Hanan, a gay man terrified since the Taliban took control of the country, had been promised a safe way out of the country.
He was deceived – two members of the Taliban met him and carried out their brutal attack.
Hanan survived but is living in silence, shock, and shame under a regime intent on not just denying, but extinguishing the existence of him and we who are like him.
Artemis Akbary, an Afghan LGBT+ rights activist based in Turkey, told me the threat of death for LGBT+ people in his home country is now greater than ever before.
“They are trying to tell the world ‘we are changed and we don’t have problems with women’s rights or human rights’ – but they are lying.
“The Taliban hasn’t changed, because their ideology hasn’t change,” he says.
Under that ideology, same sex love, attraction and relationships are punishable by death.
Artemis warns that Hanan’s case will not be an isolated one now the Taliban has access to social media.
“They’ll make a profile account and deceive LGBT+ people by pretending they’re a member of the community.
“My friends in Afghanistan are scared, they don’t know what will happen to them in the future so they’re just trying to hide.”
Afghanistan before the Taliban took back control was still an unsafe place for LGBT+ people, with those caught in same sex relationships facing prison.
But in recent years, Artemis says, authorities began paying less attention – with queer people even featured in some supportive news and media coverage.
“With the arrival of the Taliban, everything will change,” he says.
He says the world cannot turn its back on LGBT+ people in Afghanistan, calling for the Taliban’s “atrocities” to be laid bare and their so-called government not recognised.
What’s been done to evacuate LGBT+ Afghans out of the country
The Western evacuation out of Afghanistan is all but over, with the focus now turning to the remaining diplomats and service personnel.
An untold number of vulnerable people remain stuck in the country.
Charities Rainbow Railroad and Stonewall have helped bring some of those people to safety, providing a list of LGBT+ Afghans within reach of Kabul airport and evacuation out of the country.
LGBT+ people have been labelled as people of concern in the crisis.
The UK government has spoken of phase one of the evacuation process being completed, with both Biden and Johnson talking of “contingency plans” to help get more people out beyond that point.
What those plans are remain unclear, but would likely involve evacuation via one of Afghanistan’s neighbouring countries.
That leaves “no good option” for LGBT+ people Kimahli says, as same-sex relationships are criminalised or discriminated against in those neighbouring nations.
Olalekan Ajimoti – Blogger, Content Writer, and Digital Marketer helping brands and retailers build 8-figure e-commerce since 2016.
As a corporate trainer, brand communications expert, and brand consultant, I help people start, stay and grow in business leveraging digital skills and traditional expertise.
