Alexis ThompsonGraphic Design + Photography

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Graphic Designer and Photographer with a soft spot for risograph ink, concert lighting, and design that tells a story.

@alexisthompsss

The Queer Experience
Senior Thesis

2023 The queer experience is often one of navigating between utopia and dystopia. Queer individuals envision a utopia in which their identities are celebrated and their lives are free from discrimination and marginalization. This utopia involves a world where loving who you love is not only accepted but also celebrated and where societal structures are built to support and uplift individuals rather than exclude and oppress them. Finding this utopia in our personal lives often comes in the form of creating a community with our fellow queer peers.
However, LGBTQIA+ individuals also frequently encounter dystopian realities in their daily lives. Discrimination, violence, and harassment are all too common experiences for these individuals who often struggle to find acceptance in a world that values heteronormativity and conformity. Queer individuals may experience discrimination in the workplace, face violence on the streets, or encounter barriers to accessing healthcare and other resources.
Despite these challenges, many queer individuals continue to envision and work towards a better future, a utopia where their identities are celebrated and their lives are free from the constraints of heteronormativity and discrimination. Through activism, advocacy, and community-building, queer individuals are creating spaces and structures that offer glimpses of this utopia, providing safe havens for queer individuals and working to transform society at large.







"Queer Identities" - Publication
This zine was created to broadcast queer voices, and allow their stories to be heard. I posted an open call for any members of the LGBTQIA+ community who would be willing to participate in a photoshoot and contribute a written response to a prompt. The prompt was centered around the basis of my thesis, which is the utopic/dystopic aspects of the queer experience. I left this prompt very open-ended, as I wanted participants to talk about whatever parts of their experience they wished to. There is a beautiful mix of responses that showcase the range of what it means and is like to be a queer person. Every experience and person is unique, just like their stories. As for the photos, the location of the shoots were chosen by the participant; I had them pick a place that they loved or doing something they love. Capturing queer joy is incredibly important, and I want you the reader to be able to see a broader picture (no pun intended) of each of these individuals. They are all wonderful human beings with so many different hobbies, interests, and desires—being queer is just a facet of these individuals.

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