Human Rights Day

[jagged]

Sorry - i've only just stumbled across this and thought it worth sharing


December 10th is Human Rights Day
and the human rights of LGBT people are something that none of us can take for granted

Scott Long of Human Rights Watch knows all about this
Take a look at what he’s written

Below are many stories from chat-site users who live in countries where being gay is illegal
But we often receive reports of violence and discrimination in so-called “developed” countries too

What can you do?
Keep aware, stay vigilant and check out LGBT organisations near you to see how you can support their important work

Gay Rights are Human Rights!

LGBT rights: What are you afraid of?
by Scott Long, Human Rights Watch

Where do YOU feel safe?
You’re probably feeling pretty secure right now, typing in emoticons, invulnerable through the glass of the computer screen. So do millions of people around the world who network over the Web. It’s cheap, easy, handy—and, when you want, private.

Back in 2001, that was what a 21-year-old Egyptian I know thought too. He met a man in a chatroom who seemed infinitely attentive and kind. The man wanted to know all about my friend’s life. My friend was just coming out in a small city along the Suez Canal; he was desperate for companionship and understanding. He told his new pal everything, including the one and only sexual experience with a man he’d ever had in his short years. A few weeks later, he took a bus to Cairo to meet his new cyber-confidant, who he hoped might be the love of his life. At the rendezvous, policemen showed up instead.

They seized my friend, tortured him, produced his printed-out “confession” to that one sex act as evidence at his trial—and got him sentenced to three years in prison. The loving, curious figure he chatted with was working for the cops. The authorities feared the Internet as a threat, a new way of spreading “perversion” across the nation’s porous borders. They were dead set on punishing and rooting out those who took part.

These days, many of us feel safe in our homes or with our families. Prejudice is receding. Parents are learning to understand and accept their LGBT children. Mothers and fathers of lesbians and gays have even marched and testified on behalf of their right to marry, from South Africa to Massachusetts.

Yet a young man from Iraq told me how, when his uncles in Baghdad found out he was gay, they gathered the family together to decide how to “cleanse” the stain from the tribal honor—by killing him. They planned to take him to an ancestral village in the north, and begin the work of slaughtering him there. Warned, he fled to a nearby country, escaping only in the nick of time. But his uncles learned where he was and pursued him there. One day he saw them talking to the receptionist at his workplace, asking directions, so they could get on with the postponed murder. He only barely got away with his life.

"Death to the people of Lot" (Image Source: Human Rights Watch)

Our neighborhoods for many of us are like an extended family. The bars and cafes, shops and often cruisy streets are safe zones where we can lose ourselves in familiarity and friendships. Here, we’ve built communities: people we can turn to and rely on, and places we can enter and feel welcome. These visible urban villages, these pockets of intimacy in alienating cities, show how LGBT people’s lives have indelibly marked life in the modern world.

Yet in Italy, a wave of recent violence targeted even the streets where LGBT people feel most carefree. When an attacker saw two men kiss while leaving a club in Rome this August, he knifed one of them and almost killed him. Police only arrested a suspect after days of public protests. Not long after, somebody dropped two homemade bombs in a gay-friendly Roman street; in Florence, two assailants beat up a young gay man coming from a peaceful demonstration opposing homophobia. Meanwhile, Italy’s parliament voted down two bills that would have protected LGBT people against discrimination and abuse. Some deputies said any such safeguards would simply be “special rights.”

Is it a “special right” to have the police protect you? Is it a “special right” not to fear for your lives?

At Human Rights Watch, in our Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Rights division, we fight against that violence—and the dangerous argument that freedoms are a privilege you have to earn. We are one of the world’s best-known and most respected international rights organizations. We are uniquely suited to defend the idea that “universal” doesn’t carry exceptions, that “equal” never means “special,” that human rights must be everywhere and always and for all. Our reporting ended the mass arrests of gay men in Egypt. We helped dozens of endangered Iraqis flee to safety from a massive murder campaign. We’ve defeated repressive laws and forced hypocrites and killers alike to back down.

Worldwide, more and more people are rising to defend their rights as LGBT people. There’s much to be done. Some 80 countries around the world cling to sodomy laws that criminalize two people who love one another. (Most of these remaining laws are relics of colonialism, although ironically leaders in Jamaica or Zimbabwe defend them as part of true “national culture.”) A few countries punish homosexual conduct with death. From Colombia to Kuwait, police harass transgender people under laws that punish “causing public scandal” or “wearing the clothes of the opposite sex.” Lesbian and bisexual women, in many countries, face discrimination under the law, forced marriages, and horrific violence from parents or spouses.

Yet activists and ordinary people stand up to the repression, with incredible courage.

In South Africa, Eudy Simelane was a popular, 31-year-old soccer player in her township near Johannesburg—and an out lesbian. In April 2008, a gang of men raped her and brutally killed her. They said the reason was she fought back "like a man."

Across South Africa, rape gangs target lesbians, dealing out sexual abuse mean to “cure” them, or murder meant to punish them for being who they are. South Africa has one of the world’s most progressive constitutions, the first ever to protect sexual orientation. But these clauses mean little where intense poverty breeds hatred and violence. South African activists, though, refuse to fall silent. At Eudy’s accused killers’ trial, hundreds of lesbians marched to remember her life, protest the violence, and demand justice. A Human Rights Watch researcher was there, and saw their passionate call for equality. Their voices sent a message across the country: lesbian women will no longer be afraid.

In Nepal, Sunil Pant started a small group to defend the health and sexual rights of men who have sex with men, and metis, a Nepali term for transgender people. He found that more than HIV and STIs endangered them, though. Police patrolled cruising areas and raided private rooms to torture and brutalize “effeminate” people they despised. Things worsened after a 2006 coup made it open season for men in uniform to terrorize anyone “different.” Despite threats and abuse, Pant and his organization kept fighting. They built alliances with human rights groups and drew international attention to the crisis. They brought a case to the country’s Supreme Court that, in an earthshaking 2007 ruling, mandated full equality for LGBT people across Nepal. And when democracy returned, Sunil Pant was elected to Nepal’s Parliament—the first openly gay lawmaker in South Asia.

In Nigeria in 2006, when the president proposed a draconian anti-homosexuality law that would punish even two men or women holding hands, lesbian and gay activists fought back. They brought feminists, human rights groups, and international allies into a coalition to shame the government for its repressive move. Given only 48 hours’ notice to prepare for a parliamentary hearing—meant to show massive religious support for the bill—they rushed to the capital from all corners of the nation. When officers tried to bar them from entering the Parliament building to speak, they pressed their way through.

