Pride month may have come to a close but our collective resilience remains. While people hail the start of Stonewall riots on June 28 as the anniversary and commencement of “Pride,” most people fail to recognize that the Stonewall riots continued into early July ending on July 3, 1969. The fight for equality and social justice for the LGBTQ+ community still continues on today. Which is why we are thrilled to highlight two photo series that captured pride this year.
Over the month of June while many prides were being canceled or going virtual three photographers in two different cities, Matthew James Ortiz from New York City and duo Daniel Eggert and Krysta Boehm from Chicago, wanted to capture pride in the age of social distancing. Pride has always been centered in the community. These portraits represent what pride means to local community members and what happens when we take a moment to see each other.
DaShawn Usher (DU): How long have you been a photographer and what led you to become one?
Matthew James Ortiz (MJO): I started making photographs and studying photography as a teen and quickly realized it was my preferred medium of communication. If I couldn’t express myself in words – whether it was about my identity, sexuality, depression, loneliness, or desires – I could veil my thoughts in imagery within photographs. That led me to pursue photography in college and as a career. But even as I became more comfortable utilizing my voice, photography remained an effective vehicle of expression and visibility.
DU: What has life been for a photographer during COVID-19? What has changed? What has remained the same?
MJO: When COVID-19 thrust New York City into quarantine, all of my commercial jobs were postponed or cancelled. As a freelance photographer in New York, I had become very used to the hustle necessary to survive in this city. That change allowed me to reflect on what I had been working on, and what I wish I had been working on. What remained the same for me, however, are my goals and priorities. It just so happens that this unintended break from life as I knew it gave me the time to focus on them.
DU: For your latest Pride photo series, what inspired the series? What were you hoping to achieve?
MJO: I remember first reading the announcement about the cancellation of New York City’s Pride parade and thinking that there had to be something I could do to celebrate the community. Pride month is easily my favorite time of year because of how visible we become. What started as an idea to turn my Instagram feed into a virtual parade of LGBTQIA+ faces and bodies quickly morphed into an effort to both see and hear them. I asked them a simple question and left it open to their interpretation – What does pride mean for you?
I asked each person to wear a “pride outfit” to be interpreted in whichever way they wanted; to wear whatever makes them feel great. I hoped photographing them in something that made them comfortable would help me capture the unabashed visibility I get to witness during Pride month each year. I wanted each person to walk away from their shoot feeling great and more confident.
DU: How did you choose your subjects for the series?
MJO: In an effort to get the project underway as soon as possible, I started photographing people I know. I reached out to friends old and new. As long as they lived within the five boroughs of New York City, I could easily make the effort to visit them for a socially distanced photoshoot. From there, I began asking subjects to introduce me to people they thought would be interested in participating, in an effort to fill gaps where I see any lack of representation. While diversity and inclusion have always been part of the DNA of the project, I’m working to make sure I’m choosing additional subjects who represent parts of the community that need more support and representation.
DU: What were some of the common themes you noticed when shooting the series?
MJO: I noticed two things with each subject I photographed: confidence and transformation. With my effort to photograph subjects wearing something that made them feel comfortable, I saw each person’s confidence grow as they stepped in front of my camera. Whether they wore cutoff clothing, name brands, elaborate outfits or nothing beyond what they wear on a normal day, they all wore something that made them feel powerful. It made the images that much more exciting to capture. Additionally, there seemed to be a clear transformation after each portrait session. Whether it was gratitude for the shoot or just nerves melting away, there arose a demeanor of “that actually wasn’t so bad.” It has been fulfilling to see people walk away feeling empowered.
DU: What do you have planned next with the series? Will you be continuing beyond pride month?
MJO: I’d love to publish a book of the images when it feels right. I plan to continue shooting until the series reflects the true diversity of the community. With the eruption of protests around the city, people’s efforts became more focused on the fight for justice and equality – and rightfully so! Having potential subjects postpone participation to do their part to help the movement only validated why I started the project in the first place. Our community deserves to be lifted up and supported in a way where no one is left behind. And because pride is a year-round effort, I’ll continue to photograph people as they become more available this summer so the work lives up to that goal.
DU: Where can people find more about your work?
MJO: For more of my work, anyone can visit my website – MatthewJamesOrtiz.com – or my Instagram – @matthewjamesortiz – for updates and project highlights
With the absence of the Chicago Pride parade since the Stonewall Uprising in 1969, WE SEE* YOU is a moment of digital celebration and a look into what pride means to the LGBTQ+ community of Chicago.
WE SEE* YOU centers around our fundamental belief in the positive impact and importance of LGBTQ+ visibility, for our continuous progression. Through visibility, we want to create positive awareness and show the breadth of diversity within the Chicago LGBTQ+ community – whether that be diversity in race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, pronouns, age, and so on. We see you, and you are beautiful.
WE SEE* YOU stands as an ongoing project, as we understand we have only scratched the surface for LGBTQ+ representation in Chicago. We want to meet more of you and continuously add to the WE SEE* YOU project in order to fulfill and motivate the continuous visibility of Chicago’s LGBTQ+ community.
We also want to acknowledge that there would be no Pride without the Black queer and trans trailblazers who paved the road for where we stand today. We are perpetually grateful and stand firmly with all BIPOC. This project also wouldn’t exist without you!
