Caity Fares
Fares_1
 Kathy with a childhood photo, from the series , “Queer/Catholic,” 2013
Artist Statement
Catholicism and Queerness, despite common attempts at separation, are both wrapped around
similar themes of suffering, pleasure, and embodiment. However, these sorts of conversations
have been halted by the Catholic Church’s claims that homosexual actions are a sin. Declarations
like this have cast deeply painful shadows over LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender,
Queer) communities around the world, and have painted non-heteronormative identities as
dangerous and shameful. To personify this current situation, I use photography and collaborative
oral interviews to investigate LGBTQ experiences under the influence of Catholicism in
contemporary America. I am invested in the ways in which 21st century society perceives and
represents queer-identified people, and how struggles for inclusion have, in turn, shaped
Catholicism.Working with Dignity, (a nationwide Catholic group for LGBTQ people), the San Diego Lambda
Archives, and the San Francisco GLBT Archives has allowed me to weave together the
significance of community activism and historical experience that act as building blocks for a
richer understanding of contemporary conditions. My insider perspective growing up as Catholic
and Queer situates me in a place of compassionate understanding with the people photographed.