You are not alone
There are millions like you across Central Asia.
You look out the window and think: "we do not exist, I am the only one in my town." Not true. You just cannot see them — and they cannot see you.
80M
people in Central Asia
3-5%
LGBTQ+
conservative estimate
~1.2M
gay men in CA
half of LGBTQ+
300-400k
active online
and looking for information
In your city
Tashkent: ~10-15 thousand gay men estimated. Almaty: ~5-8 thousand. Bishkek: ~2-4 thousand. Dushanbe: ~2 thousand. Ashgabat: ~1.5 thousand. These are only those who can be counted — there are more.
They are ordinary people. A teacher at your school. A colleague at the office. A guy on the metro. A neighbour. An imam. A soldier. An athlete. A politician. You just do not know which one.
History is long
1400 years
Before 1832 the Islamic world had no specific criminal article against same-sex relations. Babur of Andijan in 1499 wrote openly about his love for a boy. Navoi, Mashrab, Hafez, Rumi — the canon of Persian poetry about male love.
Read the full history →90 years
Only 90 of those 1400 years was Soviet Article 121. A colonial import, not a tradition. Your real tradition was different.
How to find each other safely
Grindr / Hornet
They exist everywhere. Even in conservative cities. Even in Turkmenistan. Always via VPN.
More →Twitter / Reddit
r/gaysian, Russian-language LGBT Twitter accounts — an anonymous community.
Telegram chats
Anonymous groups by city. Do not write from your own number — use a separate account.
In the UK — physical community
Rainbow Migration, Skybow events, clubs.
UK hub →When it gets easier
Not immediately. But it does. Most closeted gay men from Central Asia we have spoken with describe the same thing: the first 2-3 years are the hardest. Then an inner resilience appears. You learn to live with reality, and it stops crushing you.
You are not alone. You were never alone. They just do not show themselves, like you.