Clifford Chance

A 21-year-old lesbian member of Ghana’s LGBT+ community is photographed at Accra’s new LGBT+ community space, a year prior to its forced closure by local law enforcement.

Anne and Véronique live together as a couple in Brest, France. As France forbade medically assisted reproduction for same-sex couples, Anne and Véronique had to go to Belgium for in vitro fertilisation treatments to realise their dream of becoming a family. After many unsuccessful attempts and as many trips to Brussels, Belgium, twins were finally born from their love: Angèle and Lucien.

Mélanie, transgender, is posing with her boyfriend. She is in the middle of her transition. She is highly supported by her family, her friends and her boyfriend.

Maxim and Victor take a shower in a rental flat in Minsk, Belarus. Ordinary people, like Maxim and Victor, are just that – they enjoy tender moments, value happiness and the joy of everyday life despite homophobia on the TV, by politicians in the media and by the Belarusian Orthodox Church.

Adravan is comforted by his partner after falling victim to a violent, homophobic attack on his way home in Istanbul, Turkey. Adravan sought asylum in Turkey after facing death threats and persecution in his home country Iran, where LGBT+ people are criminalised and consensual sex between same-sex couples can be punishable by death.

Denys works as a marketing director of a Czech brewery and is a drag queen and Dima works as a candy maker. They lie on their temporary bed in Stargorod restaurant in Lviv, Ukraine. Denys: "I have never had a normal life. In this country I have lived through a revolution, an occupation, a crisis in the 90s and, as an LGBTQI, we receive a lot of discrimination."

Leie-Jhene cries during a vigil at the All Souls Unitarian Church in Colorado Springs, United States. Leie-Jhene was performing at ClubQ when a 22-year-old white gunman entered the LGBT+ nightclub during a special event celebrating Transgender Day of Remembrance. Wielding an AR-15 style rifle, the gunman killed 5 people and injured 25 others. The gunman was charged with hate crimes, murder and assault.

A portrait of drag queen Salma before her evening show in Havana, Cuba. Just a few years ago, Cuba would have never allowed LGBT+-friendly acts in public, such as drag show performances. However, attitudes towards and acceptance of LGBT+ people in Cuba have improved over the past years and drag queens once again draw huge crowds.

The team of #BlackDragMagic poses at a taxi stand in Khayelitsha, South Africa. Taxi stands in South Africa are often considered to be a hub of homophobia and a space where members of the LGBT+ community are subjected to harassment, violence and discrimination. With this portrait, the team intends to send a clear message that public and communal spaces need to be safe spaces for members of the LGBT+ community.

This photo visualises the passage of transitioning of an individual who explores his love, hope and fantasy, fanatical anxiety, homophobic isolation and his struggle to be perceived as who he is: human.

In a country that suppresses any form of queer expression and has high penalties for homosexuality, Treyvonne dares to live authentically. Treyvonne: "I’m very proud of who I am, I am not ashamed of me and I am going to be loud about it. Sorry not sorry, because I know what it is like to live by others’ comfort but yours. Been there done that and I kid you not, it's hell. (…) This is why I create platforms for others like me to help ease the mental health issues that those like us encounter every day."

When non-binary photographer Andrés browsed their family albums, they realised that they did not see their true selves in these albums. Instead, they saw a representation of imposed expectations from their biological family. Demonstrating the importance of inclusion and identity in historical archiving, Andrés invited, amongst others, Erick (depicted), a Venezuelan queer gay man, to imagine how an inclusive memory, reflecting his true identity, would look like to him.

Members of the "Tea & Talk" LGBT+ activist group hold protest signs during the banned Istanbul Pride in 2015. The protest signs read "I am Arab and I am gay" and "We are here, get used to it".

Since the PiS party became the sole governing body in Poland, several anti-LGBT+ laws have been implemented. In 2019, for example, approximately 30 different municipalities and districts in Poland were declared "LGBT+ ideology-free zones". PhotoPaul portrays members of the LGBT+ community as normal people, rather than as an ideology. One of PhotoPaul's portraits depicts Przemek surrounded by numerous protest signs.

Transgender women are extremely marginalised by Peruvian society. Persecution begins early, causing them to abandon their studies and families. With few options or support, many turn to prostitution. Though prostitution in Peru is not illegal, many transwomen are frequently arrested in police raids. After trying to run away, Kiara is detained by police officers, who will take her to a police station for questioning.

For the past 4 years, the most eye-catching queer parties in Paris, France have been organised by a collective of personalities, sexualities and gender identities in a Caribbean carnivalesque spirit who are referred to as La Creole. La Creole reminds France of the diversity of its children. It offers a sense of freedom for a generation of LGBT+ people who descend from families who emigrated from the former French colonies and who are not always accepted for who they are. La Creole offers a safe space where these young people can dance and enjoy themselves.

"These are just two people who share a God-given love for each other" Haneem explains. In various (orthodox) religious communities, gay love is a taboo. Within some religious movements, it is even rejected and punished. Many homosexual believers experience little room to express themselves freely and to enjoy their love.

LGBT+ people from Arab countries often feel doubly demonised: in the Western world as Arabs, and in their own community as queer. With this photo, Omar aims to present a more comprehensive picture of both.