"The Taliban have their reservations against women, but LGBTQIA+ people, they just kill on the spot.” (This article is based on phone conversations with members of the LGBTQIA+ community in Afghanistan. The Quint will be publishing many such oppressed voices from Afghanistan. Write to us at [email protected].) (Trigger warning: This article contains descriptions of sexual assault and physical violence. Reader discretion is advised.) On 19 August, Afghanistan’s Independence Day, Sayed Fawad (name changed) joined a protest in Kabul to honour the country’s national flag that had been taken down by the Taliban. The Islamist group’s crackdown on the demonstrators took away the last bit of hope he had.