“I had been hearing about [the Gully Queens] through Akeem Smith, who’s of Jamaican descent. The story felt very similar to that of the kids who were living on Christopher Street in the mid-late ’00s, some of whom were close friends of mine. The story and struggles were very familiar, and I wanted to expose the harmonious beauty of the kids opposed to the extreme view that is projected onto them regularly”
Hood By Air's Shayne Oliver is always open to new collaborations.
"Back in the early months of 2016, Hood By Air impresario Shayne Oliver and photographer Pieter Hugo traveled to Jamaica to photograph the island’s transgender community, members of whom are known locally as Gully Queens, and male porn stars. The stark images of the men and women in HBA clothing were published in a book, PH & HBA, and made the rounds on social media for their sharp portrayal of the marginalized homosexual community in Jamaica, a country where being gay is illegal."