One of my earliest editorial portrait sessions would become my most ambitious and significant.

Ahead of the Curve: The first mainstream magazine to stake a position in favor of Trans rights. Following years of disrespect and deception from the media, the participants were understandably dubious of TNR’s intentions.

As Design Director for The New Republic, the esteemed journal of politics and arts—known as “The In-flight Magazine for Air Force One”—I could commission art and photography for covers and interior pages or create them myself. When I received the brief for a groundbreaking cover story on transgender rights, there was not a moment’s hesitation. I had to own this one.

My role as chief creative involved interpreting editorial content into arresting visual concepts. The solution for this assignment was obvious: It had to be an elegant portrait gallery of the kinds of people the article addressed and described.

By the summer of 2011, The New Republic had been my client for ten years. Richard Just, a brilliant, passionate journalist and the fourth editor-in-chief of my tenure, agreed that the moment demanded we reach high to do it justice. Not only were transgender rights a topic of utmost urgency, but it was the type of plant-the-flag proclamation that the magazine had built its reputation on over its then 97-year history as a leading voice in American cultural and political discourse.

As a society, we have come far since the first decade of the 21st century. Not long ago, transgender people were commonly depicted as radical, marginalized characters, with the most flamboyant examples considered the norm. For ignorant cisgenders, the colorful pejorative ‘transvestite’ was cognate with transgender. Not lost on the trans community, the media’s appetite for sensationalism galvanized a well-founded skepticism of fair or accurate representation by the press. They had been burned, continually depicted as frivolous and indulgent, rarely taken seriously. 

“The percentage of U.S. adults who self-identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or something other than heterosexual has increased to a new high of 7.1%, which is double the percentage from 2012, when Gallup first measured it.”

—Gallup.com, February 2022

Intuitively, my objective was to counter prevailing stereotypes and portray the majority of transgender people as fundamentally no different than anyone else. Like society at large, the trans community is diverse, though often and unfairly perceived as monolithic, as minority groups tend to be. News flash: Transgenders are nothing special, in the sense that they are mostly ordinary people with the same basic needs and desires as anyone. Like many of us, trans folks work hard to achieve success. They attend social events, watch TV, maintain households, shop for groceries, and enjoy friends and family while coveting intimacy and security. Banalities that did not fit the narrative of drag queen sensationalism propagated by disingenuous media hacks prevalent at the time.

It was essential to educate and persuade misguided cisgenders by stressing commonality, rather than difference. That transgender denizens merely ask to live an inclusive, rewarding life while expressing their identity as they chose. That simple assertion would form the project’s core mission, which mandated that individuals be represented in a dignified but neutral manner devoid of editorializing. 

The solution called for a traditional view camera, the kind where the photographer focuses beneath a black cloth, exposing one sheet of film at a time by plunging a shutter cable. We hung a massive, handmade, one-of-a-kind oilcloth canvas (the type used by legendary photographer Irving Penn in many of his masterworks), provided by New York City’s finest backdrop craftsmen, Broderson. The formality associated with this classic studio setting combined with the arduous, precise deliberation required of a large-format film camera contributed to an air of ceremony and purpose. It elevated esteem in my subjects and honored their participation while unambiguously demonstrating a commitment to honest, genuine portrayals.

Everyone came as they were, with no attempts at styling on our part other than routine grooming prior to stepping on set.

The individuals recruited fit the brief perfectly. Personable, accomplished, and self-assured, ranging from corporate executives, lawyers, directors, and managers to artists, actors, and entrepreneurs. In other words, common people. Successful, motivated, striving professionals and urbanites, like millions of Americans. It was all I had hoped for in the effort to defy the misperceptions that inhibited their acceptance in our biased society.

The day of the session was nothing less than extraordinary, distinguished by the bravery and courage of conviction exhibited by individuals unafraid to assert their authentic, undeniable self-expression regardless of the challenges society was prepared to bear down on them. Without exception, the sense of joy and tranquility, a palpable centeredness, was shared by all. 

My sincere thanks to Michael Silverman, Executive Director of the Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund, the man responsible for wrangling such an exemplary group, for his trust, diligence, and vision. Mr. Silverman’s sanction was key for all to participate in the project with confidence and assurance.

“I like that I can ride that line on the periphery of femininity. I don’t always have to be an active participant. I think that’s really freeing.”

—King Princess on Them.com

This critical, pioneering feature was awarded for Outstanding Magazine Article and nominated for Outstanding Digital Journalism, Multimedia by GLAAD Media Awards, an organization that “honor media for fair, accurate, and inclusive representations of LGBTQ people and issues. Since its inception in 1990, the GLAAD Media Awards have grown to be the most visible annual LGBTQ awards show in the world, sending powerful messages of acceptance to audiences globally.”

It is rewarding to be recognized by a respected authority such as GLAAD (The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation). This was the most meaningful among the many awards I’ve been privileged to be part of during my years in publishing. —J Heroun

“It is revolutionary for any trans person to choose to be seen and visible in a world that tells us we should not exist.”

—Actor and LGBT advocate Laverne Cox

“Some days I like to identify as female and on other days as male.”

—Stevie