He has no
shame
and
I have no
scruples
Bellyward on my bed*
This photo series was documented over 12 days in May, 2022. The photos are of a road trip; one that weaves a narrative of queer male exploration, sex in all its varied forms, trans identity, and what it means to peer into the past in hopes of making sense of the present.
This project began as an endeavor of research into the life of Lou Sullivan (June 16, 1951 - March 2, 1991) . Lou was an out gay trans man during a time in which the medical establishment did not believe that such a person could exist. Lou was many other things: a writer, an historian, a leader, an advocate, a sex educator. He started the very first FTM newsletter, which was a lifeline for many trans men during a time where connecting with each other was immensely difficult.
I came upon Lou through David, a queer activist who is currently creating a podcast interviewing people who knew Lou. I accompanied David on this trip, where we ventured to many places, from the GLBT Historical Society archives in San Francisco to the deserts of Reno to visit Lou’s best friend and interview a psychiatrist who Lou successfully lobbied to be an advocate for gay trans men. Along the way are moments, both intimate and mundane, that capture the experience of two queer lovers in a flux of sexual exploration and power performance.
*title and subtitle excerpted from “We Both Laughed In Pleasure; The Selected Diaries of Lou Sullivan”
