Lindsay Perryman celebrates Trans Day Of Visibility with powerful portraits of their favorite creatives
Photography Lindsay Perryman
On Trans Day of Visibility, Brooklyn based photographer Lindsay Perryman captures the communities they hold close, curating a cast of artists and cultural voices whose work continues to shape and sustain trans life. Shot on the streets of Brooklyn, the resulting portraits are tender, joyful and an intimate reflection on the power of being seen.
Lindsay Perryman’s photography and filmmaking is profoundly important. Their work is not only beautiful, it’s political too, exploring the emotional depth of top surgery on Black and POC trans bodies in a deeply tender, playful, joyful way. Bodies that are not normally portrayed so thoughtfully within the structures of art, let alone wider society. Having featured Lindsay’s work on EE72 recently, we asked the 28 year-old Virgoan to curate a portfolio of the folx they wanted to highlight on Trans Day Of Visibility.
“It was a beautiful day. I got to photograph people that I’ve never met before,” Lindsay says of making portraits of Ms. Carrie Stacks, ms. z tye, Tani Shimizu, Six Lambda L, Ziah, Devin-Norelle and Kylo Freeman on the streets of Brooklyn last week. You can feel the trust that Lindsay’s subjects have in them. “I decided to capture people who I think are doing amazing things in the community; people throwing events, making art projects and books and relating information to each other. I feel this group of people has done an amazing job. When I think about Kylo and their work and how it’s impacted the community and how people are comfortable wearing their brand, For Them, I think that’s a really important aspect of visibility.” For Lindsay, the 31st of March is vital in opposing the erasure of trans rights. “TDOV is an important aspect of being able to see yourself spotlighted every year, as many Black trans people are left without visibility. Platforms like this remind us how important it is for our voices to be heard.”
Trans Day of Visibility is an important aspect of being able to see yourself spotlighted every year, as many Black trans people are left without visibility. Platforms like this remind us how important it is for our voices to be heard.
LINDSAY PERRYMAN
MS.Z TYE
ms. z tye, who sensationally states her age as “young”, was born under the harmonious, stylish air sign of Libra. She’s originally from Lakeland in Florida but now calls Brooklyn, New York home. The interdisciplinary performance artist’s evocative, visceral work interrogates time, ancestry, somatic relations and so much more. A Jerome Hill fellow who has shown at the Bronx Museum of Arts, OCDChinatown and the Museum of Modern Art, ms. tye tells us she was drawn to the idea of artistic expression because, “I guess it’s all I’ve ever known. Growing up, I was constantly putting on shows for my grandmother and whoever would pay attention. So basically, I never stopped.”
Who are some of the artists that have helped inform your work?
Ms. Boogie and Ms. Carrie Stacks.
I have yet to experience your practice in person, though from what I understand, Counter seemed to be a fascinating examination of time via installation and film and then you yourself were the art in The Unsinkable which looks at matriarchy and trans lineage. I also found the way you display your body against the news footage in Queer Offering II: Holding Space for Weeping Flesh profoundly moving. Can you tell us a little about your practice?
A lot of my work is in pursuit of ritual reclamation. Memory seems to be the most profound tool to lean on in my studio practice, particularly the memories of adolescence when things felt innocent. Currently, I am reclaiming the act of repenting in the Pentecostal denomination and examining the circumstances that lead one to confess. The work is entitled Confessions of Peaches, the Vixen. It is a performance cipher inspired by the memoir Confessions of a Video Vixen by New York Times best-selling author Karrine Steffans.
How do you hope people interact with your art?
Audience participation has been the most rewarding asset in my practice. ‘How can the participants help me fulfill this work’? ‘How can I return the gaze’ is a question I lean on in the navigation of my work.
How do you celebrate Trans Day Of Visibility?
By drawing breath despite everything that tells me not to. I am not going anywhere.
Were you aware of Lindsay’s work before being photographed by them?
I have been an admirer of Perryman’s work for a while. Fostering this type of talent is so important and necessary. Perryman’s portfolio is like a page out of a diary, deeply personal and honest. This artist is one to be cherished and I am thankful to be imaged by an artist of this caliber.
What makes you happy?
Unconditional love.
If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be?
There would be no such thing as hate.
TANI SHIMIZU
26-year-old Tani Shimizu was born in Los Angeles but now lives in Brooklyn. Tani is an urban planner by trade but describes his current occupation, which includes running the queer perreo night TRAKATA in Brooklyn as “falling under the umbrella of creative production.” Tani, like his beloved grandmother, is an Aquarius—one of astrology’s most innovative and inventive signs.
