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Where Love Is Illegal
LGBTQIA+ stories of survival
Where Love Is Illegal is a project of Witness Change originated from the idea of Robin Hammond, photographer and documentarist, to tell hatred and intolerance of some Countries around the world towards LGBTQIA+ communities.
Through the years, Hammond has traveled the world documenting stories of people who lives where love not heterosexual and not cisgender is considered illegal.
"70 countries around the world have laws criminalizing the existence of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or intersex people. That’s 70 countries where people who love each other must do so in secret, where people must hide their true selves. While the laws of each country vary, they all restrict the right to freedom of expression of people’s sexual orientation and gender identity. Punishments include fines, imprisonment, torture and, in some instances, death."
Violence and prejudice based on sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and sex characteristics is not limited to these countries alone.
Where Love Is Illegal, is a global platform allows sharing stories of discrimination and survival from all over the world: everyone can share their experience and send their image, freely choosing which image show of themselves, without the fear of to be punished or to be censored.
In this way the campaign is not limited to the physically reach, but aims to help LGBTQIA+ people in taking back control of the narrative of their lives.
"The team behind Where Love Is Illegal believes that stories have the ability to connect people, transform opinions, open minds, and change policies."
Hundreds of LGBTQIA+ identifying people around the world send their image and story, all linked by denied love. Here some of them:
Foto a cura di Robin Hammond per
Where Love Is Illegal
Victoria Cruz
United States
«My name is Victoria Cruz. Born male, in Guánica, Puerto Rico. My real name was Victor Cruz […] when I was in high school, found out that I could transition into what I felt like, female, with hormones»
Foto a cura di Robin Hammond per
Where Love Is Illegal
Lucky & John
Nepal
«My parents realized that we’re gays. […] One time, I was no around, so they attacked him. He menaged to escape. He ran away, and then, he told me: “Don’t come back home ’cause your parents went there to kill me”»
Foto a cura di Robin Hammond per
Where Love Is Illegal
Sunita Thing
Nepal
«At the age of 17 my father wanted me to get married. I came from a poor family and was not aware of my identity so I agreed to get married. […] We got divorced and went our separate ways. I got my children’s custody and started taking care of them. I introduced myself as a transgender women and changed my role from their father to their mother»
Foto a cura di Robin Hammond per Where Love Is Illegal
Victoria Cruz
United States
«My name is Victoria Cruz. Born male, in Guánica, Puerto Rico. My real name was Victor Cruz […] when I was in high school, found out that I could transition into what I felt like, female, with hormones»
Foto a cura di Robin Hammond per Where Love Is Illegal
Lucky & John
Nepal
«My parents realized that we’re gays. […] One time, I was no around, so they attacked him. He menaged to escape. He ran away, and then, he told me: “Don’t come back home ’cause your parents went there to kill me”»
Foto a cura di Robin Hammond per Where Love Is Illegal
Sunita Thing
Nepal
«At the age of 17 my father wanted me to get married. I came from a poor family and was not aware of my identity so I agreed to get married. […] We got divorced and went our separate ways. I got my children’s custody and started taking care of them. I introduced myself as a transgender women and changed my role from their father to their mother»