The Best Speech I've Ever Heard on the Rights/Issues of Transgendered People

Dec. 10, 2009 - United Nations Panel Discussion on the topic of: Opposing grave Human Rights Violations on the basis of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity.

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At long last, my website is up and ready for viewing! I designed it and built it myself.

Please check it out. Feedback on user-ability is much appreciated.

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New Projects, New Website and Queer Gazes

I hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving Holiday. I had a wonderfully relaxing weekend, so now I feel rejuvenated to finish up this semester.

As usual, this semester has been busy. The last time I posted I was just starting, and while that was just a few months ago, in this short amount of time so much has developed for my photography. The most prominent development has been the start of a new project. This project is one that I have contemplated doing in many different ways; however, with the right inspiration I have been able to finally get it off the ground. I recently discovered Seiichi Furuya's photographs of his wife Christine, 400 of which are collected in a book. I've always been fascinated with the idea of photographing the same person over many years. Furuya's haunting images of his wife's mental deterioration over the course of their relationship are not only powerful, but surprisingly empowering. I imagine Furuya photographed his wife as a way of coping with the helplessness that encompasses being the partner of someone with mental illness.



For my new project, I took this inspiration from Furuya's work and began photographing my partner, Dana. Here are a few of the images.




This project is my final project for The Portrait class that I'm currently taking, so it's not yet complete. I think this will be a series I'll continue for as long as possible.

In addition to this project, I have at long last started photographing for my thesis project. I won't get too far into it because I don't have a solid artist's statement yet, but the topic is the relationship between Lesbian Visibility and Identity. I started by creating an advertisement seeking lesbian identified women to model, which I emailed to a few friends and posted around campus. I got numerous responses (to my delight!) and have since started interviewing and photographing these women. This project will be my focus for all of next semester in my senior photography class, which will be taught by Kelli Connell.

I've at long last designed my own portfolio website. I'm almost done building it and I just bought my hosting, so in the next couple of weeks it will be up and running.

Lastly, I would like to mention a show that I was unable to attend, but sounded really interesting. It just came down this weekend, so unfortunately I can't recommend you go see it. The name of the show was Queer Gaze and it was on exhibit in Portland at the Fontanelle Gallery.


"Fontanelle Gallery is pleased to present Queer Gaze, a group photography exhibition featuring images of queer people by queer photographers. This show offers a new examination and response to theories of “male gaze”, as originally described by Laura Mulvey as the cinematic depiction of voyeurism and objectification of a female by a heterosexual male viewer. Queer Gaze explores the gaze from woman to woman or queer to queer, as well as the way that many photographers use their own visage or that of their friends to subvert traditional expectations of portraiture..."

Two photographers that I really like, Molly Landreth and Megan Holmes, were in the show, among many other talented Queer artists. This exhibition is the perfect example of where I hope my work will one day show. It demonstrates queer collaboration and community within the art world that I think is vital for artists making queer work.

And so it begins...

A week ago I started my final year of my undergraduate education. I'm still having a difficult time wrapping my head around that fact. In less than a year I'll be thrust into the real world. I'll be school-less and jobless, but hopefully not homeless as well. I'll worry about all of that a little later...

For now I want to focus on my new classes and my new internship. This fall I'm taking Darkroom III, as required in order to graduate. At first I wasn't too happy that I was forced to take this class because I print all of my work digitally. However, I started shooting film again this summer and plan to stick with it for a while, so learning about developing processes will be really helpful. I'm also taking Website Publishing I, which I'm really excited about. As a total computer/Internet nerd, I feel pretty comfortable with anything web related. I'm hoping this class will teach me a lot of skills I consider essential for success in my field. My only gen. ed. class this semester is Visual Anthropology. I had no idea how relevant this class was going to be to my field of study and to my own work. But it looks like the topics we'll discuss might really help me with some ideas I'm throwing around. My fourth class is the one I'm most excited about, but also most intimidated by. It's Dawoud Bey's "The Portrait" class. This semester Kelli Connell will be teaching the class, and I have to admit I'm very pleased with this change. Kelli Connell's current project runs along the lines of my own interests, so I feel lucky that I will be learning from her.

About a month ago I started an internship with Laurie Rubin Studio, Inc., which is a commercial advertising photography and video studio here in Chicago. While I am definitely not a commercial photographer, I'm really glad I've gotten the opportunity to see what it's all about. I feel like I've already learned quite a bit in the few shoots I've assisted with, so I'm excited to continue with it for the rest of this semester.

Amber Hawk Swanson, To Hold, Pinball, 2008, c-print

I want to quickly review a show that just opened here on Columbia College Chicago's campus. Photographer and Curator Cole Robertson created Re: Figure, an exhibition that opened last Thursday September 10th at The Glass Curtain Gallery, featuring works of photography, sculpture, collage, and other media. Despite some controversy over some of the images which the college deemed as "child pornography" (come on, Columbia, the Culture Wars was 20 years ago), the show came together beautifully. Each artist contributed unique and exciting works that, although very different from one another, showed especially well together. I highly recommend stopping by the 1104 S. Wabash building to check out the show.

Where did this come from??

I made an image this weekend that I can say, with immense surprise, is probably the best image I have created in...well, maybe ever. I'll sum up all of my thoughts about it (and new thoughts keep arising as I write this) with the simple fact that I am actually happy with this photograph.

It's taken with my most recent camera purchase, an old Graflex Speed Graphic field view camera. And it must be fate that I impulsively bought this camera because I produced this image the first time I used it.

