VICE Media’s Broadly has released a rich and representative collection of all-new stock photography entitled: “The Gender Spectrum Collection: Stock Photos Beyond the Binary”, which will be available free for all media outlets.
The collection, directed and curated by VICE’s Broadly team and photographed by noted trans photographer/artist and producer Zackary Drucker, is made up of nearly 200 new images of trans and non-binary individuals intended to portray the under-represented community without clichés.
These are original photos depicting trans and non-binary people with careers, relationships, talents, passions, and home lives.
The Gender Spectrum Collection signifies a step toward improved representation of one of the world’s most diverse and historically poorly represented communities.
To further that goal, rather than solely deepening VICE Media’s internal library of stock photos, the company is making the entire collection available to other media organizations through a Creative Commons license.
Broadly encourages fellow media outlets to use them widely and responsibly, and to commission their own nuanced depictions of trans and non-binary people whenever possible.
Broadly editor-in-chief, Lindsay Schrupp said: “At a time of heightening visibility for transgender and non-binary people in mass media, there is a serious scarcity of photos available to media that accurately reflect the lives and experiences of transgender and non-binary people.
“While we originally set out to create this gallery for our own use, we hope to help set a new industry standard by making these available to all media outlets.”
This collection continues the trend over the last several years to increase diversity in stock photos across race, gender, body size, ability and more.
Schrupp added: “The stock photos we see in the media every day are reflective of how we view ourselves and the world around us.
“They also have the power to shape our perceptions of communities, challenge our biases, and help us visualize a better, more inclusive world.
“We hope the Gender Spectrum Collection helps to reduce harmful stereotypes and show trans and non-binary people as they really are—with fully lived lives, relationships, and experiences.”
At B&T, we believe initiatives like this can shape and influence culture. That’s one of the reasons we created Changing the Ratio, Australia’s diversity and inclusion conference for the advertising industry. Check out the 2019 schedule today.
