On Christopher Street: Transgender Stories

On Christopher Street, nestled in the heart of New York City’s Greenwich Village, people of all sexual orientations and gender identities—transgender, transsexual, non-binary, genderqueer, femme, butch, drag kings, drag queens, and more—come together. This iconic street is the epicenter of the modern LGBTQ rights movement, where the revolution began at the Stonewall Inn. Today, the intersection with Hudson Street is named “Sylvia Rivera Way” in honor of the pioneering trans activist, and the annual Pride parade concludes there.

Photographer Mark Seliger, known for his celebrity portraits and a West Village resident for nearly two decades, captured a handful of documentary portraits with his Hasselblad for *On Christopher Street: Transgender Stories*. He sought the color and theatricality of a legendary neighborhood in decline, but found a nocturnal carnival of personalities that open up the visual discourse on sexuality and the contemporary trans world.

The book brings together 74 previously unpublished black-and-white portraits, accompanied by moving personal stories that remind us of the need for sanctuary and community. They challenge us to redefine belonging and to pause before them with respect. These are our streets and these are our people—one of Seliger’s most powerful works.