Middle East
Four Iranian men due to be hanged for sodomy
Iran court sentence four men from the town of Choram, in the Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province, to death by hanging for sodomy. Four men named ‘Saadat Arefi’, ‘Vahid Akbari’, ‘Javid Akbari’ and ‘Houshmand Akbari’ are due to be executed shortly after their verdict was approved recently by high court judges, according to a report from… Read more »
LGBT Republic Of Iran: An Online Reality?
A Small Media report revealing how Iran’s LGBT communities use global communications technology in their everyday lives Full text of article available at link here Source – MSM Global Forum
International Day against Homophobia in Iran
May 17th is the international day against homophobia and transphobia. Homophobia and transphobia are social disorders that cause people to act out against homosexuals and transsexuals. LGBT rights activists have done a variety of things to memorialize this day against this disease everywhere around the world. In Iran, because of anti-homosexuality laws and oppressive conditions,… Read more »
Iran believed to have executed a ‘gangster’ for engaging in gay sexual activities
A young man described as a ‘gangster’ who is known only by the initials CH M was hanged publicly in Marwdasht, Fars Province, Iran, for allegedly engaging in ‘sodomy’ with another man. Speaking with the Iranian Fars News Agency, Gholamhossein Chamansara, the Attorney General of Marwdasht, reported that the death penalty was given to the… Read more »
Israel’s Masorti Movement will ordain gay men and lesbians as rabbis
The Masorti Movement of Judaism in Israel will ordain gay and lesbian students as Conservative rabbis in Israel from the next academic year, it has been confirmed. The word ‘masorti’ means ‘traditional’ in Hebrew, though the movement itself has nothing to do with those who define themselves as ‘masorati,’ which also means ‘traditional,’ in a… Read more »
Saudi Arabia bans ‘gays, tom-boys’ from schools
Saudi Arabia has decided to bar “gays and tom-boys” from its government schools and universities within a crackdown against the spread of this phenomenon in the conservative Moslem Gulf Kingdom, a newspaper said on Monday. The Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, the most feared law enforcement authority in the oil-rich… Read more »
Men from Britain and Seychelles jailed in Dubai for gay sex
British and Sychelles nationals sentenced to three years jail for drunken gay sex in Dubai. And Bangladeshi men get six months for toilet sex Dubai police arrested the men when they had sex at a petrol station. Two men have been sentenced for three years in jail for having drunken gay sex in public in… Read more »
Syria: Extrajudicial Executions (non-gay background article)
Security Council Sanctions, ICC Referral Needed (New York) – Syrian security forces summarily executed over 100 – and possibly many more – civilians and wounded or captured opposition fighters during recent attacks on cities and towns, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. The 25-page report, “In Cold Blood: Summary Executions by Syrian… Read more »
30 gays arrested in Dubai says unconfirmed reports
An United Arab Emirates LGBT group claims that more than 30 men have been arrested by government forces for being gay. The United Arab Emirates Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender group has received reports that 30 people who are believed may be gay were arrested in private ‘after’ party last at 5am, last Friday (9… Read more »
‘Emo’ killings raise alarms in Iraq
Baghdad (AP) — Young people who identify themselves as so-called Emos are being brutally killed at an alarming rate in Iraq, where militias have distributed hit lists of victims and security forces say they are unable to stop crimes against the subculture that is widely perceived in Iraq as being gay. Officials and human rights… Read more »
Reports of emo youth and LGBT people ‘being massacred in Iraq’
Since 6 February there have been continuous reports of militia targeting youths which focus on attacks, kidnapping, torture and murder of ‘emo’ youth and individuals perceived as gay, lesbian or trans. It appears that attacks have been taking place in Baghdad as well as in several in southern provinces. Emo, short for emotional or emocore… Read more »
Report: 40 People Kidnapped, Tortured, Murdered in Surge of Anti-Gay Violence in Iraq
Via press release from the IGLHRC: The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission has today received reports from Iraq of a wave of targeted killings of individuals who are perceived to be gay or lesbian. According to Iraqi human rights activists, in early February 2012, an unidentified group posted death threats against “the adulterous… Read more »
Feature: Gay testimonies from the Emirates
The removal of an anti-gay video, made in the United Arab Emirates, from YouTube has started the first stirrings of positive dialogue around lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues in the Emirates. PinkNews.co.uk, with the help of Gay Middle East, spoke to two gay people in the UAE to get their stories. Abdullah’s story I… Read more »
A gay message from the Emirates
