BY ISAAC HAN

In print | Published February 26, 2009

In a room filled with paintings and books neatly stacked in their proper places, there is a woman sitting in a red chair, her legs crossed, her hand up at a 90-degree angle, and her smile smug. She gives off an air of great pride and accomplishment. This woman, Ashley, was born a man and through a long process of self-reflection is now a proud woman who has come to terms with her true self, her right self. Hers is one of the many pictures featured in Arthur Robinson Williams’ photo exhibit entitled “My Right Self,” currently at the Kitao Gallery.

Williams’ exhibit chronicles the lives of transgender people through photos and transcripts of their reflections on their experiences with living as transgender. Ashley’s photo comes with her account of growing up and never quite feeling she was the right person. In the transcript, she says, “What does it feel to be post-operative? It feels like this: The little girl in the locked room is finally free. And the whole world is hers.” Williams combines photos and personal reflections to create a narrative that sheds light on the lives of the subjects, who have been the focus of Williams’ art. Laura Wang ’10, who helped bring Williams’ exhibit to Swarthmore, said, “The way the portraits are taken is just so real and human.”

Williams’ ability to bring out visceral and personal reactions from his audience was recognized by the Mazzoni Center and the American Medical Student Foundation, two significant financial contributors in the creation of the exhibit. As evidenced by the sources of funding, the exhibit also has a medical undertone. Williams said that one of the goals of his work was “to specifically get it in front of health provider audiences—so doctors and nurses and social workers …—to help familiarize them with trans and LGBT issues and to normalize the life stories, so that there is less of a hesitation around the exotic, or assuming that there is a sensational aspect to patient care, that is not necessary.” With respect to debates regarding the inclusion or exclusion of gender identity protection in the recent proposal for the Employment Non-Discrimination Act , Williams said, “In the general scope or trajectory of the LGBT rights movement, gender identity and trans rights are at the forefront of that movement. I think it’s kind of like the next chapter in terms of what needs to be worked on as sort of underlying the debates around marriage rights.”

Williams’ engagement in transgender identity issues through photos illustrates media’s powerful capabilities as a teaching tool. More affecting than any textbook, Williams’ documentary photography teaches by immersing the viewer in personal experiences. A look at the photos in conjunction with the text gives one an intimate sense of the emotions that are involved.

This exhibit shows a fresh perspective on transgender issues, too often addressed only in sound bytes, by giving visibility to the people who must struggle with these issues every day. As Emma Ferguson ’10, who attended the talk, said, “People think of [the transgender issue] as a social issue and not as an issue to be addressed in an academic way.” Williams’ exhibit is just one step towards a greater awareness and tolerance that underlies almost every issue involving personal identity, an awareness that the transgender minority deserves.

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