Kissing America Under Our Bedsheets

Kissing America Under Our Bedsheets explores my husband Stephen’s troubling past, the institutions that endanger our rights, and our marriage—viewed through the lens of home. These themes intersect in a project centered on love that endures even in the face of immense tribulation. In 2021, during therapy, Stephen uncovered that his childhood church—where his father was a minister—had been deemed a cult. As tensions with his parents escalated, the hope that they would ever confront their homophobia felt futile. When we married in 2023, it was deeply troubling—yet not surprising—that neither of his parents attended. Conservative Christians seek to erase narratives like ours from both the pulpit and the floor of Congress. The discriminatory figures in Stephen’s life symbolize the terrifying push for anti-LGBTQ+ legislation. For us, marriage is at stake; for others, their very lives are. Within this project, I depict us in a domestic space—contemplative yet at peace, often lying in bed. Through love and authenticity, these images affirm that queer people embody divinity, a truth that stands in direct opposition to the rhetoric of certain politicians. To connect Stephen’s present to his past, I incorporate religious motifs. Like faith, the concept of home is constructed. For us, home is not defined by geography but by security. My home is with Stephen. Stephen’s story is unique yet all too familiar. The broken relationships in our lives may never heal, but we have each other. To live honestly is both radical and profound.