This photograph, taken last year at the #ProtectTransStudents protest in Washington, DC USA, has gone somewhat viral in the year since it has been taken (over 10,000 views).
As I review the use of my photographs on a regular basis (and have a system that notifies me of such use), I happened upon a blog that used my photo to adorn a piece with significant transphobic, anti-human views.
I am continually impressed by the experience of interacting with people who express the most violent, most anti-human sentiment, who are so kind and gentle when I inform them that the license to use my work has been terminated. This has pretty much been the case, for each termination (which I can count on one, maybe two hands, a rare occurence).
I think this says something about the human spirit and the desire of all people to be compassionate, if they have the knowledge and skills to be so. My generation of physicians is happy to serve purpose this way 🙂 .
I have a very clear recollection of the scene in which the photograph was taken. A family was walking through Lafayette Square and happened on the protest. They stopped, the mother of the children asked them to pose and then took a photograph with her SLR camera. I took a photograph of the photograph being taken. It was clear to my eyes that the interest of capturing her children in support of other children was by intention, not random. Speaking of the human spirt.
I’m not going to post the back and forth I had with the author, just the final message, because the future always has the final word, 100% of the time.
__,
None of this changes the fact that I own the rights to the photograph and I alone get to decide if it gets to be used. The license has been terminated, my comments stand as they are.
I will extend the ban on all of my photos for you to make things easy, so consider the license terminated for you from this point on. The science is available to you in the medical literature, feel free to take a look when you have some free time.
Until then, thanks so much for responding to my requirement, and for your wishes for a healthy existence for myself and mine. Same to you!
Best,
Ted Eytan, MD
Washington, DC USA
It’s not what you preach, it’s what you tolerate. Enjoy the photographs.