Isa Shahmarli, an Azerbaijani gay man, stands in front of the LGBTQ+ pride flag wearing a white button-up shirt, a red tie, and earrings.
Content note for in-depth discussions of suicide, police violence, and assault
“I am going away: this world and this country are not for me. I am going away to be happy. Tell Mom that I love her.”
– Isa Shahmarli
Although LGBTQ+ rights in Eastern Europe and Western Asia have gotten more coverage recently, many do not know how dire the situation is in Azerbaijan. As a result, many overlooked the contributions that Azerbaijani activist Isa Shahmarli made to the fight for LGBTQ+ rights, resulting in a lack of scholarship on his activism. Some of his contributions include actions he took as the founder and Chairman of Azad LGBT, bolstering queer representation, and providing a safe space for queer Azerbaijanis. Sadly, he committed suicide on January 22, 2014, when he was only 20 years old. Despite this devastating event, Shahmarli has given LGBTQ+ individuals in Azerbaijan and other Muslim-majority countries hope for a future more inclusive of the rainbow.
LGBTQ+ individuals in Azerbaijan are among the most unsafe in Europe. ILGA-Europe (the European branch of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Intersex Association) characterized it as the worst European country for LGBTQ+ protections. Although same-sex activities, gay people donating blood, and changing first names on documents are legal in Azerbaijan, discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community is still rife. Law enforcement officials, who regularly harass queer people, regularly carry out this discrimination. This includes beating and stripping them naked as a humiliation tactic.
Queer people are not accepted by the general Azerbaijani population either. Many Azerbaijani citizens will not work with LGBTQ+ people, and 60% do not accept the community. Most people who are not accepting use their interpretation of Islam as the primary reason and also claim that queerness is a Western phenomenon unique in Azerbaijan. These reasons for prejudice are common in conservative Muslim-majority countries and affect their level of privilege in society, which translates to their socioeconomic status. This is especially evident when observing the biases held by employers when they look at the job applications of queer applicants. Javid Nabiyev, the president of the queer rights organization Nefes, conducted a survey on the discrimination of queer individuals in employment. He found that, out of 500 employers, 70% would not hire gay people. This also extends to gay rights advocates, who often struggle with funding and making ends meet.
Queer people worldwide struggle with living conditions and the fear of homelessness, which is especially true for those living in Azerbaijan. The living conditions are not safe for queer people due to the adherence to various traditions. These old traditions emphasize heterosexual marriages as the norm, making it dangerous for Azerbaijani queer individuals to come out. Coming out may result in discrimination, forced eviction from your family’s home, or men in the family forcing you into heterosexual marriages, which is why most Azerbaijanis do not publicize their sexuality. This is reflected in Shahmarli’s story.
Born in 1994, Isa Shahmarli grew up in a conservative household with a tumultuous relationship with his father. Growing up, his peers in school made fun of him for his sexuality, even violently attacking him at times. His life took a turn for the worst when a family member also discovered his sexuality and outed him to his whole family. The family member likely knew because many of his classmates did not keep his identity a secret. Shahmarli’s family thought of homosexuality as “an illness,” so this discovery was not received well. Like many other queer people, this resulted in his expulsion from his home and an increasingly fractured relationship with his father. Shahmarli’s tragic suicide makes sense when considering these factors, but his achievements overshadow his calamitous death.
Although he was shunned for his sexuality, Shahmarli dedicated his life to making queer people, specifically gay men, in Azerbaijan feel more welcome. He was not afraid to talk openly about his sexuality on national television during interviews and did not want to hide from Azerbaijanis but rather attract and assist those like him. The mission of his organization, Azad LGBT, conveys this. Its goal is to protect LGBTQ+ folks from harassment and educate people on positive aspects of the queer community. As they assure on their website, “We work for LGBT rights in Azerbaijan through educating society, creating positive media publications, and monitoring homophobic media sharings.” This sentiment gives queer Azerbaijanis hope, as it promises to address LGBTQ+ issues in an approachable and mainstream fashion. As the statement suggests, the organization is public enough to give the Azerbaijani LGBTQ+ community affirmation that they are welcome. The organization also conveys this on their Twitter by posting sentiments, such as “#Homosexuality is not a choice, but #homophobia is,” and, “No matter your sexual orientation or gender identity, you are worthy of unconditional love and acceptance. #LGBT.”
