Gay Life in New York, Between Oppression and Freedom
The photographs of Luis Carle document the hopes, crises and dreams of his generation in the LGBT community, which endured discrimination and AIDS while fighting for acceptance.
Luis Carle sees himself, and his work, as a bridge — between the gay and straight communities, between the younger and older generations of the L.G.B.T. community, and between past and the present. The Puerto Rican photographer was 17 when came out in San Juan in 1980, and in subsequent years witnessed the AIDS crisis, the culture wars, and the march toward broader L.G.B.T. rights. All along, he made pictures of his community and the seismic waves that were reshaping it.