender subjects and does self portraits to bring in conversations about the transgender community. As pointed out in Singer’s essay, Volcano also plays with the cold “medical” feel for some portraits, while other portraits show trans people in an everyday, diaristic photos, with a

Nan Goldin vibe. Some of Volcano’s portraits are what influenced me to look more into this subject, for instance the portrait “Kael & Vincent” (figure 6) and other portraits from the

“Genderqueer” gallery on Volcano’s website.

While many artists stated above heavily influenced my intrigue in researching a project about the representation of transgender people in photography and executing the creation of a trans calendar, there are also many contemporary artists that I found to be inspiring. Heather

Cassils, Zanele Muholi, Chloe Aftel, and Dave Naz are a few artists that photograph themselves

(as a trans person) or photographs other trans people within their works. Although each artist has a distinct style, all of their work is based in trying to get these transgender identities brought to the light. Each artist speaks about their work pushing audiences to talk about gender identity and captures trans identities in a positive and powerful manner.

Heather Cassils works with photography, performance, and sculpture to talk about his

6 trans identity as well as comment on issues the transgender community faces on a daily basis.

Cassils uses ideas of body art, gay male aesthetics, physical training and is a body builder which influences his art. With his performance piece “Becoming and Image,” Cassils attacks a block of clay with only flashes from photography giving him light. In the end, he is left with “The

Resilience of the 20%” (Figure 7) to which Cassils says:

“I wanted to draw attention to the fact that our genderqueer and trans brothers and sisters

are so much more likely to experience physical violence: worldwide, transgender murders

increased by 20% in 2012.” (The Guardian, 2013)

While Cassils may not use photography in a documentation perspective, he still is able to relate his work to issues that need to be talked about and are often glazed over (or not talked about at all) in the media.

Zanele Muholi has been breaking into the art scene with her photographs of South

African people in the MOGII community. Using black and white formal portraits, that are close to headshots, Muholi captures many different people in a light that is meant to make these identities visible and speak out against violence against these communities (see Figure 8 for one photo from the “Faces and Phrases” series).

“The participants in the award-winning artist’s series are framed within the medium of

portrait photography, and each black and white image exists to counter the dominant

heteronormative narratives surrounding race, gender and sexuality in post-apartheid

South Africa.” (OkayAfrica, 2014)

While Muholi may photograph a heavy amount of , she does include many trans men in this “Faces and Phrases” series as well. Muholi’s visual activism (although not always

7 trans-centered) engages audiences to urge them to think about these identities in any aspect, but also specifically in other places of the world besides the .

The work Chloe Aftel does really exemplifies the type of photographs that I intended to emulate. After a person who identifies as agender was set on fire on a public bus, Aftel was commissioned by Magazine to create images of trans people - specifically non- binary - to bring this violence to the forefront of everyone’s minds. With these photographs,

Aftel included quotes by the models along with their identities and pronouns. One person who was photographed, Emma (Figure 9), uses they/them pronouns and was quoted saying:

“I think a lot of people like to see gender as this scale of blue and pink. I never really

identified with either side of that, or even in between blue and pink. It’s so much more

complicated—my identity varies so much on any given day. Sometimes I tell people I’m

gold or something” (Feature Shoot, 2014)

This series of photographs captured my attention the most because it was a reactive project that allowed for a time of learning. Giving quotes, pronouns, and how they label their gender identity give viewers no denying or questioning on the photographer’s end. While some viewers may find themselves confused about non-binary identities, it is not because Aftel is not trying but rather society's restraints on gender identity.

The last photographer that sparked my interest is Dave Naz. His work consists of a photography book project that includes video interviews (online) and essays by the models. This approach also seems more engaging while learning about trans identities because it allows for these models to give their personal stories and perspectives. See the book cover for this project with Figure 10.

“The book is designed to help further the discussion when it comes to gender identity,

8 especially for those who don’t identify with the gender that they were assigned at birth.

