"I am More than Meets the Eye": An Arts-Based Research Project Centering the Photographic Voices of Transgender, Nonbinary, and Gender Expansive Undocumented and Displaced People

Informed by queer theory and a feminist intersectional lens, this article centers the visual voices of five transfeminine refugees and asylum seekers living in Athens, Greece. We present the findings from our photovoice research project where we gave cameras to undocumented and displaced transgender, nonbinary and gender expansive (TNBGE) people of color (from Syria, Cuba and Iraq) to represent their perspectives and lived experiences. Photovoice uses the immediacy of the visual image and accompanying stories to provide voice and to promote an effective, participatory means of sharing individuals' experiences and expertise. After the participants in this photovoice project took a series of photographs, we engaged in in-depth individual and group discussions about their life stories and the meanings behind their visual representations. We also presented their photographs in two community-based art exhibits. In this manuscript, we share their photographs and narrative themes related to: identity and belonging; physical and mental health challenges of displacement as this intersects with gender identity; and hopes, dreams and visions for a future without borders. We highlight the power of photovoice methodology as a useful tool for clinical social work practice with TNBGE people. We conclude with implications for clinical social work with TNBGE people who are undocumented and displaced, that incorporate the intersections of arts-based and anti-oppressive approaches to practice, policy and research.