"I was being attacked by binary trans people who claimed I had to adhere to the traditional binary construct and have all the surgeries and hormones, which pushes a harmful narrative," Gay, who identifies as trans femme gender fluid, says. "We are so pushed aside, whether from within the LGB community or cisgender people, religion, or politics."
Their two-year photography project became "This Is Trans," an exhibition of more than 200 candid images of trans people in their element. Many of the subjects, aged 12 to 85, had never felt comfortable with professional photographs of themselves.
"They're putting a lot of trust into me to tell the world who they are, rather than just selfies they take for their own Instagram," the 31-year-old artist tells New Times.
The exhibit has traveled to ten cities across the U.S., with each show unlike the last: Gay photographs new people at each stop, adding to the growing collection.
"I wanted to show that there isn't just one way to look trans," Gay explains. "There are many different, beautiful gender identities that fall under the transgender umbrella."
The Ohio native considers their home in Columbus a haven for queer people, but the state's Republican majority has developed a "dangerous" climate for the trans community, Gay notes. In June, two anti-trans bills passed, including House Bill 68, which would ban gender-affirming care for youth, and House Bill 8, which would require schools to notify parents if a child expresses they are trans.
"Everyone's flying Pride flags year-round, but when you leave the city, that whole model changes completely," Gay says. "So this whole project is meant to empower and uplift, but also to educate that trans people are beautiful people."
Gay's goal for "This Is Trans" was "to visualize love and acceptance" of transgender individuals.
Vincent-Natasha Gay photo
Galvin, director of Safe Schools South Florida and the city's first openly gay politician, partnered with local LGBTQ nonprofit Unity Coalition to keep the three-year-old creative space alive. It was originally curated by Pridelines, an LGBTQ youth organization, but Pridelines closed the Miami office that held the gallery.
"I'm so proud that these shows are being curated in North Miami, a city that isn't stereotypically where you'd expect to see LGBTQ work," says Galvin, who has served as a North Miami councilman since 1999. "It will bring artists' work to many who wouldn't otherwise see it."
The community center, located in a majority-Black community, will exhibit three or four local, national, and international LGBTQ artists' work every year, from fashion designers to filmmakers and painters.
Once you're inside the building, the gallery is hard to miss. It was intentionally placed in the main hallway of the building for hundreds of unexpecting attendees to pass every week. The rest of the building holds a gymnasium and multipurpose rooms.
"It's a primarily Haitian-American community, and all indications would be that this gallery would be a challenge for this particular community, but it's been quite the opposite," says Unity Coalition director Herb Sosa. "It's not just a room hidden in a back corner. It's for everyone to see: cis, trans, young, and old. You can't get from point A to point B without seeing this."
Galvin hopes the interactive atmosphere can raise awareness of trans experiences, especially in a venue that's not inherently queer.
"It brings the work of trans artists to a permanent home in a public facility," he says. "There is no similar venue in Miami-Dade County where LGBTQ groups can feel so welcomed."
"This Is Trans." On view through October 2023, at ArtLAB Gallery at the Scott Galvin Community Center, 1600 NE 126th St., North Miami; 786-271-6982; unitycoalition.org. Admission is free.