The gender-queer community is not as universally understood as the transgender

community, which has made tremendous strides this year in terms of awareness thanks to

to pioneering trans activists like Janet Mock, Laverne Cox, Chaz Bono and Carmen

Carrera. These advocates have dramatically increased the public image of trans

Americans; however, the same can't be said for those who live in the spaces in between.”

(MIC 2014)

As I took in and considered the artists above, I got to work on creating a calendar of transgender people from Fredonia. This project was not only meant to highlight these identities on campus but also intended to be sold as a calendar for people to buy, and the money from that would go to the Breaking Binaries fund on campus. The fund was created by a student to eventually give out as a scholarship to a transgender person on campus to help them pay for any expenses that may come with being transgender, including things like hormone replacement therapy, surgery, and name changes. As part of the project, I created a blog (figure 11) in which I will put some of the photographs of these people as well as the interviews (in parts or in whole as audio or transcribed), their gender identities, pronouns, and also information like why I chose to do a calendar, how I managed my models, ect… My end goal is to be able to sell these calendars while also educating and giving viewers a glimpse into these identities just as the artists stated have done as well.

Coming into this project, I was excited to start something that could mean so much to these identities. Since I am in the MOGII community myself, questioning and figuring out my gender myself, using photography to talk about these issues just felt right and made me feel engaged and filled with enthusiasm. Finding models was easy enough, I pretty much just ended

9 up asking friends via Facebook messenger if they were interested. I ended up with 12 people

(although one dropped out, I was able to get another real quick). Organizing and meeting up with

12 different people proved harder than I had anticipated. With clashing schedules and bad

Fredonia weather, we occasionally had to reschedule and work around time and weather constraints. Taking photos was the painless part. Most people were comfortable getting their photos done – I had asked specifically that people chose places they were comfortable or would want to be photographed in to help this. Some people were just a little stiff once the camera came out, but for the most part it was smooth and painless. While interviewing people (to get a quote to go with their photo), I noticed that people loved to talk. Some may have talked more than others, but for the most part people like sharing their stories and thoughts about these topics that affect their lives.

Once I had all of the photographs and interviews, trying to plan an event was what ended up being my downfall. Over the semester, I noticed my workload becoming more difficult and I became more swamped with work. With my capstone in one hand and my other classes in the other, I found this project straggling behind…Mostly due in part by me not being able to figure out or decide on how to create and sell these calendars. Spring break really threw off my groove trying to bring everything for this calendar together. When it got to be too close to the semester ending for me to have an event (which I felt would have been awesome to have and showcase for an audience to see), Dr. Jeff and I decided I should create the blog.

While the blog is going well and allows me to possibly get a bigger audience (and not just to Fredonia students), I am still wanting to be able to sell these calendars and donate to the

Breaking Binaries fund. Since it will not be on campus, that does give me less complications to worry about…But I will have to figure out a nice supply and demand type of purchasing that can

10 work for a project like this. Even though I will be graduated from Fredonia by the time I might be able to sell the calendars, I am still happy and excited to give back to this community that I’ve grown with over my years here.

11 Bibliography

Cruz, Eliel. "Striking Photos of Genderqueer People Highlight the Beautiful Fluidity of Gender." Mic. N.p., 12 Dec. 2014. Web. 2016.

Frizzell, Nell. "Heather Cassils: The Transgender Bodybuilder Who Attacks Heaps of Clay." The Guardian (2013): n. pag. Web. Garrett, Jenna. "Agender: Portraits of Young People Who Identify as Neither Male or Female - Feature Shoot." Feature Shoot. N.p., 19 May 2014. Web. 2016. Meyerowitz, Joanne J. How Sex Changed: A History of Transsexuality in the United States. Cambridge, MA: Harvard UP, 2002. Print.

Singer, Benjamin. "From the Medical Gaze to Sublime MutationsThe Ethics of (Re)Viewing Non- normative Body Images." The Transgender Studies Reader. Ed. Susan Stryker and Stephen Whittle. New York: Routledge, 2006. 601. Print. "Zanele Muholi Documents Queer South African Lives In 'Faces And Phases (2006-14)' | Okayafrica." Okayafrica. N.p., 08 Oct. 2014. Web. 2016.

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