ISSUE: DNA #261 – Free To Be | Buy
Free To Be! Let’s raise our voice for those whose freedoms have just been swept away.
The fate of LGBTQIA+ people living in Afghanistan appears dire. With the Taliban back in power, driven by hard-line religious dogma, it seems only a matter of time before we begin to hear terrible stories. We know that many gay Afghans are in hiding, hoping to escape attention, while others have headed to the land borders of neighbouring countries to attempt to leave.
These people will not be free to live as they wish. In fact, their very existence is threatened. The Los Angeles Times reported that, “gay men will be executed by having walls toppled on them once the Taliban are back in power”.
Journalist LZ Grandison describes the Taliban as making “the public execution of queer people a spectator sport”.
Over the last 20 years, Afghanistan’s gays had been able to step, tentatively, into the sunlight. Dating and messaging apps facilitated a burgeoning network – people were able to meet, exchange ideas, share experiences and start relationships. Now, possessing a phone is a liability if it’s taken by the Taliban and messages are read or apps opened.
The fact that lives are at stake is incredibly distressing but should cause all of us to stop and reflect on the freedoms we in the West enjoy by comparison. For LGBTQIA+ people, self-realisation and self-expression are part of what we take for granted and we expect, rightly, to be heard.
This issue of DNA is a celebration of bold individuals who have stood up to be counted on their own terms. They have defined their own boundaries. They have found their authentic selves and doing so has brought them happiness, fulfillment and, in some cases, career success.
Olympic gymnast Dominic Clarke (page 38) tells us that it wasn’t until he was at peace with his sexuality that his performance peaked.
“There’s a strength and a peace that comes from being authentic. At the Olympics, for me, that went further than being gay, it was to let my extravagant and flamboyant personality shine through,” he says.
We’re all familiar with Billy Porter’s flamboyance, too, but for decades, as an actor, his “queerness was a liability”. Now, to his astonishment and wonder, that “liability” is what he’s being called on to deliver in his performances in Pose and Cinderella. (Story page 30.)
Colton Ford (page 52), the gay porn star who launched a music career, believed early on that music and adult entertainment wouldn’t mix, so he gave up porn. Now, he feels the two sides of his career do not need to be mutually exclusive.
Someone who has always had a healthy disregard for the opinions others hold about him is LGBTQIA+ activist Peter Tatchell. And a good thing, too, as we discover talking to the director of the new film about him, Hating Peter Tatchell (page 54).
Our lead review in this month’s Streaming column is Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, (page 26) the story of a schoolboy who finds his truth in drag and determines to take it to the world, despite the overwhelming obstacles.
Even our cover model, the statuesque Dmitry Averyanov, breaks the mould, telling us that, “For me, sex appeal lies in little things, peculiarities, flaws. The things that other people may not like…”
Our choices define us. Without the freedom to make authentic choices, we are reduced, diminished. Our LGBTQIA+ families in Afghanistan require our help, not just to find personal freedom, but to survive.
DNA has launched a petition to keep their plight in the minds of our Western politicians. President Joe Biden has long been a friend of the LGBTQIA+ community; let’s make sure we encourage him and others to support this important humanitarian cause.
Andrew Creagh
Founding Editor
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