These Nigerian activists’ testimony at the hearing proved the nation did not speak with a single voice. They showed lawmakers that the world was watching. And they stopped the bill in its tracks.

Their courage should be a model for us.

You can stand up too. Support Human Rights Watch and its work on LGBT human rights. Learn about what courageous LGBT movements around the world are doing. We no longer need to be frightened of repression and violence. We stand with thousands carrying on the struggle. We can shame and stop the homophobes and torturers, our abusers and accusers.

What are you afraid of?
Scott Long
Program Director - Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Rights
Human Rights Watch


December 10th is Human Rights Day
and the human rights of LGBT people are something that none of us can take for granted

What can you do?
Keep aware, stay vigilant and check out LGBT organisations near you to see how you can support their important work

Gay Rights are Human Rights!
More info at: hxxp://www.hrw.org/en/home

[jagged]

Letter from a Tunisian User (November 19, 2009) (Translated from the French orginal)
I’m 24 now and I don’t live in my home country Tunisia any more. When I was 18 I started to meet gays over the internet in the capital city. Later I started to meet guys outside of the capital as well. Since other Tunisian cities are actually quite small, I got arrested by the Police, who had been following me for 2 days, tracking me with my mobile phone. But like any country, there’s corruption and I was able to escape from the police and other legal bodies thanks to the terrible power of money!

Geographical Position (Source: Wikipedia)

But the most horrible thing was the reaction of my parents to this incident. They had me committed to a psychiatric clinic, to be treated like a sick person by a psychiatrist who told me that homosexuals are perverted and dangerous criminals. After 5 long months in this clinic my parents took pity on me and asked my psychiatrist to release me because this had been a good lesson for me.

But I want to make it clear. I was treated like a dog, with injections when I got fed up of being treated like a sick person. Drugs which meant I could only stay awake for 10 minutes per day. Even 6 years afterwards I have still not recovered from this experience, to me it was like slavery. Thanks all the same to the morning staff of the clinic who did not always carry out the instructions of the psychiatrist, which the nurses and doctors considered too strong for my health.

Apart from that, my parents continued to punish me, denying me a mobile phone and privacy (no key for my bedroom), no internet or pocket money and even more shocking, I was locked out of all the other rooms in the house because my Mother ordered that I should feel like I was in prison. Later I was able to leave my parents and go legally to Europe, but they believed I was cured. When I was 22 they found out I was gay via a colleague of my father. My father hasn’t spoken to me since and relations between me and my mother are very strained. My father has officially disinherited me.

So that’s my experience of Tunisia and above all of an extremely homophobic family.

R


December 10th is Human Rights Day
and the human rights of LGBT people are something that none of us can take for granted

What can you do?
Keep aware, stay vigilant and check out LGBT organisations near you to see how you can support their important work

Gay Rights are Human Rights!
More info at: hxxp://www.hrw.org/en/home

[jagged]

Letter from a user in Malaysia (September 24, 2009)
I am from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This is an Islamic country made up of multi-racial communities - Malay, Chinese, Indian and others. Generally we respect each other and live peacefully despite the differences in our culture, religion and ethnicity, however when it comes to homosexuality, it is a different story. Basically, we live in a closet. Here “coming out” merely means an individual has the courage to meet other gays and to admit to himself that he is gay. It doesn’t really mean we are able to tell our straight friends and family, we are gay. Only a few lucky ones are able to do that.

Kuala Lumpur is the modern capital city of Malaysia, This is where the iconic KLCC (PETRONAS Twin towers) located. We recently celebrated our 52nd National Independence day on 31th August. Being a Malaysian, I should be proud of the achievements that my country has made. But I feel that freedom is not for all Malaysians. The “One Malaysia” concept is not for all. Our country is under the heavy influence of Islamic law and Penal code Section 377A for non-Muslims.

Geographical Position (Source: Wikipedia)

The gay community is often directly or indirectly harassed by the authorities and the media. The media report negative things about homosexuality to boost their sales. This often triggers police actions against gays. In 2006, intensive police raids followed a report in the “Malay Mail”. These raids then featured in a local TV show, strengthening the public’s negative perception of homosexuality as immoral. Up until now only a few journalists have written fairly about respecting sexual orientation as part of this country’s diversity.

Recently, homosexuality was even linked to H1N1 (Mexican/Swine Flu). Yes, you are reading correctly (Gay and H1N1). Luckily after strong objections, the author removed these misleading statements from his blog. Read this.

What does freedom mean to us?? We are citizens of this country. We pay our taxes, being responsible citizens like anyone else. We breathe the same air. We work hard. We proudly say we are from Malaysia. What do we want? We want and deserve to be treated fairly. Stop abusing us. Stop stereotyping us. Stop assuming we are the bad guys. Stop disrupting our lives by using the laws against us. Stop chasing us!!!

There have been constant raids in gay places in recent years. In the Penang region a few years ago, the authorities launched a campaign called “Zero Homosexuality”. They proudly said “Homosexuality is not a lifestyle for our communities. We must do something to eradicate it”. Gosh, as I read that, I was torn down. I am so disappointed, sad and angry that there are such barbarians (uncivilized people) in this modern world. We are not cows that can be erased. We are human, made from flesh. We have feelings. We have the right to live as individuals in this world. If this is a sin, who are they to punish us?? They are not God.

During the raids at saunas and other gay places many gays got handcuffed and locked up. The police seized condoms as evidence that sex parties were held. These actions mean that many operators are now scared to supply condoms, undermining a Safe sex campaign that was lauded by the PT (Pink Triangle) Foundation.

In Kuala Lumpur there were recently more raids in gay clubs. I hear many got caught and sent to police stations and I expect they were subjected to harassment and got police records. However, I am unable to find out what really happened and I shouldn’t speculate. I hope they are fine. The authorities also seized items from the clubs, preventing them from functioning. This kind of harassment recently forced an organizer to cancel all their parties. We were supposed to celebrate Independence Day at a club. But suddenly all parties were cancelled for our safety. I was very disappointed and angry. We also deserve to enjoy ourselves and to celebrate Independence Day in our own way.

It’s not easy for individuals in this country to come out and be brave enough to admit what we are. There are so many challenges, our own feelings, our families, workplace, the public and even within our small gay community. But after this personal struggle, we face the greater challenge of the authorities who abuse us with laws just because we have a different sexual preference.

