Divas of San Francisco: Portraits of Transsexual Women
by David Steinberg

For over five years, David Steinberg has been photographing transsexual women who frequent San Francisco’s Divas Nightclub and Bar, the premier transgender club in the U.S. With this collection of intimate, revealing portraits, Steinberg honors the individuality, diversity, and fierce integrity of a group of people who are alternately ignored and fetishized, but rarely acknowledged and appreciated for who they really are.

These 59 full-page color portraits of transsexual dancers, bartenders, lip-sync performers, disc jockeys, regulars, and visitors reach beneath an often glamorous surface to present a broad spectrum of remarkable women in all their complexity – their joy, sadness, strength, uncertainty, toughness, vulnerability and, most of all, their courage in embracing the core of who they know themselves to be in the face of a misunderstanding, frightened, and often hostile world.

Signed copies available from me for $25.00 postpaid (half price). Send check to P.O. Box 641312, San Francisco, CA. 94164.

For more information, e-mail directly at eronat@aol.com.


What people are saying about Divas of San Francisco:

“David Steinberg’s Divas portraits provide an inside track to a world that only he could have penetrated at this level. They are haunting, beautiful, and leave you wanting more, as brilliant portraits do.” – Barbara Nitke, photographer, lecturer, author of Kiss of Fire

“Steinberg’s photos are a provocative conversation about sensuality, sexuality, sadness, bravado and, most of all, courage. Kudos to the women of Divas and the man brave enough to portray their stories.” – Allena Gabosch, Director, Seattle Erotic Art Festival

“Steinberg documents his subjects compassionately, showing their inner depth and loveliness. Beautiful work from a world that most people know nothing about.” – Carol Queen, Ph.D., cultural sexologist

“David Steinberg’s images bring the viewer inside the true humanity of his subjects, capturing the vulnerabilities, fears, and insecurities of a community that often hides behind brash bravado. The level of trust he established to get these images is remarkable.” – Jim Duvall, photographer

“Steinberg’s photos reveal an intense vulnerability and beauty that repeatedly take your breath away.” – Marianna Beck, Libido Films

“You know you’re supposed to be looking at their bodies, but you find yourself looking at their faces instead.” – Barbara Carellas, author of Urban Tantra