Middle East
Our 30th of April-2013 manifestation Gay and Proud
30th of April, 2013… a week after the incident that caused a storm of outrage among the LGBT in Lebanon and the human rights delegate and supporters alike, a week after Mr Antoine Chakhtoura, Mayor of Dekwani, a residential and industrial hub in mount Lebanon, took an unjust, illegal and unwelcomed step by raiding a… Read more »
Young man assaulted and injured on a Jerusalem bus for being gay
A young man from Jerusalem, Israel was verbally abused and brutally assaulted on a night bus for being gay, while passengers and security stood by and did not intervene A young gay man was attacked on a Jerusalem night bus, receiving facial injuries. The youth in his early twenties went out with friends in Jerusalem,… Read more »
Saudi journalist arrested for ‘gay party’
Saudi Arabia’s religious police arrested an editor of a well known daily who was allegedly preparing to attend a ‘gay party’ A journalist and editor at a ‘well-known’ daily newspaper was arrested in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for planning to attend a ‘gay party’, using make up and possession of alcohol. The kingdom’s religious police known… Read more »
Repression, homophobia and transgender policies in Iran
Repression, homophobia and transgender policies in Iran Because of Islam’s many sects and a lack of centralized religious authority, there is no one opinion on the status and rights of LGBT peoples. The International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA) notes that of the seven countries that currently have the death penalty for homosexuality, all are… Read more »
Iran, Russia and Egypt threaten to scupper UN women’s declaration due to gay rights opposition
An alliance made up of Iran, Russia and Egypt has threatened to derail a UN declaration urging an end to violence against women and girls by objecting to language concerning LGBT rights and reproduction. Reuters reports delegates to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women are racing to reach a deal on a… Read more »
Report Of The Special Rapporteur On The Situation Of Human Rights In The Islamic Republic Of Iran*
The present report is the second to be submitted to the Human Rights Council, pursuant to Council resolution 16/9, and communicates developments in the human rights situation of the Islamic Republic of Iran that have transpired since the submission of the Special Rapporteur’s second interim report to the 67th session of the General Assembly (A/67/369)… Read more »
Greetings from Amman
Friends, As people committed to justice, we know that to achieve full equality for LGBT communities, we must collaborate with other movements for human rights. Working side-by-side with women’s rights activists is one example of a critical partnership. After all, LBT women are women, too. And much of the homophobia and transphobia we deal with… Read more »
Reasons to be gay… not
The J.Spot a blog about women’s rights, human dignity, secularism and sexual freedom in the Arab world As I follow the ongoing debates about gay marriage in the US, and read the wave of criticism that hit actress Jodie Foster’s ‘reticent’ way of coming out during her speech at the recent Golden Globes ceremony (she… Read more »
The Cultural & Religious Debates on HIV/AIDS in the Muslim World
On December 8, 2012, the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) hosted a Red Gala Dinner at the Fairmont Hotel in Cairo, Egypt to raise awareness about the virus and how it affects the lives of over three hundred thousand people across the Arab world. The by-invitation-only event featured high-profile celebrity attendees, including satirical… Read more »
Kuwait arrests young trans woman and her mother
Kuwait continues with ‘morality’ campaigns that also target LGBT people, and in particular the trans community, with at least 16 transgender women now imprisoned A young transgender woman described as ‘mutashabeh’ (‘boy in women clothing’) was spotted and then arrested along with her mother by a police patrol in Salmiya, Kuwait city. A security source… Read more »
Activists slam Emirates depiction of LGBT rights as ‘evil’ and ‘diseases’
Gay activists criticize the Emirates attempt to ‘pick and choose’ what constitutes human rights The United Arab Emirates was elected last month to a seat in the UN Human Rights Council despite criticism from the UAE LGBT rights group. The group called upon the UAE to respect the universality of human rights of which LGBT… Read more »
Palestinian gay couple killed by Israeli Gaza bombing
Two gay Palestinians who lived in Gaza and were in a relationship were killed when an Israeli bomb directly hit their apartment building A gay Palestinian couple was killed by an Israeli bomb that directly hit their apartment building. The two men, one aged 21 the other 31 years-old, were spending time in their apartment… Read more »
Kuwait arrests two trans women
Kuwait continues with ‘morality’ campaigns that also target LGBT people, and in particular the trans community, with at least 13 transgender women now imprisoned Two transgender women were arrested this weekend in Kuwait. The two are the latest to be arrested in a continuous ‘morality’ campaign that had in just over two months imprisoned 13… Read more »
Jordan’s Muslim Brotherhood Decries Halloween Party As Homosexual
Islamists in Jordan have condemned a Halloween party held in an Amman cafe, decrying it as homosexual and Satanic. The Muslim Brotherhood blasted the celebration held Friday in a statement on its website the following day. “We watched with disgust and shame last night homosexual and Satanic rituals in an Amman cafe,” the Brotherhood is… Read more »
Hope For Trafficked Gay, Bisexual Men Lured Into Sex Slavery In Arab Gulf As Law Signed By Kibaki
A New law signed into law by President Kibaki promises to offer support and compensation to victims of trafficking including university gay men and bisexuals who were lured into sex slavery to Arab countries with promises of jobs. The Counter-Trafficking in Persons Act, which was signed into law by the President more than 18 months… Read more »
Tel Aviv is proud to present the first gay guest house!