Politicians often say that homosexuality is a lifestyle, a choice, and that we are influenced by our environment. They refuse to accept that we are born to be gay. There has been a lot of research on homosexuality carried out around the world. Can’t they read? Most of us know while we are still small. I knew I was different when I was small, and at that time there was no TV or anything that could have influenced me to be gay.

I will be 29 soon and I hope I will live to see all these anti-gay raids and harassment come to an end. But to hope for a better future for gays in this country seems like a dream that will never come true. Who can help us? Sadly it’s considered a domestic issue and the world can only watch and write letters to object.

A Malaysian


December 10th is Human Rights Day
and the human rights of LGBT people are something that none of us can take for granted

What can you do?
Keep aware, stay vigilant and check out LGBT organisations near you to see how you can support their important work

Gay Rights are Human Rights!
More info at: hxxp://www.hrw.org/en/home

[jagged]

Letter from a user in Namibia (1st September 2009)
I am living more than 6 years in Namibia, Africa. Back in 2003 it was very hard to live as a gay person here, but after 2 years there was a change in this country with a new president.

The first Gay Bar opened his doors in the center of Windhoek in 2005 and it was an exciting moment in the history of the gay community in Namibia. Since then more people and organizations are accepting our local gay community projects. We are still a small community here in Namibia but hopefully soon more gay people will come out of their closets.

Our former president is still active in the government and rules the strongest party here. Every now and then he talks about the “disease of being gay” but it is already a scandal if he speaks about it because he is not allowed to do that anymore.

At the beginning of this year, me and my partner registered an official Gay Travel Agency and we had no trouble at all to open for the public. Of course I was a big influence on my partner because I know the laws in my native country in Europe and I had no worries to be “out”.

One of my biggest projects beside the Travel Agency is to keep the Namibian Gay Community aware that we are close to having rules and regulations on Gay Partnerships like in South Africa. All we need to do is to get into the public. Not to demonstrate, but just to make the government aware that we are going to be more active in Namibia now. We do have The Rainbow Project (TRP) here and we are looking forward to some exciting news soon.

I read often that gay people in Africa are forced to be married. It is true. This is popular in indigenous cultures. However, those native tribes are also very open in their sexuality and they are allowed to have their lovers! It doesn't matter if they like male or female.

Most of the marriages of native tribes are just combined to keep the family generations on, but that does not have anything to do with their love life at all. They can continue with their sexual affairs or second relationship as long as they want. The local natives are very open about sexuality. I hope that I can change the picture that gay peoples are forced to get married in Namibia. Nothing personal - I just want to keep foreigners aware of the fact that life still goes on here.

Joe


December 10th is Human Rights Day
and the human rights of LGBT people are something that none of us can take for granted

What can you do?
Keep aware, stay vigilant and check out LGBT organisations near you to see how you can support their important work

Gay Rights are Human Rights!
More info at: hxxp://www.hrw.org/en/home

[jagged]

Gays in Prison – An aid worker's view (18 August 2009)
Hola, I work with Doctors Without Borders and everywhere I go, gays are illegal.


In Guatemala they would not allow gays to enter the country’s only HIV program because the health minister said gays were people of low social impact and others had more right to life.

In Kyrgyzstan I visited jails where the caste system inside has gays at the bottom, literally. They must do sexual performances for all inmates and they suffer sexual abuse from all. Most have their teeth knocked out so they can suck better and no one is allowed to touch them (fucking is the exception) or you become a “pethuki” like them.

In Ethiopia I met three men who were in prison for having sex. The top got 12 years and the other two bottoms - life sentences. The introduction to jail was to be in a cage outside (55 degrees in the sun) for one month. I paid a judge 100 dollars and got them all freed.

We need to celebrate our freedom and somehow use our freedom to bring others to light. It is a very small number of us who can marry, inherit and live among others as equals. Most live under the threat of violence or breaking the laws which unfortunately are strictly enforced.

Carlos

Great news from India! (03 July 2009)
Since this story was sent there has been an important step forward for Gay Rights in India. The High Court in Delhi has just overturned Article 377 of the Indian Penal Code (02 July 2009). That was the old colonial law that criminalized homosexuality. So for the first time since 1860, gays in India are no longer criminals. Of course, this is not the end of the story. The court’s ruling may still be challenged, and there are still other legal battles to be fought, but for now it’s a sweet victory
:cheers:


December 10th is Human Rights Day
and the human rights of LGBT people are something that none of us can take for granted

What can you do?
Keep aware, stay vigilant and check out LGBT organisations near you to see how you can support their important work

Gay Rights are Human Rights!
More info at: hxxp://www.hrw.org/en/home

[jagged]

Report from India (03 July 2009)
I am from India. I am 21 yrs old and I have been gay since I can remember. That is to say I was born gay. Here in India, being gay as such is not criminalized, but yes, having sex with a person of the same sex is considered unnatural and is a punishable offence. You can even be imprisoned for it.

Also the Indian film Industry “Bollywood” hasn’t been very supportive. Gays are portrayed as effeminate and the butt of jokes. Although there have been a few sensible movies in the recent past. The fact remains that because of the law, you can and sometimes will be harassed. So the whole gay community remains closeted.

Geographical Position (Source: Wikipedia)

Although a few LGBT organizations have appealed against this discriminatory law, the government’s stand was that it is against Indian culture. It is ironic though, that this same country was the source of the “Kama Sutra” which doesn’t hold back on this subject. It was the British who criminalized homosexuality in India, and now the government continues with this colonial law.

The media has been largely supportive of the gay movement and it is a widely accepted fact that the fashion industry has many gay people. But in other professions, you can’t be openly gay.

I haven’t heard of any crackdown on gay websites or persons using them. Many people have uploaded original pics of themselves on such gay sites (including me). Up till now there have been no problems, however any change in government policy could land us in deep trouble.

Some sensible portrayals in recent Bollywood movies have led to an opening up of the matter. Also, the Health Minister asked the government to change the law as it was hindering the HIV/ AIDS campaign in the LGBT community because of the fear of being harassed when seeking counseling etc. The government rejected the proposal, and the issue lingers on.

The fact remains that there is near zero acceptance (except for a few close friends). But I guess the scene is gradually changing, at least in the large metropolitan cities.

D


December 10th is Human Rights Day
and the human rights of LGBT people are something that none of us can take for granted

What can you do?
Keep aware, stay vigilant and check out LGBT organisations near you to see how you can support their important work

Gay Rights are Human Rights!
More info at: hxxp://www.hrw.org/en/home

[jagged]

Successful Gay Rights Event in Singapore (18 June 2009) (Translated from the German original)
Just for a change, here is something positive to report about gay rights.

