The Only Choice I Made (2023)

The word ‘community’ conjures images of unity and collaboration, of a group of people whose lives are connected, whether socially, culturally, or geographically.  However, this idea is often incorrectly used to describe Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer people, to whom the label LGBTQ+ can be seen as a way of highlighting, and isolating, gender identity and sexuality differences within heterosexual society.  Through portraiture and personal testimonial, this work seeks to represent the people behind the label, revealing their lives and experiences of being LGBTQ+ in a world that seems increasing hostile towards them. It encourages the viewer to think about their own preconceptions and biases and to see that we should all be respected as members of a‘human community’