Despite being more progressive on queer rights than other West African nations, Côte d’Ivoire is experiencing an increase in homophobia and violence. Here, Brice Donald Dibahi—the founder of the NGO GROMO, a local organization promoting the financial empowerment of queer people, fighting against discrimination and violence, and creating awareness for HIV/AIDS and STI prevention—describes his community, how GROMO came to be, and how beauty can be a political act.

This photoshoot is one of those precious moments where the participants were able to fully show themselves in a caring and secure environment, visually translating a freedom that we seek to build day after day. We hope these photos capture the joy we experience daily but are often forced to keep quiet about, locked into a communal silence imposed by feelings of helplessness in the face of adversity. These images immerse us in a universe that celebrates human beauty in all its diversity. They embody two essential values: tolerance and living together.

We wanted to capture the best in us, a humanity that Ivorian society sometimes struggles to perceive with its eyes but could recognize with its heart. Our hope is that viewers will recognize us as whole human beings, endowed with talents and aspirations. People who, like them, simply yearn to exist fully and experience happiness. That they will see in us a reflection of their own loved ones, for whom they would not tolerate any form of injustice. Our message is simple but powerful: We exist.

Left: Steven Noël and Paul Ser. Right: Ange Michel, El´ssy, and Naël.

GROMO was created in response to alarming observations about the socioeconomic position and health of queer people in Côte d’Ivoire. Members of our community generally live in precarious conditions exacerbated by unemployment, while frequently exposed to HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections. Furthermore, they experience discrimination and stigma based on sexual orientation. Homophobia remains deeply rooted in society, with people responsible for homophobic acts rarely being arrested or prosecuted. Our initiative first took shape in 2013 through a Facebook page raising awareness among our community about HIV/AIDS, financial empowerment, and denouncing violence against queer people both nationally and internationally. It wasn’t until 2018 that the organization was legally established to fully carry out its activities in accordance with Ivorian law. Currently, we have more than 30 committed members.

Naël and Paul Seri.

Left: Naël. Right: El´ssy and Kayla Tano Princesse.

Beauty can be a powerful form of resistance because it nurtures self-esteem and strengthens our ability to make our own choices, to live on our own terms. Just as women proudly assert their bodies and their right to control them—thus opposing the guilt-inducing rhetoric of a patriarchal society that blames them for the violence they suffer—queer people affirm their existence and claim their rightful place in society through the expression of their identity.

Beauty is both an art and a privilege. Where it was once used in an exclusive and self-centered manner, it is now being reclaimed by marginalized communities, as evidenced by the movement of Black women proudly asserting the natural beauty of their hair.

Similarly, within the queer community, people with nonconforming gender expressions have transformed their objectification into a powerful reclamation of identity. We draw strength and power by positively reclaiming what, in the eyes of some, constitutes a reason for rejection or discomfort.

This transformation of what was once perceived as “different” into a source of pride becomes a political and emancipatory act. Beauty, in its diversity and authenticity, thus becomes a vector of self-affirmation and resistance to the restrictive norms imposed by society.

Ultimately, celebrating beauty in all its diversity is a political act: a silent but powerful statement that affirms we are here, we are beautiful, and we deserve to be seen and respected for who we truly are.

Clockwise, From Left: El´ssy, Paul Seri, and Kayla Tano Princesse; on Bed: Naë.

Text Brice Donald Dibahi as Told to Notes on Beauty. Photography Gorka Postigo Breedveld. Creative Direction and Costume Design Kaduri Elyashar. Photo Assistants Nikita Shubney, Jean Luc Konkobo, Mariam Kabore. Project Coordinator Brice Donald Dibahi at Ong Gromo, Jose Garcia Ramos. Special Thanks Aïda Muluneh, Dani Pannullo, Spanish Embassy of Abidjan, Ong Gromo.