"Sorry, but I'm Not Sorry" is a photographic celebration of resilience and identity. It captures the journey of LGBTQ+ individuals within the Gypsy, Roma, Traveller (GRT) community who proudly embrace both aspects of their identity. Through conceptual photography and personal narratives, this project challenges stereotypes, fosters self-acceptance, and contributes to a more inclusive and empathetic society. Pictures presenting GRT and LGBTQ+ identities often focus on the struggles the subjects had to go through; however, I wanted to create a positive narrative with these pictures by encouraging my subjects to imagine what enabled them to be more confident with their dual identities and focus on these enabling factors rather than delve into historical struggles.
There are still significant taboos and reservations about the expressions of the LGBTQ+ lifestyle in GRT communities, and LGBTQ+ members of the GRT communities often face homophobia or are forced to leave their communities when coming out to their families. As LGBTQ+ and GRT people are amongst the groups facing the highest rate of mental health difficulties and suicide, it is essential and, in a way, life-saving to initiate new ways of discussions about the specific struggles of LGBTQ+ GRT communities.
