{"product_id":"ordinary-people-portraits-from-lgbtq-armenia-georgia-and-russia-9781620977934","title":"Ordinary People: Portraits from LGBTQ Armenia, Georgia, and Russia","description":"\u003cb\u003eAn inspiring and beautifully produced series of photo-portraits of LGBTQ Russians living in an increasingly homophobic Russia \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eDo we want children from elementary school to be imposed with\u003cbr\u003ethings that lead to degradation and extinction? Do we want them to be taught\u003cbr\u003ethat instead of men and women, there are supposedly some other genders and to\u003cbr\u003ebe offered sex-change surgeries?--President Vladimir Putin\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn late 2022, as Russia's invasion of Ukraine dragged on, President Vladimir Putin signed new legislation cracking down on LGBTQ communities. Almost ten years earlier, Russia had enacted a federal law that prohibited the promotion of \"non-traditional sexual values\"--seen as Western values--to anyone under the age of eighteen. Known by many as the \"gay propaganda law,\" it has been used to silence any public discussion or positive messaging about LGBTQ issues in any place or format accessible to minors, including the media and online. The new legislation expands on the 2013 law to cover all ages and all media, causing many to fear for a new wave of homophobic violence.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\t\u003cp\u003eIn \u003cem\u003eOrdinary People\u003c\/em\u003e, Ksenia Kuleshova, a rising star in the world of photography, has taken a series of color portraits, accompanied by short interviews, of LGBTQ Russians who, despite the relentless homophobia from politicians, religious leaders, and the media, remain open about their sexuality and seek happiness and joy in their everyday lives. Kuleshova also looks beyond Russia's borders to people in former Soviet states, many of which have taken their lead from Russia's homophobic policies. Powerful and intimate, \u003cem\u003eOrdinary People\u003c\/em\u003e is a moving and ultimately joyful testament to the survival and resilience of the LGBTQ community in one of the most oppressive countries in the world.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eOrdinary People\u003c\/em\u003e was designed by Emerson, Wajdowicz Studios (EWS).\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKsenia Kuleshova\u003c\/strong\u003e is a documentary photographer based in Germany and Belgium. She has been featured in the \u003cem\u003eBritish Journal of Photography\u003c\/em\u003e as one of thirty-one women to watch, as one of twenty rising women photojournalists by \u003cem\u003eArtsy\u003c\/em\u003e, and as one of The 30: New and Emerging Photographers to Watch. Her work has appeared in the \u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eNational Geographic\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eWall Street Journal\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eDIE ZEIT\u003c\/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eFOCUS\u003c\/em\u003e and she is the author of \u003cem\u003eOrdinary People\u003c\/em\u003e (The New Press).\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"New Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50645978022162,"sku":"9781620977934","price":21.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_36e0a11d-6d6a-4ce9-aea8-6589b083fe30.jpg?v=1733166113","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/ordinary-people-portraits-from-lgbtq-armenia-georgia-and-russia-9781620977934","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}