There are no homosexuals in Iran by Laurence Rasti
“In Iran, we do not have homosexuals like in your country.”
— Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, speaking at Columbia University, September 24, 2007.While today some Occidental countries accept marriage for gays and
lesbians, in Iran, homosexuality is still punishable by death. This
sanction prohibits homosexuals from living out their sexuality openly.
Their only legal options are to leave the country, hide their sexuality,
or choose transsexuality, a practice tolerated by law but also
considered pathological.In Denizli, a small town in Turkey, hundreds of Iranian gay refugees
have put their lives on pause while waiting to join a host country where
they can freely live their sexualities. In this context of uncertainty,
where anonymity is the best protection, this series of photographs
questions the fragile nature of identity and gender concepts. It tries
to give back to these people a face that their country has temporarily
stolen.— Laurence Rasti (via LensCulture)
See also:
– There are no homosexuals in Iran, a photo series by Laurence Rasti | Konbini
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