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Sophia Wallace: Strong Connection

November 19th, 2007

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by Bambi Weavil

photo credit: Sophia Wallace

We discovered the lovely, talented and full-of-heart photographer Sophia Wallace with her project, Bois and Dykes, which examines the concept of ‘feminine masculinity’ by visually telling the stories of people who live within a spectrum of identities ranging from dyke and butch, to tomboy, aggressive, and transgender. Flipping through the photos online, I knew I had to connect with her. Sophia candidly gives us her time and we are blown away with her talent and impact she is making with her photography and her heart. Here is my chat with one of the most fearless women I’ve met:

Bambi Weavil: I was drawn to your work because it’s incredible ability to capture people’s personality, quite frankly, you have a beautiful gift of capturing so much emotion, the said and unsaid in one photo. What made you pursue photography as your profession?

photo credit: Sophia Wallace

Sophia Wallace: I have always felt a strong connection to my social environment. That sensitivity to what is happening around me is coupled with a deeply felt desire to understand the world I live in and to be an advocate for positive change within it. In high school, I expressed this through involvement in social justice organizations, particularly those engaged in political organizing against racism, violence against women, and for LGBT rights. This led me to study Political Science in college where I undertook a study abroad program in Ghana. This experience made me realize that it simply was not enough anymore to be analyzing and advocating based on the work of others - I wanted to create original work of my own.

BW: Your Bois and Dykes project is also extremely intriguing look at a dynamic of our gay community. Please tell us how your project came to be.

SW: The Bois and Dykes project was inspired by my experience as an open lesbian living in New York City. I was disturbed by the limited, and often butch-phobic ways lesbians were portrayed in the media, and I wanted to create a visual documentary of my community that felt truthful. I wanted to show butch women and trans men the way that I see them: as incredibly sexy, courageous, beautiful, and powerful. I also wanted to inspire audiences who weren’t queer to look at my subjects and challenge their preconceived notions of what it means to be “butch”.

photo credit: Sophia Wallace

Annie and Liza at wall (photo credit: Sophia Wallace)

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.

photo credit: Sophia Wallace

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.

photo credit: Sophia Wallace

BW: What did you learn that you didn’t before about capturing your participants in the Bois and Dykes project?

SW: Through working on this project I am learning a lot more about the politics of living as a butch lesbian in our society. For butches, so much in this world tells them that there is something wrong with them, as if to imply that they are not enough of a woman or that they are trying to be man. The justice system targets and criminalizes butch women of color in particular. Queer youth are being harassed at the Christopher street piers for no reason at all, simply for being there. Recently four women from New Jersey received unheard of sentences for daring to defend themselves against a homophobic attack. The media coverage of this case was salacious at best and the LGBTQ media was largely silent. I wish more people knew about these issues.

BW: I really enjoyed reading about your activism and social justice background from your beginnings! We’re very passionate about creating and sustaining a socially-aware, activism-conscious and consciously-creating audience — what non-profits do you support?

SW: Growing up, I was nurtured through several grassroots organizations, Seattle Young People’s Project in particular. Since I have been in New York I have had an ongoing relationship with F.I.E.R.C.E ., an organization that supports queer and trans youth of color in New York City. Another organization I want to mention is G.E.M.S. GEMS provides preventative and transitional services for young women ages 12-21 who have been forced into prostitution. They do incredible work for extremely underserved young women who are treated as throwaways by our society, at a time when they need our protection in the most urgent way.

BW: What’s on your ipod or in your CD player - we love music too and noticed that you DJed a hip hop show at Smith College?SW: I love that you noticed all the little details. I’m really digging the following songs right now:

Radiohead - House of Cards
Isaac Hayes - Hung Up on My Baby
2 Pac – All Eyes On Me
MIA- Paper Planes
New Order – Blue Monday
Kanye West - Stronger
Feist- I feel it all
Mr. Vegas - Pull Up
OutKast - Da Art of Story Telling
Jean Grae –Love Song
Too Short – Blow the Whistle
Grandmaster Flash- The Message
Baaba Maal - Fa Laay Fanaan
Aventura - Mi Hermanita
Joy Division – Love Will Tear Us Apart
Africa Bambata – White Lines

BW: We’re always curious - but what was your coming out experience like?

SW: My coming out experience was traumatic, but looking back it helped me to quickly solidify my acceptance of myself, to embrace the LGBT community as my family and to now be really comfortable as an out lesbian no matter where I am. Returning to your question, I was outed to my family at sixteen years old through a school acquaintance. For many years my parents held out hope for years I would come back to my senses. Fast-forward thirteen years, my parents now accept the fact that their daughter is a happy, unapologetic dyke.

BW: We really love your work and believe we will be seeing more of your work and hearing more about you in the future, so don’t forget about us! (laughs) What is the one impression you want to make with your work, past, present and future?

photo credit: Sophia Wallace

SW: Presently I am seeking a publisher for Bois and Dykes. My goal has always been for Bois and Dykes to be available as a large format photo book in mainstream and gay book stores. I’m also looking for investors for the butch calendar. My long-term hope is that Bois and Dykes will serve as a valuable source for educators, academics, historians, archivists, the LGBT community, and the straight mainstream. I’m hoping to impact popular culture in bringing to the fore images and narratives of lesbians, trans men, and butch women. I hope Bois and Dykes can have an impact and I’m grateful for the opportunity to talk about it. Thank you so much!

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Out Impact is your gay online magazine for gay men and women in the LGBTQ community and our allies, encouraging readers to create a positive impact in the gay community. Our content focuses on activism/philanthropy; expert advice for your professional life; pet care by leading experts; a yoga/wellness column in health, spirituality and wellness; as well as columns in food, comics, fashion, an expert travel specialist; engaging features in the arts and more. We have movie, music and book reviews, as well as the latest interviews. Out Impact also produces events benefiting various non-profits around the country, as well as comprehensive media campaigns to raise awareness for various philanthropic causes while bridging the non-profit, activism, artistic and gay communities. OutImpact.com - Making a positive impact in the gay community. Make yours.

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One Response to “Sophia Wallace: Strong Connection”

esmeralda Says:
April 17th, 2008 at 2:41 am
Im so excited to see what you are doing! i myself had a idea of investing into a butch..dyke, stud…calander. Seriously if this is sumthing you really think about doing . How much are you thinkking this project would need for start up.