Photographed at Misfits at FMG Project, Brighton.
About Chris
Chris is 30 and spends Fridays doing some PA work for a lovely guy and his dog. They volunteer as a Healthwalk Leader for LGBTQ+ walks around Brighton and Hove’s natural spaces and enjoy exercise since finding Trans friendly spaces here in Brighton (shout out to Trenbi FC, Misfits, Transcansport and Bad Run Club). Chris also loves to read, hang out with friends over coffee and is currently having a whale of a time learning BSL!
JOY IS…
I’m quite an anxious person, especially when it comes to people’s perceptions of me! Being in Trans-centred spaces makes me so happy knowing that I’ll be respected for who I am! I can do fun things that everyone else in society can: do exercise, play football, hang out with friends without any assumptions being made about me and my identity. Trans space is vital to me experiencing joy, and I certainly wouldn’t have any joy without other Trans people creating and turning up to these spaces.
Trans joy means feeling good in myself and seeing other happy Trans people around me! Being Trans means often feeling uncomfortable in our bodies and society’s perceptions of us! But having people knowingly affirm who we are without questions or judgment brings me a lot of peace, especially when my friends feel happy and affirmed too!
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.