The photoserie Black Queer Love photo series by Leonel Piccardo in collaboration with queer activist Naomie Pieter for the human rights movement BlackPrideNL back in summer 2020.
Black Pride NL is a human rights movement centering and celebrating the Black LGBTQIA+ community and other LGBTQIA+ communities of color.
The photoseries is a direct reaction on the graphic images/videos of Black people being killed because of police violence and other racial and anti-LGBTQIA+ violence during the COVID-19 pandemic. Like Ahmaud Arbrey, Tomy Holten, Breona Taylor, George Floyd, Riah Milton, Dominique Fells, and the trail of Orlando Boldewijn (may they rest in power).
The photoseries also respond to the lack of representation during the mainstream Pride celebration in the Netherlands and online. Piccardo and Pieter felt the urge to respond to this dehumanizing imagery and lack of representation by centering the Black LGBTQIA+ community through the concepts of love, healing, joy and (chosen) family.
Piccardo and Pieter knew each other before from a photoshoot where they worked together. Piccardo knew that Pieter is a queer activist so it felt logical to reach out to her. Together they started the journey that resulted in this ongoing photo series.
This photo series has been exhibited at the BlackArchives & OBA Amsterdam at the end of 2020. Picardo intends to expand this series and document more stories of the black LGBTQI+ community.
Special thanks to the Subjects, who open their homes for us:
Jennifer Muntslag
Christian Yav
Jeremiah Richardson
Zulu Green
Sherry Jae Ebere
Sunny Jansen
Axmed Maxamed
DJ Shug La Sheedah
Rellie Telg
Xiarella Lewis
Tieneke Sumter + Yentl Sumter
Andre Reeder + Ernistine Comvalius + Roy Wijks
Adwoa Rose Sarpong & Comfort Esther Kondeshon
Perry Gits
Quincy Miguel
Monai Nailah McCullough
Alexander Leslie & Guno Berkleef
Sean-Claude Neufville + Mike
Nassiri Belaraj
Miguella Garcia + Zeni Winter
Seven Angels
Elly Vineyard + Aitana T. Louboutin
Rae Parnell
Lawrence + Ashley
Sean-Claude Neufville
Christian Yav
Jeremiah Richardson
Zulu Green
Sherry Jae Ebere
Sunny Jansen
Axmed Maxamed
DJ Shug La Sheedah
Rellie Telg
Xiarella Lewis
Tieneke Sumter + Yentl Sumter
Andre Reeder + Ernistine Comvalius + Roy Wijks
Adwoa Rose Sarpong & Comfort Esther Kondeshon
Perry Gits
Quincy Miguel
Monai Nailah McCullough
Alexander Leslie & Guno Berkleef
Sean-Claude Neufville + Mike
Nassiri Belaraj
Miguella Garcia + Zeni Winter
Seven Angels
Elly Vineyard + Aitana T. Louboutin
Rae Parnell
Lawrence + Ashley
Sean-Claude Neufville
