YAOI Long Island

YAOI Long Island was shot at the Watermill Center on Long Island, New York, where a group of young LGBT members interact socially for the first time—through play, conversation, and even swimming. The mood creates an intimacy that allows these young people to talk to one another about their gender concerns. Some are lesbian, others bisexual or transgender.

In many cases, the participants come from a social background that can be described as deprived. They feel that, in some way, they do not fit in—and their gender challenges are not the only ones they have to confront. With the Watermill Center's sleek and polished museum as a backdrop, this group of searching teenagers expresses their awkwardness and honesty as they attempt to grapple with so many aspects of the world around them. They may feel like ugly ducklings, yet their youth and optimism somehow shine through what might otherwise enshroud them in gloom.