Collapsed roofs and shattered dreams

In the past few months, I interviewed several members of the LGBTQIA community in northern and north-western Syria, to shed the light on an entirely overlooked community, in a land marked by one direction and one color. My aim was to break the stigma surrounding them and highlight their existence in this area, which is […]

FROM SYRIA TO TURKEY: A JOURNEY OF CONCEALED TRUTHS

Source: MY.KALI Words by Lara Bellone d’Altavilla1Illustrations by: Aude Nasr  When most Syrian LGBTQ persons flee to Turkey, they don’t do so seeking safety for their sexual orientation. Rather, they flee seeking safety from the conflict and violence that has endured in Syria for over 10 years. The ongoing conflict has left 2.8 million internally displaced people (IDPs) […]

Persecution and violence follow LGBTQIA+ people, even at pride parades.

Pride marches are an opportunity for LGBTQIA+ communities to confront legislation/laws that oppose their human rights. However, they are often met with discrimination and abuse, particularly by authorties in countries that actively work against the execution of these events.  Bello lives in Istanbul and tells us about what he experienced during his last pride walk:  […]

‘Locked’- LGBTQ Syrian’s Displacement to Turkey

Article Source: GRLبنت ‘Locked’ is an LGBTQ advocate & humanitarian worker originally from Northwest Syria but has resettled in Gaziantep, Turkey. He shared his experiences as a gay man in both Syria & Turkey and the struggles that LGBTQ refugees face upon displacement. “When LGBTQ people flee the war in Syria, they do not flee […]