Struggling to survive financially in exile, these gay and transgender refugees work as escorts in Istanbul, Turkey, a practice often referred to as 'survival sex. They find their customers online, on mobile apps, in bars and clubs, and through word of mouth. Prices shown are what the individual charges for various sexual services. Refugees in the commercial sex industry are most often women, but the culture of sex work amongst refugees has long since crossed into the LGBT sphere.
The combined struggles of being LGBT, a sex worker, and a refugee result in many of these men and women to live in fear, or become reckless, regardless of the very real threats they face through doing this work. Wissam, 23, Damascus, Syria. Wissam from Damascus. This series was shot on instant film to allow more control to those in the images, making sure they are comfortable. The collaborative images confront the viewer with sexualised bodies, prices for their services, and words that describe the past, present or future of those in the images, to juxtapose the image with the person's life.
The final images are reminiscent of the 'calling cards' that frequent phone boxes, seedy bars, etc. Sex workers can face exploitation, rape, and even murder. Ammar, 19, Damascus, Syria. Using Format.
