Carmen and Ali: A Queer relationship in a cis-heteronormative society
Carmen met Ali in 2011, not realizing that this meeting would help her discover her sexuality in later years. Her home life robbed her of the ability to consider her options. Constant abuse from her older brother forced her to choose the marital prison to escape her familial cage; disregarding her feelings for Ali. “He looked manly, the way he spoke, his mannerisms, even the way he dressed. I felt a strong attraction towards him but ignored it because it could only bring me more trouble.
Nicole: Discrimination from within and outside
Nicole began exploring her sexuality at a young age. By the time she was twelve, she had her first kiss with her best friend, but decided to ignore her feelings and deny them. At that time, awareness was not available, so nothing related to that kiss felt normal. She eventually decided to move on and forget that incident.