(Picture: Thomas Evans/Caters News)

Gender roles and terminology can be loaded for people in general but more so for the LGBTQ+ community.

A photographer has taken a series of powerful images to deconstruct the binary.

Thomas Evans, from Manhattan, New York, has been photographing masculine men in the nude for the Femme The Man campaign.

The 34-year-old took inspiration from the women’s march after Donald Trump’s leaked comment about grabbing women by the p*ssy.


He hopes to break down the labels and limitations of men and women with his series, that started two years ago.

(Picture: Thomas Evans/Caters News)

As a gay man, Thomas struggled with his sexuality and different sides to him. Now he embraces both his masc and femme qualities.



Featuring 25 models in the shoot, he hopes that the more people are seen to be embracing both masculine and feminine sides, the easier it will be for future generations.

‘I’m normalising the idea that you can be whoever you want to be, dress however you want to,’ he explains. ‘You don’t need to put yourself into a box, a category or under a label that society wants you to fit into.’

(Picture: Thomas Evans/Caters News)

‘I want to promote diversity, equality, compassion and love.

‘I choose models who outwardly look very masculine – with tattoos, facial hair, muscular and a rough look.

‘Growing up as a gay child, I felt a lot of shame, so I tried to hide who I was and created these walls, but now as an adult I recognise being able to access masculine and feminine is a gift.

‘Society is moving in such a rapid direction that gender is not male or female anymore, the new generation is gender fluid.

‘They don’t have to decide to be either a man or a woman in the world but can create their own path, I’m trying to normalise that idea.’

(Picture: Thomas Evans/Caters News)

Since starting the Femme the Man campaign in 2016, Thomas says there have been mixed reviews by spectators online – but that he is grateful it’s starting a conversation.

One of the models featured in the campaign has since gone onto live as a woman.

(Picture: Thomas Evans/Caters News)

‘The first person I photographed for the campaign is now living their life as a transgender woman, I gave the individual a safe place to express that and access their own feelings.’

Thomas said some of his favourite photographs were of African-American men whose images he believes to be particularly powerful.

He said: ‘Some of the images that I believe stand out most are the African-American men, I think they are more stigmatised in the community.

‘When an African-American man gets to show femininity and show that to the word I feel that is a very powerful statement.’

Let’s hope we see more campaigns that are deconstructing our limited notions of what a human being should and should not be.

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