Established specifically for gay singles or couples, the gay owned and operated Pink House is proud to make his guests feel at home. Pink House is located in the most exciting city of Israel – Tel Aviv. We offer gay travelers the perfect home away from home experience, whether you want to relax and unwind… Read more »
Twice Divided
For gay Palestinians, Tel Aviv is a precarious and complicated sanctuary. Ra’ed, a soft-spoken Israeli-Palestinian man in his forties, lives in south Tel Aviv with Ahmad, his devilishly handsome boyfriend. They are both from small Arab villages in the north of the country. In Tel Aviv, Ra’ed, Ahmad, and their friends live an ordinary life… Read more »
Gay Lebanese Singer Hamed Sinno Navigates Middle Eastern Taboos Through Music
In the West, bands with openly gay members are increasingly common. But in the Arab world, where an admission of homosexuality can lead to grave consequences, Hamed Sinno’s unapologetic gay swag as front man for the Lebanese indie band Mashrou Leila is a symbol of the cultural crosswinds sweeping the Middle East. Part Freddie Mercury,… Read more »
Public hanging film to highlight plight of gay Iranians
Trailer released for film based on the true story of two gay teenagers publicly hung in Iran A film based on the shocking true story of an Iranian teenager, hung in public with his partner for being gay aims to highlight the hardships faced by people in Iran. The movie, called Sin – Based On… Read more »
Iraqi police behind anti-gay killings, says TV documentary
A BBC World Service programme has revealed that law enforcement agencies in Iraq are involved in the sustained systematic persecution of the country’s LGBT community. Campaigners say hundreds of gay men, and some women, have died in targeted killings in Iraq in recent years – with an upsurge in homophobic violence since the 2003 removal… Read more »
Witch-hunt in Iraq
Iraqi law enforcement agencies are involved in the systematic and deadly persecution of gay men and women there, a BBC investigation has revealed. Dozens, if not hundreds, of gay people have been killed in recent years, activists say, while the Western-backed government turns a blind eye – or worse. The UN tells the BBC that… Read more »
Iran news agency: ‘Jews are spreading homosexuality in a world-takeover bid’
A state-sponsored newspaper in Iran has published a document claiming to have uncovered a secret plot by the Jewish people, particularly in the US and UK, to spread homosexuality worldwide. The document, published by Mashregh news agency, titled “Introduction to the overt and covert aspects of spreading homosexuality in the world,” details the uncovering of… Read more »
Gays join the Syrian uprising
Gay men and lesbians lead tough lives in Syria, where homosexuality is illegal. One man has taken it upon himself to bring the community together, whether or not they, like him, have joined the anti-regime opposition. The room fills with the music of Elissa, the Lebanese singer who has become a gay icon in Syria.… Read more »
Israel: High rates of suicide among country’s LGBT youth
New research published this week in Israel has examined suicide rates among LGBT youth in the country. Kipa reports that for the first time, the suicide rates among different segments of Israeli youth have been analysed in detail. According to a study of 1,134 teens, 20% of gay youngsters surveyed had undertaken suicide attempts –… Read more »
Gays of Syria, Unite!
