“Maybe, just maybe, we can create a future world where no one needs to cover their face, change their name, hide who they are. A future world where everyone’s story matters. A future world in which love is never illegal.”

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. Bigotry thrives where we are silenced by fear. Therefore, in this TEDx University of Nicosia talk Robin Hammond shares stories of discrimination and survival; stories that matter from where love is illegal. Stories that need to be heard.

Robin Hammond is the recipient of the W.Eugene Smith Fund for Humanistic Photography, a World Press Photo prize, the Pictures of the Year International World Understanding Award and four Amnesty International awards for Human Rights journalism. He is also a foreign policy 2015 global thinker for championing forbidden lives of LGBT around the world.

Robin Hammond has dedicated his career to documenting human rights and development issues around the world through long-term photographic projects.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at: http://ted.com/tedx