Tell us about TRAKATA. It looks incredibly fun.
TRAKATA is a queer perreo party that initially began as a fundraiser in collaboration with Body Hack for some amazing friends that were relocating back to NYC from Peru. I had been craving a space in queer nightlife that specifically catered to the Latin American diaspora and played music that felt nostalgic and honour the culture of our sounds while creating an environment that allows guests to express the fullness of their identities. It’s an extension of the themes that underpin all of my work: Transness and Latinidad.
Can you tell us about the Hijxs de Viracocha series that you created and feature in?
It’s a project that I developed with the initial intention of documenting myself prior to my top surgery and the start of my medical transition. My transness is completely inextricable from my identity as a Peruvian. I have found so much peace in my identity as a trans man through learning about gender liminality and trans identity in pre-colonial Peruvian society. Lots of happy tears and beautiful moments have come from this project and I am very excited about the upcoming part 3.
What does the word visibility look like to you?
It’s about expanding limited perceptions of what transness is and what it looks like. I’m concerned with centering trans joy and trans success (and the multitude of ways in which that exists) and doing away with monolithic perceptions that limit the idea of what transgender people are and can accomplish.
How do you celebrate Trans Day Of Visibility?
In the same way I celebrate myself every single day. I have endured so much to reach a point in my life where I truly love myself. It is a joy to exist in my trans body despite the hardships and I make sure everybody around me knows it.
What do you love the very most about being trans?
I think being trans has greatly expanded my perception of the world. Transness has challenged me to deconstruct all the assumptions and preconceptions I had about the world and create space for all of the nuance.
How is the experience of being photographed by Lindsay Perryman?
There’s nothing quite like knowing that the person on the other side of the camera intimately understands your experience. Lindsay has a softness about them that made the whole process feel less like a shoot and more like a chat with a good friend. It takes a special kind of person to create a comforting and safe environment to capture someone completely stripped down, as they are. Lindsay is that person.
If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be?
I wish more people understood that they are part of a big huge interconnected system that includes the natural world. More green space, more urban farming, more equity in access to the outdoors!
SIX LAMBDA L
Originally from Massachusetts, and now a fully fledged Brooklynite,Six Lambda L describes his job as “multi-medium artist, designer, and educator”, though this doesn’t quite do justice to Six’s cerebral work that considers existential questions through (amongst other mediums) writing (for example this manifesto on quantum design) and design (Dear chair: where do I end and you begin?). It’s no surprise to learn the Parsons Grad was born under the sign that loves a little philosophical thinking, the Centaur itself; Sagittarius.
When did you first fall in love with art and design?
I think I’ve always been in love with art, but it wasn’t until grad school for design and technology at Parsons that I saw myself as an artist as well as designer and began to understand their relationship to one another through my work.
What can you tell us about your work as a designer?
Professionally, I primarily design for and with not-for-profit organisations. I use design techniques to create art that aims to ask questions rather than provide answers. I often work through sound, sculpture, and digital design to explore hard to grasp themes such as reality, consciousness, and self.
You performed as part of Johann Diedrick’s [the hurricanes in your mouth] in 2024—do you have plans to do more?
I was lucky enough to share the stage with great artists for my performance debut thanks to Johann Diedrick. I am currently working on my EP, RELEASER, which I plan to perform through a collective vocal meditation as part of a larger multi-medium project, The Apparition, which explores how we as artists are merely vessels (apparatuses) for something greater (the apparition) to emerge through.
Tell us about the inception of your t-shirt line, ‘We Are The Stories That We Tell Ourselves’.
It was a fundraiser for the Fellowship for Utopian Practice with Culture Push for my project Playdate. This initiative called us to return to play like we used to, and in the process learn more about ourselves and our communities through self-mythology.
What does the word visibility look like to you?
The poem I wrote for Lindsay Perryman’s MFA thesis, La la Résistance ends with the line “being, declaring I am… therefore, I am”. To me, this is what visibility is about.
How do you celebrate Trans Day Of Visibility?
By uplifting trans people around me and organisations that do the same: BTFA, the Okra Project, Lambda Legal, andBlack Trans Liberation, to name a few.
What do you love the very most about being trans?
The coolest thing about being trans to me is witnessing transformation. We are all capable of becoming who we want to be, and being trans is the ultimate testament to that.
This isn’t the first time you’ve been photographed by Lindsay, is it?
