Video: In Spain, art project captures lives of LGBT refugees

Testimonious de Rachel

Source: ToxicLesbian.org

Trash & Tension is an artistic and activist project deploying collaborative methods and created by Toxic Lesbian. It is centred on the causes of violence surrounding groups that continue to suffer from various forms of socio-underrepresentation, discrimination, and violence to this very day on the basis of their gender identity and sexual orientation.

In Spain and many other countries, these people are not granted the same level of protection that female victims of gender-based violence and other vulnerable minorities receive.

The project shall unfold in a series of events as a work in progress. Each event will spread its content via two platforms: first, in-person encounters with the participation of audience members and special guests and second, virtual distribution online of the content - either live or as follow-ups - by means of the various social networks of Toxic Lesbian and its partner organisations (RQTR, Merhaba, and Queeramnesty).

This event will open up a framework for dialogue on today's reality for people in sub-Saharan Africa who do not fit into the socially mandated binary categories and heterosexual definitions of gender identity and sexual orientation. Two refugees will share their first-hand experiences of persecution and an activist volunteering in Europe as part of a mainstream human rights organization will contribute perspectives from his work on this issue.

• Video (in Spanish)