Tunisia, Tunis. 26 November, 2016. A posed portrait of 21 year old, gender queer person Rzouga (+216 24739501, rzougaselmi@gmail.com, IG: rzouga.selmi). Rzouga is an LGBTQI+ activist but is not publicly ÔoutÕ: ÒAs a non binary gender queer person IÕve never been able to express myself the way I want to because I may be called ÒfaggotÒ ÒsissyÒ ÒpervertÒ etcÉÓ He has come out to his family though. His mother, when he told her, asked him to go to a psychologist. He agreed. In his first consultation, he would not say he identifies as LGBTQI+ fearing the psychologistÕs reaction. The second time though, when he entered he said Ògood morning, IÕm a homosexual person. I was not raped, I was not forced to be. I was born and I choose to stay as a homosexual person. I am not having a problem with myself as a gay person.Ó To his surprise, his psychologist was supportive in particular in dealing with his mother. 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.

Rzouga /

“As a gay person I’ve always been afraid of going to jail. But it’s ok, I’ve growing so much and things are changing so fast now I’m aware of my rights and I can defend myself and be part of the change and advocate for equal rights. As a human being I’ve always failed in finding the ‘one person’ that I can call soul mates because of the cultural restriction and the backwards traditions that doesn’t tolerate love in a different way but it’s ok I feel the love among family friends and country love, but as a non binary gender queer person I’ve never been able to express my gender identity the way I want because I may be called ‘faggot’ ‘sissy’ ‘pervert’ and a lot of other terms.

In this case I can’t say it’s okey I can’t find a solution because if I express it with confidence the insults may stop but the the action, the violence may come and that will risk me a lot.”

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