This is Micha

Fierce, tender and brave

The first time Micha entered my orbit it was through a YouTube video of him speaking at a competition called SpeakerSlam in 2018. He told a story of the hatred he encountered being a gender fluid, gay Jamaican man and the encounters of homophobia and racism in Toronto.

Within seconds, I dropped everything I was doing and was enthralled by Micha’s talk.

I had never seen anyone be so honest in a talk before. His stories were powerful and brave, and he shared them with so much magnetism and realness.

It was clear to me there was something very special about Micha.

I told myself there and then, “I need to take this human’s photo.”

Our first encounter

The next memory I have of Micha was at my loft. I was interviewing him for a podcast project I was working on, and we dove right in.

Nothing was off limits for Micha. I could say we talked about “sex” and “spirituality” but so many podcasts talk about sex and spirituality, and I have never heard stories like the ones Micha shared.

I was deeply moved by his authenticity and his willingness to talk about experiences that most people would shy away from sharing.

This was the freedom that Micha embodied. He was unwilling for anyone but himself to define who he was, and unwilling to be anyone but himself.

The soul of an artist

The next memory I have of Micha was him standing fully naked, in my photography studio.

In 2019 I started a project called SoftMen. I wanted to create art by photographing men who choose to soften the walls around their hearts and show the world their true selves.

The vision for this project was to capture men without their armour and also without any clothes. The project was instantly polarizing; people either loved or hated it.

Micha loved it, and immediately said yes.

Those photos we took together are so special, and the conversations we had throughout the shoot really impacted me.

I learned that Micha is truly multidisciplinary; he sings, dances, does stand-up comedy, and gives impassioned speeches. He’s written books, made music videos, done cabaret shows, and I am sure a ton more.

I think what drew me to Micha is that I saw in him another soul that understands we are here on Earth to fully experience being human, and to experience all the ways we can express ourselves.

I could see that our greatest expression is not a fixed attachment to an identity or concept, but one that is truly fluid.

Not interested in labels

The last memory I wanted to share was a conversation we had during one of our photoshoots together. This was the third time I photographed Micha and at this point, we were friends. We had a deep trust and comfort with each other, founded upon years of honest and deep conversations.

Towards the end of our photoshoot, I wanted to ask Micha about something that was going on in the news regarding an LGBTQ+ issue.

“Can I ask you something related to an LGBTQ+ matter?”

Micha stopped me, and said something like, “I am the worst person to ask about that stuff because I don’t really keep up.”

My brain initially did not compute. How could Micha, who I saw as a powerful, passionate, and inspiring figure, not follow LGBTQ+ news?

It took me a moment to understand, but it struck me that not all queer individuals follow every development within the queer community.

I became aware that LGBTQ+ is an umbrella term. Sort of how someone might be a jazz musician, without necessarily listening to the radio or knowing what’s going on in the industry, let alone be a representative for the genre as a whole.

My point is that Micha was not concerned with labels and categories; he just wanted to be himself.

There was no one part of Micha’s identity that defined him because he was forever blossoming. Forever fluid, in mind, body and soul.

I think all of us can learn from his example.

Shine your freaking light.

Not for fame.

Not to validate some sort of identity.

Shine it because it’s true and it’s YOU.

Thank you Micha for this powerful lesson, and for your friendship and warmth over the past few years.

It’s meant a lot to me.

Big love,

D

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