This is Me is a documentary series in which three transgender women redefine the words “revolutionary act.” Walking down the streets is a day-to-day activity that we take for granted, but for these women it is a revolutionary act.
It is not about picking up your weapons and fighting against the government. Their fight runs deeper; it began at home and continues on the streets. It is a fight to stop being called second class citizens. Walking becomes a provocation to those who have forgotten the true meaning of freedom, and so, these women are target of verbal and physical abuse. In the documentary, we can see that when a transgender woman dies, her “sisters” decorate a pair of heels, and share anecdotes of their struggles and how they met. When they have finished, they once again go out to the street where she was murdered, and hang the stilettos above the corner where she died. It is the way her sisters pay tribute to her life and courage and also a symbolic protest to ask for a stop to violence. It is how this sisterhood raises their fists to demand equal rights to a society that doesn’t dare to see them as the beautiful woman they are.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-NAD1UZs5g
“The many assaults have resulted in brain injury, memory loss, retinal detachment, and a broken leg.”
These stories make us wonder when our humanity was lost. For centuries laws have determined all people have equal rights, regardless of their gender, social, or economic status. On paper this concept works, but in the real world, this notion is belittled. Discrimination, torture, and murder against those who are“different” become a norm, as if it were written down on paper, and there are those who assiduously follow these laws to the letter. People who ostracize those who don’t follow their archaic laws don’t realize they are losing their humanity.
The project Where Love Is Illegal gives a voice to the sometimes silent LGBTIQ+ community so it can speak loud against homophobia. The photographer Robin Hammond, who is also a human rights activist, leads the project where he photographs people who have been victims of violence, as a consequence of their sexual and gender identity. The subjects of his portraits are lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders who live in countries where being themselves is considered to be a crime.
This is more than an artistic project, as it tells the stories of each victim. Through their anecdotes, we get the chance to understand the importance of human rights and why they shouldn’t be overvalued. We are reminded of the fact that each person should have rights over their bodies, and they should be free to love who they love. A society who considers itself to be progressive is still living in the past when it comes to accept that people cannot be reduced to a binary standard.
Lesbian couple “O,” 27 (right), and “D,” 23 (left). “October 19th, we were returning in a great mood from a jazz concert. It ended quite late, so we went home on the last subway train. At the station just a few people came out with us. The escalator was empty except for two guys, about 25 years old. As we were going up, holding hands, we decided to kiss. After that, someone threw a crumpled piece of paper at us, but we chose to ignore it, thinking it was an accident.
We got out of the subway and went our usual way, holding hands. The street was deserted, but we felt we had nothing to fear because we had walked down that street countless times. They attacked us (…) one of them would beat us and shout, “No LGBT!” We tried to do something, but to no avail. We felt absolutely helpless. All this time his friend stood by filming what was happening on his phone, probably to show off to his friends. This lasted a few minutes. Finally the assailant shouted that he would kill us if he ever saw us again. Then they were gone.”
Ruslan Savolaynen, 25, is a survivor of multiple homophobic attacks. The many assaults have resulted in a brain injury, memory loss, retinal detachment, and a broken leg. “Going to the police is pointless. They do nothing. Now as I am writing this, I’m hold back the tears because of the shame, because it seems like it’s forever, so it will be again and again. And the anger is so great. I’m sick of always being the victim.”
Robin Hammond lived in Africa for 10 years. Where Love Is Illegal began in Africa, where he met 65 people who agreed to be part of his project. Now this photoseries has reached other continents as well. “Finding people willing to talk was sometimes a little hard, but, sadly, uncovering stories of discrimination, once I’d found an organization, was very easy,” the creator comments in an interview for National Geographic.
Milli, 35, South Africa. In April 2010 Milli went to stay with a friend. The landlord strangled her with a wire. He shouted, “You think you are a man! I’m going to make you pregnant and I’m going to kill you.” He then raped her for hours. He was arrested, but was released on $40 bail and didn’t show up in court. He was eventually tracked down a year later.
Jessie, 24, is a transgender Palestinian woman born in a refugee camp in Lebanon.
“It was morning, I was still in bed, my father burst into my room, he started shouting at me ‘you have damaged our dignity and our honor!’ as he said these words he raised a broom which he had in his hand and beat me with it. I started screaming and all the neighbors came. He threw down the broom and left my room, but he came back immediately with a knife. The neighbors were shouting ‘kill her and relieve humanity from her, we don’t need these kinds of people in our neighborhood!’ I tried to escape. I thought that someone would help me, but they were all against me. Somehow, I don’t know how, I managed to get my clothes and escape.”
Simon, 22. He was arrested while having sex with his boyfriend in Uganda. “Police found us all naked and threw all of us out and handcuffed us. Immediately, the mob started beating us with stones, sticks, and nails, saying that we were curses that needed to be killed. Later on, the police dragged us through the whole village naked and the stones they had thrown at us pierced our bodies, thus causing severe bleeding. No first aid was given to us and the police threw us in the cells. They told inmates that we were gay, the inmates started beating us until sleep took them over. I thank God that I didn’t die because the pain was too much. On the next day at 10am we were taken to hospital since we were in a critical condition. When we reached the hospital, the doctor who came to work on us was my former boyfriend who felt pity for me.”
There are hundreds of places around the world where homosexuality is illegal, or where being part of the transgender community is punishable by death. This project has helped the LGBTIQ+ community create consciousness about the importance of having equal rights. Hammond asks you to be part of the most needed change by helping the Witness Change foundation. It is up to us to make a change, and spread the word about our brothers and sisters who still suffer persecution. Take part in this fight and help others have the same freedom you enjoy, but many times, take for granted.
* All photos are credited to Robin Hammond, you can visit his website to know more about him
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