At the age of 16, Diana Davies dropped out of high school to instead work at coffeehouses where she was introduced to a plethora of various types of music. As music sparked her interest in her early years, she began working as a musical theatre technician and became interested in photography. As a result, she became acquainted with Sis Cunningham and Gordon Friesen who were both affiliated with human rights activism which started Davie’s interest in human rights photography. Sis Cunningham and Gordon Friesen were such a critical part of Davie’s photography because not only were they so involved in human rights activism, but also victims to imbalances of justice, which Diana was able to recognize. In the early 1960's as well, Diana Davies met Kay Tobin Lahusen and the two ended up successfully collaborating in photography. When collaborating, the two intended "their portrayals as a corrective to the negative images of gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgender people in popular culture". In other words, both Davies and Lahusen were determined to challenge negative stereotypes surrounding the LGBTQ+ community.  By becoming aware of several social issues during this time, and becoming aqquainted with other activists, Diana used her knowledge of these injustices to create collections of photographs, including “The Homosexual”.

Gay, Roxane. Love and Resistance. Roxanne Gay, 2019.

Davies, Diana. “Diana Davies Papers.” Smith College Finding Aids, smith.edu/repositories/2/resources/596. Accessed 17 Mar. 2024.