Photographer Tom Atwood’s second book is a feast for the eyes, propping up LGBTQ heroes who break the mold. Over the course of fifteen years, he documented these intriguing and eccentric personalities in their own homes for Kings & Queens in Their Castles.
After perusing local bookstores for gay photography collections, Atwood realized the vast majority of options consisted of highly sexualized, body-worship-type photography. He knew there was a bigger, more diverse queer story to tell through images.
He filmed 350 subjects, 160 of whom made it into the book. That includes nearly 100 celebrities like Meredith Baxter, Alan Cumming, Don Lemon, John Waters and George Takei.
Scroll down for a taste of the gorgeous series (it was a real challenge to just choose 20), and head here for more info on where to find the book, published by Damiani:
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.
JOHN BERENDT, Author of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, The City of Falling Angels — New York, NY
DON LEMON, CNN anchor — New York, NY
ANTHONY BARRETO-NETO, Transgender deputy sheriff — Barton, VT
MEREDITH BAXTER, Actress from Family Ties, All the President’s Men, Glee, Family — Santa Monica, CA
JIM MCGREEVEY, Former New Jersey Governor — Plainfield, NJ
ALAN CUMMING, Tony-winning actor from Hamlet, Macbeth, Cabaret — New York, NY
MOTHER FLAWLESS SABRINA, Female impersonator — New York, N
DON BACHARDY, Acclaimed artist and former partner of Christopher Isherwood — Santa Monica, CA
JULIE MEHRETU & JESSICA RANKIN, Renowned artists — New York, NY
MICHAEL URIE, Actor from Ugly Betty, The Good Wife, Partners, Modern Family — New York, NY
ARI SHAPIRO, Co-host of NPR’s All Things Considered — Washington, D.C.
RANDAL KLEISER, Director of Grease, Grandview U.S.A., Big Top Pee-wee, The Blue Lagoon — Los Angeles, CA
DOUG SPEARMAN, Actor from Charmed, Star Trek Voyager, Noah’s Arc, Girlfriends — MARC ANTHONY SAMUEL (friend), Actor from Imperfect Sky, Avenged, Parenthood — Los Angeles, CA
DAVID LERNER, Dance essayist — New York, NY
LYDIA BROWN, Georgetown student and disability activist — Washington, D.C.
GEORGE TAKEI, Actor from Star Trek, The Twilight Zone, Star Wars, Heroes — Los Angeles, CA
RIA PELL, Chef from Top Chef and winner of Chopped — KIKI CARR, Web developer — Atlanta, GA
LESLIE JORDAN, Actor from The Help, Sordid Lives, Will & Grace, Boston Legal, Newhart — Los Angeles, CA
TED HAYKAL, Artist In his back yard fort —Pikes Island, ME
BILLY PORTER, Tony-winning actor from Kinky Boots, Jesus Christ Superstar — New York, NY
All photos: Tom Atwood via Facebook
Eldred
Why are all the pictures here on Queerty such low rez?!
Roan
Does anyone know what is that black and silver control panel on the counter in the Meredith Baxter photo?
David
kitchen island Pop-up electrical outlets
Ted Ray
Hi Roan, Actually, that is a counter-top motor for a blender. I had one in my house growing up in the 50s. Made by Nutone. If you lift up the round cover you’ll see the blender motor. This is where the canister sits. The other buttons determine the speed (stir, chop, mix, puree, frapee, emulsify, etc.). We would make smoothies and milkshakes all the time because the device was handy… not a separate appliance. Found a few on eBay: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Multi-function-Built-in-Blender-Starter-Set-In-Counter-Nutone-Food-Center-250-/222356300840?hash=item33c577e428:g:nZ0AAOSw2xRYVkN8
charlie_jackpot
And yet Queerty has a regular post of men with their tits out. Maybe some parity between the kinds of images you show of gay life
Sadly though, us your audience, will always click on the pop brownies more than something that reflects ourselves
DCguy
The article didn’t say that there should only be one or the other, the author/photographer of the book noticed a lack of something and created something to fill it.
lauraspencer
The word “heroes” in the title is a bit subjective. Jim McGreevey? Meredith Baxter? Don Lemon? Michael Urie? They are recognizable LGBT names but how are they heroic?
Countervail
I’ve seen this book trotted out before. I don’t get the interest in poorly shot images of gaylebrities in their everyday spaces. It’s not good photography, and it’s not insight into their Iives. “Gay celebrities are real people too.” Poignant.
Sluggo2007
Stunning? In what way?
kurt_t
Coffee table books strike me as an anachronism. Come to think of it, coffee tables strike me as an anachronism. In the ’70s, we would have been lost without our coffee tables. Where else would you put the cheese cubes, the pitcher of Mai Tais and the gigantic ashtray? Where would you set up your Game of Life and sort the snapshots you just picked up at the Fotomat?
I have a 20-year-old at home. A coffee table book for him is what the Little Orphan Annie radio show is for me, a cultural artifact of which he has a vague understanding, not something he would ever expect to experience first hand.
fur_hunter
I look at all these talented people and then think about Anita Bryant, back in the day, saying that all gays should be put on an island somewhere to get them out and away from others so they don’t subject people to their disgusting sinful ways. I, being a writer, did a short story called, ‘The Rainbow Isles’, after I heard part of a lecture by Louis Gohmert, Republican legislator from Texas, speaking at Liberty University in November of 2015. He was suggesting the same thing that Anita did back in the 70s. Folks do not realize that WE are everywhere and in every profession and are probably the most talented people on the planet. What would the straight community do without us? Yeah! What can I say?
Chris
What I like about these pictures is that they are taken in the everyday lives of the individuals who were photographed. No air brushing, no posing (well none more than usual) on the red carpet, and simple. I get that they’re not everyone’s taste; but I like ’em.
1EqualityUSA
Phranc and Don Bachardy are in Santa Monica’s Craig Krull Gallery.
http://www.craigkrullgallery.com/Artists.html