Queering the Southern States
“I hope that young people dealing with their sexuality in any region that is heavily rural and conservative will see the confidence and self-love that my subjects have.” - Shannon Palmer
Shannon Palmer
SEPTEMBER 1 – OCTOBER 2, 2021
This ongoing photo project examines the lives of those who identify as queer in the Southern United States. By photographing members of this community in the private spaces of their homes—bedrooms, kitchens, bathrooms—I explore the effects of place on those who are marginalized. In our current politics, where many Southern states are passing laws that would allow businesses to turn us away, doctors to refuse to treat us, we must gather our strength to face our conservative neighbors in the day-to-day world. This project attempts to capture the humanity of those who many elected officials and fundamentalist religious adherents often dehumanize with their rhetoric.
This project captures both the vulnerability and intimacy of being queer in the Deep South and reminds the beautiful people who sit in front of my camera that they deserve dignity and respect.