I have had the pleasure of being photographed by Lin a number of times. The first time was for their project TOPS, and most recently for their thesis project La La resistance. Through those experiences, I have witnessed Lin’s ability to capture the raw subtleties that come with the trans experience. Personally, they’ve been a huge part of documenting my experience.
ZIAH
While hailing from Maryland, Baltimore, Ziah lived in eleven different states before arriving in his current home of New York. He has a varied work life too; while he manages a fundraising company, you might have seen Ziah onstage as an actor, watched him on the catwalk as a model for Telfar, and soon you’ll be hearing his music too. “I’d describe it as just continuously giving back,” says the 26 year-old of his job. “It’s using everything, every skill, every piece of art you can make to make a difference. It’s tiring but immensely fulfilling.” Virgo, much?
You’re from Maryland—what do you miss about it?
I honestly mostly miss the suburbs at times (laughs). I love the hustle and bustle of the city but I miss the trees, yards, the slowness of it all. I think as I’m getting older I’m starting to gravitate more toward that kind of vibe. Honorable mention: the seafood and music.
What was your first job as a model?
It was 2020 or 2021; I walked in a fashion show in Atlanta. My friend had been an independent full time model for years at that point and she was walking in a show that needed one more person to fill a slot. They were holding a casting for it so she told me to come. I drove from Tampa to Orlando to pick her up and then to Atlanta to find out if they would take me. Luckily they did—it was a crazy time.
You’ve walked for Telfar—was that your first catwalk?
It wasn’t my first but I love working with Telfar. My first time I worked with them changed the standard and my expectations of what other sets should feel like. They make you feel like family. On the other hand, actually doing that show was super dope. So artistic and I love a spotlight from time to time.
What can you tell us about the music you’re making?
I make a lot of experimental music specifically within R&B with some genre bending. I’m a perfectionist though which is why I haven’t released anything, even though everyone who has heard it is telling me to. It’s fun, it’s sexy, and mostly gives you happy vibes.
What are your ambitions as a model and actor?
My initial ambitions were in modelling alone and I just wanted to walk for a LV show. Now, I’ve more recently gravitated toward acting. I just enjoy the experience, I enjoy being on set and being able to see everything behind the scenes. I love being able to put myself into the story, tell a story in my way, my interpretation.
What does the word visibility look like to you?
Just being seen, being acknowledged, receiving equity.
How do you celebrate Trans Day Of Visibility?
I usually just get together with friends, make sure to post about things that people may not know about to raise awareness. I specifically work to shine the light on Black trans women. I think we all as trans people deserve more but Black trans women receive the worst from the world. To me, TDOV is for them.
What do you love the very most about being trans?
I love how I feel living in my truth, being in community with so many people who are just like me. I think being trans has also made me more empathetic, more caring, more understanding. I’ve become a better person.
Were you aware of Lindsay before today’s shoot?
I love Lindsay’s work. I actually followed them a long time ago just to be able to keep up with what they’re doing. It feels nostalgic to me. Very intimate.
What makes you happy?
Love!!! All love. Loving friends, family, strangers, partners. Love makes the world go round. Love makes life worth living.
If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be?
I think the world in general is pretty apathetic. Or too indifferent to things that don’t immediately affect them. I’m guilty of that too sometimes. I think if anything the world could just be more aware and actively try to do good for one another rather than solely focusing on self.
DEVIN-NORELLE
Harlem born and based Devin-Norelle who has written for Them,Teen Vogue and GQ and hosts Brave Spaces on PBS is a self-described “Jasper of all trades. I definitely have my hands in way too many pots,” ze says. “But if I had to land on anything, I’d say I’m an advocate of the Black and trans communities, a queer historian, an opinion writer and a media commentator.” While March is TDOV, April is Devin-Norelle’s birthday when, ze assures us with two fire emojis, this Aries will be celebrating all month.
One of the questions you ask on Brave Spaces is ‘How do you see yourself?’ So, to turn the question back onto you, how do you see yourself?
I see myself as an educator, a pulpit for others to learn with me, because I am also a lifetime student, searching for change, but also understanding.
Of all the pieces you’ve written for, do you have a particular favourite?
I think the following will age gracefully in our lifetime, because what I wrote then still resonates today: 1. The Black Lives Matter Movement Must Include Black Trans People. 2. Why Black Trans People Can’t Trust Doctors to Save Save Our Lives. 3. Stop Trying to justify Tony McDade’s Killing
Can you tell us about your nom de plume—Steroid Beyonce!
