Lola Flash

“My identity—queer, female, Black—has totally been the reason why I became an activist/artist,” Lola Flash tells GO. “It has given me so much joy to collaborate with my community and create gorgeous images which show that we were [and] are here and we have not only survived but soared above all expectations.” The photographer, who primarily works in portraiture, has been at the forefront of genderqueer visual politics for over four decades, challenging both stereotypes and preconceptions of gender, sexuality, and race. Flash’s artistic practice has deep roots in social justice advocacy and engaging those who tend to be considered invisible. “I think a lot about my ancestors and how they fought against slavery and other forms of systemic racism,” says Flash of their response to adversity. “The DNA that they passed on to me makes me know that if they were able to create change and basically hang in there, that I too can overcome!” In 1989, Flash—then an active member of ACT UP—was featured as a subject in the iconic “Kissing Doesn’t Kill” poster during the height of the AIDS epidemic in New York City. Since then, their work has been included in collections at the Whitney, the Museum of Modern Art, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the Brooklyn Museum, and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. –LE