How might we communicate lived experiences of homophobia online to those who cannot understand the unequal treatment of homosexuals in society?
In this project I interviewed my gay friends and listened to their stories. This helped me stand in their position to try to understand their experiences in society. I wanted to try to convey their feelings and experiences through visual language. As a designer, I'm not trying to 'solve' the homophobic phenomena. What I am trying is to intervene as a communicator to provide an opportunity for the audiences pause and think about this problem and encourage critical reflection.
Social media platforms like Instagram, with their emphasis on visual content, provide a perfect environment to capture peoples attention with moving imagery and narrative. This project uses colliding as a methodology to build a visual language. It represents 7 lived experiences of homophobia using found, open source imagery.
Homophobia from home
I had a great family we were so close at that time. I thought I could share everything with them, including the fact that I am gay. When I told my parents about it, they said I made them feel ashamed, they wished they didn't give birth to me. After that, the situation got worse, they didn't let me go to school, didn't want to have any contact with me, and finally I left my family. Until now, 20 years later, we still have no contact. I miss them.
Homophobia from home
My dad didn't talk to me for a whole week and said he has ashamed that his son is part of LGBTq. I was depressed, like I was just a waste of human body. He didn't want to hear me say anything about it again. Currently the best way for me and my family is to go abroad and live my own life.
Homophobia from home
When I was in high school, I decided to come out to my family. At that time I felt that I was mature enough to tell them the truth, I thought they might understand me.
I first confessed to my mum. As I expected, she felt devastated very much. She said I couldn't figure out what I was doing, thinking I was sick, and would take me to the doctor, no matter how I explained to her. She refused to understand. After that, she always told me to act more girly, but I just don't feel like I'm a girl.
Homophobia from society
I remember that I once had a lovely date with my boyfriend, I held his hand and walked around Thames riverside, trying to find the best view of Tower Bridge, and then were yelled by a crazy man: "There are many children nearby, you can't do this. You might influence them to become gay."
Homophobia from society
People took pictures of me and turned it into memes, and spread rumours about my appearance and life on social media. All these things made me really upset, to the point I felt physically sick and didn't want to have any contact with people.
(When many people think most of developed countries are gay-friendly societies, celebrities' coming-out still can become headlines in the news. Although it might be not malicious, it does still vaguely makes people feel like gay is "abnormal")
Homophobia from society
When I was in junior high, I was always laughed at by my male classmates because they thought I was sissy. They mocked for my feminine mannerisms and behaviours exaggeratedly, and once they even forcibly took off my pants to see if I was really a boy. I hated being tricked and bullied, I was afraid of walking alone in school. They did that to me only because I was different from them, I didn't behave like a boy.
Homophobia from the Internet
I like sharing videos on Youtube. Once I shared my experience of coming out to family on the video, I got lots of messages. Most of them are some encouraging words, but there're still a few haters said awful things to me which is really hurt. I don't know what did I do wrong, being a gay is not a fault.
