Showcasing the Invisible Roma LGBTIQ Community

The lives and experiences of one of Europe’s most marginalised groups, the LGBTIQ Roma community, is the focus of a new exhibition in the UK.

‘Visualising the Lives of LGBTIQ Roma’ opening on 7 November at the Aspex Gallery in Portsmouth, presents the work of University of Portsmouth post-doctoral researcher Dr Lucie Fremlova and includes photographs taken by LGBTIQ Roma visual activists and artists.

The lived experiences and images of LGBTIQ Roma remain invisible to many people, Roma and non-Roma alike. At the same time, LGBTIQ Roma are the subject to double prejudice, anti-Romani and homo/transphobia. By showcasing photographs taken by LGBTIQ Roma as part of this research project, the exhibition not only offers an insight into the lives of LGBTIQ Roma but also seeks to demonstrate to audiences ways in which LGBTIQ Roma wish to be represented.

On the morning of the exhibition opening, Fremlova will host a creative workshop about identities from 11.30am, for up to 30 participants. Those interested in attending can register here free of charge.

That afternoon, the exhibition will be open to the general public with its official launch taking place from 6 to 8pm. Registration for the opening can be completed here.

The opening will be followed by a ‘Visualising the Lives of LGBTIQ Roma’ symposium for up to 50 participants on 8 November. Dr Fremlova hopes the symposium will give third sector organisations, charities, governmental and intergovernmental institutions, academia and other stakeholders working with Roma and LGBTIQ people an opportunity to obtain images and information about this group and help start a constructive dialogue about ways in which others use images of Roma and LGBTIQ people. If you are interested in attending, please click here.

The exhibition is part of the annual Festival of Social Science run by the ESRC from 2-9 November in Portsmouth.