Honorable Mention / 2024 / Portraiture / Culture

• Photographer
  Michael Snyder, United States
• Studio
  Interdependent Pictures

Cumberland, Maryland was once “The Queen City”, a hub of industry and culture in Appalachia, a region known for its Bible Belt conservatism and Rust Belt work ethic. But with the gradual departure of industry the region fell into a slow descent into economic stagnation and cultural decline. But even here, flowers are growing in the cracked pavement: the local queer community has banded together to create a thriving drag scene, and – against all odds – built the largest Pride movement in the region, even as a growing backlash against drag queens has emerged across the United States.