Ha! I was once in a MTV video where trans masculine people discussed how and if male privilege was a thing trans masculine people benefitted from. In her “critique” of the video, the conservative sound grifter, Blair White—who also happens to be a trans woman—thought she could insult me by calling me “Steroid Beyonce.” How could I be insulted? Comparing me to Beyonce?!? In a non-binary form, might I add – I’ll take it!
What have you learnt from doing Brave Spaces?
LGBTQIA+ people have never been safe. We experienced a semblance of safety during a significant period because people either tolerated us or were reprimanded for their disdain of us. The hate has always been there, but we have and always will find ways to help each other survive. Before computers or phones, queer people found each other in Yellow Pages or newspapers by using secret code words like ‘Historical League’, or ‘Friends of Dorothy’. We engaged in mutual aid, by taking care of each other, as did the many lesbians who cared for their dying brothers during the AIDS epidemic of the ‘80s and ‘90s. And even when raising a family, we do so as a village. We will always find each other, and through our solidarity we will continue to survive, no matter what way the wind of public opinion blows.
Do you have a particular ambition, goal or dream in mind?
To free us all from the harms of gendered status quo. To dismantle the patriarchy. To bury white supremacy six feet deep.
What does the word visibility look like to you?
As we have come to learn, visibility is a two-edged sword. But despite the rampant uptick in political and physical attacks targeting trans people, visibility looks like continuing to speak out. I agonise over the rising suicide rates among trans kids and teens as they experience more and more targeting. Many have said that what keeps them here is powerful, positive, and visual storytelling of adults who have survived and adults who are publicly speaking out in the face of brash and scientifically dishonest propaganda.
How do you celebrate Trans Day Of Visibility?
In community, with friends and chosen family, remembering those we lost, and striving for a future gained.
What do you love the very most about being trans?
I think a large part of me is relieved that I can finally just… exist, instead of spending so much time hiding in fear that I’d be rejected by family or friends. I also take pride in the fact that who I am inherently agitates the status quo. Lastly, the way I must move about in the world compels me to interrogate gender, especially in how it relates to my Blackness: this quest has shaped a mind that is forever inquisitive. What a blessing it is to always be curious.
Were you aware of Lindsay’s work before today’s shoot?
Yes, we worked together on one of their projects for Faces of Harlem, an annual outdoor exhibit in my neighborhood. I really enjoy the intimacy of the subjects in their work, and love that they are one of the few Black and trans masc photographers that centers other Black trans masculine people.
If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be?
I’d deconstruct gender in the minds of all people. What a pleasant place the world would be to live as yourself freely.
MS. CARRIE STACKS
She may be a Croydon girl at heart, but Ms. Carrie Stacks is a Sagittarian too—that adventurous fire sign sure does love to roam–and currently calls Brooklyn home. Of her occupation, Carrie says she does “a bit of everything”, which is true but doesn’t quite reveal the length and breadth of the former Central St. Martins student’s extraordinary talents; a musician, a DJ, an artist, a muse and, more latterly, a photographer too, she imbues her full self into everything she touches, whether that’s as co-founder of iconic queer POC night PDA (alongside filmmaker Akínolá Davies Jr, casting director Mischa Notcutt and DJ Siobhan Bell), DJing at Work It (then) or Temple (now), collaborating with Kelela or modelling for Telfar. Whatever she does, she does it with style ‘n’ grace. “Bless you,” she laughs. “I can’t say it’s always felt so graceful. I do think it all comes from the same place, but to be honest I’m not really thinking in categories when I work.”
You live in New York now. Tell us everything. How, when, why…
It felt like time. London will always be home but think I just wanted an energy switch.
What do you most miss about London?
At times I do just miss the London of it all. I know London. I know the rhythm. I know that beat too well. I miss my people too. There’s a lot to miss.
I thought the last music you released was the beautiful, haunting Kelela Far Away remix from the Rave:N project – but I just saw you worked with TYGAPAW on their forthcoming album. Do you have plans to record more solo music because, really, we need more music from you, please.
Aw, that’s really sweet. It was so out of the blue getting on those tracks. It’s hard to say no to Kelela. They’re all like family in that way so it just made sense, you know. Tygapaw is such a G, so I’m honoured. I love making music and I love making music with friends, it’s always been important to me. Life has definitely been life-ing lately. But I think that’s part of it too. Ebbs and flows. I’m taking in a lot and I know it’ll come back out somehow.
Is there one song you’ve made that you’d particularly like people to listen to?
