What's it like to be LGBTQ in Poland?

[O]UT is the new book from acclaimed Polish photographer Maciej Nabrdalik, it features a series of portraits of Poland’s queer community alongside quotes and interviews that give poignant insight into LGBTQ life in a country where attitudes fluctuate from progressive to hostile. The portraits themselves are reflective of passport photos – a symbol of belonging and citizenship.

Collectively, the images and quotes describe a vibrant diverse community that contains nuanced relationships to identity and sexuality. As Nabrdalik describes, “this is a portrait of Poland in all its complexity… how these individuals feel and what they are afraid of is not only about them; it is about all of us.”

See a selection of images and quotes in the stream below.

Name not disclosed. "Now I'm a regular guy. It takes me three days to grow facial hair. I work in a warehouse among men. There, I am not conspicuously trans."

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Magda Wielogolaska. "The greater the number of people who come out in different walks of life, the greater the chance that society will change."

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Name not disclosed. "While I was still married, I would wear leggings under my trousers. She might have suspected something, but I never told her. She's very conservative."

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Name not disclosed. "If you're gay, you don't have to change yourself and your image. But if you're trans, you have to change physically. And the process of being accepted is different. Besides, you'll never be seen as fully human."

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Dawid Kieres. "I don't hide being gay anymore. At school and at work, I say wthout blinking an eye that I have a boyfriend. I would feel bad if I didn't say it. I want it to be as normal as possible. I want it to be transparent."

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What’s it like to be LGBTQ in Poland?

Published on 07 December 2017