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Shine A Light Episode 1 - Emmanuel

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ImmigrationLGBT+SocietyShine a Light

The life of Emmanuel Culkin, 21, changed when he moved to Finland. In this country, he has finally been able to express his true identity and follow his passion of being a drag-queen. In the first episode of our new series Shine A Light, dedicated to LGBTQ immigrants settled in Scandinavia, Emmanuel shares his story.

Born and raised in Uganda, Emmanuel Culkin regularly slips into the shoes of Angel, his drag-queen persona, to make the audience happy. But in Uganda, he often felt he could not be himself. "_Being gay or from the LGBTQI community in Uganda is not really a good thing. I miss the people but not the country,"_he says.

At the age of 17, Emmanuel moved to Finland and felt safer there. "Finland has not changed me in any way. I just felt that I could fully be myself in this country," he says.


Style and design: Mert Otsamo (instagram: @mertotsamaofficial)

Photographer: Aleksandra Lemke (instagram: @aleksandralemke)

Makeup: Jannica Stelander (instagram: @jannicastelander)

Hair: Lauri Suvanto (instagram: lauri_138)

Story by

Laura Forsén

Student in Journalism in Turku University of Applied Sciences, Student in Philosophy in Turku University