Gay Under the Taliban follows the story of a handful of LGBTQ+ people trapped in hell, who have been forced to run for their lives, for the crime of being nothing but themselves.
For LGBTQ+ people, life before the return of the Taliban was showing signs of improvement. In a strict religious society, they have experienced a daily battle of prejudice and violence, however, during the last few years, green shoots of organised queer human rights voices were starting to be heard and felt. But when the Taliban retook control in 2021 all that progress collapsed, and LGBTQ+ people were forced to go back into hiding.
Now they are being horrifically persecuted and with no access to legal or medical services or jobs. Without access to these services or the chance to exist without fear of violence, their fractured lives are crumbling. Using UGC smuggled out of Afghanistan mixed with archive and animation, Gay Under the Taliban tells their story.