A time for love

Cyprus LGBTI’s community marked its first civil union in a private Nicosia ceremony on January 29, 2016, in a ceremony open only to allies and friends of the couple.But while the event was largely a private affair, dignity, commitment and celebration were very much on show to those privileged enough to share the occasion. I was allowed to photograph the couple (who desired anonymity to preserve privacy in their professional spheres) as they chose garments for their special day, partied on the eve of their union and basked in the aftermath of the ceremony at the Nicosia District Office the day after. They quietly stepped into the history books but the change they represented was resounding. The island’s civil union law that was approved on November 26, 2015, the fruit of a protracted, hard-won battle by the island’s LGBTI lobby, marked one more step towards a progressive society.

Stefanos Kouratzis is an award-winning photographer and writer based in Cyprus, and Artistic Director of LiPhoFe (Limassol Photography Festival). His photobook "Ammochostos - The Algos of Nostos" (2024) is held in libraries including the MoMA Library. He was a participating artist in the Cyprus Pavilion at the 16th Venice Architecture Biennale (2018). His work was shown at Le Corbusier's Unité d'habitation in Marseille in 2023 and exhibited in the Triennial of Photography Hamburg in 2026. His photography has received recognition from the Gomma Photography Grant, the PDN Photo Annual, IPA, PX3.