Queens and Queers (2017-2018)

I came out in 2016. Driven by a desire to learn my history and to be able to address LGBTQ+ issues in my work, I began to research Queer History and Theory. I discovered Nan Goldin’s Ballad of Sexual Dependency. Her pictures of her LGBT friends made me realize that I had never experienced the feeling of community I felt in those photos. That was something I desperately wanted to change. I began venturing out wanting to experience queer culture.

Night after night I found myself at drag shows; enchanted by the dancing lights and dancing queens. I began photographing the vivid performances, aiming to capture a true sense of the atmosphere, intimate darkness broken apart by pulsating color. I found myself becoming a regular at the clubs and began making friends within the community. From time to time I turned the lens away from the performers onto my friends and other patrons, capturing their brief, intimate interactions within the darkness of these queer spaces. This work is an ongoing documentation of the world of Houston Drag and LGBTQ nightlife. It is as much a celebration of drag culture and drag artists as it is about me finding my place in a queer world.