Queer photographer Jess T. Dugan works against stereotypes that objectify queer and trans folk, portraying her models as gentle and contemplative. There’s an element of sexuality to her photography; it’s just not the main point.
We learned of Dugan while checking out images of trans men and fell in love with her beautiful photos. Her work has been exhibited at galleries nationwide and in permanent collections. Two of Jess’ photos were recently purchased by the Birmingham Museum of Art, notable because the museum’s queer holdings are lacking–until now.
Here are few of Dugan’s photos from two of her collections: Every Breath We Drew and Transcendence II. Many of Dugan’s subjects are queer or trans identified, asking us to think about the construction of identity in a multifaceted way.
Scroll down to see just a few of our favorites. And check out the rest of Dugan’s work at www.jessdugan.com.
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
jayj150
Some really bad scarring among those photos.
DistingueTraces
Scars are sexy on a man.
Mdterp01
There is such understated beauty in these photos.
DarkZephyr
The top one is so freaking cute. <3 I wonder if he is gay. <3
tommiej
They are all gorgeous. I’m a bio gay male, and I’d have no problem going out on a date with any of these gentlemen. Also, ugh calling them “women” is really low-class. They aren’t women, their battle scars are proof of a manhood they fought for.
DarkZephyr
@tommiej: I’m a gay cis-male as well and I would feel privileged to go out with any of those gentlemen (especially the one at the tippy top, I can’t stop looking at that handsome, sweet face! lol) And I agree, their scars are battle scars that are proof of the manhood that they fought for!
Mikey
But they all have vaginas. *shudders* Sorry, we can be the best of friends and I’ll 100% have your back – but I could never be romantically interested in a FTM person. I assume though that it would be very easy for a bisexual person.
hudson
@DarkZephyr: im with ya- ‘tippy top’ dude is sooooo adorable!
hekkan
@Mikey: We don’t all have vaginas, actually. But that’s okay, because literally not a single one of us wants to sleep with you.
jayj150
@Mikey: I’m a bisexual male, and on the men’s side of the fence I’m very versatile, but in all honesty I could never be with a transsexual person, male of female. I’m completely sexually turned off by all the surgery/implants/hormonal treatments/ambiguity factor; there’s just too much doctor-induced artificiality involved. Some bi-people find the dichotomy ‘man with a vagina’, ‘woman with a penis’ sexually appealing; I myself find it off-putting. Even surgically-created vaginas, although visually similar to real vaginas, are not even close to the real thing in terms of smell, taste, lubrication, etc. But hey, it’s a big world, apparently from reading this, there’s no shortage of LGB people attracted to transguys; I myself like my men and women all-natural.
Billy Budd
Only the first one is remotely kissable. I don’t feel attracted to transguys and transgirls. I do like young men who are slightly androgynous, though.
jayallen
Gay men do not date Trans men…if you do(or would.) please call yourself something other than “gay”.
JennyFromdabloc
@jayallen: @jayj150: @Mikey: I must concur. I’m glad these guys are on their right path. But…no. I, for one, am over the overly-pc rhetoric using “cis” to identify myself. My childhood pictures are of me as a boy, dressed in boys clothing, being a boy. I’m not going to rename my gender or throw around another term to justify that I was a boy then and I am a man now.
jayallen
@JennyFromdabloc: I agree. I also don’t use the “cis” terminology.
jayj150
@jayallen: I’ve never used it, or ever will. Their argument that everyone should use it because the alternative to ‘cis’ is ‘normal’ and that would be offensive is ridiculous. If(as they always claim when they sue insurance companies and the government to pay for the extremely costly treatments and surgeries) ‘transsexualism’ is in fact a medical condition that needs fixing, then what the word ‘cis’ basically means is ‘anyone who doesn’t suffer from the medical condition of transsexualism’ and that obviously makes it unnecessary. If you want to be really PC about it, then say non-transsexual. But frankly, making up words to validate their identities makes no sense, and actually has the opposite effect, as it makes it painfully obvious how insecure some people are about their sexual identities.
queerboi
I’m so glad to hear a non-trans person argue that their privilege means they don’t have to use any new fangled terms, like cis, to describe their gender. It is such a compelling argument, especially when they underscore their point by using “sexual identities” when they mean gender identities. That makes it clear to me how much they understand my experience as a trans man and are clearly authorities on this subject. I’m sure that if I watch this space I’ll continue to be educated by them.
The photos are beautiful and these trans men are brave to subject themselves to objectification and ridicule.
jayallen
@queerboi: The idea of “cisprivilege” is a fallacy to all women and many gender non-conforming males. I’m not going to subscribe to a terminology that undermines that. You’re a trans man, that’s cool, whatever. Don’t undermine other people’s struggle with your terminology. “cis” actually does just that.
jayallen
That said I support people looking like they wish to look and living like they wish to live, I just ask they don’t claim or appropriate identities that are not really their own. a “gay” trans man is a biological female engaging romantically with biological males. That is essentially a heterosexual arrangement.
MMDD
@jayallen: Who the hell are you to make such a claim? I’m a Kinsey 6 gay man, and I would have no problem dating a trans man if I found him attractive. Doesn’t make me bisexual because he’s still a man. And I have absolutely ZERO attraction to women.
jayallen
@MMDD: “Gay” males like males. Call yourself “Pansexual” , but to say that you’re gay and date someone who isn’t actually male is disingenuous.