I live in Singapore together with my boyfriend. This city state is not known as the most liberal place. But last Sunday, for the very first time in the country's history, a public event 'Freedom to love' took place.

Aerial shot of the Pink Dot in Singapore (Source: pinkdot.sg)

Religious and cultural groups came together for a little scene. As you can see from the website, it was very peaceful and pink! And two well known people stood up in public for the rights of sexual minorities.

Pink Dot - LOVE (Source: pinkdot.sg)

According to my Singaporean friends, this kind of statement as well as the whole event was a real revolution and never happened before like this. The attendant crowd was very moved emotionally and you could see that many people for the first time were encouraged to come out in public as gay or lesbian.

Best wishes
Oliver


December 10th is Human Rights Day
and the human rights of LGBT people are something that none of us can take for granted

What can you do?
Keep aware, stay vigilant and check out LGBT organisations near you to see how you can support their important work

Gay Rights are Human Rights!
More info at: hxxp://www.hrw.org/en/home

[jagged]

Personal Story from Russia (13 May 2009)
President Yeltsin decriminalized male homosexuality in Russia on May 27th 1993. At that time I was 15. I already knew I was gay but I didn’t think that one day I would embrace gay activism. The Soviet Union was history and modern Russia was being built. Later, I studied Public Administration at the Moscow State University where I graduated with honour. Gay activism started for me when the Moscow State University rejected my postgraduate diploma work. I passed all the exams but when the head of the Faculty heard that the topic of my work would be gay marriage, he gave me the choice to resign or to be resigned. So I was sacked from this prestigious University.

That was the first time I was discriminated against for being openly gay. I had the chance to be supported by my partner who I met in late 1999 on the internet. This year, we will celebrate our 10 years together.

Geographical Position (Source: Wikipedia)

In 2005 I decided to start my own gay web site. I was frustrated by the Russian Gay Internet. They was very little accuracy in all that was published and the sites were only dealing with pornography. I created GayRussia.Ru as a way to bring daily news on gay issues in Russian to our community. And English news about Russian gay life abroad. We launched the website on the International Day Against Homophobia (IDAHO) on May 17 2005. No journalist came to our press conference. In July of the same year, we announced the first Moscow Pride to be held on May 27 2006 to celebrate 13 years since the decriminalization of homosexuality. The result was above all our hopes. The decision of the Mayor of Moscow to ban Pride and his anti gay speech resulted in a lot of media attention. More than 100 journalists came to the press conference of the first Moscow Pride. The event was shown all around the world on TV and it is estimated to have reached an audience of more than 1 billion. I was arrested, but after I was released by the police CNN invited me for a 4 minutes live interview in their evening news.

Sergey Androsenko and Nikolai Alekseev (Source: GayRussia.Ru)

We organized Moscow Pride in 2007 and 2008 as well. As usual, it was banned. As usual, we were beaten by homophobes and arrested by the police. From Germany, we had strong support from the Bundestag member Volker Beck. Volker was not like most politicians, who first agreed to come to Moscow and then got scared at the last minute. He came in 2006 and was severely injured but still came back the year after. He also worked hard with German diplomats for the early release of activists who were arrested.

We extended our advocacy to other fights. In 2008, we managed to get the Ministry of Health to end the ban on gays donating blood. It took us 2 years, but we got it. We also launched the largest ever legal battle around gay rights, appealing at the European Court of Human Rights against the decision of the Russian authorities to ban more than 170 of our events over the past 3 years. But the Court is not in a hurry to help us. Despite the fact that Freedom of Assembly is expressively mentioned in the European Convention of Human Rights, the Council of Europe is unable to make Russia respect it. We denounced the policy of trading gas against human rights on numerous occasions. We even travelled to Strasbourg and organized a protest there against the European Court!

We don't only work on Russian issues. We joined the campaign against the execution of gays in Iran and work extensively with the IDAHO Committee. We actually managed to get Luxembourg to officially recognize the day in its calendar.

This year, working closely with Belarusian activists, Moscow Pride has become Slavic Pride and will be held in Moscow on May 16, the same day as the finale of the Eurovision Song Contest.

Slavic Pride gets extensive media attention (Source: GayRussia.Ru)

Gay Activism has taken all my time for past 5 years. I am working on it 24/7. Our organization doesn’t get grants and I don’t get paid for my activism. Not that I don’t need money but I do believe that independence has its price. Independence is the key in activism and I will never compromise my ideals. I hate injustice at all level and I never miss a chance to denounce it.

Nikolai Alekseev,
Founder of GayRussia.Ru
Chief Organizer of Moscow Pride/Slavic Pride


December 10th is Human Rights Day
and the human rights of LGBT people are something that none of us can take for granted

What can you do?
Keep aware, stay vigilant and check out LGBT organisations near you to see how you can support their important work

Gay Rights are Human Rights!
More info at: hxxp://www.hrw.org/en/home

[jagged]

History of a Belarusian activist (13 May 2009)
During my childhood, I had a negative view of my homosexuality from listening to all those bad jokes and anecdotes about “sodomites”. I wasn’t really unhappy due to sexual dissatisfaction, it was more because of my solitude.

With no access either to the internet or to gay literature I could only get small bits of information from the very few articles about homosexuality that sometimes appeared in the press.

Geographical Position (Source: Wikipedia)

Everything started for me when I was 16 and when, for the first time in my life I decided to go to a private Gay Party in Minsk. I always knew that I was gay, and my sexual orientation was no surprise to me. But, during this party I actually realized that I was not alone and that many other boys were like me. I understood that I was gay, that I should be proud of it and that the LGBT community was my big family. I also understood that we had to take action and no longer remain in the closet and underground clubs.

I created my first gay website, which I set-up initially with free hosting. After a while, several people got acquainted with me via my web site and then I understood that it was time to create a movement for the rights of sexual minorities in this country.

I love my country. I know that in [western] Europe, people are so free. They can travel, they have rights, they speak openly, meet openly and make their voices heard in the streets. We in Belarus are limited in our rights and freedom. I understand this even more after I visited Europe last February. I was invited by our Russian partner from GayRussia.Ru (with whom we are co-organizing “Slavic Pride” in Moscow in May) to attend several meetings within the European Institutions in Brussels, Strasbourg, Luxembourg and Geneva.

