M. Sharkey is an American photographer who produces works of an almost erudite nature. But in the "Queer Kids" project he was more naturalistic and portrayed what a "gay adolescence" would be in his view.
"The idea for the project came from my desire to have a voice as a gay teenager. I desperately wanted to be counted and seen in the eyes of my peers," Sharkey told Out magazine. "Unfortunately, growing up and coming out in the 80s, as I did, proved to be a very difficult task."
The photographer observes that nowadays the world has moved forward, and the gay issue during puberty is much more open-ended. And it was this scenario that he focused on.
The photos were taken in real locations in California, New York, Colorado and Florida with ordinary people, and Sharkey has been taking the images for a few years, in continuous work. The result is a profusion of styles, energies and personalities, which does not ignore the transsexual issue – a rarity when talking about the topic of teen homosexuality.