Shahmarli’s organization also ensures that queer Azerbaijanis avoid harassment, especially during dangerous times. The organization’s Twitter page highlights the potential dangers LGBTQ+ residents can face, especially during crackdowns. In April 2019, there was a new and severe crackdown in Baku, Azerbaijan, which Azad LGBT swiftly notified its members and followers of. This gave queer Azerbaijani residents time to take necessary precautions, such as masking their identity or possibly fleeing the country. They had also issued a similar notice when there was a crackdown in 2017.
In addition to protecting the LGBTQ+ community from harassment, Azad LGBT always celebrates the accomplishments of queer people in other countries to instill optimism in the Azerbaijani queer community. They celebrated model Aaron Philip, the first trans, black, and disabled model to be accepted by Elite Model Management, and the first pride march in Pakistan on their Twitter page.
Shortly after his death, on March 2nd, 2014, a short film titled “Ğ” was released, depicting two men caressing each other at peace with their surroundings. This film, created by Shahmarli and other queer Azerbaijanis, is about the protection of gay rights in Azerbaijan. An LGBTQ+ film about an American gay politician in the Senate was also screened to show queer representation in positions of power. The Azad LGBT Twitter page also features a tweet showing two men kissing with the caption, “Being gay is a blessing,” pictures of expressive queer people, such as a feminine presenting figure with a beard, and erotic art paintings of happy gay men. This revolutionized gay love in Azerbaijan, as many in the queer community had never seen themselves represented in the media and had never seen couples that were queer, happy, and expressive. Shahmarli had several opportunities to leave Azerbaijan but felt that it was his duty to stay and normalize queerness in Azerbaijan. This is the true mark of a queer revolutionary.
After Shahmarli’s suicide, LGBTQ+ people spoke up about their troubles, increasing their visibility. Seymour Nazar, a young feminist organizer and LGBTQ+ activist, claimed that the suicide impacted how some in Azerbaijani society view LGBTQ+ issues. He believes that after the suicide, “the LGBT community seemed a bit visible,” because “at least society has learned the concept of LGBT now.” Due to LGBTQ+ issues becoming prevalent in Azerbaijani society, “the media started featuring LGBT individual’s stories and interviews were published. Our voices started to be heard.”
Current Azad LGBT leader Lala Mahmudova also echoed this thought, claiming that Shahmarli’s suicide brought deep-seated issues concerning the Azerbaijani LGBTQ+ community to the surface. She observed that “he committed suicide with the LGBTQIA+ flag, which meant that his suicide was linked to a big message.” This big message clearly came through, as marginalized communities worldwide were shaken by his death.
However, increased LGBTQ+ visibility meant increased scrutiny of the community. Although Nazar commented on the positive aspects of increased LGBTQ+ publicity, she also remarked that “they [Azerbaijanis] still use the word 'петуха' (rooster), a blue, sexual minority referring to us.” This shows that LGBTQ+ individuals are still stigmatized, even after they share their stories. Publicizing LGBTQ+ stories also makes queer individuals more susceptible to hate crimes, as they are not protecting themselves.
Furthermore, the role of LGBTQ+ folks in Azerbaijani media is not positive but rather a mockery of their identity. Gender scholar Zumrud Jalilova asserts that “people with different gender identities or different sexual orientations are misused to entertain, aggravate, or attract the attention of viewers of TV shows.” Azerbaijani media also prioritizes screen time of straight couples to show their perceived ideal family. This means that queer organizations, including Shahmarli’s organization, are the only places Azerbaijanis can find queer Azerbaijani representation. However, as the LGBTQ+ community becomes more prevalent in mainstream media, there will be more positive representation and acceptance.
When Shahmarli passed away, his grave was adorned with an LGBTQ+ pride flag and rainbow ribbons. Unfortunately, his family did not mourn his death but instead harassed members of the LGBTQ+ community who were grieving his passing. However, his family eventually left, and the Azerbaijani queer community was able to commemorate him and his commitment to their community. Shahmarli’s legacy is significant, positively influencing the Azerbaijani queer community.
