Lullaby....Bethany
Bethany is addicted to heroin and spends most hours of the day panhandling for money to support her habit. Her homestead at the corner of 6th Avenue and 8th street created tension for local business owners, police, and passerby. Bethany's acts of altruism and kindness are equally balanced by impulsivity and rage, which resulted in precarious situations for other people on the street. Constantly battling to be classified as female is a stressor that is a constant trigger, as well as being frequently misgendered by social workers, the health care system, and even the staff of the methadone program she participated in at Bellevue Hospital. The difficulties she routinely encounters concerning transgender issues eventually caused her to abandon recovery in order to avoid the resulting anger and pain. Bethany's intensity and complexity is captivating to all who meet her.
All images created using the Fujifilm X100V.
Invisibility Portrait
Bethany took her clothing off in an effort to prove that she is invisible to most people. She is deeply committed to the physical aspects of complete gender transition and has undergone irreversible surgical procedures. She still has some necessary reconstructive surgery that is critical for her to feel complete. She is unable to follow through because of severe addiction, homelessness and loss of medical benefits and personal identification. Without ID, homeless individuals cannot receive food stamps, cash assistance, psychiatric services or other medical benefits necessary for ongoing ongoing, sustained care.
Bethany on 6th Avenue.
Home on 6th Avenue on 8th street. Police, social workers, outreach teams, and business owners fought with Bethany daily to remove her from this location.
2nd Avenue at 3rd street.
When Bethany gets angry with people on the street who don't give her money or respond to her request for a cigarette, she can become explosively angry, sometimes hurling spit or verbal abuse as retribution.
confrontation with park guards in Washington Square Park. The guards refused to allow Bethany access to the Women"s Restroom.
Defiance Portrait
Defiance at being left without the ability to use the restroom while the park police were present. Removing her clothing is something Bethany does to prove to passerby that she is female, as well as testing the limits of those who see her, forcing them to react either negatively, positively or not at all.
Every dog that passes elicits a strong reaction. This dog is Scraps, who belongs to Dave also living on the street. Bethany's service dog is in the care of her mother, who will not allow Bethany to take the dog with her to live on the streets.
Drug sales in and around Washington Square Park in the West Village are a serious problem for people living in the neighborhood, and the subject of recent features in local papers. A quietly menacing presence at all hours that has caused police to place floodlights at the park's entrance.
Rush hour at 6th Avenue.
People who passed Bethany's possessions everyday often stopped to commiserate.
Gay Street
Subway at 6th Avenue
Through the tireless work of one social activist, Bethany was given a room in an SRO. She did not have to wait months for approval as is usually the case for people on the street, who often spend months or years waiting for housing. This change in her status immediately diffused the tense situation between her and local businesses on 6th Avenue where she slept. She is still waiting as of February 2020 for mental health and medical services. She panhandles at all hours in various favorite locations. Alternating between passively holding a sign and more aggressive forms of panhandling provides the money she needs to exist with her addiction. She still sometimes sleeps outside and feels that she is happy.
Bethany does not want to participate in a methadone program. She wants to continue panhandling to earn money for injectable drugs, living on the periphery.
She must receive ongoing hormonal therapy to support her gender transition but her lifestyle impedes her ability to complete her surgical, emotional and physical gender expression.
Bethany's last portrait.