We still have a long way to go before we can get close to the rest of Europe in terms of human rights. Nevertheless gays, lesbians, and transsexuals exist in our country even if our culture is mostly underground.

Generally speaking, aggressive homophobia is not a strong characteristic of Belarusian society. A Gay Pride march in Minsk would be easier to host than in Moscow, Riga or Belgrade. The Church is not influential in Belarus. But still, to obtain authorization for a public action is just Mission Impossible!

Sergey Androsenko (Source: GayRussia.ru)

Last year, 5 events organized by the LGBT community in 3 different cities were denied. In Belarus, we cannot appeal to the European Court of Human Rights. Our country has never been a member of the Council of Europe. Even our observer status was suspended. Belarusian legislation is made for the government, not for the citizen. It must be changed. Our last public actions in the streets of Minsk were all held illegally.

In our country, it is impossible to register a gay organization. Actually, it is impossible to register any type of organization. The process has been made especially complex to discourage anyone. And the authorities sometimes take criminal charges against non registered organizations on the basis that it compromises the “happy future of Belarusian people”. So, the majority of activists, whether gay or not, are potential criminals.

In Minsk, it is possible to have fun as there is an underground gay life. We have unofficial gay clubs, bars, restaurants, internet café and also private parties. But still, I would like to welcome you in my country. I am sure you would be surprised. And sometimes also, charmed!

Sergey Androsenko
Founder of GayBelarus.By


December 10th is Human Rights Day
and the human rights of LGBT people are something that none of us can take for granted

What can you do?
Keep aware, stay vigilant and check out LGBT organisations near you to see how you can support their important work

Gay Rights are Human Rights!
More info at: hxxp://www.hrw.org/en/home

[jagged]

Letter from Saudi Arabia (7 May 2009)
My name is A. and I’m from a small town not far from Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. When I was a teenager I didn't know what being gay meant. I thought it was a temporary feeling and that I would be attracted to the other sex when I get older, but that didn't happen!

I was confused, sad, and depressed. I felt rejected and different and could not talk about it with anyone, because no one would listen to me especially when it comes to sex!

In my early 20’s I realized that I was gay and that heterosexuality was not an option. I had to accept this fact in myself and keep it hidden it to be safe. I still thought there might be a cure for homosexuality. Now I am older I understand more about homosexuality. We can all know and learn more what homosexuality means now, thanks to the media, TV and internet.

Geographical Position (Source: Wikipedia)

Islam condemns homosexualty. But Saudi Arabia seems to be the only country which strictly applies Shari'ah law. Sodomy is punishable by death. Although that penalty is seldom applied, just last February [2007] a man in the Western Province was executed for having sex with a boy, among other crimes.

If you ask many Saudis about homosexuality, they'll show their disgust. The majority would say "I disapprove, men aren't supposed to be with men." Or even worse: "Men who commit sex with other men should be beheaded!"

Despite this legal and public condemnation, there is considerable space for homosexual behavior in this country. As long as gays and lesbians maintain a public front of obeisance to Islamic norms, they are left to do what they want in private. Vibrant communities of men who enjoy sex with other men exist in cosmopolitan cities like Jeddah and Riyadh. They meet in schools, cafés, in the streets, and on the Internet. You can be cruised anywhere in Saudi Arabia, any time of the day, but there is always the risk of being arrested by Religious authority members called ["Muatwwa'in"].

Another thing which might be surprising, at least from a Western perspective, is that some of the men having sex with other men don't consider themselves gay. For many Saudis, the fact that a man has sex with another man has little to do with "gayness." The act may fulfill a desire or a need, but it doesn't constitute an identity.

To be gay in Saudi Arabia is to live a contradiction—to have license without rights, and to enjoy broad tolerance without even the most minimal acceptance. The closet is not a choice; it is a rule for survival.

I have managed the unusual feat of staving off marriage without revealing myself to be gay. Marriage would devastate me and the exposure of my homosexuality would devastate my family. So I have employed an elaborate series of stratagems: a fake girlfriend, a fake engagement to a sympathetic cousin, the breaking off of the engagement. I schemed, and I planned. I don't like to trick people, but I had to do that for my family.

You might expect such subterfuge to exact a high psychological cost. But your closet doesn't feel so lonely when you know so many others, gay and straight, are in it too. My life is still as double as ever, but finally I have had to accept the fact that I was born this way and can live with it!

Peace to everyone. A


December 10th is Human Rights Day
and the human rights of LGBT people are something that none of us can take for granted

What can you do?
Keep aware, stay vigilant and check out LGBT organisations near you to see how you can support their important work

Gay Rights are Human Rights!
More info at: hxxp://www.hrw.org/en/home

[jagged]

Report from Syria (14 April 2009)
I'm from Syria, I live in Aleppo, the second largest city in the country. I'm 32 years old now, & have been struggling with the situation here ever since I knew I was gay.

Geographical Position (Source: Wikipedia)

I will make this short & state some points that are very noticeable and tell you about a devastating experience I have been through;

1. It's ILLEGAL to be gay in this country and one might go to jail if known as gay.
2. People think it's immoral to be gay or to have homosexual desires.
3. We have some cruising areas in the country and they get raided frequently now, so the internet is the safest place to meet people.
4. People who try to pay for anything that is defined as gay-related over the internet would be followed & arrested sometimes, so it's scary to subscribe for any online services.
5. People who are noticed accessing homosexual sites from an internet cafe could be arrested too.

One devastating experience I had was when I was fired for being gay and was threatened to be exposed if I sought the remainder of my benefits & salary.

Currently we cannot see any changes in the way this country treats homosexuals. The situation is getting worse than it was years ago, with undercover cops trying to get people arrested just for wanting to have sex.

I hope the information above tells something about the situation here. All what I hope for is to try to make up a counseling forum to help people who are struggling with their sexuality. I have heard of 2 suicides last year, and although I cannot confirm the validity of that news, I think it's true because of all the suffering and stress in this country and in the Middle East in general.

M


December 10th is Human Rights Day
and the human rights of LGBT people are something that none of us can take for granted

What can you do?
Keep aware, stay vigilant and check out LGBT organisations near you to see how you can support their important work

Gay Rights are Human Rights!
More info at: hxxp://www.hrw.org/en/home

[jagged]

A report from Morocco (07-01-2009)
My name is N.I live in Casablanca and I can summarise my situation in one phrase – “I am unhappy.” Homosexuality is prohibited in my country: “All immoral acts between 2 persons of the same sex are punishable by a fine and a prison sentence of 6 months to 3 years.”

