Diana Davies started to see photography as a career and less of a hobby in the 1960s. She worked for the New York Times and was sent to photograph things like war. This started her career in human rights work. She was also taking photos of and supporting the Civil Rights Movement and theater productions. Davies was present during the Stonewall Riots and is a member of the LGBTQ+ community. This specific piece, The Homosexual, was photographed mere months after the riots occurred for an exhibition of the same name. 

This helps the audience understand the intention behind the image. Davies did not see the LGBTQ+ community as “sinful” or “disgraceful”. She saw queer people as people. She believed that they deserved to exist and be portrayed in a positive light. Davies also worked with and knew her subject personally, so the work feels more "involved" and less like a business transaction.

Manuscripts and Archives Division, The New York Public Library. "GLF "Gay-In"" The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1969 - 1972. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/1a9e2f30-2736-0137-a21b-69759a...