Anyway, I don't have a scanner so I photographed the negative on a light box and made it into a positive image in photoshop. It's not the best post processing job, but it's a start. Thanks, Juan, for all your help!

Dana & Legos. 2009.

Anti Prop 8 Rally

Yesterday, in a fit of outrage and disbelief, I deviated from the usual topic of this blog, my photography, and got a little more personal. A lot more personal, actually. As a lesbian and member of the GLBT community, I was appalled and angry with the outright bigotry of the California Supreme Court's decision to uphold Proposition 8. And yesterday I took action, first in the cyber world by bombarding my Facebook/Myspace/Blog with information about the results, with my personal outrage, and with a call to action. Then I took to the streets of Chicago and let my voice be heard.

In 108 cities across the United States, "Day of Decision" protests against the court's decision to uphold Proposition 8 took place. GLBT people and Allies marched the streets, stood at courthouse steps, held their signs and waved their flags, and shouted from the depths of their disappointment and frustration with the bigotry of this country. People marched in my hometown of St. Louis, Missouri, and my friends in San Francisco marched the Castro. I'm proud to say I was among the 1000 people who marched down Halsted Street here in Chicago. We stopped traffic; our voices pulled people away from their TVs to their windows and interrupted dinners at the local restaurants; we coaxed people from their homes out onto the sidewalks where they watched in silence or cheered/whistled/clapped in celebration of our passing. I walked down Halsted hand in hand with my girlfriend, and I have never been more proud to be with her than in that moment. It was an exhilarating feeling.

I tried my best to take photographs of the event. I was more focused on being in the moment than taking pictures, but I have a few to show. Note: None of these have been edited because I wanted to get them up on here right away.

There is so much more I could say about the issue, but I think it would come off as too preachy. My personal interest in this, while wrought with legitimate feeling and raw passion, is just one person's story amongst the millions in this country affected by bigotry. The people and the government of this country have a long way to go before they overcome prejudices. And it's going to be an uphill battle for the GLBT community. Obama is not the President who is going to make everything better for us. He is just another stepping stone.

2009 marks the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Inn riots, the official (to the GLBT community) start of the Gay Rights movement. I think it's appropriate that on the 40th anniversary the GLBT community is coming together again, as strong as our forefathers were then, to fight for basic civil rights that every human being in this country is entitled to.

Support Civil Rights!

CALIFORNIA SUPREME COURT UPHOLDS PROPOSITION 8, HONORS 18,000+ MARRIAGES

This is a direct affront to civil rights! Bigotry may have won (legally) but it can NEVER be supported. This civil rights issue is NO DIFFERENT than other Civil Rights campaign in U.S. history. It's about HUMAN RIGHTS, not your so-called religion.

In a beautifully worded letter, Kate Kendell of the National Center for Lesbian Rights expresses her disappointment with the results and her hope for the future:

United We Mourn, United We Stand
05.26.09

Today, the California Supreme Court diminished its legacy as a champion of equality. By upholding Prop 8, an initiative that stripped the right to marry from same-sex couples in California, the Court’s decision has undermined the central principle that all people are entitled to equal rights and has jeopardized every minority group in California. No minority group should have to defend its right to equality at the ballot, and the Court should not have permitted such a travesty of justice to stand.

Today’s decision is dramatically out of step with where the nation is heading. After decades of struggle and hard work, we are living through an unmistakable turning point in the history of our movement. In the past few weeks alone, there has been a tidal wave of momentum in favor of equality for same-sex couples—including a unanimous decision upholding marriage equality from the Iowa Supreme Court; legislative victories in Vermont and Maine; and additional victories on the horizon in New Jersey and New York. Across the country, public opinion is shifting decisively in our favor. Five states have now embraced full marriage equality for same-sex couples, and more are expected to join that list this year. It is devastating that California is no longer one of them. But rest assured: we will be again.

As I wade through my many emotions—heartache, disappointment, grief, anger, and disbelief—one thing is clear: we will regain the freedom to marry in California. It is now up to the people of this state to restore California’s national stature and once again embrace inclusion, fairness, and equality for all.

Together, we will be the first state to repeal a marriage ban at the ballot.

Over the past few months, I have participated in town halls across the state. In every community, I have been moved and encouraged by the resilience and strength of our community and our allies. I have been reminded that we have weathered far worse storms. We fought back against the criminalization of our relationships and violence at the hands of government officials and police, and we must remember that this year marks the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. We fought back against efforts to strip us of custody of our children. We fought back against medical authorities when they pathologized our love. And we continue to fight against an epidemic that still claims the lives of far too many. By being our authentic selves, by demanding change and full equality, we have changed the law and transformed public opinion. And we have built one of the strongest movements for human freedom and equality of our time.

We must now use that strength to reverse Prop 8 at the ballot. As we band together to realize that goal, the more than 18,000 married same-sex couples must be our ambassadors. They must help others regain the equality that now only some of us enjoy. We must also call on fair-minded Californians to stand with us, come to know our families, and undo the damage caused by Prop 8. Let’s harness the remarkable grassroots energy and activism that sprung to life after Prop 8 passed and reclaim our state’s rightful place as a civil rights leader. We are unified. We are ready. We are resilient. We will stand together with our allies and we will be victorious.

This is not over.

In Solidarity,

Kate Kendell

Join me TONIGHT May 26th at 7PM outside the CENTER ON HALSTED to PROTEST the results of Proposition 8. I will be there with my camera and with my VOICE.

Official Event Website: Day of Decision

This is the official event information for Chicago: Day of Decision Chicago