His death also brought marginalized communities together by alerting them to how dire the situation was for people like them. For example, lawyer Zaur Qurbanli wrote about how Shahmarli’s suicide shed light on other issues concerning Azerbaijani minorities. He claimed that Azerbaijan is “a “racist country,” one where women are seen as second-class citizens and where men are “not good people” if they are seen as feminine because of their sexuality or traditionally feminine behavior. The second part of this quote is especially relevant to Shahmarli’s death because he wore earrings and was open about his queerness, both traits seen as traditionally feminine and looked down upon in a man. Qurbanli goes on to sympathize with Shahmarli, claiming that in an oppressive Azerbaijan “it is natural that “bad people” will commit suicide” and stating that his suicide showed a “declaration by a straightforward man to the two-faced people who fill this country.” In other words, Qurbanli believed that Shahmarli’s suicide conveyed his strength and desire to show Azerbaijan that there needs to be significant social change.
Shahmarli ran an organization that told queer people they were accepted and they could live a meaningful life, just like the straight couples represented in Azerbaijani media. He also worked to end online hate against queer people and build a safe space where they could be loved and expressive. These contributions are monumental to the Azerbaijani LGBTQ+ community and how they are viewed by themselves and others. LGBTQ+ issues are now discussed more frequently in Azerbaijan due to his activism.
Although his legacy was fighting for the Azerbaijani queer community, it is heavily debated on both sides of the aisle. Some believe that he was an important figure for queer rights in Azerbaijan, but others sinisterly claim that his suicide positively impacted the country. These people are the obstacles standing in the way of queer rights in Azerbaijan.
Even though Shahmarli is dead, his legacy is still flourishing on the streets of Azerbaijan. As he voiced, “I hope and I will see one day that LGBT flags will be in [the] Baku sky. What I really want to see is a gay couple walking freely in Baku.” His optimism and dreams will never go unnoticed and will be fulfilled one day. All he wishes for is that “our [Azerbaijani] society was not biased. Before hating, read about homosexuality on the Internet, learn about it; I want LGBTs to be brave...If you want, you can achieve.”
REFERENCES AND FURTHER READING
Disclaimer: some of the sources may contain triggering material
Akpınar, Ömer. “LGBT Activist Committed Suicide in Azerbaijan.” Kaos GL. (2014, January 23).
kaosgl.org/en/single-news/lgbt-activist-committed-suicide-in-azerbaijan
Azad LGBT (@AzadLGBT). Tweets (Twitter profile).
Badasyan, Edita. “Live as you wish, but make sure other people do not know.” Heinrich Böll Stiftung. (2016, December 8).
https://www.boell.de/en/2016/12/08/situation-lgbti-individuals-soth-caucasus
Giyasbayli, Hamida. “Seven years after the suicide of Isa Shakhmarli — little change for queer Azerbaijanis.” OC Media. (2021, January 22).
Kristofferson, Cathy. “20 year old Azerbaijan LGBT activist commits suicide.” O-blog-dee–o-blog-da. (2014, January 22)
https://oblogdee.blog/2014/01/22/20-year-old-azerbaijan-lgbt-activist-commits-suicide/
Lomsadze, Giorgi. “Azerbaijan: Prominent Gay Rights Activist Commits Suicide.” eurasianet. (2014, January 23).
https://eurasianet.org/azerbaijan-prominent-gay-rights-activist-commits-suicide
“‘Love is Love’ Isa Shahmarli.” Minority. (2019, January 23).
https://minorityaze.org/en/51-love-is-love-isa-shahmarli
Musavi, Nika. “Azeri Gay Rights Activist’s Death Raises Difficult Questions.” Institute for War and Peace Reporting. (2014, January 31).
https://www.refworld.org/docid/52f0af634.html
Rahimova, Parvana. “Out of their window.” Feminist Translocality. (2020, July).
About the author
This piece and its second part were written by Reem Itani. You can find her on Instagram at r.itani_28.