TransCuba, from photographer Mariette Pathy Allen, documents the lives and experiences of transgender individuals living and working in Cuba.
Allen has been documenting transgender culture on a global scale for more than 30 years and previously won the Lambda Literary Award for The Gender Frontier. Published by Daylight Books, this compelling new work from Allen serves as a monograph of transcoder culture specifically within Cuba, with 80 color photos accompanied by personal essays and interviews.
![transcuba]()
“The people who comprise what we understand as transgender have always existed, but the understanding of who they are and how they can participate in society is new," Allen notes in TransCuba. "As the Cuban population as a whole gains greater personal freedom, it will hopefully continue to be reflected in the treatment of sexual minorities. I can envision a future time when mainstream society will be so free of judgment and prejudice that gender-variant people will be appreciated as teachers who show the rest of us how to liberate ourselves from the rigidity of gender roles and find alternative ways of integrating mind and body. For now, though, I just want to celebrate the inherent beauty, artistry, and humor of the Cubans I was so fortunate to meet.”
Check out a slideshow of images from TransCuba below and head here for more information about Allen.
Allen has been documenting transgender culture on a global scale for more than 30 years and previously won the Lambda Literary Award for The Gender Frontier. Published by Daylight Books, this compelling new work from Allen serves as a monograph of transcoder culture specifically within Cuba, with 80 color photos accompanied by personal essays and interviews.
“The people who comprise what we understand as transgender have always existed, but the understanding of who they are and how they can participate in society is new," Allen notes in TransCuba. "As the Cuban population as a whole gains greater personal freedom, it will hopefully continue to be reflected in the treatment of sexual minorities. I can envision a future time when mainstream society will be so free of judgment and prejudice that gender-variant people will be appreciated as teachers who show the rest of us how to liberate ourselves from the rigidity of gender roles and find alternative ways of integrating mind and body. For now, though, I just want to celebrate the inherent beauty, artistry, and humor of the Cubans I was so fortunate to meet.”
Check out a slideshow of images from TransCuba below and head here for more information about Allen.