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The Kids Are All Right

By Peggy Roalf   Tuesday August 18, 2015

Brooklyn based photographer, Gabriela Herman, a DART subscriber and AP31 Selectee, has an intimate connection to the recent Supreme Court ruling guaranteeing same-sex marriage nationwide.

Her mother came out nearly 20 years ago, when she was in high school. Her parents separated, and eventually Gabriela’s mother married her partner in one of Massachusetts’ first legal union. 

She writes, “It was a raw and difficult time. I hardly spoke to her for a year while I studied abroad. It felt like a fact that needed to be hidden, especially among my prep-school classmates. The topic was taboo even within our otherwise tight-knit family. My younger siblings were dealing with the same emotions, but meaningful conversation eluded us."

 
Zach, raised in Iowa by his two Moms. [more]

“Five years ago, at age 29, I embarked on a project to meet, photograph and interview people with similar stories. Despite living around the world, I had never encountered anyone else raised by a gay parent. When I mentioned the idea to my sister in San Francisco, she connected me with the non-profit group, COLAGE, the only national organization focused on supporting those with L.G.B.T.Q. parents.”


Jaime, raised outside Chicago by her Mom and various partners. [more]

Gabriela’s project, The Kids, which consists of photographs and interviews with children who have one or more LGBT parents, was featured in the New York Times last month. It is now featured in its entirety on her website, and excerpted here with permission.


Zack, raised in Upstate New York by his two Moms. [more]

“As [I talked with many interview subjects]," she continues, "we recalled having to juggle silence and isolation. Needing to defend our families on the playground, at church and during holiday gatherings. Some aspect of each story resonated with my experience and helped me chip away at my own sense of solitude."


Vanessa, raised in Northern Virginia by her Mom and Dad, who came out when she was 28. [more]

“While my experience was difficult, I am hopeful that won’t be the case for the next generation. This inequality will fade, and my future children will wonder what the fuss was about.”

Photographs © copyright and courtesy Gabriela Herman

 


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