LightBox is a blog where TIME magazine’s photo editors share new projects and works in progress. Recently, they published these brilliant black and white photographs by Samantha Box, whose project is called Invisible Youth. Samantha‘s a documentary photographer based in Brooklyn and her images of homeless transgender youth in NYC are as poignant and beautiful as they are gritty and unflinching. See the pictures and read more of the story inside.
“The young people that I photograph are some of the most resilient people that I have ever met: despite facing the societal animosity of homo- and transphobia, and the burden of a broken system that conspires to keep them homeless… They continuously work for a future where their talents and intellect can be used, where they have a home, a family and a life of stability.”
–Samantha Box
LightBox is celebrating June Pride by sharing Samantha‘s work on the blog and I was so impressed with the photos, I had to share them here on PITNB. Samantha met all of the young people in the photos through Sylvia’s Place, NYC‘s only emergency shelter for homeless LGBT youth.
There is a real intimacy in Samantha‘s work; none of the subjects in her photos appear to be in a photo shoot at all. Without even knowing their names (all subjects are identified by a single letter, like K. pictured above), I think we get a real sense of their lives and the world they inhabit, even as we must acknowledge that our own lives are worlds apart. Perhaps…
R. in the village of NYC.
An introduction to Invisible Youth from the LightBox blog:
On any given night in New York City, an estimated 4,000 LGBT youth roam the city without a home. As the country celebrates LGBT Pride month throughout June, Box aims to remind us that, in spite of tremendous progress, vulnerable LGBT youth still suffer in the shadows. According to a recent study by the Empire State Coalition of Youth and Family Services, an estimated 25-40% of homeless youth in New York City identify as gay, bisexual, and/or transgender. These young adults must navigate a social and cultural landscape punctuated by multiple layers of stigma in regards to race, gender, class and sexuality. Many suffer from a history of trauma. Most, if not all, have fled broken homes.
Read more about Samantha’s project here.
M. with his girlfriend.
K. (the second) in Times Square
J. is pictured here, cradling D.’s barbie dolls.
I. with her girlfriend, along with J. and K.
C., at her mother’s grave.
I am a 64 year-old Post trans who wants to say thanks for drawing some attention to our youth in need. I am a ex-brit Canadian and though I know it is a lot different today than when I was 14, The misery for LGBT and for Trans in particular is still in crisis mode most of the time for most of them. I am so grateful to the families that have spoken up and assisted their children but they are few and far apart in most cases.
Regards
Denise Holliday: denisesined@ns.sympatico.ca
Denise Holliday, thank you so much for your comment. We’re pleased to bring awareness to issues like this; so glad you appreciated the post.
These are beautiful. Thanks for posting.
dc, glad you enjoyed. More from Time lightbox soon!
beautiful indeed! Happy Pride!! <3
sarahliciousdelicious, thanks for commenting. Happy Pride indeed!