There Are No Homosexuals in Iran

by Laurence Rasti, Ryan Bishop (Editor)

While most Western nations now officially accept homosexuality, in Iran it is still punishable by death. The only options for a homosexual in Iran are to choose transsexuality, which is tolerated by law, or to flee. The subjects of Iranian photographer Laurence Rasti s (b. 1990, Geneva) elegant hardcover photo book live in the small Turkish town of Denizli, where hundreds of gay Iranians are waiting to move to a tolerant country. Rasti explores concepts of beauty, identity and gender in her spare and evocative images set in landscapes, mundane settings and street scenes, creating a new language of camouflage and discretion. Underlining the contrast between conspicuousness and obscurity, Rasti s couples hide behind eye-catching props such as balloons or flowers or are glimpsed behind trees or bushes. She hides her subjects in plain sight, referencing the experience of these individuals who do not exist in Iran. Rasti was the Aperture Portfolio Award Finalist and Magnum Photo Award Juror s Pick (2016).

Genres: Iran

136 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2017

Reviews

[Kaz · Rating 4 out of 5]

interviews and photos.

[Connor Ellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to stumble across this book back when i lived in Indiana. In the back of the art section of a discounted bookstore. It is one of my most prized books and i spent the last 5 years attempting to retrieve my copy of it, finally giving me the chance to reread it. To my knowlege only 800 copies exsit of this book, i have no. 238.

Written in both Arabic and English, this photography book is more important than it is giving credit for. It counters the arguments of homosexuality being a western problem while showing queer joy in the smallest of moments.
The photography in the book is beautiful. With many different types of photography all coming together to give us the pleasent reminder that, despite everything we (homosexuals/transexuals/queers) are prevailing. And sometimes the simple knowledge that we are not the first, is enough.

[Konz Socs · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I hope at least someday our own parents will accept us, their own flesh and blood, and support us when everybody else turns their back."

Through a collection of interviews and photographs, in both English and Arabic, Laurence Rasti helps paint an image of life as a homosexual in modern Iran. The photographs range from landscapes to cityscapes, daily life, and queerness being hidden behind flowers and cars and veils and disguises. These photos are simple, but so beautiful, too. My favorites are the ones which feature a homosexual couple hidden in plain sight, showing that happiness is still possible. The interviews are woeful but still lined with hope that a better world is possible. A better life.