Join us for an insightful talk that sheds a light on unheard queer voices from Central Asia, their lives, families, resistance and survival.

What are everyday realities of queer people across Central Asia? Despite authoritarian regimes, cultural stigma (sometimes law penalties) and silence around LGBTIQ+ lives, queer communities continue to thrive, build kinship, raise children, and imagine futures of freedom.

Guest: Researcher and author, Mirta Kamil

Moderator: Naida Kucukalic, Program Coordinator of the Global Unit for Feminism and Gender Democracy at Heinrich Böll Stiftung

This is more than an event—it’s a moment of raising visibility, and a celebration of IDAHOBIT, despite the backlash!

May 17 marks IDAHOBIT — the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia — commemorating the historic moment in 1990 when the World Health Organisation declassified homosexuality as a mental disorder. It is not only a day of remembrance, but also a celebration of the diversity of LGBTIQ+ people worldwide. The theme of 2025 IDAHOBIT is “The power of communities”. See less