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Photo Series Features Gender Nonconforming Youth
'You Are You' is a summer camp-like experience for children to feel comfortable expressing themselves.
All photos via Lindsay Morris/INSTITUTE & Mic
In an interview with Mic, Lindsay Morris talked about her photo series, You Are You. The photos feature children in a nonjudgemental environment free of societal standards. The camp-like experience was created nine years ago by families of gender nonconforming youth to provide a place where their children could explore individuality.
Morris first attended the retreat with a loved one. Since all attendees are required to contribute something, Morris took on the role of documentarian. She explained her passion for this subject to Mic:
"It's one thing to read about or hear a story, but it's quite another to hold the unfaltering gaze of the subject in a portrait. Or to experience the poetic moments that happen in between the chaos, where in this case, we witness the children experiencing authenticity, some of them for the first time."
She was able to capture the children at their most comfortable moments. In fact, most children encouraged her to photograph them. The parents thought it was important to share these photos in order to raise awareness and defeat shame associated with gender nonconforming people.
The photos have been published internationally and are available here.
