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Sophia Wallace: Strong ConnectionDiscussing her Bois and Dykes Project and moreby Bambi Weavil  BW: How long did it take you to complete your Bois and Dykes project, if you consider it complete now? SW: I began the project in 2003 and have been working on it ever since. My primary goal for Bois and Dykes is to publish the work as a book. I think I'm nearing that goal. But in a larger sense I see photographing lesbians and trans men as a life's work. I can't envision a true stopping point. BW: In your narrative of the Bois and Dykes project, it is prefaced by saying: "Gay marriage is now a part of the national debate and lesbians can be seen on a new cable series, and yet real lesbians continue to be absent in the vast majority of filmic, television, and printed narratives." I believe personally that visibility is the key to change for all of us in the gay community with those that don't understand, within the gay community and beyond. In what ways do you see "real lesbians" to fill in the void? SW: I'm thrilled to see successful entertainers, musicians, and athletes beginning to self-identify as lesbians. I'm also grateful that for the first time there are syndicated TV shows dedicated to lesbian narratives. I think that the L Word is trailblazing in that it meaningfully tackles many public and private realities of being a lesbian today. However, as much as I love the show, it still has its limitations. For example, there seems to be some fear in presenting a genuinely butch character. I understand there's a sense that it could be considered crossing the comfort line of straight viewers to have a butch character on the L word who never wears lipstick, eyeliner and women's clothes. But I'm still waiting for that truthful mainstream representation of the actual variety that exists in our community. Bois and Dykes is my attempt to fill a piece of this gap.  BW: What kind of reaction have you gotten so far from the Bois and Dykes project? SW: It's been very interesting, to say the least. Queer audiences in general tend to be very supportive. On the other hand, when I have shown the work to straight magazine editors, photography reps, and gallery curators, there is a much more critical reaction. I have been asked a lot of questions. Is it about lesbians? Is it about transgender people? What is butch? One Photo Editor from a major New York magazine really surprised me when she said "being gay or transgender is old news", which obviously sounded ridiculous to me. Sometimes I feel like straight critics of my work want to see something bad happen to my subjects, that the pictures are not poignant unless they can see palpable victimization. This is very hard for me. |
