The human stories left uncovered by the mainstream press are chilling and horrendous. The Middle East is the last place any gay man should be - but if you are Arab you are a suspect immediately in the West because of your heritage. Asylum - where? Where do you go? Caught between the hatred of their fellow Muslims and the mistrust and prejudice of those in European and North American governments, gay Arabs are being abducted, imprisioned, tortured and murdered. While the fates of gays in Egypt, Iran, Palenstine, Israel* and Saudi Arabia are sometimes documented, those nations are rarely pressured on their human rights abuses, especially those towards gays, whose very civil equality and leagal recourse is under threat even here in our supposedly humane United States. So, it should be better in American 'liberated' Iraq, especially with Saddam executed. Right?
Wrong.
Whether we want to admit it or not the prejudices held towards GLBT people in the West are a huge stumbling block to protecting the lives of gay men in the Middle East. Think the constantly voiced intolerance of the Vatican and the Christian Right are justified and noble? Try wondering if you'll be in your own home tomorrow - and alive. Or worrying that you won't die quickly enough.
Every time a voice is raised in Rome and Washington against gay and lesbian equality it gives tacit permission to those in third world and developing countries to take it to whole new levels. It's a very small world. Please read the article, and next time YOU decry gay equality think about EVERYONE who's listening.
____________________________________________
YOU CAN MAKE CHANGE HAPPEN
Contact your elected representatives and demand fair and equitable asylum reviews. Demand civil equality for all people. Contact your religious leaders and remind them of their responsibilty to protect life. Vocally REFUSE your support of anti-gay discrimiantion.
And please give generously of your time and money to the Human Rights Campaign, OUTRAGE!, GLAAD and your local AIDS relief organizations.
*The ultra-conservative Jewish faction's opposition to GLBT Equality has resulted in unprecedented violent public attacks against the gay community in Jerusalem. While the Israeli courts have ordered that PRIDE events cannot be shut down by the government every sort of obstruction, including physically attacking marchers and their supporters, are routinely ignored by civil authorities.
Wrong.
Whether we want to admit it or not the prejudices held towards GLBT people in the West are a huge stumbling block to protecting the lives of gay men in the Middle East. Think the constantly voiced intolerance of the Vatican and the Christian Right are justified and noble? Try wondering if you'll be in your own home tomorrow - and alive. Or worrying that you won't die quickly enough.
Every time a voice is raised in Rome and Washington against gay and lesbian equality it gives tacit permission to those in third world and developing countries to take it to whole new levels. It's a very small world. Please read the article, and next time YOU decry gay equality think about EVERYONE who's listening.
____________________________________________
YOU CAN MAKE CHANGE HAPPEN
Contact your elected representatives and demand fair and equitable asylum reviews. Demand civil equality for all people. Contact your religious leaders and remind them of their responsibilty to protect life. Vocally REFUSE your support of anti-gay discrimiantion.
And please give generously of your time and money to the Human Rights Campaign, OUTRAGE!, GLAAD and your local AIDS relief organizations.
*The ultra-conservative Jewish faction's opposition to GLBT Equality has resulted in unprecedented violent public attacks against the gay community in Jerusalem. While the Israeli courts have ordered that PRIDE events cannot be shut down by the government every sort of obstruction, including physically attacking marchers and their supporters, are routinely ignored by civil authorities.
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