Deaf Queers: An Untold Perspective of Living Through The AIDS Crisis

Chad Unger is a Deaf-Queer visual artist whose project aims to document the experiences of Deaf Queer elders and highlight their contributions to the LGBTQ+ community. Chad grew up in Maryland with a Deaf family, actively involved in the Deaf community, and primarily communicated through American Sign Language, which shaped his unique perspective on storytelling. After coming out in 2018, Chad sought out Deaf Queer stories and was inspired to preserve their experiences before they were lost. His goal is to inspire both the deaf and queer communities to appreciate these elders and the communities they forged to sustain hope for future generations.

Chad's project is both creative and educational, documenting the essence of the Deaf Queer community's struggles and triumphs. The project is not only a celebration of the Deaf Queer community but also a reminder that their stories need to be documented and preserved for future generations. The photo book and short film will serve as a time capsule for the Deaf Queer community's stories, providing a visual and emotional connection for future generations to learn from and appreciate.

The photo book will consist of portraits taken on a large format and/or medium format film camera, printed in the darkroom individually. Video recorded interviews with each participant will be conducted, and some of the video stills will be used in the photo book. Chad will also be collecting handwritten texts of the participants and placing them underneath the print in the style of Jim Goldberg. Alongside the portraits, there will be scanned photographs of the participants’ past selves living their authentic life.

The project aims to publish the photo book in late 2023 and have a show at a gallery alongside the photo book’s release. The show will consist of the photographs framed in a large size, photographs of the Deaf Queers from their past, and documentary shorts. This will be the first documented book/video and show on Deaf Queers. The goal is to bring all of the stories of Deaf Queers in one place to hold and respect those who have experienced the crisis and those who passed away from the crisis. Not only that, the show will impart the history of Deaf Queers community for the next Deaf Queer generation.