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The beginning of the 21st century were years of significant achievement for many gays and lesbians in Azerbaijan. The ‘gay’ male culture started to become more visible and expanded specially in Baku.
Decriminalisation and visibility that came along with that have changed the landscape of sexuality and state’s bio-power. Additionally, this was also the beginning of more accurate accounts of gay history brought by the changes in laws, political economy and sensationalist media.
Before the decriminalisation gays and lesbians were invisible, unaware of ‘others’ around them, isolated. There were only a few cases covered or discussed in the media.
According to Rovshan Hijrati, an Azerbaijani singer who fled the country in 1998 to the Netherlands, the 1990s were the years of many oppressive cultural and religious beliefs and many gays and lesbians were trying to leave the country as soon as possible.
