Edik (not his real name, 26). ''Once I was arrested and police demanded that I testify against my friend, who is also gay. I refused. The police started beating me, calling me names, threatening to ki...

Two young gay meant hug each other at a party organised by Labrys, a local NGO promoting LGBT rights.

Diana, a drag queen, smokes a cigarette at the underground gay club, Mayak. The club has been open since 2012 and is located in the centre of Bishkek but despite its central location, only members of...

Murat (not his real name, 24), on the stage at a former Pioneers' Palace during a Valentine's Day celebration. Murat is originally from Kyrgyzstan, but now lives and works in Moscow. ''I'm happy to li...

Dastan (24), a gay activist who talks openly about his sexuality. He says: ''when I realised who I am, I was afraid of even pronouncing the word 'gay'. I tried to 'cure' myself. I went to a psychologi...

Two gay men kissing at a birthday celebration in the underground gay club, Mayak. The club has been open since 2012 and is located in the centre of Bishkek but despite its central location, only membe...

Marinat (30, right) and her partner Artyom (19, left) are a queer couple. Artyom is a trans man who is trying to change his gender on legal documents. Marinat's parents, Abdulmejeed (64) and Tatiana (...

Ilona (20, left), lights a cigarette to Dmitry (34) at a secretly located shelter for the members of the LGBT community. Dmitry spent two months in this shelter after he was beaten and raped by the po...

David (28), from Uzbekistan, in his room in Labrys Centre for LGBT youth in Bishkek. He left Uzbekistan with his partner in 2013 after receiving a lot of pressure from local police, including blackmai...

Cuba (not real name, 21), lives in Osh, in the south of Kyrgyzstan. He says he once met a man over the internet and they later met in a park. It was a set up. ''Police came and I was arrested. I know...

Gay men dancing at a birthday celebration in the underground gay club, Mayak. The club has been open since 2012 and is located in the centre of Bishkek but despite its central location, only members o...

Sanny (22), a trans woman, standing in the backyard of Labrys' compound (a local NGO promoting LGBT rights). She says: ''In September 2014, I met a man through WhatsApp Messenger. He invited me for a...

John, (not his real name, 23), works on his laptop at a secretly located shelter for the members of the LGBT community. John, a universty student from Turkmenistan, identifies as bisexual. He says: ''...

Mikhail Kudryashov (26), a gay man who has been a victim of police brutality because of his sexuality. He was abducted by the financial police in 2010. They took him to their offices and beat him seve...

Sanjan (not his real name, 27), who lives in Osh, Kyrgyzstan's second biggest city. He says that it's far more difficult for LGBT people to live in the south of the country because it's more strictly...