As we bid farewell to Summer, photographer Steven Menendez shares this stunning new photo series with The Queer Review shot in August, 2025 in Cherry Grove, Fire Island.
Steven Menendez: In this photo essay, I set out to explore and celebrate the beauty of male intimacy – one that embraces emotional openness, vulnerability, and tenderness. These moments challenge traditional notions of masculinity, offering a softer, more expansive expression of what it means to connect as men in a world that seems to judge male softness as a weakness and not a strength.
The images were taken in Cherry Grove, a place that for nearly a century has served as a sanctuary for artists and the Queer community. In Cherry Grove, self-expression and personal freedom are not just accepted, but joyfully celebrated. Against this backdrop, I sought to capture the quiet power of connection – the kind that transcends stereotypes and speaks to our shared humanity.
Special thanks to The Belvedere Guest House and Cherry Grove resident Joshua C David for allowing us to shoot at your lovely spaces.
Models: @sweetjeffrey and @koyotokaleb / Photographer: @steven_menendez_official
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