GSN speaks to two gay men in the United Arab Emirates to learn their stories as the first hints of a positive discussion of LGBT issues starts in the country The removal of an anti-gay video, made in the United Arab Emirates, from YouTube has started the first stirrings of positive dialogue around lesbian, gay,… Read more »
Gay Asians fight stereotypes
A new magazine hopes to reach gay men in Asian communities – both in Australia and abroad – in a fight against cultural stereotypes and sexual hierarchy. Video The magazine’s editor and some contributors told SBS about their vision for the groundbreaking publication, in an environment rife with racism and misconceptions. The editor of A-Men,… Read more »
UAE: Pulled ‘gay cure’ video gets ‘unprecedented’ media interest
The ‘straight makeover’ video was pulled from YouTubeThe ‘straight makeover’ video was pulled from YouTube Following the article ‘UAE ‘gay cure’ video removed from YouTube’, The National, one of the country’s most widely respected English language broadsheets, followed suit and reported on the matter. Local LGBT activists see this as an important first step in… Read more »
Toronto Welcomes Forteen Iranian Gay Refugees from Turkey
Dear friends, IRQR would like to thank all of you for your dedication and support to our cause. Without your help it would not be possible to accomplish the work we do. We are pleased to announce that fourteen of our members who have fled Iran to Turkey have been granted refugee status by the… Read more »
The Atrocities of Yemen’s Forces
President Saleh Is Entitled to Medical Treatment, But Not Immunity Since anti-government protests began in Yemen a year ago, President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s forces have killed and wounded hundreds of civilians. Some of the worst attacks were in the flashpoint city of Taizz. Security forces there attacked peaceful demonstrations, stormed and shelled hospitals, evicted patients… Read more »
Video: UAE ‘straight makeover’ video slammed
LGBT people in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have attacked a YouTube video ‘tutorial’ which shows how gays can be ‘cured’ or ‘scrubbed clean’ of their sexuality. The six-minute ‘tutorial’ entitled ‘Be Yourself’ has shocked the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community of the UAE when it was posted a little more than a week… Read more »
Twitter may censor LGBT tweets across the Middle East
This Thursday Twitter announced that the company will now start to censor tweets on a country-by-country basis, allowing the popular microblogging site to comply with local governments’ request to remove, block certain content or users. Gay Middle East fears this will mean censorship of LGBT Tweets in the Middle East and North Africa. Previously, Twitter… Read more »
Kuwait: Reports highlight police brutality to trans community
Kuwaiti police have been torturing and sexually abusing transgender women continually since 2007, claimed a report released by Human Rights Watch published yesterday. The most recent case of police violence was reported on 7 January 2012, where three transgender women were brutally detained. Gay Middle East has also been reporting on this continual abuse and… Read more »
Man arrested for Facebook gay date in Saudi Arabia
As British prime minister, David Cameron visits Saudi Arabia today, activists report the plight of a man arrested by the religious police who may face corporal punishment. Activists are concerned for the safety of a 30-year-old man arrested by the religious police in Saudi Arabia for using Facebook to date other men. The man, whose… Read more »
Gay Dubai (United Arab Emirates): Forbidden and Taboo
Posted by: detainedindubai.org 2010 Photos, News & Reports for Gay UAE Warning! Many LGBT individuals may chose to visit Dubai or the UAE but it is extremely important to be informed of the consequences of being openly gay in this region. Although one should never have to hide who they are, it’s the only way… Read more »
Beirut’s Growing Gay Scene Gets “Out” Online
Sitting at a café in Beirut Souks, Rabee lowers his voice and makes a quieting gesture. “Can we please keep this conversation down?” he asks. “I don’t want people at the next table to hear.” Rabee is a good-looking young Lebanese man in his twenties, wearing a light-colored shirt and jeans. He is also gay,… Read more »
Kenyan men trafficked as sex slaves to Gulf states
A Kenyan gay magazine has exposed male sex trafficking between Kenya and the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Identity magazine says that gay and bisexual Kenyans are being lured from universities with promises of jobs only to end up as sex slaves. The prestigious Kenyatta University is being particularly targeted, the magazine found.… Read more »
Op-ed: The Legacy of the Bush War on Iraqi Gays
Even with the end of the war in Iraq, there is no relief for gay Iraqis who live in a desperate reality being documented by a publication called Gay Middle East. With the lowering of the American flag, finally off Iraqi soil as it returns home to the United States, and the ecstatic familial greetings… Read more »
Op-ed: The Legacy of the Bush War on Iraqi Gays
Even with the end of the war in Iraq, there is no relief for gay Iraqis who live in a desperate reality being documented by a publication called Gay Middle East. With the lowering of the American flag, finally off Iraqi soil as it returns home to the United States, and the ecstatic familial greetings… Read more »