MMDD
@jayallen: I am a GAY man, and I like MALES. A trans man is a man, regardless of whether you choose to accept that. Pansexual means a sexual attraction to people of all gender and biological identities, and that is NOT what describes who I am. You’re far too rigid and black and white in your way of thinking. A man is much more than just his genitalia.
jayj150
@MMDD: Like it or not, genitals do define sex. It’s not the only factor involved, there is a bunch of other stuff to take in consideration, like hormones and DNA and yada yada yada, but genitals are a factor, and most often than not, they do indicate correctly the sex the person was born with. And also, like it or not, genitals are important to most people in basis of sexual attraction. No, it’s not the only thing one looks for, no, they alone don’t necessarily make some attractive, no we don’t ask to check someone’s genitals before going out with them, but the consistency between gender presentation and sex IS extremely important for most people. And I don’t see how that should offend or threaten anyone’s identity; after all one person’s identity has nothing to do with someone else’s perception of it, those are two completely independent phenomena. I can respect the way you choose to identify yourself, and don’t mind using the pronouns you prefer, but as a matter of sexual attraction I will never see a transsexual person as a sex other than the one they were born with.
MMDD
@jayj150: “…genitals are a factor, and most often than not, they do indicate correctly the sex the person was born with.”
Of course…but even you went out of your way to say “most often,” not “always.” Hence transgender men are the ones who don’t necessarily fit into that “most often” category.
“…the consistency between gender presentation and sex IS extremely important for most people.”
No argument from me there. I totally get that there are gay men who would not be attracted to or consider dating a trans man. But having the audacity to say that you can’t be gay and attracted to or date a trans man is sheer ignorance. A trans man is still a man, regardless of what’s between his legs.
“…as a matter of sexual attraction I will never see a transsexual person as a sex other than the one they were born with.”
So if you see a man out in public whom you’ve never met before and you happen to find him attractive before discovering he’s trans, will that attraction you feel suddenly evaporate in the moment you discover he’s trans? What if he’s a biologically born male but you discover he lost his penis and/or balls in some tragic accident? Will you suddenly no longer find him attractive?
bolks
Why is anyone sharing if they would have sex with these men or not? How is that relevant to these pictures and why are you up just to find these people? These pictures are beautiful nice work jes.
jayj150
@MMDD: You people need to stop using the ‘man who lost his genitals in an accident’ example; it’s grossly offensive to victims of violent accidents, not to mention tacky. Of course those men are very much men and will always be. And to answer your last question, even if I happen to see an incredibly good-looking transsexual man(or woman, I’m bi), which no, I haven’t seen yet; yes, my attraction would instantly evaporate. As I explained before, I’m completely sexually turned off by all the surgery/implants/hormonal treatments/ambiguity factor; there’s just too much doctor-induced artificiality involved. I like my men and women’s respective manhood and womanhood to be all-natural, not surgically and hormonally created by a doctor. But again, and as I also mentioned before, some bisexual people find the dichotomy of trassexuals to be attractive; it’s a big world. The important thing is not to shame gay, lesbian and bi people for their sexual preferences, which from what I’ve seen is a constant among trassexual people.
bolks
why is anyone sharing if they would have sex with these men or not? How is that relevant to these pictures and why are you objectifying these people? I don’t think the point these pictures was for anyone to decide if they would have sex with these men are not. I also highly doubt any of them have trouble finding partners, sex or love. These pictures are beautiful nice work jess.
jayallen
@jayj150: Thank you! I see this time and again as well.
MMDD
@jayj150: “You people need to stop using the ‘man who lost his genitals in an accident’ example…”
And people like you need to stop telling others what they can and cannot say in a PUBLIC FORUM. The example was valid in making my point, and I stand by it.
“I like my men and women’s respective manhood and womanhood to be all-natural, not surgically and hormonally created by a doctor.”
Fair enough. Most people feel the same way you do, and all things considered that’s usually my preference as well. You’d be hard pressed to find a gay man out there who adores male genitalia more than I do, BUT…there’s so much more to a man’s body that turns me on than just his penis and balls. Hell, I could just look at men’s asses all day long and be the happiest man on earth. 🙂
“The important thing is not to shame gay, lesbian and bi people for their sexual preferences, which from what I’ve seen is a constant among trassexual [sic] people.”
Ah…so now we get into the REAL reason why you have an issue with transsexuals: a personal bias/generality based on your own and/or others’ negative experiences. I’ve been around trans folks for many years and have never had any such experience. Your attitude is just as bad as those who say gay men are AIDS-carrying sluts or, to make it more personal to you, who say that bisexuals are confused, unable to commit to one person, or just really homos in denial.
newecreator
First pic turned me on.
daydreamdaisy
It was disappointing to read some of the comments above. Knowing a few Transmen I feel privileged and enjoy the relationships I have build. I would date, have a relationship and sex with trans men and while I understanding not all people are attracted to the transman I found some comments distasteful. The journey is full of courage so thank you for your photos and I thank my transgender friends for your friendships and love.m
daydreamdaisy
If anyone wants to reply to my comment above its [email protected]
TransBear
I love (sarcasm) that a whole lot of people saw these photos and saw fit to judge peoples sexuality and invite comment into others lives about what to call each other, who is hot, who you would wanna make out with and that transmen arent men if they havent had lower surgeries.,
Pretty disappointing really.