American Boys: shooting the full spectrum of US masculinity
- Text by Huck
- Photography by Soraya Zaman
Back in 2016, photographer Soraya Zaman was on the hunt for a new long-term project. While they weren’t yet sure of the specifics, they knew they wanted to explore expressions of transmasculinity: Zaman identifies as non-binary masculine-leaning, so gender identity was – and is – a subject close to them.
Eventually, they settled on a series that would allow them to share and honour stories of those belonging to the transmasculine community. The result is American Boys, a portrait series taken across the United States, challenging dated conceptions of gender in the country.
“When you close your eyes and picture an ‘American Boy’, certain binary cis heteronormative stereotypes generally come to mind,” says Zaman. “So the title is an intentional call-out, and is meant to challenge these nostalgic and internalised ideas of American boyhood and the notion that masculinity belongs exclusively to cis men.”
“It aims to help unpack the misguided belief that gender identity must align with one’s sex assigned at birth and looks to challenge the way the viewers themselves’ perceive traditional binary gender roles.”
When it came to representing the entire breadth of the country, Zaman felt it was imperative to provide a platform for those living in small towns, as opposed to creating something that was, for instance, too New York or LA-centric. (“There is an extra level of bravery required to live and exist as a trans* person in smaller towns where community and safety can be harder to find.”)
Together, the subjects – discovered through Instagram – come together to form a picture of a young and inclusive America, during what is an increasingly precarious political climate. For Zaman, American Boys belongs to a wider movement fighting back against antagonistic forces in the country.
“The trans* community and our allies are speaking up and out against these dehumanising injustices in a more organised way and are choosing to be visible and celebrate identity,” they add.
“The paradigm is slowly shifting on a grass roots level and it’s the queer and trans* communities that is forcing this shift. American Boys and the recognition it is receiving is a testament to the grassroots movement, and a pushback against this division that is happening on an institutional level.”
American Boys is available from Daylight.
To see more of Soraya Zaman’s work, check out their Instagram or visit their official website.
Enjoyed this article? Like Huck on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.
Latest on Huck
In Photos: “Real life is not black and white” – Polaroid x Magnum Open Call winners
See pictures from the competition organised by two titans of contemporary photography, which called upon artists to reject the digitalisation and over-perfectionism of our modern world, technology and image-making.
Written by: Huck
In photos: Rednecks with Paychecks
‘American Diesel’ is a new photo series that looks at the people, places and culture behind the stereotypes of rural America.
Written by: Ben Smoke
How do you solve a problem like the music industry?
Beyond the Music is a conference and grassroots festival bringing together people from across the industry to try and grapple with the biggest issues facing it.
Written by: Ben Smoke
Laura Crane is waving goodbye to sexism in surfing
The first UK woman to surf the legendary big wave spot Nazarè, Crane is surfing the sea change in the sport and beyond.
Written by: Sam Haddad
Surreal Halloween portraits from 1970s San Francisco
Unhinged and otherworldly portraits of All Hallows Eve almost half a century ago form the basis of photographer Ken Werner’s new book ‘Halloween: A Fantasy in Three Acts’.
Written by: Isaac Muk
Battling Breast Cancer as a family of photographers
A new monograph documents the journey of a young family through a traumatic diagnosis in an intimate set of portraits.
Written by: Miss Rosen