"I wanted to convey who the people in the photos were, to make people stop and think," says the appropriately named Jane Lavender of her trans-centric photo show, Meta-Genesis.

The Missouri-based photographer snapped fifteen subjects for the eye-opening collection, which she describes as "truth and honor of transexuals through photography and personal literary expression".

Each image comes complete with a quote from the subject, including one person who lamented, "Invisibility is killing me". Trans folk have gained less visibility in recent years. Some conservatives have blasted the "transgender agenda" (you know, equal rights). Julius Ager, who sat for Lavender, hopes Meta-Genesis will change some people's minds:

I've always been trans. I’ve never identified myself as female even though the rest of the world has. You have to mold into society and what it expects of you. It’s been painful in a lot of ways.
…
I hope people don’t have to go through what I went through. This exhibit will hopefully educate people, help others understand us and find a way to relate. It was empowering.

That's some powerful shit. And so are these shots from Jane Lavender's Meta-Genesis.

Be sure to check out Jane Lavender's super sweet website.