PDN Photo of the Day

Annie Tritt: Becoming Who I’m Supposed to Be

In a public display of support and solidarity, an international group of photographers have united to raise funds for Annie Tritt’s top surgery recovery through an online print sale and exhibition at Magnum Foundation. The events aims to shed light on LGBTQIA communities around the world and make a tangible difference in the life of one of its own.

Taking on top surgery is an exciting, and also daunting, time in Tritt’s life. While they physically heal from from this vital step in expressing their identity, Tritt will need to take time away from their freelance work.

“Becoming myself somewhat unintentionally publicly at my age is not easy. I’m always moved by words, so I turned to Audre Lorde who wrote ‘Only one thing is more frightening than speaking your truth. And that is not speaking.’  So, here I am, becoming who I’m supposed to be—without a clear map, but with such great guides by my side,” says Tritt, who turned 50 last year.

In addition to Tritt’s images from the acclaimed series “Transcending Self,” an ongoing project about transgender and nonbinary youth, photographs that celebrate LGBTQIA love and call attention to the grave issues faced by queer people around the world are included in the exhibition.

Photographers Julia Gunther and Laura Mulligan work with LGBTQIA people in South Africa, a country with a complex history regarding the queer community. Though the “Rainbow Nation” implemented the first constitution in the world to outlaw discrimination based on sexual orientation, and was the first country in Africa to legalize same-sex marriage, queer people in South Africa, especially in non-white communities, continue to face challenges like homophobic violence (including corrective rape), and high rates of HIV/AIDS infection. In Singapore and New York, Charmaine Poh and Mengwen Cao respectively capture young dreamy love, while in Chicago Angela Jimenez photographs lesbian ballroom dancers. “A Light Inside,” a series by Danielle Villasana that reveals the vulnerability of sex workers, is shot in Latin America where most trans women do not live past 35 years old and where 80 percent of trans homicides in the world occur.

Other work in the show looks at what it’s like to be queer in India where social barriers fluctuate dramatically (Jake Naughton and Aarti Singh); the toll of being forced to hide sexual identity in South Korea (Gowun Lee); LGBTQIA rights activists in Uganda (Daniella Zalcman); the enduring love of a young Lakota couple in South Dakota (Sarah Stacke); a trans actress and spokesperson in Cuba (Lisette Poole), and the aftermath of a covert engagement party between two Syrian men in Turkey (Bradely Secker).

The images are displayed online and will also be exhibited at the Magnum Foundation on April 24 from 6-8 pm. Together, the photographs bring together 14 artists committed to making LGBTQI lives visible. The images also challenge rigid narratives about identity.

In addition to $100 archival quality 8×10 prints, the sale includes a recovery registry with items under $75. All proceeds from the sales will help Annie cover daily living expenses while they’re on the mend and unable to shoot. Any extra revenue will go directly back into their self-funded project, “Transcending Self.”

Annie Tritt Print Sale and Exhibition 
Organized by Danielle Villasana and Sarah Stacke
With support from Magnum Foundation
Exhibition at Magnum Foundation, April 24 from 6-8 pm, RSVP here

Related Articles
Humans on the Move by Magnum and Aperture
A Queer Couple Deconstructs Love
Working as an Outsider: Danielle Villasana on Capturing Portraits of Transgender Women (for PDN subscribers; login required)


Posted in:

Documentary/Photojournalism

Tags:

, , , , , , ,

Comments:

Comments off

Share

Comments are closed.

Top of Page