Photographs Showcase Transgender Struggle in Mongolia

Photographer Álvaro Laiz’s series, Transmongolian depicts the oppressed and persecuted transgender people of Mongolia. His photojournalistic style gets deep into the discrimination and injustice a variety of male-to-female transgender people experience in their everyday lives. From prostitutes to social workers, Laiz’s photos show his subjects applying makeup, putting on jewelry and dressing in traditional Mongolian queen costumes.

Nyamka wears a traditional mongolian queen costume.

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Gambush, with her personal makeup artist, at the brothel where she works.

Baara, 55, lives in one of the poorest districts in Ulaanbataar.

Laiz's subjects dressed in traditional Mongolian queen costumes.

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Nyamka, 20, is a social worker.

Naaram dressed in a traditional Mongolian queen dress.