National Geographic photographer Robin Hammond’s photo series, “Where Love Is Illegal,” has called much-needed attention to the lives of LGBT people living in danger around the world. As the project has evolved, Hammond has been giving vulnerable LGBT people a platform to tell their own stories, especially through Instagram, where the project has more than 132,000 followers and counting.

Here’s the words of one subject, Alex: “Every day was full of tension, fear and depression but I did my best not to let the depressive spiral take a hold of me, trying to help others deal with problems that I had never had and I tried to focus on positive things.” Alex (@alx_supernova) is a #lesbian from #Caracas, #Venezuela. When her parents learned of her sexuality, they sent her first to a rehabilitation camp in #Virginia, followed by another in #Utah. Read more via Buzzfeed