TranSItion

This series aims to show the lives of four transgender people with the intention of making their realities visible, respected, and accepted by society through empathy. In the title, TranSItion, the syllable SI ( which means “yes” in Spanish) is capitalized and bolded to emphasize and reinforce the constructive and assertive approach to their stories. Each person is presented with two images, a portrait of themselves, and a photograph of an object that represents their transition. The four participants had opened up their houses and rooms; the objective of showing their privacy was to expose their worlds.

Fear is what leads human beings to discriminate and hate, so when people know the realities that they ignore, they can stop being afraid. The objects that were chosen by Aarón, Mer, Wyatt and Yuli are symbols of their transitions; in this way, the relation they established with these objects can be explored. These things were positioned on top of different hashtags that were selected previously by those four to define themselves. The use of these labels is to show that they are more than their transitions-- no one can be described just by one word. The hashtags were printed using their favorite colors, further portraying their identities through art. The portraits become the traditional representation while the photographs of the objects give a more modern and technological way to understand who they are.

Aarón, Mer, Wyatt and Yuli were interviewed during the process of this series, and I must say thanks for giving me their trust and for opening their hearts to me. Ignorance produces hate, knowing is the best way to tackle ignorance, and empathy is the only path to love. This project is part of my last focus and interest in photography: identity, everything that defines us.

Aarón

Age: 18

Zodiac Sign: Leo

Favorite Color: Green

About Aarón: Aarón has been giving lectures and workshops about LGTBIQ people to inform and also to help, especially focusing on his personal experience. Since he was three years old, he’s always liked his hair short. When he was eight, he was obliged to wear a dress, but he went back home to change. He would never put on a dress anymore. He liked playing football, but according to society that was not compatible with being a girl. He felt society was treating him in a way he didn’t feel like. He never felt he was a girl. He identifies as a gay guy. He didn’t suffer bullying at school, probably because of his strong confidence. He lived in the same neighbourhood and had the same friends and contacts. Aarón’s had operations that can scar anyone’s life, but he wears them as if they were war scars; as if to say “you suffer, but at the same time you get stronger, and that makes who you are”. He also likes to visit schools to talk to students about transgender people. Aarón prefers working with children and elderly people, giving the same information just adapting to the audience. He understands there are many ways to be visible and to help others. He considers himself a reasonable and pacific person. His grandmother lived and experienced the dictatorship during Franco’s period, but he could change her mind to make her accept him. Aarón’s dream would be not having to explain it. He wishes that there was no need to associate a fight with their rights. These days, he studies Speech Therapy at the University, in Tenerife.

TranSItion object: Aarón chose the Mister Photogenic 2019 band that he got in a male beauty pageant because he feels he has always been visible since he started his transition.

Hashtags: #humble #kind #brave #sincere #courteous #loyal #stubborn #determined #immediate #protector #reasonable #pacific.

Yuli

Age: 23

Zodiac Sign: Capricorn

Favorite Color: Pink

About Yuli: She was raised as a girl, even though she would be called by her male name. She’s been out as a girl since she was 11 and she started her treatment at the age of 16. She feels she hasn’t suffered much because she started quite early. However, she has been bullied, and she has also been maltreated, she thinks these issues are still ignored by society. She has experienced difficult situations and sad stories in her life that she doesn’t like sharing in her social media, but she would tell them if they can help others. She overcame a bad relationship with a man that was using her vulnerability during the transition in his advantage. Now, she is stronger, braver and happier than before. She considers herself a straight girl, and even though she never thought she could have a love relation with another transgender person, she finally met someone and she is quite happy with him. She feels they can understand each other. She is an activist though she is a bit tired of the associations because they require lots of effort and it’s also energy and time-consuming. She feels there is still discrimination and hypocrisy towards transgender people. However, her people accept and love her. She would like to write a book about her life, to leave a message behind so others can relate to her story. She defends her freedom in the social networks, she likes to show her body but she sometimes has been attacked by her own friends. She is against this censorship. She would like that people were more coherent with their ideas and values.

TranSItion object: Yuli chose a female shaving razor because it represents the harshness of the social stigma. Women are not supposed to have body hair, so she feels women have made a mistake following the beauty rules that society imposes them. She’s got sensitive skin so this makes it worse for her. She just feels that beauty is something more than having hair or not. Shaving hurts her and she finds all this offensive. She anyway considers herself pretty, in fact she is a quite confident girl.

Hashtags: #strong #force #brave #delicate #courage#empathic #happy #smiley #honest #sincere #intuitive #vain #teaser #transparent #anxious #impulsive #innocent.

Wyatt

Age: 41

Zodiac Sign: Gemini

Favorite Color: Blue

About Wyatt: Wyatt started his transition two years ago. He is a bit shy and he prefers others to do the talking, but in fact, he is much loved by his people because he is quite generous and kind. He is the person who during a friends or a family meeting would be looking around to see if someone needs something, so he can help. He is a helpful man. He feels that being so generous and caring can sometimes cause him troubles, because he finds it hard to say no. He just likes pleasing his people and likes to see them happy and fine. Football is his escape, when he plays football he just feels like a child again, the number 7 was his number and he remembers how free and happy he was wearing that top. wearing that top. These days, he still plays and feels free. I interviewed and shot Wyatt in a difficult moment for him, he had just said goodbye to an important relative in his life. When I returned the football to him, he looked different and he was smiling. He is a strong man.

TranSItion object: Wyatt chose a football, because it represents his freedom. Wyatt always felt he belonged there. He could be who he really was playing this sport with his friends. The football pitch was a safe place to be himself, and just be one more guy in the male group.

Hashtags: #transparent #courteous #sincere #committed #generous #kind #friendofhisfriends #familyoriented #homely.

Mer

Age: 20

Zodiac Sign: Leo

Favorite Color: Yellow-Orange

About Mer: Since 2017, she started to behave socially as a girl. Last summer, she started with her hormone treatment. She uses her social networks as a way to release her feelings. She is emotionally sensitive and now she thinks she is even more sensitive. These changes as a life metaphor also coincided in time with her moving from Germany to Tenerife. Her granny understood her and that is something that surprised Mer, sadly she passed away last year. Mer has also suffered bullying at school, but she tries to see as part of her past, though she is conscious she still can feel the consequences. She is into art, what is more, she is an illustrator. She also loves doing sketches and digital works. She also has a special connection with music. She kindly gave me some prints of her wonderful art pieces at the end of the shooting and the interview. She likes fighting for people’s rights. Mer feels she has got a fighter spirit.

TranSItion object: Mer chose a beautiful clown because she started her treatment during a summer she visited her house in Germany, and this clown has always been there. She lives in Tenerife but she often travels to Germany. This object reminds her of her childhood. She likes the clown more than before because she feels like a girl.

Hashtags: #delicate #sensitive #intense #perseverant #fighter #advocate #supporter #activist.

Uplifted