OUT LOUD AND PROUD SERIES

It’s PRIDE weekend in my hometown of Vancouver and I wanted to find a way to celebrate the people in my LGBTQ community and share them with you. In order to reach beyond our beautiful city limits, I thought I would create a digital portrait series featuring queer people of colour; a historically under-represented segment of the community, particularly in mainstream media. Each portrait highlights an individual whose sexual identity falls under the LGBTQ umbrella and whose ethnicity or cultural background is not exclusively white.

I waffled on whether or not to include myself in this series, but ultimately chose to take part. I struggled with it because my appearance has provided me privilege and has coloured my experience. While I appear white, and am often presumed straight, I am a half Latina, lesbian identifying woman. I was born in the Dominican Republic to a Latin mother and white European father and I immigrated to Canada as a very young child. The fact that my ethnicity and queerness isn’t stereotypically obvious isn’t lost on me. I realize that I navigate the world with far more ease than so many others. But that doesn’t diminish the pride I feel about my identity. On the contrary, it makes me own it even more.

With privilege comes responsibility. I want my art to connect people; to open their hearts and minds.

So I introduce you to a small handful of outstanding humans who are out, loud and proud, doing their part to change the world for the better. I thank you all for your openness and willingness to share; the process has been educational and filled my heart with such joy and pride!

For the full interview with each subject, please visit: http://www.mavreendavid.com/blog/2018/11/29/15ohm34bg55aa1s4uwoc87i3wl3gfa