Despite gains made in many parts of the world, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) people are, in some regions, increasingly persecuted and denied basic human rights. Because bigotry thrives where we are silenced by fear, we've created this space for people to share stories of discrimination and survival. Read these stories, share them, and contribute your own. Let the world know that we will not be silent.

Michael/

“My journey started with fear and others knowing my attraction was for boys, trying to change, trying to fit, ran away unable to accept who I was”

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Bob Frew/

“Since I had already experimented and enjoyed teenage sexual excursions with other boys, I knew that she was talking to me, and that was enough to put me in the closet.”

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Sharon Durrant/

“The homophobic behaviors I have experienced in my life have been subtle and over, intentional and unintentional”

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Elliot & Peyton/

“Growing up in rural Louisiana is unlike everything in the world – beauty beyond what I can describe. But the culture surrounding me was much different.”

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Eshan Regmi/

In many places the ‘I’ is kept separate from LGBTI. But within the I—the same way man and women can have different sexual orientation and gender identity—its the same with an Intersex person.

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Marcel/

“My junior brothers and my parents do suspect me, but I always find a way to educate them on my sexual life. They don’t really feel comfortable, but my Dad and Mum said they love me who I am and accept me the way I am.”

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Avelino & Neston/

We are a gay couple, we are a couple together for almost 4 years, like a common couple we have gone through many problems, but love has always spoken louder.

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Amine/

“My family beat me, so I tried to commit suicide several times. One day I fell in love with a boy who lived in Libya, so I joined him there.
I was caught by the libyen police, they wanted to kill me. They beat me and detained me for 7 days.
I had to move back to Tunis and stay away from my love…a piece of me.
He got married, even though he is gay, and it depressed me…”

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F.J./

“Every time I introduce myself I am asked what I have come to refer to as the ‘Annoying Inevitable Question’: ‘What does FJ Stand for?’ the selection of a name is a critical part of the transition process of a transgender individual.”

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Noelle/

“she told me to be Be-You-Tiful- be you because the real you is beautiful and you’re not here for the approval for anyone so give yourself a break and Be-You-Tiful. These words stuck with me and formed part of me in a literal sense as I had it tattooed on my chest as a reminder to myself every day when I wake up and I am preparing myself for the day ahead. This is the first time I’m speaking so candidly to such a large audience about my gender identity but at this point I really don’t care. I am Jamaican and trans is beautiful and I am beautiful.”

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Wolfheart/

“The crime was that I am homosexual, and the punishment was forty days in jail losing my job, and losing my partner.”

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Jessie/

“This is the tradition. I know he will keep trying and if he doesn’t do it with his own hand one of the family members will… but I was born this way and I will die this way!”

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Ocean Antin/

“I grew up in a small town in rural Alberta, where I learned early that something about me wasn’t acceptable.”

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Amir/

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“My dream is to live somewhere safe, where I can be myself and help others who’ve suffered like I have.”

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Brian Watkins/

“I had thought I was going to die but I did not because of the meds.”

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Christopher/

“My greatest fear is if one day we get arrested by Iranian police and deported back, we will be killed by Father before we get killed by the Taliban.”

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Katherine/

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“Embrace the side of yourself that feels shameful or wrong and channel that into your power. You contain multitudes and are much more resilient than you think.”

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Lucretia/

With KNESWO, help Bring Christmas Joy to LGBTQI and Queer Refugees in urban areas and camps this year.

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Skye Lee/

“I am prepared to unfurl my wings and share love, positivity, and inspiration with people across the globe.”

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Prasenjit Das/

“Being attracted to men was, for me, just another facet of human nature.”

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Justin Anantawan/

“Queer Asian PHAs, especially newcomers, face the additional barriers such as lack of access to resources in their native language and social isolation.”

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Efendy/

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“I was shocked and in denial and scared. I started to think that no one would want to speak to me, that I would lose my job and that I would be completely rejected by society…I started thinking that I was better off dead.”

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Kaleb A Tak/

“I try to be the strange I wanna see in this world. I feel I am very lucky to live in a time where I can be so authentically myself.”

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Flor/

“EVERY 29 HOURS a LGBTQAI+ person dies because of their sexuality or gender identity. It’s very scary to be here.”

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Geneva Convention/

“I almost died in the Beirut Port Explosion, but what it taught me was that life is frail, life is fragile and life is silly.”

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Jelena Vermillion/

“We can experience ostracism, judgement, hatred violence, and contempt simply for being who we are or for the work we engage in.”

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Gaby/

“I felt sexualized, denigrated, reduced to a criminal and an abomination.”

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Emily Onizuka/

“What was wrong with me? Was I some cold-hearted monster who couldn’t feel love?”

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Cris/

“We are human, you are human. I am merely a mirror of everything you and a human can be. Do not let that anger you, let that free, heal and Inspire you to live authentically as you.”

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Lamiaa B./

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“I felt trapped and horrified. I was scared for her life, my life, and my family”

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Skinny/

“The Ballroom scene is a place where you can be free,free,free to be you spread your wind and fly high”

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Shemerirwe Agnes/

“Time is now, no one will speak for your rights if you don’t speak up”

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Komodo/

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“Queer Asian culture seems to only recently come out of the shadows, and its renaissance is now blossoming like a blooming lotus in muddy waters”

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Hadi/

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“I am a human being, hereby claiming my fluid essence, my right to be whoever I am and anyone I want to be whenever I wish it.”

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Linda/

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“As a trans person, you have two possible paths: work hard, get exploited, get nothing; or earn money. It’s not that you want to prostitute yourself, it’s that there is no other choice.”

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Isabella Gamk/

“I knew since age 12 that I should have been born female and I finally got became one at age 59.”

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Annastacia/

“My parental ‘hurdle’ to overcome was the feelings and internal biases regarding the perception of the process indicative of gender discovery.”

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Vaughan/

“My wish is that one day Queer kids can share similar stories to mine and that our journeys become a normalized part of society.”

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