Where Love Is Illegal – Page 11 – A Witness Change Project

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.

Arash/

Iran

“Here in Turkey it’s safer than Iran. In Iran I was worried each time I was leaving the house because of my appearance.” Photo by Bradley Secker

Biggie/

Uganda

“The world we sit with, we Kuchus, can be hurt, they beat you, attack you, rape you… But even with all this I have lived to be recognized as a leader, rugby player and a feminist who will continue to fight until all of us are see equal.”

Abie/

Indonesia

“I’m not exactly sure why I sent this to you. I guess I’m just really sick of staying inside of the closet and not having the option to come out. It’s suffocating. It’s okay if you don’t post this picture, at least you’d read this, and you’d know that I’m a lesbian, and I love her very much.”

Simon/

Uganda

“The mob started beating us with stones and sticks with nails saying that we were curses and needed to be killed.”

Abinaya/

Malaysia

“I’m lonely, homeless, in fear why because I decided to be who I am. Well who I am? I am Abinaya Jayaraman Transwomen, my gender is my identity and why i’m punished.”

D&O/

Russia

“Hold my hand, this is my reward for your courage.”

Ben/

United Kingdom

“As soon as I came out everything changed. I was so scared, I can’t go to town without people being rude… I haven’t fully accepted myself yet but when that day comes it will be the best day ever.”

Gad/

Syria

“Silence lives inside me in the darkness of fear and a despotic desperation…which settled in the hidden parts of the soul.”

Omar/

Sudan

“When I was 16 I felt attracted to guys, I was very afraid to get exposed, so I started searching in Google for a solution, “how to be straight? what should I do?”, and I remember reading lots of articles about gay people who wanted to be converted into straight, I did all the things they mentioned, but nothing changed, my feeling were still the same.”

Marduk/

Kuwait

“I have been living in hell since my family kicked me out of the house six years ago… I didn’t think that there is an ‘illegal human being’!”

Flavirina/

Burundi

“At school, the teacher asked me if I was a boy or a girl. I didn’t know what to say. “

Laser/

Israel

“My parents attempt to help me was by taking to me to gay cure therapy and I could only think of killing myself.”

Tiwonge/

Malawi

“In the year 2009 I got married to Steven, and it was the first gay marriage in my country. Then it was not allowed for gay people to get married in my country.”

Ricky/

United States

“I’m free but I’m not free…”

Boniwe/

South Africa

“Even now when I’m on the go, I am always looking out like I will hopefully see Ntsikie.”

Lindeka/

South Africa

“I’m afraid every night. I don’t know if there is someone out there waiting for me…”

Joseph/

Uganda

“I sometimes develop feelings of committing suicide because of this deep pain for whatever I went through.”

“Proud Ugandan Gay Man”

Anonymous/

Uganda

“When you point a finger at someone, be mindful of who the other fingers are pointing at.”

Buje/

Nigeria

“God should take your life away so that everyone will have peace because you have caused such shame to our family.”

Sally/

Syria

“My society is ruled by religions which strongly refuse my sexuality so I lived wearing the mask of a straight man.”

Bad Black/

Uganda

“My father asked me to leave his home if I don’t want to be killed.”

Gabriel/

Nigeria

“…you flogged me 25 times with a horse whip”

Grisha/

Russia

“We need to face the future, if so, it can’t be anything other than bright and cheery. Everything is in our hands.”

“Personal Experience”

DBS - Human Rights Activist/

Uganda

“Waiting in vain for love from my family, my own mother subjecting me to ‘corrective rape…”

Nisha/

Malaysia

“I left prison even without my crowning glory, which is my hair, as a survivor.”

Mitch/

Malaysia

“In spite of all this we are here, and we have a wonderful family and we are blessed to be surrounded by family and friends who love us and accept us as we are”

Khalid/

Iraq

“What we are facing is beyond what anyone could imagine, because reality is much worse than what I mentioned.”

M/

Syria

At first they threatened to cut my head off or shoot me – they would place the knife on my neck and say to me “are you ready to die”

“Love your neighbour”

K. Meiko/

Uganda

“Why should someone else’s private life offend you and drive you to such anger and hatred?”

Naomi & Delores/

Cameroon

“The day they arrested us, we felt humiliated.”

Wandji/

Cameroon

“If shame killed, I would have died at that moment.”

B/

Kenya

“I met him and that same night he proposed; it was first sight love.”

“My Story as a Lesbian”

Miriam/

Uganda

“I was raped and the bad thing I got pregnant but I thank God that I was not infected with HIV.”

Imran/

Uganda

“Where was I to start from? How when the only person I trusted in the world turned her back on me? “

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