These LGBTQ+ Creatives Moved To NYC To Be Themselves

If you’ve consumed any popular culture from the last century, you know that people move to New York City to find themselves, chase their dreams, or escape their lives.

This ongoing portrait series by Alex Black documents youth from around the country who made their way to New York City and found a sense of identity. For them, identity and personal style are a daily performance, an important vehicle of self-expression, and a manifestation of their true selves.

I asked them why they escaped, what they’ve struggled with most, and what they wish they could tell their younger selves.