Iliana MemmoIn an all-girls Catholic high school in Manhattan, Iliana Memmo began to feel comfortable about her sexuality as a lesbian. As a sophomore, she cut her hair and embraced a tomboy look. “I came back after winter break and I had like my lesbian cut. And when I walked into the cafeteria, everyone gave me an applause. And I was shocked. And I would say that was my pivotal moment. That I could be myself and to have that kind of acceptance was very surprising [...] everyone just was cool with it.” In school, many of her fellow students were grappling with their own gender and sexuality, and confronting their own stereotypes about bisexuality and other forms of queerness. Through her own experiences, Iliana came to understand that identity formation is a process, “part of the adolescent period, where you're figuring yourself out.”

Photo Credit: Saveliy Ukhlin