“Live With It” is a series of photographs that documents various of aspects of the transgender community in Lebanon - from the glamour of their lives to the struggles they face. Lebanon’s seemingly open-minded and socially liberal reputation contradicts the lived reality of transgender individuals who are judged and mistreated by their peers, family members, coworkers, and society in general.
Throughout the past few years and particularly since the start of the Arab Spring, topics such as refugees, victims of conflict, and women’s rights have been covered by the media and photojournalists, helping to raise awareness on various issues. Though these topics are crucial and important, many other stories are untouched and underexposed and the experiences of transgender people in the Arab world is one of them.
Getting close to these individuals has allowed me to gain their trust and get an insight on the lives of their day to day lives, exploring their journey and struggles. They are unable to express who they are, hiding their identities inside their homes, struggling to be respected in the workforce or find a job, or simply strolling around the streets. To put it simply, I’ve come to notice such individuals are not treated as respected as human beings in the Lebanese society.
More than following a trend, my work explores lives of transgender individuals who gave me the opportunity to enter their personal space and view the way they live their lives. They are courageous enough to narrate their stories in order to shed light on the need for a change and acceptance in our society. Most importantly, they create space for others in similar situations to speak out. This project is dedicated to all those under external pressure for being themselves and pursuing their beliefs. My goal with this work has been to represent the honest relationship these individuals have with themselves, and feel the inspiration I felt and still feel for them.
"تأقلم" هو سلسلةٌ من الصور الفوتوغرافية التي توثّق الجوانب المختلفة لمجتمع العابرين/ات جنسياً في لبنان — من حياتهم المبهرة إلى الصعوبات التي يواجهونها/ـنها. يتناقض الانطباع العام عن المجتمع اللبناني كمجتمعٍ منفتح ومتحرّرٍ اجتماعياً مع الواقع المُعاش للأشخاص العابرين/ات جنسياً والذين/اللاتي يُساء النظر إليهم/ـن كما تُساء معاملتهم/ـن من أقرانهم/ـن وأفراد أسرهم/ـن وزملائهم/ـن في العمل ومجتمعهم/ـن بشكل عام.
خلال السنوات القليلة الماضية وخصوصاً منذ بداية الربيع العربي، تحظى موضوعات كاللاجئين وضحايا الصراعات المسلحة وحقوق المرأة بتغطية صحفية وإعلامية كثيفة ما يسهم في رفع الوعي العام بهذه القضايا. ورغم أهمية هذه القضايا إلا أن هناك قصص عديدة أخرى تظل غير مطروحة أو مقبولة للنقاش ومنها مسألة العابرين/ات جنسياً في العالم العربي.
سمح لي القرب من هؤلاء الأشخاص أن أكتسب ثقتهم/-ن وأن أرى حياتهم/ـن اليومية بشكل معمّق متتبعة رحلة عبورهم/ـن ومعاناتهم/ـن. لا يستطيع هؤلاء أن يُعبّروا/ـن عن من هم/ـن، ويخفون/ـين هويتهم/ـن داخل بيوتهم/ـن، ويكافحون/ـن من أجل نيل الاحترام اللائق في بيئة العمل أو أثناء البحث عن عمل أو حتى أثناء التنزّه في الشارع. بعبارة أبسط، تبيّن لي أن المجتمع اللبناني لا يحترم هؤلاء الأشخاص ولا يعاملهم كآدميين/ـات.
يرمي عملي إلى ما هو أكثر من مسايرة التيار السائد، إذ يحاول استكشاف حيوات العابرين/ات الذين/اللاتي أعطوني/ـينني فرصة الولوج إلى فضائهم/ـن الشخصي واختبار حياتهم/ـن عن كثب. تلقي حكاياتهم/ـن المزيد من الضوء على الحاجة لتغيير نظرة المجتمع وقبوله لهم/ـن، وأهم من ذلك، تخلق هذه الحكايات مساحةً لمن هم/ـن في ظروف مشابهة لأن يرفعوا/ـن الصوت. المشروع مهدىً إلى كل من يخضعون/ـن للضغط الخارجي فقط لأنهم/ـن أنفسهم/ـن ويسعون/ـين لتحقيق ما يؤمنون/ـنّ به. هدفي من هذا العمل هو أن أمثّل العلاقة الصادقة بين هؤلاء الأشخاص وأنفسهم/ـن وأن أنقل الإلهام الذي شعرت ولا زلت أشعر به.
Sima Ajlyakin, born in Syria, made her first photographs during her visits to her hometown in Hama and Damascus in 2008. Around the same time, she moved to Beirut as a university student and began selling her work in galleries, eventually dedicating herself to photography full time and moving to New York City to pursue a degree at the New York Film Academy. The following years, Sima immersed herself in fashion photography, going behind the scenes, helping with editorials, and experimenting with new photography styles. In her documentation of Lebanon's underground LGBTQ community, she bypassed the glamorous and delved deeply into her subjects' personal lives to capture them in their intimate surroundings.
Website
Sima Ajlyakin, born in Syria, made her first photographs during her visits to her hometown in Hama and Damascus in 2008. Around the same time, she moved to Beirut as a university student and began selling her work in galleries, eventually dedicating herself to photography full time and moving to New York City to pursue a degree at the New York Film Academy. The following years, Sima immersed herself in fashion photography, going behind the scenes, helping with editorials, and experimenting with new photography styles. In her documentation of Lebanon's underground LGBTQ community, she bypassed the glamorous and delved deeply into her subjects' personal lives to capture them in their intimate surroundings.
Website