• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
OUTvoices Nashville
  • News
    • Business
    • Politics
    • Human Interest
    • Letter to the Editor
    • Opinion
  • Entertainment
    • Art
    • Books
    • Drag Shows
    • Movies
    • Music
    • Theater
    • TV
  • Lifestyle
    • Family
    • Fashion
    • Food
    • Health
    • Sports
    • Travel
  • Community Resources
    • Nightlife
    • Calendar
    • Classifieds
    • Community Directory
  • Podcast
  • Magazine
    • Subscribe
    • Digital Archives
    • Where to find OUTvoices Nashville

Home » Entertainment » Books » It’s Time for a Rainbow Revolution

It's Time for a Rainbow Revolution

Published: Jan 7, 2021 · Modified: Jan 7, 2021 by James Grady 778 words. About 4 minutes to read this article.

Magnus Hastings’ new coffee-table book, Rainbow Revolution, presents sometimes intimate, sometimes outrageous portraits of queer identity, featuring subjects representing the entire spectrum of the LGBTQ rainbow.  Inspired by the photographer’s social media campaign #GayFace — a project that quickly became a viral sensation for — Rainbow Revolution features over 300 photographs of everyday individuals and celebrities like Kathy Griffin, Boy George, Luke Evans, and fan favorites from RuPaul’s Drag Race.

“The inspiration for Rainbow Revolution came from watching the world moving to a dark and right winged place,” says Hastings. “I wanted to create a project that was highly visible and unapologetically queer, and one that shouted with pride, defiance, humor, and joy because, after all, if the LGBTQ community is good at anything, it is laughing in the face of adversity.”

This project initially began with Hastings ruminating on “gay face” and how to capture expressions of that idea, but the idea took a turn when he was challenged by a transwoman, Roselyn Blumenstein, that the concept was too limiting and the title would prevent her from being able to sit for photographs. Hastings recalled her telling him, “I desperately want to be in your project, but I can't, in good conscience, be in it if it's called gay face, because I spent most of my life campaigning to be accepted by gay men in the queer community.”

Some soul-searching allowed him to capture the heart of what he wanted to do—capture how LGBTQ people across the gender and sexuality spectrums want to express themselves.

“I came up with this whole little idea—a box is a square and a square is the most social media friendly thing. And, if it's a white box, it's going to bounce light around and be gorgeous and make everyone look great! Plus, then it's theater, and people can create things and create a world and express themselves how they want.”

Getting to the book deal was a long-haul endeavor, but Hastings knew how he’d market the idea and get exposure for the project: “I thought, ‘What if I asked hand-picked people, on the same day, at the same time—if we're going to do social media, so it's all secret—everyone drops their image across social media platforms at the same time?’”

With those concepts fleshed out, Hastings built his box in three days, and began putting out feelers for test subjects.

“I got Alaska to be my guinea pig, and when I saw how it turned out, I went, ‘It's gonna be amazing!’ So, I then went about enlisting people. For three months, I shot about 120 people: I went to San Francisco, to New York, Los Angeles. And I was living in this kind of dread, that the whole thing could be completely ruined—anyone could leak. I didn't send anyone their pictures. No one was allowed to even see their picture!”

There’s a lot more to the story so for the full interview, check out my podcast where Hastings goes into the full details!

Accompanying Hastings’ compelling and beautiful photos are powerful essays from select subjects, detailing their personal battles. “The essays elevate the book for me and give it a purpose beyond the social media recognition the images have gained,” says Hastings.

When asked to discuss some of his favorite images and subjects, Hastings had quite a few examples. But one he shared when we talked was one he has often discussed: Ruby.

“Of all the extraordinary people I have been lucky enough to photograph in one of my boxes, I think Ruby has impacted me most,” revealed Hastings.

A gay couple and their family arrived to shoot, and Hastings was introduced to the children, including a sweet, shy kid called Jacob. Jacob had a hard time getting out of his shell, until Hastings got him to do a headstand. Jacob’s dads then informed Magnus that Jacob would like to become Ruby for the shoot. Jacob left, and Ruby, his red dress-clad person returned, all shyness erased!

"As a child who sometimes wore dresses, I identified with Ruby,” Magnus Hastings reflects. “I was deeply moved to see Ruby's adoring parents allowing their child to be themselves.  It is really exciting that the spectrum of what is accepted and celebrated today is broadening so fast allowing people like Ruby to find their tribe and belong."

Magnus Hastings’ Rainbow Revolution has been available everywhere books are sold since November 24. A portion of print sales from Rainbow Revolution will go to Magnus Hastings’ chosen charities: True Colors United in the USA and the Albert Kennedy Trust in the UK. Digital galleries can be seen and prints can be purchased at magnushastings.com.

 

Previous Post: « Capturing the LGBT Spectrum, with Photographer Magnus Hastings
Next Post: DJ Killa Chris’ Top Tracks »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Lastest Issue

Ravanna-Michelle E. Menendez in a Michelle Visage look for International Transgender Day of Visibility

Recent Stories

PabloYSebas cover

After Dark Extra: Webcam/TikTok Duo PabloySebas Turn Heads with Live Shows

Solomun - The Center Will Not Hold

DJ Killa Chris’ Top Tracks - April 17, 2021

Gustavo Ferraro

Sex Work and Depression, With Gustavo Ferraro

Aron Solomon, Head of Digital Strategy for NextLevel.com

Opinion: Anti-Trans Bills Gain Oxygen This Week

Monica Roberts - Transgriot

Celebrating Monica Roberts: A Transgriot Tribute

CASHEW - Bite

DJ Killa Chris’ Top Tracks - April 10, 2021

Editor's Pick

After Dark Extra: Webcam/TikTok Duo PabloySebas Turn Heads with Live Shows

DJ Killa Chris’ Top Tracks - April 17, 2021

Sex Work and Depression, With Gustavo Ferraro

Opinion: Anti-Trans Bills Gain Oxygen This Week

Celebrating Monica Roberts: A Transgriot Tribute

Footer

↑ home

OUTvoices

  • National
  • Chicago
  • Kansas City
  • Phoenix
  • Out & About Puerto Vallarta
  • News Channel 5 Out & About Today

Subscribe

  • Sign Up! for our newsletter emails and updates
  • Subscribe to OUTvoices Nashville Magazine

Stay Connected

Contact

  • Contact
  • Advertise

About

  • About OUTvoices Nashville
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions

Copyright © 2002 - 2021 OUTvoices Nashville formerly Out & About Nashville,
an Aequalitas Media company.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email