PHOTO FEATURE

In hate we trust
Hate crimes against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.
Photos by Elisabeth Ohlson Wallin

Agitation Stockholm, Sweden: A Christian forum writes that they want to see homosexuals hanging from poles in the town square.

N ine years after producing the

controversial photo exhibition,
Ecce Homo, internationally
acclaimed Swedish photographer Elisabeth
Ohlson Wallin started working on a new
photography project, based on true stories
of hate crimes against lesbian, gay, bisexual
and transgender people. In hate we trust
is a series of photographs that depicts
hate crimes against the LGBT population
worldwide through artistic reconstruction
of real-life events.
“The exhibition is still growing. It started
with eight photos and now there are
fifteen, their style inspired by Caravaggio,”
says Wallin. “This is about hatred against
LGBT people, specially from the religious
quarters. I wanted to show that the church
has blood in its hand.”
For more on the project and other works by
the artist, see: ohlson.se
Elisabeth Ohlson Wallin:
Photo by Robert Paraniak.

Independent World report NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009 37

Death threat Worldwide: Many LGBT humans live with death threats everyday.

Deported Sweden: Swedish Migration Board deports homosexual refugees from Iran despite the threat of execution. “Don’t show your love,” says the Swedish embassy in
Tehran.

38 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009 Independent World report

Contempt Stockholm, Sweden: “It is in the best interest of the children to grow up with a mother and a father - parents with different sexes.”- Leader of the Christian
Democrat Party on primetime television.

Musicfestival Kristianstad, Sweden: Nazists attack a party at the meeting place of the Swedish Federation for LGBT rights. There is no safe place for LGBT people.

Independent World report NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009 39

Hallelujah Borgholm, Sweden: Just like in Nazi Germany, the Pentecostal pastor Ake Green calls homosexuals: “cancer of the society.”

Rape Rome, Italy: A lesbian gets raped near a gay club by two men belonging to a right-wing extremist group. The Catholic church blames the victim.

40 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009 Independent World report

Internet date Staffanstorp, Sweden: Instead of a date, the young man meets four men who beat him badly.

Nazists attack two homosexual men: There is no safe place for LGBT people.

Independent World report NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009 41