Where love is illegal: What it’s really like travelling Sri Lanka as a gay couple

We’re playing cards by candlelight to the sound of humming cicadas and peacock mating calls. Our host Taranga never explained the rules. Naturally, he’s winning. “The lights will come back on soon,” he says, shuffling the cards for another game of… well, who knows? “This happens every night.” I glance over to the silhouette that is my partner, struggling to make out his expression, and feel the light-hearted mood drain away into the inky darkness. It’s the first time in my life I have had to hold back from making any physical contact with him. Why? Because doing so could get us arrested or s…

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