For many people, when they think on the US South, images of rednecks and rampant homophobia spring to mind. But what’s it like to be queer and live in the South?
The ‘queer photo documentary’ South Of The Border, from filmmaker Christian Hendricks, hopes to explore this, and is seeking $5,000 on Kickstarter to helm. Hendricks hopes to spend several weeks this summer on the road, travelling the American South and going to LGBT events, bars, and community groups, and documenting life there through the medium of photography.
He says, “Though my hometown of Cincinnati is in every sense a midwestern city, it serves as the gateway to the American South, sitting just across from the Ohio River, where the South (and my journey) begins.
“I’m drawn to the South’s distinctive culture: a region that is famous for being both hospitable and intolerant. What is it like to be queer in a region with such conservative religious and political convictions? Are these just fading stereotypes from the past? I hope to answer these questions and more as I set out to meet people, immerse myself in communities, and develop a new, personal understanding that I can share through photography.”
It sounds like it could be an interesting, so head over to Kickstarter to find out more. [Read more…]