“My dream is still to be a singer.” Yosef (36) is a Russian refugee and LGBTQI+

activist living in France. “I have worked in different Human Rights associations in Russia. I received threats. And because of that, I decided to leave my country…I also left to be able to love freely.” He explains how he f elt when he decided to leave: “I felt almost nothing, and it’s kind of like the situation in war. You don’t have time to feel anything, you just have to do something.” Upon arriving in France, though, he felt “great stress. I felt like I was between two worlds. And me, I am neither in Russia nor in France on the inside.” To cope, Yosef says, “I wrote a lot. And I talked with God.” He credits God for his strength. “For me, it’s thanks to God I can live, I can do something…God is my strength.” Now, Yosef is learning French so he can go to university to study theatre. He enjoys the way engaging in art makes him feel: “I feel alive, happy. I feel love and…passion.” Full Story

“My dream is still to be a singer.” Yosef (36) is a Russian refugee and LGBTQI+

activist living in France. “I have worked in different Human Rights associations in Russia. I received threats. And because of that, I decided to leave my country…I also left to be able to love freely.” He explains how he f elt when he decided to leave: “I felt almost nothing, and it’s kind of like the situation in war. You don’t have time to feel anything, you just have to do something.” Upon arriving in France, though, he felt “great stress. I felt like I was between two worlds. And me, I am neither in Russia nor in France on the inside.” To cope, Yosef says, “I wrote a lot. And I talked with God.” He credits God for his strength. “For me, it’s thanks to God I can live, I can do something…God is my strength.” Now, Yosef is learning French so he can go to university to study theatre. He enjoys the way engaging in art makes him feel: “I feel alive, happy. I feel love and…passion.” Full Story

“My dream is still to be a singer.” Yosef (36) is a Russian refugee and LGBTQI+

activist living in France. “I have worked in different Human Rights associations in Russia. I received threats. And because of that, I decided to leave my country…I also left to be able to love freely.” He explains how he f elt when he decided to leave: “I felt almost nothing, and it’s kind of like the situation in war. You don’t have time to feel anything, you just have to do something.” Upon arriving in France, though, he felt “great stress. I felt like I was between two worlds. And me, I am neither in Russia nor in France on the inside.” To cope, Yosef says, “I wrote a lot. And I talked with God.” He credits God for his strength. “For me, it’s thanks to God I can live, I can do something…God is my strength.” Now, Yosef is learning French so he can go to university to study theatre. He enjoys the way engaging in art makes him feel: “I feel alive, happy. I feel love and…passion.” Full Story

“My dream is still to be a singer.” Yosef (36) is a Russian refugee and LGBTQI+

activist living in France. “I have worked in different Human Rights associations in Russia. I received threats. And because of that, I decided to leave my country…I also left to be able to love freely.” He explains how he f elt when he decided to leave: “I felt almost nothing, and it’s kind of like the situation in war. You don’t have time to feel anything, you just have to do something.” Upon arriving in France, though, he felt “great stress. I felt like I was between two worlds. And me, I am neither in Russia nor in France on the inside.” To cope, Yosef says, “I wrote a lot. And I talked with God.” He credits God for his strength. “For me, it’s thanks to God I can live, I can do something…God is my strength.” Now, Yosef is learning French so he can go to university to study theatre. He enjoys the way engaging in art makes him feel: “I feel alive, happy. I feel love and…passion.” Full Story