Behind the Mask: Contemporary Drag Culture in Kazakhstan
In Tolganay Talgat's documentary, artists and performers of different ages, ethnicities, and genders share how they find ways to self-expression and activism in drag.
18 September 2023
Tolganay Talgat
Kazakhstan’s drag scene emerged in the late 90s and is now experiencing a new wave of popularity. In Tolganay Talgat’s documentary, artists and performers of different ages, ethnicities, and genders share how they find ways to self-expression and activism in drag. Despite facing prejudice, drag culture continues to attract new audiences and support the queer community.
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Chemo Dao
A short film about the flourishing drag scene in Tbilisi.
Queer Self-Expression in Kyrgyzstan: Between Cultural Norms and Personal Values
An essay about the desire to live out queerness clashing with cultural context and family needs.
Three Stories from Moldova: Drag, Cinema, Literature
Interviews with drag dancer Jenny, film festival director Max Cârlan, and writer Sasha Zare.
Drag in Armenia: An Evolution of the Artform
An interview with drag artists from Armenia.
Guess the Fact – Queer Artist Edition
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Meet Ukrainian queer photographer Katherina Turenko and the Sapphic women* captured in her images.
Colourful Petals
A Belarusian poet reflects on the ways to create queer poetry using no historical precedent, and on finding that precedent, nonetheless.
Emotions. Feelings. Uzbekistan
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Peculiarities of Running LGBTQ Spaces in Kazakhstan
How and why do LGBTQ Spaces work in Kazakhstan, and are heterosexuals welcome there?
Defying Boundaries: Azerbaijan’s Drag Star
Lady Slim, an Azerbaijani drag queen, pushes back against growing anti-queer restrictions to perform at home and abroad.
“In Prison, They Named Me Rayhon”
In Uzbekistan, sex between men carries a prison sentence. Ex-inmates who were imprisoned under Article 120 share their stories.
From Street Violence to Stand-Up Scene
Meet Nata Talikishvili, a trans woman who started doing stand up after years of trailblazing activism in Georgia.
“The Most Important Thing For Me Is That My Son Is Happy”
A mother of a queer person from Kazakhstan shares her story on acceptance, love, and trust.
“There Are Things One Doesn’t Choose”
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“I Was Told I Had Disgraced Kazakhstan”
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I Am Queer, but Am I Safe?
Four interviews on the relationship between LGBTQ+ communities and public spaces in Chișinău bring to the fore the need for a safe and inclusive public landscape for all.
“If Your Protesting Hand Gets Tired, I’ll Be There To Take It”
Ali Malikov tells their story of self-discovery, fighting for their rights and queer activism in Azerbaijan.
Trans Solidarity Against Bigoted Institutions
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“I Gave Up a Lot To Be Who I Am”
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Influence
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“If We Call the Police, They Laugh at Us”
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No Trauma, No Drama. Rewriting Media LGBTQI+ Narratives
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What if homophobia in Central Asia is a product of colonialism?
A look at Soviet prison culture, colonial experience and Orientalism as roots of homophobia in Kazakhstan.
Russian Propaganda’s Influence on Soviet and Post-Soviet Homophobic Narratives in South Caucasus
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Russian Colonialism and Homophobia in Moldova
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Migration Is the Path to Freedom. A Photo Report about Sumaya
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Russia’s Homophobic Law Inspires Azerbaijani Political Elites
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“I Put a Lid On My Sexual Orientation, I Buried It”: Life of LGBTQ+ People in the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine
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Non-traditional Values: Did Uzbekistan Inherit Homophobia and Family Concepts from Soviet Union?
A review of changes in the LGBTIQ+ rights legislation over the last century and the roots of the homophobic paradigm the society lives in.
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Beyond Blurred Existence
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Kazakhstan’s and Russia’s LGBTIQ+ Legislation: Why It Matters
An analysis of the Kazakh and Russian realities and laws in regards to discrimination and lack of protection of queer people.