STREET QUEENS

The Story

In the early morning on June 28, 1969, police raided the Stonewall Inn, one of the few gay clubs in New York City's Greenwich Village. Tired of constant police harassment, the bar patrons decided to take a stand, which resulted in violent confrontations with law enforcement and demonstrations for the days following. Marsha P. Johnson, a Black trans woman, along with her friend Sylvia Rivera, another transgender woman of color, played key roles in leading the Stonewall riots that inspired the gay rights movement in the United States and around the globe.

I attended my first Pride parade when I moved to New York in 2007. I was captivated by the diversity of the attendees, THE FASHION, the spirit of resistance, the overwhelming joy and the unapologetic celebration of individuality. It was extremely inspirational to witness hundreds of people showing up authentically as themselves. Two years later, I picked up my camera and made my way to the parade in Manhattan, carrying with me the spirit of what I experienced that last Sunday in June, 2007.

I am inspired by acts of resistance and the way that shows up in society. Culture, norms, values, and lifestyles that go against dominant ideology move me in a deep way. I often think about the ways in which people gather and organize to effect change. And historically, how marginalized people, POC, specifically Black people in the United States have resisted discrimination and segregation through non-violent resistance, fashion, protests, and marches.

STREET QUEENS is my homage to those whose very existence is an act of resistance, who fight daily to be seen, who have inspired me in such a short time to live life fully. It is a visual celebration of the souls who I have had the honor of meeting and photographing at Gay Pride Parades across the US. This series includes portraits I’ve taken since 2009 in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Albany, Brooklyn, NY city, Boston and Philadelphia.

• Stephanie Mei-Ling