Geographical Position (Source: Wikipedia)

Any attempt to create an association to defend our rights ends in police raids and crackdowns. The power of religion and morals within our society prevents the vast majority of gays and lesbians from being open or from coming out. We are condemned to live in the closet. I am a student and there is no place I can go to and no person with whom I can have a normal sexual relationship. As a result I’m nervous and stressed. I have insomnia and am on the brink of depression. Even if I had a partner it would be impossible for me to walk hand in hand with him in the street, to kiss him in public or for him to take me in his arms before sunset. At university I get insulted and they make fun of me. In the street I am threatened and harassed. At home my parents accuse me and nobody is there to defend me: I am alone against everyone and I seriously start to develop suicidal ideas.

I urge you all to exert pressures on your Western governments so that they make pressure on ours so that we can get our fundamental rights. I took an enormous risk writing to you. Thank you in advance grandmamma you are currently my one hope and it gave me a smile to write to you, a smile which I lost since my adolescence.

N


December 10th is Human Rights Day
and the human rights of LGBT people are something that none of us can take for granted

What can you do?
Keep aware, stay vigilant and check out LGBT organisations near you to see how you can support their important work

Gay Rights are Human Rights!
More info at: hxxp://www.hrw.org/en/home

[jagged]

A report from Uganda (07-01-2009)
I am really happy to hear that you guys care about us who are living in such countries that do not allow people to do what they want. To my surprise, here in Uganda, many guys are so inquisitive to know the secret behind this and so I am seeing many men resorting to doing this!!!

Geographical Position (Source: Wikipedia)

Anyway, the situation here in Uganda is so alarming. Things are getting tougher and tougher day by day. Many gays have been arrested with or without our knowledge but we are told they are arrested. The government is so much against it. We are being taken to prisons, beaten, or even for the family members to disown us. The minister for ethics is really against homosexuality and if he can not support us, then we have no future in this country.

For my own experience, my family realized that I was gay since I have been so long with out children or even a girlfriend. Then I was chased away from family matters so I try to live alone now but very careful knowing that may be one day I will be arrested!

There has been no hope for my country to take gay people as normal people. They only put more strict laws that will even force us out of our mother land. So please, if you have a way of saving us please go ahead. I know you can not change the laws of our countries but may be relocate some of us if possible. Thanks a lot.

A


December 10th is Human Rights Day
and the human rights of LGBT people are something that none of us can take for granted

What can you do?
Keep aware, stay vigilant and check out LGBT organisations near you to see how you can support their important work

Gay Rights are Human Rights!
More info at: hxxp://www.hrw.org/en/home

[jagged]

A report from Iraq (16-12-2008)
There is nothing in the Iraqi constitution that says being Gay is illegal, however, depending on where you live, meaning which area or neighborhood, it is something which is frowned upon. Culture and religion especially tend to regard homosexuality as a social defect which threatens the marital institution.

Culturally homosexuality is frowned upon by the Abrahamic faiths due to the fact that these religions viewed homosexuality as a threat to the marital institution. In Mesopotamian culture, homosexuality was regarded as a higher level of spiritual lovemaking and was widely practiced, even in the pre-Islamic Arab culture it was practiced and bi-sexuality was common.

Geographical Position (Source: Wikipedia)

Nowadays the mentality in Iraq and the Middle East generally speaking is that if you are a top you are regarded and perceived as a stud. Even if you engage in a homosexual act you can pretty much get away with it. But if you are a bottom you are a victim. Some may see you as a prostitute and treat you as such, passing you on from one person to another. If you sleep with a guy before he gets emotionally attached to you, you can be sure that you will no longer be respected.

That is why I don't date when in Iraq. I prefer to get involved with someone when I travel to other countries. Of course there are decent men and guys you can count on, but they are kind of harder to find. You can have sex with straight or bi-sexual men, they are all over the place, but my advice is you to be careful at work and in your neighborhood. Depending where you live you could be seen as a target by militia's who could threaten or blackmail you.

(Source: Talat Model Management)

You can be gay in Iraq and many people will accept it, friends won’t stop associating with you just because you are gay. Its the effeminate guys and women who are overtly masculine that may struggle and get picked on at times. But even in professional institutions people don't pick on someone because they noticed he is gay or even if he acts in a feminine manner.

There was talk in the media about ‘death squads’ targeting gays in Iraq. But I think the media exaggerated it by presenting it as something which was taking place all over the country. This is not true. It was mainly guys who were working as prostitutes that were targeted and I am sure that these guys were used as double agents by the various factions of these militias and so they were eliminated. The homosexuals who were targeted and eliminated by militants were mainly from the impoverished neighborhoods of Baghdad.

A


December 10th is Human Rights Day
and the human rights of LGBT people are something that none of us can take for granted

What can you do?
Keep aware, stay vigilant and check out LGBT organisations near you to see how you can support their important work

Gay Rights are Human Rights!
More info at: hxxp://www.hrw.org/en/home

[jagged]

A report from Egypt (07-11-2008)
In Egypt, there are many classes for gays; some are of the higher class, they are well educated & work; some of the lower class, who cruise in streets, but they are not the majority, they are just the visible ones. But, gays of the scene are not that much in streets; they are few and only appear at certain places. In general, all gays feel afraid of police officers & we never feel safe when we meet someone new. We should be extremely cautious. Straight community are not accepting or understanding what is homosexuality AT ALL!

Geographical Position (Source: Wikipedia)

I knew someone online before & met him 3 times. The third time I met him, he set a trap for me and stole my mobile and his friend could kill me with his knife!

Many people meet to steal, while we can't have our rights. We can’t tell the Police what happened to us just 'cause we are gays. I knew someone else that was murdered, called "S." He was killed in the age of 23! 3 months ago & the press distorted this story but nobody cared anyway.

I heard that unfair treatment for homosexuals in Egyptian prisons has decreased, but I don't believe that. Egypt’s policies are very bad and it's getting worse, especially the ruling family. Everything seems to get better, but it is getting worse in its core also for democracy and freedom of speech!

D


December 10th is Human Rights Day
and the human rights of LGBT people are something that none of us can take for granted

What can you do?
Keep aware, stay vigilant and check out LGBT organisations near you to see how you can support their important work

Gay Rights are Human Rights!
More info at: hxxp://www.hrw.org/en/home

[jagged]

A Story from Uzbekistan (01-10-2008)
I must admit that this is not easy to live with thing like this in country like Uzbekistan, and the problem mostly is in people's attitude to it.

