Queer Inheritance

Elders are not just storytellers and teachers, but guardians of cultural heritage and stewards of spirituality. The elders in my biological family passed mostly in my teenage years, taking with them their stories, lived knowledge, and guidance. I’ve felt cheated out of that historical inheritance, attempting over the years to salvage what’s left–the pursuit of which evolved into a thirteen year portrait project centered on my family. I hadn’t realized during those thirteen years what I was searching for might only be found in queer chosen family, an understanding that my biological elders would likely be incapable of nurturing my gay identity. 

While the gravity of intergenerational relationships is evident across communities around the globe, these kinds of relationships are often absent or harder to cultivate within the queer community. By exploring the impact the absence of such relationships had in cultivating my own queer identity, Queer Inheritance takes a closer look, through cross-generational dialogue and photographic preservation, at the cultural necessity these relationships have within our chosen families.