Continuous

2015-2018

Archival pigment prints on Lustre photo paper, text

Continuous is my small inquiry into the large question: how do we as Indigenous peoples decolonize our sexualities, gender identities, and the way we treat individuals who identify outside of the pervasive binary of male or female? I have replied to that question with this portrait series featuring peoples who identify as being part of the Indigenous lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, and Two-Spirit (LGBTQ2+) community. I am part of this series and so is my brother. My hope is that this project will inspire dialogue within our communities on how to make those spaces safer and more welcoming for our Indigenous LGBTQ2+ relatives. Continuous explores identity, sexuality, gender diversity, discrimination, and pride and how those elements overlap, diverge, and inform each other. This work is personal and communal. It is the product of the many years it took me to overcome the internalized hatred and fear of my own identity and sexuality. It is in the unity and diversity of the Indigenous LGBTQ2+ community where I found the strength to be who I am today. The individuals shown here are a small sampling of that large and variant group. While we are indeed incredibly diverse, we also share many commonalities. Some I have known since childhood, others I have met as a young adult, and some are new and now cherished friends.

By identifying an Indigenous LGBTQ2+ community, Continuous connects us to a growing global community of Indigenous LGBTQ2+ people. Through knowing who we are and establishing ourselves through this project, we can lend support to one another. I must stress that although the individuals in this series were willing to share their identities and stories, some LGBTQ2+ people cannot safely do so because of the discrimination that exists. This project is also for them, to be one building block of a world where they can live their lives authentically, as they feel best.