Geographical Position (Source: Wikipedia)

The majority of society is still very traditional, it means that is hard to accept what is out of the majority and what, in some people’s words, is a sin. In this country of more than 25 million population there are no single gay club, disco, etc. Most of the people are meeting online, then trying to have a date. But most of people are afraid of showing pictures or any kind of personal information which might be discovered.

Everyone is afraid that it might be known by other people which would to jokes and insults and being called ‘gay’ That's considered one of the most hurtful insults. Me personally I’m telling it to no one. That's why I probably will never post the picture of me, while I am in Uzbekistan. Personally, there were some situations where I've been sent insults to my address, when I was in school, and a couple times on the street. I've been hurt by such words, but then I've understood that I will not show my reaction.

Nothing much is changing in this country in the rights of gays. Nothing can actually happen while there is even a law prohibiting homosexuality. I really hope that something will happen someday, but I am afraid that it's not very soon.

B


December 10th is Human Rights Day
and the human rights of LGBT people are something that none of us can take for granted

What can you do?
Keep aware, stay vigilant and check out LGBT organisations near you to see how you can support their important work

Gay Rights are Human Rights!
More info at: hxxp://www.hrw.org/en/home

[jagged]

From the United Arab Emirates (20-08-2008)
This place is teeming with many good looking men who are gay who just don’t have the courage to "out" themselves for fear of being persecuted by family, friends, religion and the law. Sad it is, to think that homosexuality in this part of the region is, in some unexplainable way, very much a part of the culture. Maybe I am wrong but having stayed here for so many years, I just cant ignore that fact and deny it as much as they the locals can. It happens, even if only in dark alleyways or the privacy of certain places considered safe by those in desperate need of companionship or just plain sexual release.

Geographical Position (Source: Wikipedia)

There are many instances of gays being persecuted here. Some of them are really very mundane or superficial. Yet walk in a crowded mall as a gay man and you are surely bound to find invitations. Well, some not so nice ones but there are also those that are legitimate come-ons for sex.

I respect the laws and this place's culture and do not encourage homosexuals here to flaunt themselves. Just to be taken as an individual and not treated differently from others, without fear of being tagged a criminal or whatever insane accusations.

On the other hand, this is also where I found love in so many forms. I got bruised and broken here and yet continue to love this place. This is where I make a living. This is where I enjoy life.

There are so many stories I can tell. Some of them happened to me, in the desert, in malls, in small dingy apartments, with locals and expatriates alike, with men in uniform, with Adonis-like men from countries I can not even recall. Some I wish to forget, but some I treasure and savor each memory of. I got raped and humiliated and thrown in jail for certain things I did not commit. Luckily, I got out. This place will continue to persecute homosexuals while closing its eyes to much of what takes place, and in the process, find themselves with an erection whenever a smooth, fair-skinned lean bodied man walks by.

J


December 10th is Human Rights Day
and the human rights of LGBT people are something that none of us can take for granted

What can you do?
Keep aware, stay vigilant and check out LGBT organisations near you to see how you can support their important work

Gay Rights are Human Rights!
More info at: hxxp://www.hrw.org/en/home

[jagged]

Turkey - Lambda Istanbul’s Legal Battle (20-06-2008)
I’m Emrecan. I’m a 30-year-old gay man who’s been volunteering for Lambdaistanbul, an LGBT rights organisation in Turkey, since last March. Lambdaistanbul has been working as a meeting place, cultural centre and a helpline for Turkish sexual minorities since 1993. At the time Lambda was being formed in Istanbul, I was discovering my (homo)sexuality in my hometown, Ankara. Lambdaistanbul has been the longest running LGBT group in Turkey, and it made perfect sense to somehow get involved. So, when I moved to Istanbul, I joined this group of volunteers to work for our rights.

However, on May 29th, a local court decided to close down Lambdaistanbul. The association had been fighting this legal battle since July 2007, upon the complaint of the Governor’s Office of Istanbul, which pursued the case in a higher court, even though the Prosecutor rejected the initial request to close down Lambda. The final ruling came on the grounds that this association was formed for “immoral purposes” and that it is “against Turkish family values.”

Volunteers of Lambdaistanbul are now getting ready to take the case to the Court of Appeals, which will hopefully overrule this decision. If not, the case will be taken to the European Court of Human Rights. In any case, we are outraged and greatly saddened by this unlawful decision which infringes on our very basic human rights.

Thankfully, we have been receiving an incredible amount of national and international support. Our press conference and demonstration were both highly successful, garnering a lot of attention to issues of LGBT people in Turkey. Also, in the past few weeks, there have been demonstrations in France, Germany and the Netherlands to protest the court’s decision, which arrived merely a week after the Human Rights Watch published a report on LGBT rights in Turkey, and a month before the Istanbul Pride Week that is organised by Lambdaistanbul volunteers.

There have been many attempts to celebrate Pride Week in Istanbul in the past decade but we have been regularly and successfully celebrating it since 2005. In Istanbul, the last week of June is full of concerts, panels, plays, parties and activities that culminate in the highly expected Pride parade in the city centre. Last year’s Pride Parade has been the biggest ever with 1500 people, which included artists, ambassadors and politicians. Gayromeo hope to gather an even bigger crowd this year on June 29th, to get louder and fiercer in our struggle for rights and freedom as citizens of this country. Many friends and supporters are going to join their parade from Europe and from all over the world, including two Members of the European Parliament.

While the appeal is underway, Lambdaistanbul will continue to function as usual, providing help and information to LGBT persons and their families, documenting human rights violations against sexual minorities, and seeking visibility, acceptance and legal rights. We will also run a campaign, titled “Hands Off My Association,” to bring this matter to the attention of politicians.

It is our hope that Lambdaistanbul will be the last LGBT group to face closure in Turkey. If you support Lambda’s cause and LGBT rights in Turkey, please sign our petition (with text in Turkish, English, French and German), which will be sent to the President, the Prime Minister, the Speaker of the Parliament and the Head of the Constitution Commission.

If you want to stay informed about the appeal and Lambdaistanbul’s activities, you can visit Lambdaistanbul.org, or join the “Lambdaistanbul” group on Facebook.


