A poignant exploration of the lives of transgender and gender non-conforming older people
To celebrate Pride Month 2022, we revisit photographer Jess T Dugan’s series of intimate portraits of transgender adults over 50, first explored by Wallpaper* in this 2020 article on the occasion of an exhibition at Minneapolis Institute of Art

Jess Dugan - Photography
The city of Minneapolis may have unwittingly been at the heart of the racial uprisings that swept across the United States in 2020, but an exhibition of photographs at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA) the same year proved that the city is also leading the charge on other aspects of social change.
The exhibition, ‘Vision 2020: Jess T Dugan’, presented a series of large-scale portraits of transgender and gender-expansive older adults by the photographer Dugan, who had been working on a book specialising on the subject matter since 2013. The book, To Survive on This Shore: Photographs and Interviews with Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming Older Adults, features interviews with and portraits of 65 sitters in their homes or personal spaces across the country. A joint effort between Dugan and her spouse, Vanessa Fabbre, a social worker and assistant professor at Washington University in St Louis, the pioneering tome elegantly articulates the triumphs and struggles to be found in each subject’s journey and experience (and is currently sold out).
Duchess Milan, 69, Los Angeles, CA, 2017
‘We knew there was a lack of representation of transgender people in general – especially transgender older adults – and we wanted to fill that gap,’ Dugan shares. ‘We had heard from younger transgender people that they had never seen images of transgender older adults and they lacked a roadmap for what their life might look like as they aged. Simultaneously, we were aware that, in many cases, transgender older adults were directly responsible for the progress around gender and sexuality that we benefit from today. We wanted to record and preserve that history before it was too late.’
Dugan and Fabbre had one simple criterion when it came to looking for their subjects. ‘The only requirement for participation was that the participants self-identified as transgender or gender-expansive and were over the age of 50,’ says Dugan. ‘Beyond that, we were committed to including a diverse array of people and intentionally sought out subjects whose lived experiences exist within the complex intersections of gender identity, age, race, ethnicity, sexuality, socioeconomic class, and geographic location.’
We knew there was a lack of representation of transgender people in general – especially transgender older adults – and we wanted to fill that gap
Above: Sky, 64, and Mike, 55, Palm Springs, CA, 2017. Below: Helena, 63, Chicago, IL, 2013
The beautifully varied body of work, which showcases individuals in their homes, places of work or parks, accompanied by partners or cherished objects, dressed normally or to the nines, is a quiet, yet powerful celebration of the challenges the LGBTQ+ community has been overcoming for years. With a subject in her nineties also included, the book is a powerful testament to how long and complex the LGBTQ+ movement is.
At MIA, ‘Vision 2020’ comprised eight portraits – seven of which were promised gifts to the collection and the eighth, a portrait of Minneapolis council member and political activist Andrea Jenkins, was donated by Dugan and the Catherine Edelman Gallery in Chicago. The exhibition was curated by Casey Riley, the institute’s head of the Department of Photography and New Media.
‘Exhibiting this work in Minneapolis is especially meaningful to me and Vanessa, following George Floyd’s death,’ Dugan said at the time. ‘Many of the participants, such as Andrea Jenkins, are trans people of colour whose courage and hard work demonstrate the power of activism to affect social change.’
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
We were aware that, in many cases, transgender older adults were directly responsible for the progress around gender and sexuality that we benefit from today
Above: Andrea, 54, Minneapolis, MN, 2016. Below: Vanessa, 51, Atlanta, GA, 2016
Dugan’s body of work also exists as a limited-edition portfolio that’s been designed for university and teaching museums’ use. The full interview transcripts have also been donated to a variety of archives.
‘My work does not attempt to provide definitive answers; rather, it invites viewers to engage with others in an intimate, meaningful way, requiring them to reflect on their own identities in the process,’ Dugan concludes. ‘I hope that my photographs both validate those within queer communities and educate those who are not LGBTQ or who may be unfamiliar with LGBTQ people.’
Dee Dee Ngozi, 55, Atlanta, GA, 2016
INFORMATION
Pei-Ru Keh is a former US Editor at Wallpaper*. Born and raised in Singapore, she has been a New Yorker since 2013. Pei-Ru held various titles at Wallpaper* between 2007 and 2023. She reports on design, tech, art, architecture, fashion, beauty and lifestyle happenings in the United States, both in print and digitally. Pei-Ru took a key role in championing diversity and representation within Wallpaper's content pillars, actively seeking out stories that reflect a wide range of perspectives. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two children, and is currently learning how to drive.
-
Porsche saves the best until last with the stunning 718 Boxster GTS 4.0
Could this be the last ever Porsche Boxster with a combustion engine? If so, the 718 GTS 4.0 is the best iteration of the Boxster to date
-
Vinyl, darts, and design: how Audemars Piguet reimagined the watch boutique for Manchester
The latest AP House from watchmaker Audemars Piguet displays design codes that nod to the legacy of its location
-
Copenhagen’s Noma opens its first café and flavour shop
OEO Studio transforms the former entrance to the three-Michelin-starred restaurant into a tactile space inspired by laboratory precision
-
Jamel Shabazz’s photographs are a love letter to Prospect Park
In a new book, ‘Prospect Park: Photographs of a Brooklyn Oasis, 1980 to 2025’, Jamel Shabazz discovers a warmer side of human nature
-
The Hammer Museum in Los Angeles launches the seventh iteration of its highly anticipated artist biennial
One of the gallery's flagship exhibitions, Made in LA showcases the breadth and depth of the city's contemporary art scene
-
Thomas Prior’s photography captures the uncanny fragility of American life
A new book unites two decades of the photographer’s piercing, uneasy work
-
Central Park’s revitalised Delacorte Theater gears up for a new future
Ennead Architects helmed an ambitious renovation process that has given the New York City cultural landmark a vibrant and more accessible future
-
Stephen Prina borrows from pop, classical and modern music: now MoMA pays tribute to his performance work
‘Stephen Prina: A Lick and a Promise’ recalls the artist, musician, and composer’s performances, and is presented throughout MoMA. Prina tells us more
-
Curtains up, Kid Harpoon rethinks the sound of Broadway production ‘Art’
He’s crafted hits with Harry Styles and Miley Cyrus; now songwriter and producer Kid Harpoon (aka Tom Hull) tells us about composing the music for the new, all-star Broadway revival of Yasmina Reza’s play ‘Art’
-
Richard Prince recontextualises archival advertisements in Texas
The artist unites his ‘Posters’ – based on ads for everything from cat pictures to nudes – at Hetzler, Marfa
-
The best Ruth Asawa exhibition is actually on the streets of San Francisco
The artist, now the subject of a major retrospective at SFMOMA, designed many public sculptures scattered across the Bay Area – you just have to know where to look