Belonging Through Portraiture
A rapid-response photojournalism series centering LGBTQ faith leaders and challenging the presumed divide between queerness, spirituality, and belonging.
Overview
I served as photographer and visual storyteller for Queer Faith, a rapid-response storytelling project created after the United Methodist Church voted to reinforce its rejection of LGBTQ people.
Developed with 35 LGBTQ faith leaders and community members, the series paired original portraiture with first-person reflections on identity, faith, pain, joy, ministry, and belonging.
The work expanded across a digital feature, social media campaign, permanent exhibition, and fundraising platform.
Role
Worked directly with participants to create portraits and reflections that could hold personal vulnerability, theological complexity, and public advocacy.
The project centered participant voice and agency while challenging institutional narratives about the relationship between faith and LGBTQ identity.
Led
Photographed and collaborated with 35 LGBTQ faith leaders and community members
Developed a visual language grounded in dignity, intimacy, and participant agency
Paired original portraiture with first-person reflections on identity, faith, and belonging
Helped rapidly produce and publish the series in response to a major denominational decision
Extended the project across web, social media, exhibition, and fundraising channels