The online exhibition ‘Boundless Love: When Love Crosses Borders’ tells the moving stories of LGBTIQ+ people who have had to leave their home countries. The exhibition explores their journeys and looks at overcoming fear, rejection and violence. People from different countries were looking for a safe place, and found it in Serbia. Here, they were supported by the Rainbow Migration Network (RMN), an alliance of civil society organisations.

The exhibition was initiated by the Rainbow Migration Network. The network is currently being supported by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) as part of a project to prevent and tackle the smuggling and trafficking of human beings in the Western Balkans. The RMN is an example of Germany’s commitment to LGBTIQ+ rights in international cooperation. Some of the LGBTIQ+ people who have experienced displacement and received support have spoken anonymously.

‘I left my home country to escape persecution, seeking a life where my identity as an LGBTIQ+ person wouldn’t put me in danger. Where I come from, concepts like democracy and human rights are not just distant ideas – they’re completely foreign.’

‘Life in Serbia is not without its challenges, but it is a far brighter place for me than Iran ever was. Here, I have found something I thought I’d lost forever – a sense of belonging.’

‘For years, I was trapped in a cycle of fear and rejection. But through it all, I’ve learned something powerful: love can heal. The love I’ve found in supportive communities, the care I’ve received from organisations, and the hope that one day I will live freely have all given me the strength to keep going.’

‘Love, I’ve come to realise, is what has carried me through all these borders – helping me find a home, not just in a new country, but within myself. Helping me get out of the shadow and find a whole new magical palette of colours.’