Photographed at Dynamo Gym, Hove.
About Cee
Claudia ‘Cee’ Asch was born and raised in Tuebingen, Germany by American parents. They have lived in the UK since 2010 and moved to the southeast just before lock down in March 2020. They live in Brighton with their two cats and also occasionally are a dog parent to a wonderful Sproodle. They work at Burning Sky Brewery in Firle and enjoy powerlifting, dancing, art, theatre, poetry, film and excellent food and coffee in their spare time.
What does Trans Joy mean to you?
Having only come out as gay in 2020, and non-binary in 2023, I feel like I am always a work in progress and I’m constantly growing more into the person I have always wanted to be and for a long time thought impossible to be. And as I have embraced authenticity, I can see the progression in my personal growth much more clearly.
What gives you joy?
To feel connection with others who, like myself, have embarked on this journey of self-discovery and self-creation. All human beings deserve to feel joy. And to me, sharing spaces with other LGBTQIA people, and especially trans and non-binary people has been so helpful in understanding much of the internalised pain and sadness that I grappled with for decades before finally saying yes to authenticity.
To move in this world as the current version of myself gives me joy. Even if I can see that my existence is unsettling to some people, or they cannot categorise me. Because I did not feel like I saw people like myself growing up, I feel very strongly about how important visibility is and therefore am so proud to be part of this project. The more visible we are, the more I hope others will see us for merely trying to find a way to live more joyfully in this world.
In a world that often struggles to fully embrace diversity and inclusion, ‘Beyond the Binary – The Spectrum Of Trans Joy’ is a project dedicated to fostering social cohesion and visibility for the trans and intersex community. This fresh initiative from the award-winning queer photographer Chris Jepson seeks to empower and celebrate the trans+ community by showcasing authentic joy through a captivating series of individual and group portraits.