Having friends and colleagues who are transgender, transgender rights have always been important to me, but especially today as they remain under continual attack . Knowing that part of the problem stems from misconceptions and a wider lack of understanding about the transgender community, I wanted to shoot a series that would put more trans voices and stories out into the world, and highlight and celebrate the diversity within the community.

As a cisgender male, I was nervous about shooting this series, aware of the way trans individuals have been (and continue to be) fetishized and misrepresented in the media. But I was grateful and humbled to be welcomed by every person I approached, and to have had the privilege to listen to and to share their stories on platforms such as this one and that of LGBTQ rights advocate Kenneth Cole. Below is an excerpt from my series, Transparent.