Why I made this book
Two summers I walked the streets of New York with my camera, listening and learning from people who opened their lives to me.
All of them had lost their homes, but not their dignity. They had been rejected by their families because of who they are, yet found strength in chosen families and community.
This book is born out of those encounters. It is not just a collection of images, it is a testimony of resilience, love, and survival in a world that too often looks away.
Why it matters
LGBTQIA+ lives are under attack. Across the world, especially in the USA, and close to home, rights are being rolled back, safety is threatened, and far too many are pushed onto the streets.
Homelessness among queer and trans youth and adults is not an isolated tragedy. It is the direct result of rejection, discrimination, and systems that fail to protect the most vulnerable.
From the Streets to the Heart refuses silence. Through portraits, voices, and stories, it confronts this crisis head-on demanding visibility, empathy, and change.
This book asks a simple but urgent question:
How can we accept a world where some are denied the right to home, safety, and to live as their true selves?
Bring the story to your walls
Alongside the book, I’m releasing a curated selection of limited edition prints from From the Streets to the Heart.
Each print is museum-quality, signed and numbered, available in a small edition only.
By collecting a print, you not only own a piece of this powerful project you directly support the visibility of LGBTQIA+ stories and the continuation of my documentary work.
from the streets to the heart
A powerful new photobook by Ernst Coppejans
Through portraits, cityscapes, and intimate stories, this book captures the resilience, vulnerability, and beauty of LGBTQIA+ people who have experienced homelessness in New York City.
An invitation to see, to feel, and to stand with those too often left unseen.
from the streets to the heart
A powerful new photobook by Ernst Coppejans
Through portraits, cityscapes, and intimate stories, this book captures the resilience, vulnerability, and beauty of LGBTQIA+ people who have experienced homelessness in New York City.
An invitation to see, to feel, and to stand with those too often left unseen.
Why I made this book
Two summers I walked the streets of New York with my camera, listening and learning from people who opened their lives to me.
All of them had lost their homes, but not their dignity. They had been rejected by their families because of who they are, yet found strength in chosen families and community.
This book is born out of those encounters. It is not just a collection of images, it is a testimony of resilience, love, and survival in a world that too often looks away.
Why it matters
LGBTQIA+ lives are under attack. Across the world, especially in the USA, and close to home, rights are being rolled back, safety is threatened, and far too many are pushed onto the streets.
Homelessness among queer and trans youth and adults is not an isolated tragedy. It is the direct result of rejection, discrimination, and systems that fail to protect the most vulnerable.
From the Streets to the Heart refuses silence. Through portraits, voices, and stories, it confronts this crisis head-on demanding visibility, empathy, and change.
This book asks a simple but urgent question:
How can we accept a world where some are denied the right to home, safety, and to live as their true selves?
Bring the story to your walls
Alongside the book, I’m releasing a curated selection of limited edition prints from From the Streets to the Heart.
Each print is museum-quality, signed and numbered, available in a small edition only.
By collecting a print, you not only own a piece of this powerful project you directly support the visibility of LGBTQIA+ stories and the continuation of my documentary work.