LGBTQ+LOVE אהבה גאה

Michael Liani embarked on a journey that took him throughout Israel—from north to south—to piece together a collective portrait made up of hundreds of instances of love from throughout the LGBTQ+ continuum. This archive is composed of personal and intimate frames that together form a silent political pride parade, raising questions about individual and collective identity.

The subjects stare at the viewer—at times proudly and defiantly, and at other times with hesitation. Liani photographs the subjects in their natural environments, documenting their homes, beliefs, and dreams with a directness that does not attempt to charm, appease, or please.

Contrary to the experience of many, otherness is power, and through Liani’s lens and gaze, otherness as an empowering force manifests precisely in the most prosaic of instances, through the personal and everyday moments in the life of this diverse community. LGBTQ+ Love introspectively directs its gaze inwards, and through its exposition, welcomes the external gaze of the viewer, at a time when many LGBTQ+ families and couples still struggle with exhibiting public displays of affection.

Liani’s journey began during the COVID-19 lockdown and has been going on ever since. It was the isolation of the lockdowns that pushed him to embark on this journey, substituting seclusion and isolation with community building, and countering silence by speaking out loud. The resulting photographs combine a critical view and a keen eye with current political realities.

Liani’s quintessential images blend a fleeting glance, and his generous photographic gaze, with the intimacy of families who welcome him into their sacred spaces. The final product is ambiguous, nothing is straightforward: “It is my interpretation of love,” he says, “I create and document a reality, and it is beautiful.”

The book’s photographs were taken with an analogue camera, each session consisting of no more than four or five clicks on film. Through the photographic act of “shooting”, Liani simultaneously heals the wounds of both himself and his subjects, formulating a beautiful scar that seeks to elicit emotion and preserve it—intact and exact, in memory.

Liani asks his subjects to look directly at the camera; neither to be photogenic nor to please. The mutual gaze, between subject and photographer/viewer, reflects a broader social and internal struggle, producing victorious frames that seem to affirm—your love is right, legitimate, and powerful.

The process of gathering, photographing, and documenting the subjects depicted within this book was “democratic,” attempting to touch the full spectrum of Israel’s LGBTQ+ community, and introduce a new gaze filled with pride, acceptance, and love.

Nir Harmat, Photos by Elad Sarig