This is me: Stories within the Timorese LGBT community

East-Timor’s LGBT members are fighting for their rights. The country that once was a Portuguese colony and suffered Indonesian occupation for about 24 years, it has been slowly constructing its democracy since 2002. Although the influence of a deep negative past is seen in many aspects of the conservative Timorese society, LGBT members are feeling empowered to come out in public and claim their space. They are mostly transgender, but also gay, bisexual and lesbian. Among LGBT members, there are stories of stigma, discrimination, and violence. Most of the times, these stories start at home. Tribal traditions and the influence of the conservative Catholic church, make many people look to LGBT members as monsters or a curse of God. But, the LGBT community has no place to go. They are working not only to improve their rights in the country, but also to improve the country overall.