December 10th is Human Rights Day
and the human rights of LGBT people are something that none of us can take for granted

What can you do?
Keep aware, stay vigilant and check out LGBT organisations near you to see how you can support their important work

Gay Rights are Human Rights!
More info at: hxxp://www.hrw.org/en/home

[jagged]

A report from Mauritius (13-06-2008)
Gay life in Mauritius is not easy. Although we are a mainly tourist country, there is still much prejudice and gender violence. Gays and Lesbians are prone to many stereotypes and violence. Personally I think the biggest issue here is the violence against gay men, whether verbal or physical. I myself have had verbal abuse from straight people, who will openly show their disrespect towards a gay person.

Geographical Position (Source: Wikipedia)

Although in Port Louis the situation is better because of the tourists, the further one moves away, the more conservative it gets. Recently a lesbian friend of mine was sodomized by straight men, who said that "they'll make her straight”, since "being gay is unafrican". She was very traumatized by this and there's also no real psychological help she can seek since one doesn't know whether to trust the doctors and shrinks by telling them you're gay.

In addition, the church is also a big obstacle for gays not only in Mauritius but in the whole of Africa. One would expect that the church is the place where one can go to find comfort and seek refuge, but this is the complete opposite. I’ve been told various times by a priest that I'll rot in hell if I don't change my way of living and stop being gay.

I remember in school how we were punished, the first time I was caught in the 1980's. It’s normal for children at that age to experiment, and a teacher caught me and another boy. We punished by the cane and couldn't sit for more than a week. The most excruciating experience was that we knew if we get home we'll get another hiding since our parents are religiously VERY conservative and old-fashioned.

5 Years ago, a gay friend of mine was caught with a tourist and the men who caught them, pushed a pen up into his penis as a punishment for being gay. There are various instances that one never reads in the media of what happens to gay people in Africa. We have no rights, we have no freedom, one always have to be scared and very discreet. You can't really be open to your family and if you are open towards friends, you have to trust them with your life. Being gay can also mean unemployment since in certain jobs, when words spread around that you're gay/lesbian, you're black-labelled.

For many gay and lesbian Africans the only light out of hell is to flee to South Africa where as a gay person you can get married, or abroad to other countries or to find a partner somewhere else, however this is not the perfect solution. What we need is to liberate Africa from its conservativeness. I mean really, Africa today is more Christian than Christianity itself, and Christianity is not even part of Africa. But today religion is our biggest enemy to have a free sexual orientation on this continent.

To conclude, I think we need a new media focus on Africa. Too many times people only focus on the poverty and the "backwardness" of the continent, instead of focusing on us, the people. Although we have a lot of development taking place, what we need is to show the world how deeply divided African society is, and how in 99% of the cases this has been caused by religion, whether Islam, Hinduism, Christianity or African religions.

I hope for a free and fair change one day in my country, where I can walk with my husband/ partner/ lover/ boyfriend hand-in-hand and enjoy the freedom of not being stared at, insulted at or attacked.

A


December 10th is Human Rights Day
and the human rights of LGBT people are something that none of us can take for granted

What can you do?
Keep aware, stay vigilant and check out LGBT organisations near you to see how you can support their important work

Gay Rights are Human Rights!
More info at: hxxp://www.hrw.org/en/home

[jagged]

A report from Nigeria (17-05-2008)
My Name is C. I was born in Enugu state of Nigeria where I live with my Parents who work for the Government. We are 3 boys and 3 girls in the Family. I am the 3rd of the Kids and I love my family and have always be a good son. As I grew up I started to see that I have an eye on men. This is how I got to know I am Gay.

Geographical Position (Source: Wikipedia)

The present situation about Gay life here in Nigeria especially here in Lagos is that Gay is still a forbidden thing. When one hears or learn that his best friend is Gay there is always a bad reaction and people have been hurt, killed and also humiliated because they are Gay.

My Experiences: I was once dating in my senior class at school and we are both in love with each other. We bath together and also we have one secret that no one knows about us but we know it ourselves. One day I have to be sent to Lagos state University where i was schooling and I had a friend who was bisexual. I am not worried because I can at least see someone that will be having fun and sex with me which I know is difficult here in Nigeria to find.

One day I wake up and was busy reading and he knocked at my door. I open the door and he called me and say he want to talk to me. I say yes. This was morning around 7.29am and we sat and he was asking me if I am in any secret cult. I say no and he say what is wrong with me? I say nothing. He say there must be an Evil in me that is pushing me to seduce him and others to have sex with me.

I was shocked and asked him what does that mean? He is embarrassing me and he started shouting at the House and all the neighbours come out to listen to us and he is telling them that I am Homosexual and that ever since he knew me that he never see me with any Girl and my neighbours also agreed and say yes that they had never set their eyes on me with any Girl. This brought big problem between me and them and everyone started avoiding me at the compound and also talking all things against me. They report me to the owner of the House where am living and the man called me and tell me to be careful for my life.

Though I thank God that he understand that God create Gay, Lesbians, Bisexual and Transgender and I listen and also thank Him. All the while my friend stays close to my family. They knew that we are best of friend but didn’t know that we are having any sexual affair. My family did not know I am Gay till the guy called them on phone and told them everything about me and that am having quarrel with him because he refuse to have sex with me. This cause my mum to fall sick and my brothers called me on phone and say all sorts of thing.

My sisters also say they don’t want to see me anymore and that am not part of the family again. I cried and was alone and was a rejected thing, but still I am not shaken because I know that I am not the one that created myself or chose to be this way. I was also forced out from the church am attending where I was one of the Choir members. And I was banned not to come again and be among their group. I started living and doing things alone like an outcast and my family never care about me anymore even to send me food stuffs to eat or support me for my education.

This lasted like 3 good months before one day my Mum called me and tell me that she is not angry about my life and she called to ask how am living and I answer that call with tears in my eyes and I later called my brothers and tell them the same and my sisters and they all accept me later the way I am and they say there is nothing they can do about it .But if that is how my God created me that I should be careful and not to fall into any problem because the Government will kill me and they wouldn’t come to rescue me.

All the people on my compound that rejected me now today talking to me and greeting me and I talk to them as well and also greet them too. We are just like best of friends and chat and talk. For sexuality they have their girlfriends but they are today respecting me for the way I am.

I am 100% gay and I know also that one day in this earth I will surely meet a man that is for me and who knows and will understand my life style and who will be mine for ever and also remain with him.

C


December 10th is Human Rights Day
and the human rights of LGBT people are something that none of us can take for granted

What can you do?
Keep aware, stay vigilant and check out LGBT organisations near you to see how you can support their important work

Gay Rights are Human Rights!
More info at: hxxp://www.hrw.org/en/home