Celebrity Cruises Creates Photo Bank of Diversity For Travel Brands

Celebrity Cruises has launched a groundbreaking campaign to change the face of the industry and increase representation of LGBTQ+, BIPOC, the disabled, and plus-size individuals. 

Celebrity has collaborated with world renowned photographer and LGBTQ+ advocate Annie Leibovitz, Black and queer New York-based photographer Naima Green, and other diverse photographers to launch the world’s first diversity-focused open-source image library for the travel industry. The All-Inclusive Photo Project aims to enable all brands to improve inclusive representation, free of charge. Many of the images include LGBTQ+ models. Here are a few of our favorites

(While most of the following models are LGBTQ+ not all are.)

Abby Chava Stein is an activist, blogger, model, and rabbi, and the first out transgender woman raised in an Hasidic community. Stein was photographed on the Resort Deck of Celebrity Apex by Annie Leibovitz.

Travel influencers and LGBTQ+ activists, Aisha and Lexie, have a drink together at Café Al Bacio onboard Celebrity Apex photographed by Afghanistan survivor and tripe amputee, Giles Duley. Lexie & Aisha are also known as The Queer Nomads. Lexie is the founder of Queer Weddings UK, the first company in the UK that plans and coordinates weddings for LGBTQ+ couples, and head of operations at UK Black Pride. Aisha is the founder of Moonlight Experiences and head of community engagement at UK Black Pride.

Giles Duley is a documentary photographer and writer, born in 1971 in London. His work focuses on the long-term humanitarian impact of conflict in 2011, while working in Afghanistan, Duley was severely injured by an IED. As a result of his injuries he is a triple-amputee. “These photos are simply a reflection of our society, but that diversity is often missing in images and advertising. We are representing all genders, ethnicities, relationships and abilities; and saying this is a true reflection of our world, in all its wonder and joy"

Duley continued, "As a photographer I’ve always understood that greater diversity behind the lens, creates a wider vision for us all. The marginalized are often the story, but rarely the storyteller. These photographs aim to change that and celebrate diversity as the wonder and strength of humanity."

GeoVanna Gonzalez is an award-winning artist Najja Moon is a Miami based artist and cultural practitioner. The two were photographed by Naima Green.

Jessie Stoelwinder and Em Williams are a married same-sex couple and have a five-year-old daughter. The family was photographed by Australian-based photographer, filmmaker, and and former Australian Survivor contestant Jarrad Seng.

Seng was born and raised in Western Australia by a Malaysian father and Chinese mother who migrated from Christmas Island.

“Minority groups are often underrepresented in travel marketing,” said Seng. “It’s something that I’ve become increasingly cognizant of over my years as a photographer, and an important issue that we all need to work on addressing to ensure that people from all kinds of backgrounds can feel included in the advertising they see.”

Carlos Martinez is an actor and health counselor for an LGBTQ+ organization. He was photographed with his partner Joel Vazquez enjoying a shore excursion from a Celebrity cruise by photographer Naima Green

Haitian-born Paola Mathé turned her personal style into a business in 2014 with the creation of Fanm Djanm (which means “strong woman” in Haitian Creole). The married mom was photographed by Annie Leibovitz on a Celebrity Cruise ship.

Micah Ramos is a Filipino, nonbinary model who wants people to not be afraid to live life and show their true colors. Ramos was photographed by Naima Green.

Green said, “As a queer, Black woman it is fair to say that I rarely - or only recently - see my reflection in advertising or marketing imagery. That so many brands exclude the Black, minority ethnic, LGBTQIA+, plus-size and disabled people is glaring, given just how many people in this country fit into one or more of those identities.”

Saxsen Norton, Hero Otway, and GeoVanna Gonzalez photographed by Naima Green

Waris Singh Ahluwalia is a Sikh American designer (House of Waris), actor and activist based in New York City. Ahluwaia was photographed by Annie Leibovitz meditating in his stateroom.