"At the end we’re all the same - souls who want to be happy and live compassionately." - Sarah Wong
Huffington Post journalist James Michael Nichols asked Dutch photographer Sarah Wong a very simple, but significant questionin his article -
"Why, as a photographer, is providing these stories and experiences visibility so important?"
And she answered perfectly.
"...It's very important for society to see these images - there's nothing sensational about transgender kids. Again, at the end we’re pretty much the same: we’re all souls who want to live happy and give meaning to our life and others..."
With the help of Hollywood (and stars like Laverne Cox, Andreja Pejic, Caitlyn Jenner, Isis King, Conchita Wurst) - the public has become MUCH more accepting of people who identify as transgender. Slowly, mainstream TV series are even stepping up to the plate. Hollywood and inclusion? Two words I bet no one would have put in the same sentence 10 years ago.
The point of this post is, basically, society is finally starting to recognise the importance of visibility for minority groups. Positive visibility in the media (usually) translates to eventual acceptance. So - why can't this be the case for people with a disability? We'll cover that in an upcoming post.
Sarah Wong's beautiful images can be seen in her book: Inside Out: Portraits of Cross-Gender Children. Along with words by Ellen Visser.
Available through Amazon.