Queer in Iraq by Andoni Lubaki

The Middle Eastern country Iraq has become one of the territories where the most violence against LGTBI is exercised. The irruption of the Islamic State in 2014 did nothing more than show in images what had been happening for years. There are no statistics on these events, they cannot be counted, murders are made invisible. Families prefer to look the other way because of social disgrace. Human Right Watch denounced this situation in a June 2022 report and accused both Shiite and Sunni armed groups and political authorities of being guilty and often complicit in the situation.
The autonomous area of Kurdistan, in the north of the country, has become a refuge for people fleeing because of their sexuality, not only from armed groups or the police (who also carry out systematic violence against this defenseless group) but also from your families. In private flats and without showing themselves in public, the KRG LTBGI and Queer collective interacts in very closed and clandestine circles. They know that their integrity and life depend on no one outside of those private spaces finding out. In Iraq, if you are homosexual, everyone wants you dead and forgotten.

This photographic work was carried out in April 2022 in the city of Suleymania and surroundings, being able to access one of these secret circles with the only condition of anonymity. Was an assigment for 7K and Jot Down magazines.

Note: This gallery is a small sample of my work on this project. I use the gallery "9 stories 9 pictures" as a sample of my portfolio. If you want to see more photos of this project contact me.

In a non disclosed location M. ...n. Suleymania, KRG, April 2022.

In a non disclosed location M. shows a banana. This fruit has become a queer symbol in north Iraq where the queer of Middle East are taking shelter. Between them this fruit is a way to communicate safely. In Iraq there are no statistics of homosexual murder but religious leaders are shouting to kill homosexual with pain. Suleymania, KRG, April 2022.

RT is a homosexual guy who know...l try to beat him, if not kill.

RT is a homosexual guy who know one knows that he is gay. He consider himself a gay activist on social network but he understand that if any of his colleagues or relatives know he is homosexual they will try to beat him, if not kill.

T doing an erotic movement duri...n. Suleymania, KRG, April 2022.

T doing an erotic movement during his transformation in a woman before an undercover little flat-party. In Iraq there are no statistics of homosexual murder but religious leaders are shouting to kill homosexual with pain. Suleymania, KRG, April 2022.

In a non disclosed location T. ...ivate parties. Her family doesn

In a non disclosed location T. poses to the camera. She is a boy who usually dress like a woman in private parties. Her family doesn

After a meeting of homosexuals ...n. Suleymania, KRG, April 2022.

After a meeting of homosexuals and queer people an ashtray remains with a lot of cigarretes, one of them with the lipstick mark. In Iraq there are no statistics of homosexual murder but religious leaders are shouting to kill homosexual with pain. Suleymania, KRG, April 2022.

R in front of a graffiti with t...n. Suleymania, KRG, April 2022.

R in front of a graffiti with the homosexual flag that has been deleted with black paint. In Iraq there are no statistics of homosexual murder but religious leaders are shouting to kill homosexual with pain. Suleymania, KRG, April 2022.

MM shows how the jihadists kill...n. Suleymania, KRG, April 2022.

MM shows how the jihadists kill a gay man known by the queer and homosexual community of the Suleymania city during the Islamis State caliphate in Mosul. In Iraq there are no statistics of homosexual murder but religious leaders are shouting to kill homosexual with pain. Suleymania, KRG, April 2022.

L shows how she was tortured by...hometown because she often wear

L shows how she was tortured by people of his hometown because she often wear

Andoni Lubaki

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