I like the idea of people listening to A Friend. As experimental as it may lean, there’s still a directness to it that I hope people can find themselves in.
When you reflect back on PDA, which was just made the subject of Liz Johnson Artur’s amazing new book, what do you think is the legacy you, Akin, Mischa and Siobhan created?I I think it lives on in different ways. Looking through the book I just think wow, yeah. A time was definitely had.
You’ve worked with so many people—Kelela, Shayne Oliver, Telfar, Ib Kamara, TYGAPAW, the PDA crew, Jawara. Which creative collaboration would you say has impacted you most profoundly?
I wouldn’t be able to choose one. They’ve all happened at different points in the journey. It feels good to be seen and trusted in that way. It is always an honour.
What do you have planned, what does the next year or so hold for you?
I’m excited about this year and looking forward to what’s next. Goddess willing.
What does the word visibility look like to you?
It’s nice to see and hear yourself and it’s nice to see and hear other people too. Visibility is like evidence. That someone like you existed.
How do you celebrate Trans Day Of Visibility?
I’ll be in good spirits.
What do you love the very most about being trans?
There’s a beautiful freedom that comes with being trans. You have to choose yourself in a real way. Community too. Being here in New York, I’m surrounded by an incredible community. I love the history as much as the future.
What makes you happy
I’m happy if the people I love are happy.
If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be?
No fear.
@Ms.CarrieStacks
KYLO FREEMAN
New York based Kylo Freeman is a force of nature, which could be connected to both his Scouse heritage and his placing on the astrological chart (Leo, which some (a fellow Leo, perhaps) might argue is the best of all the signs). The actor can currently be seen in Netflix’s The Night Agent but the 36 year-old is also a founder, entrepreneur and producer. “I run [media company] Autostraddle and [Queer apparel company] For Them and I co-founded Boycott Entertainment. Creating content feels like the thing that ties everything together for me.”
What’s the biggest difference between Liverpool and New York?
Probably the pace. Liverpool has this warmth and ease to it—people will chat to you pretty much everywhere. New York moves fast and demands a lot. But, honestly Scousers really thrive in New York—there’s a bunch of overlap, in sense of identity, confidence, creativity. The mindset is similar.
What does a typical day in your life look like?
If I’m not on set, most of my weekdays are spent building For Them. But my life is genuinely eclectic.
Tell us about For Them, where you say you ‘put queerness at the forefront of every decision made’.
For Them started because I needed chest binders that actually worked and felt good, and I couldn’t find them. The queer community deserves products made by people who understand their needs. Every decision we make—product, marketing, who we partner with—goes through that lens. We also recently launched our first print magazine, which feels like a huge moment. There’s something intentional about stepping away from the algorithm and creating something physical and independent, and focusing on queer writers. I think people are craving that right now; the loneliness and addiction that comes with social media is real, and IRL moments matter more than ever.
What does the future look like for you?
I want to do work that actually changes something. Maybe a film that changes how someone sees the world, or a brand that makes a person feel seen and less alone. Acting is where I feel most alive creatively, so I want to keep going deeper there. And I want to build things that outlast me.
How do you celebrate Trans Day Of Visibility?
I’m lucky because I have a whole team to celebrate it with. We try to use it as a moment to amplify voices we believe in. But it’s also genuinely a day where I feel very grateful for the people who came before me, who made it possible for me to live the way I do.
What do you love the very most about being trans?
I love being trans. Which is a very liberating thing to say out loud because I didn’t always feel this way. The radical commitment to your own truth, for one. But also the balance of masculine and feminine that I carry. I think that balance exists in everyone, but as a trans person you become more attuned to it, and I think it gives me a more grounded way to move through the world. The liberation of transness. Once you step outside traditional gender norms, it opens this rare opportunity to question every norm and ask yourself what you actually want. That’s a gift I’m not sure I’d have accessed as easily if I were cis.
Were you aware of Lindsay’s work before working with them today?
Absolutely. Tops contains some of the most powerful and touching images I’ve ever seen of the Black trans experience. They have this rare ability to capture the raw authenticity of our community in a way that is both gentle and strong at the same time. I feel really honoured.
If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be?
Access to opportunity. There is so much talent in the world—especially within our community—and it devastates me that whether someone gets a chance so often comes down to luck, proximity, or privilege rather than what they’re actually capable of.
@Kylofreeman and For Them
Photographer Ezekiel honours Trans Day Of Visibility with intimate portraits of UK creatives Photographer Ezekiel honours Trans Day Of Visibility with intimate portraits of UK creatives
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