We’re here, we’re queer, we’re framed: Navigating ethical tensions in a photovoice project with LGBTQ+ refugees and asylum seekers living in Athens, Greece

Abstract

ABSTRACT Informed by our personal stories of diaspora as first-generation Greek-Americans and as queer artists-activists, we intimately connect to social justice issues surrounding the intersections of migration and sexuality. In this article, we present various ethical tensions and dilemmas we encountered in a community-based, arts-informed research project with fourteen LGBTQ+ refugees and asylum seekers living in Athens, Greece. In partnership with a grassroots collective known for its advocacy for and with LGBTQ+ refugees, we implemented photovoice methodology to explore the themes of identity, belonging, physical and mental health challenges of displacement, and hopes for a future without borders. The purpose of this article is to use an anti-oppressive approach to unpack the complex layers of power dynamics, positionality and privilege, relational interactions, and ownership of the data throughout the research process. Specifically, we discuss these concepts through the following stages: building trust within the community, capturing visual narratives with the help of interpreters, sharing the artwork with the broader community, negotiating the politics of representation, navigating ownership of the data, and maintaining relationships beyond the project. As we critically reflect on our research process and product, we conclude with lessons learned and advocate re-envisioning arts-based research to include an anti-oppressive approach.