Norway refuses gay Iraqi asylum
Correction: This story has been corrected to reflect new information that another Iraqi Kurdish asylum seeker, whose story had strong similarities and had also been reported in the Norwegian media, was in fact a different person. That Iraqi has been granted asylum. His name and picture have been removed from this story at his request.… Read more »
Orthodox Rabbis Oppose Gay Marriage
More than 100 Orthodox rabbis have signed onto a statement in opposition to same sex weddings, saying that gay marriage is a “desecration of Torah values.” The statement was a response to a November wedding between two men that was officiated by the Orthodox-ordained rabbi and longtime gay rights activist Steven Greenberg. Hailed as an… Read more »
“Modern” Dubai Says Male Victims Of Male Rape Are Homosexuals
The below horrific story of the kidnapping and violent rape of a young French man, a longtime resident of Dubai, is lengthy and concise so I will keep my comments to a minimum. Aside from the crimes committed against this man what screams out from this article is both the refusal of Dubai to recognize… Read more »
HIV rate rises sharply among gay men in Israel
2010 data: One fifth of the 2,000 gay men who participated in a study did not use condoms during the previous six months. Among the 420 newly diagnosed cases of HIV in Israel in 2010, 148 of them were homosexual men, according to the Health Ministry, which is worried about the “dramatic increase” in infection… Read more »
Qatari religious leader speaks against LGBT people
What do you do when your leaders and your religious authorities are against you? This isn’t an issue faced only in the Middle East. Conservatives in all countries continue to speak out against homosexuality, usually through very insulting and sometimes even violent rhetoric. Often, the messages are filled with pseudo-science and a complete lack of… Read more »
Gay Palestine News & Reports 2011
1 Palestinian LGBTs increasingly in conflict w/Israeli Arab LGBTs 6/11 June 29, 2011 – Rainbow News Russian to English translation 1 Palestinian LGBTs increasingly in conflict with the Israeli Arab LGBT organization The Palestinian LGBT groups are increasingly in conflict with the Israeli Arab (Palestinian) LGBT organization was nearly cancelled the International Conference of Youth… Read more »
Gay Middle East News & Reports 2010-11
The Muslim World, Edited by Michael Luongo (ch. 10 by GlobalGayz owner Richard Ammon) See books reviews: Gay City News and Philadelphia Gay News Also see: More information about Islam & Homosexuality al-fatiha-news Middle East Youth Muslim Yahoo Group: "Queer Muslim Revolution" Queer Muslim magazine: Huriyah, Barra Gay Islam discussion groups: Muslim Gay Men LGBT… Read more »
Gay Syria News & Reports 2011
Also see: Gay Middle East Web Site More information about Islam & Homosexuality Other articles of interest Queer Muslim magazine: Huriyah Gay Islam discussion groups: Muslim Gay Men LGBT muslim Queer Jihad Bi-muslims Trans-muslims Lesbian muslims 1 Syria during the Protests: more fear, more arrests 5/11 2 Will gays be ‘sacrificial lambs’ in Arab Spring?… Read more »
Gay Bahrain News & Reports
Also see: Gay Middle East Web Site More information about Islam & Homosexuality Other articles of interest Queer Muslim magazine Bahrain Rights Organization Gay Islam discussion groups: Muslim Gay Men LGBT muslim Queer Jihad Bi-muslims Trans-muslims Lesbian muslims 1 Bahrain cracks down on gay migrant workers 7/02 2 Gay party halted 1/04 2a Tourist convicted… Read more »
Gay Saudi Arabia News & Reports 2011
Also see: Gay Middle East Web Site More information about Islam & Homosexuality Other articles of interest Queer Muslim magazine: Huriyah Gay Islam discussion groups: Muslim Gay Men LGBT muslim Queer Jihad Bi-muslims Trans-muslims Lesbian muslims 1 Gay British man arrested and beaten in Saudi Arabia 4/11 1b Saudi Initiative to Combat AIDS in the… Read more »
Gay Saudi Diplomat Seeks U.S. Asylum
Los Angeles — An openly gay Saudi Arabian diplomat in Los Angeles who requested asylum in late August said he had received death threats since making it public on Saturday that he had asked to be allowed to stay in the United States. The diplomat, Ali Ahmad Asseri, was still awaiting word from American officials… Read more »
Death for Gays in Iran Creates Underground Railway
Iranian queers have well-founded fears of persecution based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. The Penal Code of the Islamic Republic of Iran, permits the punishment of queer people by lashing, hanging, stoning, cutting in half by a sword, or dropping from a tall building or cliff. My own and IRQR’s experiences in researching… Read more »
Gay Iraq News & Reports 2010-11
Also see: Iraqi LGBT website/blog New book 2007: Gay Travels in the Muslim World, Edited by Michael Luongo (chapter 10 written by GlobalGayz owner Richard Ammon) See book review: Gay City News Also see: Gay Middle East Web Site More information about Islam & Homosexuality Other articles of interest Queer Muslim magazine Iranian queer online… Read more »
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