I’ve had the privilege of photographing over 500 trans folks in all 49 continental US states, as well as Hawai’i, Puerto Rico, and Washington D.C. Ides of Gender is a photo series celebrating everyone under the trans umbrella – binary and non-binary. As a queer immigrant, I set out to document the rich, diverse tapestry of this community that is so often overlooked.

There is an obsession with trans bodies that society often feels entitled to – dissected and objectified to the point of physical harm. Being cisgender, there was a responsibility to photograph each person honestly and with utmost integrity. From the very beginning, the series has been an exercise in trust. Trusting that a complete stranger will show up and share their authentic self. Extracting their truth and facing my camera intimately, each portrait was a collaboration. I never had to take anyone’s photograph. It was simply given to me.

Visibility matters. Representation matters.