04 Portrait

1st. Maya Giron / Rochester Institute of Technology

Roman Alexander Douset, 20, of Greece, N.Y., takes photos of themself prior to a photoshoot on Dec. 6, 2022. Roman has been an OnlyFans creator since they were 18 and hopes to promote positive and safe environments for women to work in the sex industry.

2nd. Maya Giron / Rochester Institute of Technology

Fawna (she/they), 21, or Nathan Cobbs (he/they) while out of drag, is a drag queen performer originally from Washington D.C. She came to Rochester in 2019 to attend University of Rochester and is now a fourth year studio arts and art history double major set to graduate in 2023. Outside of working on her senior thesis she performs in drag at multiple locations throughout Rochester including Photo City Music Hall, Roar, and Bug Jar. She has also performed at numerous locations in New York City as well as Washington D.C. “When I first started it was sort of just utilizing myself as a medium I guess…One as an extension of gender but also an extension of my own creative expression,” says Fawna “It’s an extension of myself.” Fawna is non-binary and feels her take on drag to be more alternative and strays from the traditional drag appearance. “I feel like I’m never really going for a hyper-fem type of vibe…I feel like the way I present it just wouldn’t mesh…But I think that sort of like [allows] me to present my take on femininity and not even just femininity but gender in a sort of way.”

3rd. Amanda Siow / Boston University

BOSTON, MA–2.16.23–Jane Priester gazing at her reflection on an antique mirror in Fabled Antiques. Jane is wearing clothing from her own eponymous clothing brand, where she sells high-fashion pieces handmade from existing scrap or found fabrics.

HM. Devon Lewis / University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth

It’s a common struggle to feel like we’re constantly falling short of the perfect life or ideal image that society expects of us. The pressure to measure up can lead to a pervasive sense of insecurity that can be difficult to shake. We find ourselves constantly comparing our lives to those of others, and it can feel like we’re always coming up short. But it’s important to remember that we’re all unique, with our own set of strengths and weaknesses. It’s okay to be imperfect and to embrace our individuality, rather than constantly striving to fit into someone else’s mold.