Portraits of People: Shed My Skin
Model: Erika de Jesus
From my ongoing series Portraits of People, Shed My Skin examines self-image, identity, transformation, and the essence of who we are as human beings. The series aims to not just discover one another, but more so, to show the connections that exist between us all.
"It took me long enough to feel comfortable with the term lesbian, because it was just another category to check off."
"I watched my mom a lot growing up and was taught that pubic hair was ok and normal. Now that she's older she's gone away from that, following more of the norm, but I'm still comfortable with it. We're humans and have hair."
"Being a lesbian is somehow more ok, which I feel takes away from homosexual men. We're ok with young women exploring their sexuality, but not as ok with young boys doing the same."
"I always critique myself first, and analyze everything thinking what could I have done better."
"Somehow my look with my sexuality is more sexualized, and I get those guys who think they can "change me," or that it's all about the "right dick."
"I'm fearful of being vulnerable. I'm afraid to cry in front of people, and I think you need this, cause people tend to think you're less than human, or that you're stronger, but really you're just avoiding things."
"I feel somewhat privileged as a homosexual female in that it's somehow more acceptable to be a lesbian."
"It's scary to see people preaching hate in the name of religion. I once cried in church when someone said we should be careful buying clothes because we could be supporting a gay business. I'm not an emotional person, but I started to cry."
Thank You!
