A photographic look at the LGBT community in Albania

what is this reality Miguel Tortosa from Alicante I wanted to describe A rainbow over AlbaniaA project that goes beyond photorealism A social narrative that advocates for a more inclusive and tolerant society. Some of these works can now be seen at: Madrid Leica Gallerywhere are they hanging 15 out of 35 photos who created this series.

The first contact with the country was through the United Nations agency, where it offered to carry out this work by providing data, which in turn provided it with contacts in that country. To arrive With the Leica Q2 last April who provided him with the camera brand and worked there for two months. «One of the pillars of history is David, Albania’s first transgender man “He is the one who had the courage to appear on social networks a year and a half ago,” says Tortosa, who was born in Onil 25 years ago and studied photography in the United States, Shanghai and Italy.

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From there, Trust of members of the LGBT community We create a visual narrative by accessing the country’s stories, lives and concerns. “This is a story that needs to be told because they still face a lack of acceptance,” he emphasizes. And talk about it secret places where the collective meets or a couple’s fight lesbians will be known as mothers or the impossibility of many Transsexuals have to pay their treatment expenses outside the country. «There is no place that is LGBT friendly like here but there are places like shelters for mistreated young gays where they can be recorded on a kind of map that they keep secret.

To do A rainbow over Albania“I was lucky enough to be able to do this project,” he said, especially in the capital Tirana and surrounding regions. meet many profiles -Miguel Tortosa says-; A very complete project. The United Nations gave me access to associations and shelters because it wasn’t easy. It was hard for them to understand that, and eventually I had to get that help in there to get them to trust me; “First they would invite me to public places, then if they trusted me they would take me there.”

After all, “they Stories of discrimination, struggle and overcoming“, “In a country that is not one of the worst countries for this group but suffers and suffers from many attacks because lifestyle is very traditional and changes occur very slowly.

Exhibition A rainbow over Albania will travel to that country next year, Through the Spanish Embassy “because it is not easy to find a venue that can host these photos.”