‘I had to transcend my fear’: LGBTQ+ lives – in pictures

Hot Love, San Francisco, CA 2018

Carol McCusker: ‘The number of portraits of women, BIPOC and, more recently, LGBTQ+ people has increased in the 21st century, with each insisting on their place in the pantheon of notable histories. This is not a new phenomenon. Centuries ago, gay, bi-sexual, intersex or trans people were frequently rendered in painted portraits. Look at historical paintings and prints from Asia, the Middle East or Europe, from ancient Egypt, Greece or Rome through the Renaissance into the 19th century. There are portrayals of non-binary individuals’