In recent years, the plight of Afghanistan’s LGBTQ+ community has taken a harrowing turn, with a surge in violent attacks since the Taliban takeover in August 2021. Sultan Popal, a 32-year-old gay Afghan man, became a victim of this wave of brutality when he was subjected to a horrific assault by the Taliban. Popal endured a night of beating and rape before managing to escape and seek refuge at a friend’s house in Mazar-i-Sharif, a city in northern Afghanistan.
The story of Popal is not an isolated incident but a reflection of the increasingly desperate situation faced by LGBTQ+ Afghans. A 2022 report by Human Rights Watch and OutRight Action International highlights the grave threats to their safety and lives under Taliban rule. The community’s struggles extend beyond the Taliban’s reign, as they also face danger within their own families. Out of fear, some families resort to murdering their own LGBTQ+ members when the Taliban demands their handover.
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Nemat Sadat, an Afghan-American activist and executive director of the organization Roshaniya, which aids in relocating LGBTQ+ Afghans, shared the story of Bilal, a gay man who was severely beaten and electrocuted by the Taliban. Despite pleas for help from various organizations, Bilal received no response until Roshaniya stepped in, providing him with financial assistance for food, passports, and visas.
The United States’ role in the situation is a point of disappointment for Sadat. He argues that the US bears a significant responsibility for the predicament of Afghanistan’s LGBTQ+ community. The lack of pressure on the Afghan government to recognize LGBTQ+ rights and the failure to consider amnesty for LGBTQ+ people during the peace deal with the Taliban have left the community vulnerable and in hiding.
Efforts are underway to relocate LGBTQ+ Afghans to neighboring countries, with Sadat’s organization raising funds to assist in evacuations and provide humanitarian relief. However, even after relocation, the struggles continue. Popal and Saeed Behesht, along with other members of the Behesht Collective, sought refuge in Iran, but they face new challenges. The LGBTQ+ community in Iran lives in constant fear, as the country’s societal attitudes and laws are also unwelcoming.
Employment prospects are limited, with discrimination and underpayment being common issues. Noor, a transgender person, works long hours at a carpentry workshop for minimal pay and suffers from sexual exploitation. Despite the temporary relief of relocation, visas must be continuously renewed, leaving the community vulnerable to deportation.
While the future remains uncertain, activists like Sadat are exploring potential long-term settlement options, including Rwanda, which offers a UNHCR system for registering refugees. However, the hope for LGBTQ+ rights in Afghanistan remains bleak as long as the Taliban remains in power. The community’s demand is simple—to live a life of dignity, free from the suffocating oppression inflicted upon them.
In the face of escalating violence, the LGBTQ+ community in Afghanistan continues to fight for their right to live, urging the world to recognize their struggle and support their quest for freedom.
