Azerbaijan was a part of the Soviet Union (and part of a huge Soviet empire) more than 20 years ago.
Since those times, a lot has changed in Azerbaijan.
Despite the fact that not everything is perfect in Azerbaijan with human rights, with free journalism and women’s rights, I found that in this Muslim country has the strong leaders from LGBTQIA+ community with a voices who fight for their rights.
Azerbaijan is part of the eastern world and eastern culture. This culture is about close personal «connections» with the people who surround you. Very often these «connections» and communication rules can be more important than state laws or a system of government rules.
And all these people from the LGBTQIA+ community of Azerbaijan told me the same one story. They do not face pressure from the state machine or from laws approved by the government.
But they feel pressure and rejection from society. In a country with Eastern culture, this is more than a lot. For example, Loren, a transgender woman, is protected by government laws and has full rights to work. But she is not given a job when different employers find out about her gender identity.
Through this project, I met wonderful and strong people from the LGBTQIA+ community who are ready and able to fight for their rights. In my country, Russia, people from the LGBTQIA+ community are becoming illegal day after day.
On July 19, 2023, the Russian government confirmed a law that makes transgender transition illegal in Russia.
From 11 to 20 November 2023, for the first time in the history of Azerbaijan, there was an official human rights week for transgender people.
On December 30, 2023, the Supreme Court of Russia confirmed that the LGBTQIA+ community is extremist in Russia.
Heroes of the project:
Eli. Gay and queer activist from Baku city.
Loren. Transgender woman from Sumqayıt (a small village near Baku city).
Seymour. Better known as Lady Slim. One of the best drag queens in Azerbaijan.
Saxara. Openly gay from Baku.
Ayla. Feminist and LGBTQIA+ activist from Baku city.
P.S. In autumn 2024 this project was nominated and won 1st prize in the Editorial/Press/Personality category of the International Photography Awards. You can find more information about this here.
