"We Keep Us Safe" Exhibit Preview
PhotoVoice for Social Justice
A photography-based storytelling project by UW-W LGBTQ+ Undergraduate Student Researchers
- In collaboration with the PB Poorman Pride Center, Women's & Gender Studies, and the Social Work Department
“We Keep Us Safe” is a photograph and storytelling project that twelve LGBTQ+ undergraduate UW-Whitewater PhotoVoice co-researchers produced in spring 2022 to illuminate their experiences navigating and negotiating with our rural Wisconsin campus.
Scenes of daily life show a deep respect for the validating queer domestic spaces and networks that LGBTQ+ people often form out of necessity, and that which also offer sustenance, security, and joy. From a corner dormitory library filled with letters and queer books, to gifts on valentine’s day from a girlfriend or child, to ephemera left over from testosterone rituals, queer students create their own spaces of home, family, and safety with and among each other.
Overwhelmingly, these queer domestic lives are assembled to fill a need. In the exhibit’s central photograph, “blank white wall,” Kat reflects on their search for allyship, saying “it really feels that there is nothing here.” E builds on this saying “it’s an unspoken rule that you don’t discuss” being LGBTQ+ in our rural environment. In response, queer students form their own mutually supportive structures.
LGBTQ+ students want their diverse expressions of self to be seen and understood, rather than avoided or erased. But, visibility is delicate daily work. Being understood as belonging to a community offers feelings of empowerment and solidarity. But, visibility also brings with it concerns for one’s physical and psychological safety, and too often requires justifying one’s own identity.
Students hope these photographs offer insight into their experiences and inspire campus and community members to join them by committing to the deep personal and institutional work that is required for long-lasting positive change.
What Makes a Home
Photographer: Lyric (They/Them)
I never had a stable home life in high school. But, because of my English teacher, my school’s library felt safe. Now, my college dorm is the first home where no one is going to kick me out! Having a reading nook makes it a place I can call home.
Security
Photographer: Miles (He/They)
The process for getting on testosterone and getting the dose and administration method correct took almost 2.5 years. Behind the supplies is the lockbox I keep them in. When I lived in the dorms, I had to lock up my testosterone for fear of being harassed. Not only is gaining access to gender affirming medical care incredibly difficult, but maintaining that access, and feeling safe in your possession of the medication isn’t assured.
Rainbow Butterfly
Photographer: Tara Lee (She/Hers)
Vera is a vital part of my everyday life. We give each other a sense of security and a feeling of being loved by being together. She wants nothing more than to be an ally and push for change. Even though I am married to a cisgender male and have a daughter, I am still a pansexual woman who is part of this community.
Oasis
Photographer: Phoenix (They/Them)
I’m not really ever going to be comfortable in gendered spaces; they don’t make me feel safe. Bathrooms are a blessing and a curse – they are few and far between, and require access. Until then, you’re stuck relying on basement bathrooms to get by.
God’s Truth in a Parking Lot
Photographer: Jessica (They/Them)
It’s important to listen to queer voices and protect queer people all the time, not just during pride month. Repainting a parking spot at a church allows a person to know they always have somewhere to go. This is especially true, because religion can be a big motivator for many people’s hate.
Purpose
Photographer: Kelsey (She/Hers)
I am incredibly grateful to have communities where I can be my full authentic self. Not every person in the LGBTQ+ community has that. But this is who I am. Some people will respect that, others may not, but I am still proud!