By TIMOTHY WILLIAMS and TAREQ MAHERPublished: April 7, 2009BAGHDAD — The relative freedom of a newly democratic Iraq and the recent improvement in security have allowed a gay subculture to flourish here. The response has been swift and deadly. In the past two months, the bodies of as many as 25 boys and men suspected of being gay have turned up in the huge Shiite enclave of Sadr City, the police and friends of the dead say. Most have been shot, some multiple times. Several have been found with the word “pervert” in Arabic on notes attached to their bodies, the police said. Read more
18 May 2009
BY GARY VIRGINIAGays Without Borders/San FranciscoOn May 17, International Day Against Homophobia, more than 100 people participated in the Castro Rally at Milk Plaza to raise awareness of LGBT Iraqis facing increased torture and murder. Sadly, this story has been buried for five years in the mainstream media while 600 documented gay murders have occurred.
Gays Without Borders/SF teamed up with Rainbow World Fund
to organize the rally with a goal to raise $10,000 in direct aid for fleeing Iraqis.
“I had no idea this was going on,” said most passersby, referring to the genital mutilations, executions, torture and witch hunt of gays and suspected gays. Once people viewed photos of the victims — some showing groups of preteens bloodied and dead in the streets with a cadre of onlookers reading “pervert” notes on the victims’ chests — and read copies of stories from the New York Times, Los Angeles Times and other media, the donations flowed. Read more
For the uninformed, the US occupation of Iraq has lead to a false sense of security for minorities to express themselves more fully. LGBT Iraqis would gather in cafes, dress and act more expressively, and be a bit more open. This decision has proved fatal. Read more planetransgenderSaturday, May 16, 2009
Rally In The Castro, May 17th : IRAQ STOP KILLING GAYS
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