Tunisia, Bizerte. 28 November, 2016. A posed portrait of 18 year old, gay man Chehinez (not his real name) (+216 55532321). ChehinezÕs effeminate self expression did not sit well with his conservative family. So much so that his father would beat him when he acted or expressed ideas outside the social norms of Tunisian society. ÒMy childhood was awful and I suffered a lot. I made my coming out at the age of 16, and I think now that it was the biggest mistake of my life. This period I tried to commit suicide because of judgments.Ó Photo Robin Hammond /NOOR for Witness Change. The Tunisian Revolution, also known as the Jasmine Revolution, was an intensive campaign of civil resistance, including a series of street demonstrations taking place in Tunisia, and led to the ousting of longtime president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in January 2011. It eventually led to a thorough democratization of the country and to free and democratic elections. Tunisian LGBTQI+ community hoped that the revolution would usher in a more open society, and an end to homophobia and transphobia. This has not come to pass. The laws that target LGBTQI+ people remain, most notably article 230 which makes same-sex acts illegal, punishable by up the 3 years in prison. Transgender people are targeted under public decency laws. The general public is no more accepting of LGBTQI+ people than they were before the revolution. Despite the legal and societal discrimination, LGBTQI+ activists are dedicated to campaigning more openly.

Chehinez /

“I believe that there is so much discrimination in our society. Everyone considers me as a criminal because I am effeminate, and because I express myself in a way against the norms of society. In addition to my voice which is also a bit feminine. We are in a homophobic society that adores conformity. My family is very conservative, sexist, and very homophobic. Since i was a kid, i was forbidden to play with dolls or other toys considered to be girly. I remember that my father beat me every time I said things or made gestures that are against society norms, or against constraints. My childhood was awful and i suffered a lot. I made my coming out at the age of 16, and i think now that it was the biggest mistake of my life. This period I tried to commit suicide because of judgments. Everyone told me that being gay is against nature but they did not convince me because I researched about sexual orientation and gender and I am totally satisfied with my personality.”

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