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Leila thinks domestic abuse in families where a woman is suspected of being lesbian or bisexual is a big cause for concern. The group has heard of abuse as a result of sexuality but it is impossible to verify. Often women withdraw their stories for fear of what might happen to them. She says she was forced into marriage, but wonders if “forced” is the right word. “Can you even force someone who has no rights to begin with?” she asks.
What she discovered was that there is a shorthand, a secret code, that local lesbian women use to reach out to each other.Initially her mother took it badly. But as the days passed she began to ask more questions. Leila’s father was more supportive than she expected. I wasn’t into it,” she says, “I thought maybe it was because the guy wasn’t cute. So I dumped him and started dating a cute guy.”
It's no wonder members of the group are all in the city. But we have a duty to find our sisters who are not,” says Leila.
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Growing up, I used to wish that I was ‘normal’,” says Leila. “Now we joke about how we’re not normal. We say we’re aliens and we have superpowers.”
Then something happened that she didn’t anticipate. Leila’s brother went through her phone and found the text she had sent to her friend. Many members of the group say they have experienced violence at the hands of family members who became suspicious about their sexuality. Below Her Mouth” will be released in theaters and on demand April 28, by Gunpowder and Sky Distribution. Watch the US trailer below.Watching the YouTube videos had confirmed to Niya that she was not alone. But where were the other gay women in Burundi? They could be fined or imprisoned. But there is also the danger that people within their own communities may turn on them.