Homosexuality is illegal in Syria, despite Assad’s promises of reform. Why some gays are joining the revolution. Mahmoud Hassino knew he was gay at age 12. He wasn’t attracted to girls, but he was very interested in his male friends. Later, as a teenager growing up in Damascus, his mother figured out his sexual orientation… Read more »
Lebanese Authorities Arrest Two Men For “Sodomy”
Lebanese security forces arrested two men Friday for indecent acts after they were allegedly found engaging in sexual activity inside a car, a police spokesperson told the National News Agency (NNA). NNA reported the men had been detained in the Beirut district of Achrafieh for “sodomy,” while a security source said the men were currently… Read more »
Police out in force for Jerusalem Gay Pride
Thousands marched in central Jerusalem on Thursday for a milestone 10th anniversary Gay Pride parade, passing by the spot where an ultra-Orthodox Jew stabbed three participants in 2005. Some carried rainbow banners and others had signs proclaiming: “A decade of marching in Jerusalem,” and: “Love thy neighbour.” Opposition to such events is fiercer in Jerusalem,… Read more »
Mawaleh – Syria’s First Gay Magazine
It took us a long time, but it is looking good and we hope it is going to be informative. I come out in this issue, check it, flip through it even if you don’t read Arabic, and you will know who I am. Mawaleh is online on issuu.com, click here to view it… Read more »
‘Outed’ by the Military, Some Gays Fleeing Iran
For at least 15 years, the Islamic Republic has quietly been offering gay Iranians exemptions from mandatory military service. But those exemptions often come with a cost. Five years ago, while speaking in New York, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad infamously declared that there are no homosexuals in his country. But for at least 15 years,… Read more »
Iranian Queers March in Toronto Pride Parade for Those Who Can Not in Iran
A group of Iranian queers in Toronto decided to march in Toronto Pride Parade 2012 (Today, July 1st), to show their existence and promote Iranian Queer Human Rights Cause. Last year, IRQR officially registered the first Iranian contingent at Pride Parade 2011 and won the Best Entry Award of ‘Dream Big’ Theme by Pride Toronto… Read more »
German court tells lesbian asylum seeker to hide identity in Iran
A German court rejected the asylum application of Samira Ghorbani Danesh, an Iranian lesbian refugee who fled Iran in 2009, with the justification that she can hide her homosexuality in Iran and avoid criminal penalties. In a telephone interview on Thursday with PinkNews.co.uk, Katayun Pirdawari, who is a German-Iranian and a member of the Lesbian… Read more »
Iran shuts publisher for ‘promoting’ gay sex and immorality
Iranian authorities have shut a famous publishing house for allegedly promoting ‘homosexuality, incest, and sexual relations between men and women outside marriage’ Iranian authorities announced last Friday, 22 June, that the reason they shut down a prominent publishing house in Tehran was due to its ‘promotion of homosexuality, incest, and sexual relations between men and… Read more »
Dubai: Scottish man jailed for public gay sex to be released
A Scottish man jailed for having gay sex in a public place in Dubai is to be released after his sentence was heavily reduced on appeal. Paul Brandt, 29, of Aberdeenshire had originally been sentenced to three years imprisonment. The Dubai Court of Appeal reduced his sentence to four months, meaning he can be released… Read more »
Kuwait Continues Campaign Against LGBT People In The Name Of Morality
At least ten teenagers have been arrested by the police in Kuwait for ‘satanic rituals’ as part of ‘morality’ campaigns, reports say, with LGBT people being targeted under the same umbrella of ‘vice’ and ‘immorality.’ On 8th of June, 10 adolescents, ranging from 16 to 18 years old were entrapped during a raid and the… Read more »
Gay Emiratis welcome Madonna’s pro LGBT rights show
Gays and lesbians in the Emirates have welcomed Madonna’s performance there, where she displayed strong messages of support for LGBT rights. The global pop star played stadium gigs in Abu Dhabi on 3 and 4 June as part of her MDNA album world tour. Around 25,000 attend the Madonna’s first ever performance in the Arab… Read more »
Dubai: Man jailed for gay relationship after partner dies in window fall
A 24-year-old man in Dubai has been sentenced to a year in prison and subsequent deportation after his gay relationship was discovered when his partner fell from a window. According to Emirates’ newspaper the National, the man’s lover had fallen to the ground from a fourth floor window and suffered injuries to which he was… Read more »
Kuwait: Mass arrest of people accused of “vice” and “immorality”
Kuwaiti media organisations report that almost 150 people have been arrested this weekend for “immoral” behaviour, including four gay men and two transgender women. Most reports have alleged that these men and women were engaged in “prostitution,” though others have labelled them as “fun seekers.” Emirates 24/7 reported that most of the arrested were expatriates,… Read more »
World marks IDAHO with courage and pride
Activists defy anti-gay laws in Iran and Russia to celebrate the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia Activists in Iran, one of the most homophobic countries in the world, braved persecution today (17 May) by publicly unfurling a rainbow flag to mark the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO). Campaigners in the Muslim state’s… Read more »
Anti-gay Eurovision protests intensify in Iran
Homophobic Muslims take to streets of two cities in Iran, furious at rumors of a gay pride event during the Eurovision Song Contest in Azerbaijan Angry homophobes took to the streets of two Iranian cities on Friday (11 May) to protest rumors of a gay pride event during next week’s Eurovision Song Contest in neighboring… Read more »
Kuwait: Trans man arrested for ‘imitating opposite sex’
A transgender man has been arrested as Kuwait continues a campaign against ‘immorality’ which includes LGBT people among its targets. Three separate incidents were reported by Kuwaiti media yesterday all in a sensationalist manner which appears designed to stir up public feeling. In the first, an 18-year-old Kuwaiti transgender man was arrested after a fight… Read more »
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