* In partnership with Doctors Without Borders / 

At Doctors Without Borders, our position is very clear.

At least 62 countries have laws that criminalise same-sex relationships, even when they involve consenting adults. In addition, at least nine countries maintain laws that criminalise forms of gender expression, targeting transgender people and those with non-conforming gender identities. In these countries, people who love each other, or who do not fit conservative definitions of gender identity, are often forced to live in secret.

But discrimination and hatred are not limited to countries where love is prohibited by law. Around the world, acts of violence and prejudice against the LGBTQIA+ community are recurrent, affecting those who simply want to live openly as they are.

At DWB, we don't just provide medical and humanitarian care. We are also committed to the power of testimony and speaking out to combat these injustices and break down all barriers — including those to accessing healthcare.

The team behind the Where Love Is Illegal project believes that stories have the power to connect people, change opinions, open minds and influence policy. Led by photographer Robin Hammond and the non-profit organisation he founded, Witness Change, Where Love Is Illegal records and shares personal stories of survival from the queer community around the world. The people photographed as part of this global campaign chose how they wanted to pose, what to wear and how to present themselves. They all handwrote their stories and letters to be shared with the world.

The project is now open to anyone in the LGBTQIA+ community who wishes to share their story.