Azerbaijan: Anti-Gay Crackdown | Human Rights Watch

Contents:

• BAKU GAY TRAVEL
• GAY LIFE AZERBAIJAN
• AZERBAIJAN: ANTI-GAY CRACKDOWN
• GAY AZERBAIJAN TRAVEL GUI
• DOZENS OF GAYS REPORTED ARRTED IN AZERBAIJANI POLICE CRACKDOWN
• AZERBAIJAN WORST PLACE TO BE GAY EUROPE, FDS LGBTI X
• BEG GAY AZERBAIJAN
• AZERBAIJAN DETAS DOZENS OF GAY AND TRANSGENR PEOPLE
• TMP YEARS WERE TERRIFYG FOR GAY ASYLUM-SEEKER
• DIPLOMATIC TENSN REPORTEDLY RISG BETWEEN UNED STAT AND JAMAI OVER GAY AMERIN DIPLOMAT

BAKU GAY TRAVEL

I had ncerns about visg Baku as a gay person, as would many travelers attracted to betiful ci nservative untri.

GAY LIFE AZERBAIJAN

Baku is still not so easy for lols, even though there are no longer any laws prohibg homosexualy, gay life. If you do not have a VPN app on your phone, then be sure to turn off any lotn-based datg or other gay apps.

AZERBAIJAN: ANTI-GAY CRACKDOWN

My personal goal as a gay traveler is to tt out the gay travel experience Baku and other ci around the world. This way I n relay the most important rmatn to other gay dividuals about what different cultur and ci are like.

Here are a few other fantastic hotels for Baku gay travelers that are highly rated and perfectly loted for explorg the bt of the cy. Gay Azeris face difficulty exprsg their sexual inti bee most people the untry are simply nfed about homosexualy.

Many cizens of Azerbaijan do not posss the knowledge or have the rourc to unrstand that homosexualy is normal. More than 80 LGBT+ dividuals were arrted September 2017 durg a ernment crackdown targetg Baku gay lols. Although homosexual acts between nsentg male adults were officially crimalized, reports about police ab agast gays, maly male prostut, persisted durg the last year.

GAY AZERBAIJAN TRAVEL GUI

It has been observed that the state ntrolled media outlets e homosexualy as a tool to harass and discred crics of the ernment and opposn journalist. Homosexualy Azerbaijan is an issue surround by nfn, ignorance, secrecy and a lack of nceptual unrstandg at the most basic level.

There is hardly any objective and rrect rmatn on the psychologil, soclogil and legal aspects of homosexualy Azerbaijan, wh the rult that the majory of society simply do not know what homosexualy is. “Comg out” as a gay, lbian, bisexual or transgenr person is therefore rare and dividual LGBT people are aaid of the nsequenc. Some, particular those who are fancially pennt and livg Baku, are able to lead a safe life as a LGBT person, as long as they ‘practice’ their homosexualy the private sphere.

DOZENS OF GAYS REPORTED ARRTED IN AZERBAIJANI POLICE CRACKDOWN

But not all is well for LGBT people Azerbaijan; is, spe some reforms and secularism, still a Mlim-based untry where homophobia has ep roots i the relign. As reported this BBC story, one gay artist was forced to flee his untry bee of persecutn and threats. Officials Azerbaijan sist gay visors are wele to the 2012 Eurovisn song ntt when the event, which has an enthiastic gay followg, is hosted the pal, Baku.

AZERBAIJAN WORST PLACE TO BE GAY EUROPE, FDS LGBTI X

However, such assuranc jar wh those who have had first-hand experience of how homosexuals are treated Azeri society. “My brother has vowed to kill me, and then kill himself, ” says Babi Badalov (photo right), a radil gay Azeri artist who has recently been granted polil asylum France.

“Homosexualy here is seen as worse than prostutn, ” says Yadigyar Sadykov, a human rights activist om Mr Badalov’s native regn. I have heard of many suicis of spected homosexuals – I have never met an openly gay person around here. “Durg Eurovisn, no-one will bother gay foreigners Baku, ” says Alekper Aliyev, a wrer and an thor of a ntroversial book about a gay relatnship between an Azeri and a man om Armenia, the untry’s historic enemy.

BEG GAY AZERBAIJAN

“Recently there has been much ill-rmed speculatn by some expatriat about how we treat our homosexual muny, ” says Elnur Aslanov, a senr official om the printial admistratn. “Everyone knows that after midnight not far om this hotel you n get gay sex wh a transvte prostute.

Homosexualy is not well seen and public homosexual behavr not tolerated, although a uple of bars seem to work as meetg plac for the gay and lbian muny.

AZERBAIJAN DETAS DOZENS OF GAY AND TRANSGENR PEOPLE

Currently article 150 only prcrib punishment for vlent homosexual terurse, which is punishable by 3-15 year imprisonment.

Lbian and non-perative gay sex between nsentg adults is not explicly mentned the laws as a crimal offense.

In a recent printial amnty, prisoners nvicted for homosexual acts were exclud om those released.

TMP YEARS WERE TERRIFYG FOR GAY ASYLUM-SEEKER

Anyway, male or female, straight or gay, take preutns, HIV fectn levels are on the rise Azerbaijan.

DIPLOMATIC TENSN REPORTEDLY RISG BETWEEN UNED STAT AND JAMAI OVER GAY AMERIN DIPLOMAT

As far as I n remember, an anizatn, official reprentativ of LGBT muny Azerbaijan, exists om 2006 – 2007 [this was ‘Azeri Gay Communy’].