Syd London
For photojournalist Syd London, being out and visibly queer is a way in with the LGBTQ+ people she documents in her photographs. “People can feel that my goal is to honor their story rather than exploit, and this has a profound impact on a person’s willingness to honestly share their experiences,” she tells GO. And it’s a good thing she’s welcomed, as gaining trust is essential for the intersectional and often marginalized communities whose stories London’s photographs tell. “Ground Surge: Communities Rising” — her first solo show that ran at the Kean Institute for Human Rights in 2016 — chronicled the impact of racial, age-based, and economic discrimination affecting various communities, including people of color, gender non-conforming individuals, low-income households, and aging LGBTQ+. Her documentation was a ten-year labor of love and captured evolving landscapes of accessibility and organization within these communities. “At a time when too few of our stories were being told, I wanted to contribute to increasing the visibility of queer lives,” she says. “Storytelling is one of our oldest forms of learning and validation. When we don’t see ourselves reflected in the world’s media and we don’t have a family who accepts us at home, it’s easy to feel very alone.” London continues to explore the underrepresented in her work, turning her lens on healthcare and eldercare access in the Catskills, her new hometown. —RK
