A talk and photographic exhibition on 'sexile' will take place this Thursday at 18:00 at the Pagoeta sociocultural center in Urretxu. The event, organized by the Department of Diversity and Coexistence of the Urretxu City Council, will feature a photojournalism project that captures the experiences, reflections, and sensations of five 'queer' individuals from rural Euskal Herria. 'Queer' refers to individuals who identify with sexual and gender identities that are not heterosexual or cisgender, rejecting traditional binary labels and established social norms regarding sexual orientation or gender expression.

From the Department of Diversity and Coexistence, they state, "'Xerka' addresses the silent process of exile experienced by the LGTBIQ+ community in villages." At the event, journalists Martxel Larraza and Joseba Olagarai will give the talk, accompanied by a photographic exhibition on the theme at the Pagoeta sociocultural space.

The talk will be held in Basque and aims to shed light on the identities and life experiences of five dissident 'queer' individuals from various territories, backgrounds, and ages. "The initiative's goal is to convey a positive message: that it is possible to be 'queer' and live in one's village in the Basque rural environment, in Basque," they explain. The term 'sexile' denotes the forced migration of LGTBIQ+ individuals who flee their family and social environments towards urban centers due to oppression based on their sexual orientation or gender identity.

'Xerka' originated from a photojournalism project created by Martxel Larraza in 2023, which received an award at the III. Berria communication competition in 2024. "The work combines classic genres of landscape and portraiture, employing various photographic techniques and styles. The photographs propose a poetic dialectic between the subject and their environment, exploring a relationship that can be as conflictive as it is harmonious," they anticipate about the project that will be presented at Pagoeta.