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© 2021 Ashkan Shabani
Rana and Negin are walking on the beach of the Caspian Sea in the north of Iran. The existence of homosexuals is undeniable in Iran; however, Iran’s Islamic law considers same-sex relationships a crime punishable by the death penalty.
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© 2021 Ashkan Shabani
Muhammad, 28, and Amir Ali, 27 (Names have been changed to protect their identities) are a gay couple who have been living together for about six years in secret in Tehran. Based on the laws of Sharia they risk execution for their sexual orientation.
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© 2021 Ashkan Shabani
Muhammad and Amir Ali are living in a 60-meter rental house in Tehran. They have to hide the true nature of their relationship, and even told the landlord that they are cousins in order to rent the house. Last month they were forced to move to a new house because their previous landlord found out about their relationship and threatened to inform the police.
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© 2021 Ashkan Shabani
Muhammad and Amir Ali sleeping in their bed. Amir Ali loves the rainbow flag (the symbol LGBTQ pride, and social movements) so much that their mattress has the same design.
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© 2021 Ashkan Shabani
Muhammad and Amir Ali are having fun after a stressful day in their new home. Last month they were forced to move to a new house because their previous landlord found out about their relationship and threatened to inform the police.
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© 2021 Ashkan Shabani
Muhammad is ironing his own and his partner’s T-shirts before going out together. Usually, the housework is done by both of them.
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© 2021 Ashkan Shabani
Amir Ali is giving a rose to Muhammad after meeting Muhammad for weeks to show how much he missed him.
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© 2021 Ashkan Shabani
Muhammad and Amir Ali going shopping in a mall in Tehran, one of their favorite hobbies. Holding hands in public without fear is a dream for them.
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© 2021 Ashkan Shabani
Muhammad and Amir Ali are holding hands in a quiet place in one the Tehran's parks. Holding hands in public without fear is a dream for them.
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© 2021 Ashkan Shabani
Muhammad and Amir Ali taking a selfie on the balcony of a restaurant.
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© 2021 Ashkan Shabani
Muhammad and Amir Ali on vacation on the beach of the Caspian Sea in the north of Iran.
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© 2021 Ashkan Shabani
Muhammad and Amir Ali at an LGBTQ underground party. Parties like this are the only moments they can express their emotions freely and spend some time together without being judged.
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© 2021 Ashkan Shabani
Muhammad and Amir Ali walking their dog at midnight. They try to go out late at night to avoid harassment.
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© 2021 Ashkan Shabani
Muhammad and Amir Ali are cuddling in secrecy of their house after coming home from their work.
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© 2021 Ashkan Shabani
The outside of the mental hospital where usually homosexuals were sent there for treatment or pushed into having gender reassignment surgery in the city of Rasht. With all other risks, Muhammad, Amir Ali, Negin, and Rana's fears are that one-day they end up being pushed towards surgery.
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© 2021 Ashkan Shabani
Negin and Rana (Names have been changed to protect their identities), 23 and 27 years old, are a lesbian couple living in a small city in the north of Iran. They have been together for about 4 years. Gay men and women in Iran live with systemic suppression, discrimination, family rejection, and judicial problems. They live their lives in fear every day.
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© 2021 Ashkan Shabani
Negin and Rana are kissing each other at Negin’s workplace before opening. Because of their girls their families won't let then to rent their own places.
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© 2021 Ashkan Shabani
Negin and Rana holding hands on the stairs of Negan's workplace. Their families don't know about their relationship.
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© 2021 Ashkan Shabani
Negin and Rana holding hands in a parking lot. Places like this in their small city are the only ones that they can meet up without the fear of their families seeing them.
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© 2021 Ashkan Shabani
Negin refreshes her makeup while Rana sits on the hood of the car. They usually go outside of the city to avoid being seen together by their parents.
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© 2021 Ashkan Shabani
Negin is crying and Rana comforting her during a picnic at the Caspian Sea. The mental pressure on her on Negin is because her family is forcing her to get married.
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© 2021 Ashkan Shabani
Rana rests on Negin's lap in a quiet place in the middle of the jungle.
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© 2021 Ashkan Shabani
Negin and Rana mourning in Muharram in front of a holy shrine. Despite homosexuality being a sin punishable by death in Islam, Negin and Rana still go to shrines to pray and ask god to give them strength.
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© 2021 Ashkan Shabani
Negin and Rana on the way to their home pass a painting of soldiers in the Iran-Iraq war.
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© 2021 Ashkan Shabani
Rana and Negin are walking on the beach of the Caspian Sea in the north of Iran and talking about what should they do with situation of Negin’s family that they are forcing her to get married.
Public Story
"Eshgh, Tars, Azadi" (Love, Fear, Freedom)
Credits:
ashkan shabani
Date of Work:
04/04/18 - 10/22/21
Updated: 01/22/21
Iranians face many obstacles. Some come from the regime imposing ideological restrictions and political pressure, while others result from the strained economic situation. Still, more pressure comes from the public’s closed, traditional way of thinking. Homosexuality is a target that both society and the regime oppose. In post-revolutionary Iran, any type of sexual activity outside a heterosexual marriage is forbidden and homosexual sex is punishable by death based on laws of Sharia. For over 40 years, the Islamic Republic of Iran has denied that gays exist in the country. Iran is among the few countries in the world where homosexuals still risk execution for their sexual orientation. As a result, gay men and women live with systematic suppression, discrimination, family rejection, and judicial problems. They live their lives in fear every day. Despite this, under the skin of Tehran and many other cities, homosexuals find ways to overcome these restrictions so they can pursue love, life, and a future that recognizes their existence. The idea of freedom still seems remote.
"Eshgh, Tars, Azadi" (Love, Fear, Freedom) follows four Iranian homosexuals’ daily lives, struggles, risks, and their pursuit of love. One story is about Muhammad and Amir Ali, a gay couple who have been living together in secret in a small house in Tehran and struggling financially and emotionally. Another tells the story of Negin and Rana, a lesbian couple who are trying to maintain their relationship without their families' knowledge.