Fearless was hosted Tuesday, October 18 at 6:30 P.M. in Arts Building 111.

In many ways, student athletes live charmed lives. They’re the toast of the university, have access to a plethora of scholarships and spend their college years playing a sport they love.

Of course, we know it’s not that simple; student athletes constantly risk injury and have to live up to sky-high expectations. However, Jeff Sheng’s Fearless shines a light on an emotional struggle many athletes face. How does one navigate the macho culture of sports while being gay, transgender or any part of the LGBTQ+ spectrum?

Jeff Sheng, a renowned photographer featured in such publications as the L.A. Times, is just the man for that job. Growing up in Thousand Oaks, Sheng spent his teenage years as a closeted tennis player. “It wasn’t until my senior year that I started to think about my sexual orientation … I never saw a space in which I could accept who I was,” he said.

Sheng recounts his time at Harvard University. He developed an interest in photography, entered a relationship with a fellow athlete and began his Fearless project.

“There were very few athletes willing to be out,” he said. Sheng was very happy to find LGBTQ+ athletes willing to participate. Not only did Sheng photograph them, he learned their stories and got to know them as people.

The Fearless series began as an exploration of LGBTQ+ identity in the framework of student-athletes, but eventually grew into something more. Sheng’s experiences with his subjects and being able to learn about their struggles transformed Fearless into an effort to “make sports safe” for LGBTQ+ students.

Viewing the photographs through this lense is an illuminating experience. After all, sports are stereotypically macho, manly, straight. Our culture often expects athleticism to go hand-in-hand with heterosexuality, and homosexuality is unfortunately seen by many as a sign of weakness.

To see images of obviously athletic people proudly owning their LGBTQ+ identities puts an end to that notion, shattering stereotypes and showing the strength it takes to live in a society that so often treats them as “others.”

Jeff Sheng’s photographs are a revelation, giving new insight into LGBTQ+ identity, spreading awareness of their experiences and highlighting individuals that continue breaking boundaries and gaining acceptance wherever they chose to venture.

A selection of Fearless photographs are showcased in the Arts Building lobby outside Arts 111.