Where do you find refuge when there is no place in society for who you are and who you love as a person? This photo series shows a sheltered way of living and the impact it has on the road of life.
Since the outbreak of the civil war in Syria, millions of Syrians have had to take refuge in Turkey. Among these refugees are LGBTQIA+ people who have been ignored and underserved by the Turkish state. With financial support from abroad, some LGBTQIA+ communities in Turkey opened a guest house in order to solve accommodation problems particularly faced by trans individuals. This guest house hosted tens of LGBTQIA+ people from Turkey and LGBTQIA+ refugees for several years. Some stayed for a few days and some for years. Considering the homophobic and transphobic pressure already experienced by trans women in Turkey, it is predictable that refugee trans women have to deal with not only these pressures but also racist attitudes. As almost all of them are unemployed due to this environment, the guest house was very important to maintain their lives. However, it was closed in summer of 2019 because of the cessation of the financial support and the inhabitants moved into separate accommodations with the help of social media campaigns. This photography project covers the last few months before the guesthouse was closed.
Since the outbreak of the civil war in Syria, millions of Syrians have had to take refuge in Turkey. Among these refugees are LGBTQIA+ people who have been ignored and underserved by the Turkish state. With financial support from abroad, some LGBTQIA+ communities in Turkey opened a guest house in order to solve accommodation problems particularly faced by trans individuals. This guest house hosted tens of LGBTQIA+ people from Turkey and LGBTQIA+ refugees for several years. Some stayed for a few days and some for years. Considering the homophobic and transphobic pressure already experienced by trans women in Turkey, it is predictable that refugee trans women have to deal with not only these pressures but also racist attitudes. As almost all of them are unemployed due to this environment, the guest house was very important to maintain their lives. However, it was closed in summer of 2019 because of the cessation of the financial support and the inhabitants moved into separate accommodations with the help of social media campaigns. This photography project covers the last few months before the guesthouse was closed.
REFUGEE TRANSGENDERS GUEST HOUSE
Où trouvez-vous refuge quand il n'y a pas de place dans la société pour qui vous êtes et qui vous aimez ? Cette série de photos montre le mode de vie à l'abri d’une maison d'hôtes pour réfugiés et son impact sur le chemin de la vie.
Depuis le déclenchement de la guerre civile en Syrie, des millions de Syriens ont dû se réfugier en Turquie. Parmi ces réfugiés se trouvent des personnes LGBTQIA+ qui ont été ignorées par l'État turc. Avec le soutien financier de l'étranger, certaines communautés turques LGBTQIA+ ont ouvert une maison d'hôtes afin de résoudre les problèmes d'hébergement, en particulier de ceux rencontrés par les personnes trans. Cette maison d'hôtes a accueilli des dizaines de personnes LGBTQIA+ de Turquie et des réfugiés LGBTQIA+ pendant plusieurs années. Certain.e.s n’y sont resté.e.s que quelques jours, d'autres plusieurs années. En plus de la pression homophobe et transphobe déjà subie par les femmes trans en Turquie, les femmes trans réfugiées doivent faire face à des comportements racistes. Comme la plupart d'entre eux étaient sans emploi en raison de cet environnement, la maison d'hôtes était une source de stabilité très importante. À l'été 2019, la maison d'hôtes a dû fermer en raison de l'arrêt du soutien financier. Les résidents ont pu emménager dans de nouveaux logements grâce à des campagnes sur les réseaux sociaux.
Ce projet photographique couvre les derniers mois avant la fermeture de la maison d'hôtes. Le photographe s'est attaché à mettre en lumière le quotidien ordinaire des habitants de cette maison d'hôtes. Toutes les photos ont été prises dans cet immeuble situé dans le quartier Dolapdere d'Istanbul.