A Good Time by the Sea
Comic
Artist Statement:
As the writer, I was simply browsing the internet, looking for inspiration. I ended up choosing to decide how us Iranians spend our free time on the beach, specially along the northern coast by the Caspian sea.
The main object in almost every photo I found was of a hookah, or as we call it in Persian, a ghlian.
Queer people in my country face significant opposition and even showing affection in public can be life threatening. So in my mind, this scene became a safe bubble for two men to spend time with each other and flirt.
Men are very reserved about their sexuality in Iran and they are disgusted by gay or feminine men. Now-a-days it has become a little better. We're seeing more acceptance. But we have a long way to go. This piece, created by my amazing artist, brought my fantasy of a free Iran for queer people to life.