Created through a collaborative process between photographer and subject, each portrait and caption in this collection tells the unique story of its subject’s journey. Together we hope to confront viewers with the expressive power and diversity of human gender identity and ask them to reexamine their assumptions.

A side note: This project was initially inspired by my nephew, Charley (a nickname), who is trans and who made me realize how little visual representation there was of the trans community on Cape Cod, where I live. One of the people I photographed and interviewed early on in the project told me that statistically, there are more people who think they’ve seen a ghost than people who think they’ve seen a trans person. I was so struck by this comment and hope the project leads to greater understanding and appreciation of this vital community and their individual stories and contributions.