What is A Year of Pride?

A Year of Pride is a project being done by Two-Eight Photography’s Jackie Teeple to try and show that the LGBTQ+ community is more than just a stereotype we see portrayed by the media. We are a vibrant community of humans who represent every aspect of the greater community at large. We are teachers, students, artists, creators, engineers, mathematicians, families, parents, kids, young adults, civil servants, of every shape, size, color, and form of beauty. I will be using portraits taken in front of the LGBTQ+ Pride flag of their choice, showcasing their personality, paired with a statement written by the subject.

Why are you doing this project?

2017 was a year of divisiveness and cruelty. Cruelty comes from a mix of anger, fear of the unknown, and archaic ideas perpetuated by stereotypes. This project aims to break some of those stereotypes and show that the LGBTQ+ community is nothing to fear and, if anything, a beautiful group of people that deserve to be treated so.

What do you need?

I need roughly 20 minutes of tie in my studio in San Pedro or roughly 45 minutes of your time at a private location of your choice, with permission to shoot, with at least 8’x8’ of clear space to set it up. Show your personality through your clothing and optional props that you can bring or have handy. Some props are available in the studio.

Who has done it so far?

As of March 2019, 100 people from all corners of the LGBTQ+ community and our allies, ages 5-50, have had their portraits taken, including people from 22 US states, Canada, Scotland, Brazil, Germany, Norway, México, England, and Puerto Rico.

Where can you go?

I can travel within a reasonable radius of Los Angeles with the setup, including Orange County. This is all funded out of pocket. However, we are taking donations to try and fund a few things, including travel to further places. We have had requests to bring the project to New York, Georgia, England, Toronto, Australia, Chicago, and more, and we’d love to bring this everywhere, but we’ll need a little help from our friend.

What flags do you have?

Currently: Rainbow pride, bisexual pride, transgender pride, asexual pride, pansexual pride, genderqueer pride, philadelphia pride, lipstick lesbian pride, canadian rainbow pride

What does it cost?

Nothing at all! It’s totally free to anyone who wants to sit for a portrait for the project. Donations, however, are always accepted to help cover the day to day costs of the project (website hosting, equipment maintenance, travel costs, props, flags, etc.)

Can my friends/family/partner/kids be in it?

Absolutely! Just keep in mind the backdrop is a flag, and fitting in too many people can be a real squish, or require multiple flags. We are always looking for jumbo flags to accommodate more people.

Where will these be shown?

The photos will go up on this website, as well as sporadically on Instagram. Long term, we hope to have a gallery show in the future, as well as a coffee table book. Any proceeds from those, as well as any excess donations, will be donated to an LGBTQ+ cause, like GLAAD.