Out of Iraq: The Dangero Story of Two Gay Soldiers | Time

Contents:

• THIS NEW MOVIE TELLS THE TORTURED LOVE STORY OF TWO GAY IRAQI SOLDIERS
• IRAQI GAYS TARGETED, BTALLY KILLED: HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH
• WHAT IS LIKE TO BE A GAY MAN LIVG IRAQ?
• IRAQ: A GAY SOLDIER’S VIEW
• SCE VASN, GAYS IRAQ LEAD LIV OF NSTANT FEAR
• GAY IRANIAN MAN AD ALLEGED 'HONOR KILLG,' RIGHTS GROUP SAYS
• MURRED FOR ‘LOOKG GAY’: HOW LGBT IRAQIS ARE FIGHTG FOR THEIR LIVNOT GIVG UPAFTER KARAR NHI WAS REPORTEDLY MURRED BAGHDAD, IRAQUEER’S AMIR ASHOUR REVEALS ISIS’ NOTOR ANTI-GAY VLENCE IS ONLY ONE STGGLE FACG LGBT PEOPLE IRAQ.TIM TEEMANSENR EDOR AND WRERUPDATED JUL. 06, 2017 11:21AM EDT / PUBLISHED JUL. 06, 2017 1:00AM EDT TWTERIF IRAQI ACTOR AND MOL KARAR NHI WAS KIDNAPPED, TORTURED, AND MURRED BAGHDAD BEE HE “LOOKED GAY” WOULD E AS NO SURPRISE TO AMIR ASHOUR, THE FOUNR AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS ANIZATN IRAQUEER.“I THK IRAQ MOST OF THE MURRS THAT HAVE HAPPENED AGAST QUEER PEOPLE, OR PEOPLE PERCEIVED TO BE, HAVE BEEN BEE OF THEIR APPEARANCE,” ASHOUR TOLD THE DAILY BEAST. “THERE IS STILL THE MISNCEPTN OF HOW PEOPLE LOOK VERS THE PERCEIVED IA OF THEIR SEXUAL ORIENTATN. “THE ARMED GROUPS WHO DO THE KILLGS TEND TO THK ONE IS AN EXTENSN OF THE OTHER. THERE IS A BLURRED UNRSTANDG OF WHAT GENR INTY AND GENR EXPRSN MEAN VERS WHAT SEXUAL ORIENTATN MEANS.”IRAQUEER, ASHOUR TOLD THE DAILY BEAST, IS “AWARE OF SEVEN PEOPLE BEG KILLED THIS PAST JANUARY FOR SIAR REASONS TO KARAR’S. THOSE SEVEN PEOPLE WERE MORED TO BE ON A LIST OF 100 NAM OF DIVIDUALS WHO WERE TARGETED BY AN ARMED GROUP.” IRAQUEER ULD NOT SHARE THE PEOPLE’S NAM, ASHOUR SAID. NHI, A GRADUATE OF BAGHDAD UNIVERSY’S COLLEGE OF FE ARTS, WAS FOUND AD ON A BY ROAD THE MIDDLE OF BAGHDAD. HE HAD REPORTEDLY RECEIVED ATH THREATS BEE OF HIS LONG HAIR AND ATTIRE. HIS BODY SHOWED SIGNS OF TORTURE AND STAB WOUNDS, ACRDG TO KURDISTAN 24.ATTU REPORTED THAT NHI HAD SAID A FACEBOOK POST THAT HE EMBODIED “EVERY YOUNG MAN FIGHTG WH ALL HIS HONOR TO FEND THE NATN.” HIS PICTUR, HE SAID, WERE “THEATRIL AND CEMATIC WORKS OF ART, WHICH I PRI MYSELF ON... I CHERISH MY PERSONAL EEDOM TO BUILD A UNIQUE EXTERNAL APPEARANCE.” HE DISMISSED THE CEL MENTS HE RECEIVED: “I REMA SILENT ABOUT THE ABIVE RPONS THAT UNDOUBTEDLY REFLECT THE LEVEL OF THEIR WRERS.”“THERE HAS NOT BEEN REAL RMATN SAYG THAT KARAR WAS GAY,” SAID ASHOUR. “IT’S AN ASSUMPTN WHOEVER KILLED HIM MA BASED ON HOW HE LOOKED. ONE OF THE PEOPLE WHOSE KILLG WE DOCUMENTED A UPLE OF YEARS AGO WAS THE FATHER OF FOUR CHILDREN. HE WAS STRAIGHT ACRDG TO EVERYONE HIS CIRCLE. HE WAS KILLED BEE HE HAD LONG HAIR.” TWTER THE MURR OF NHI REVEALS THAT THE DANGERS FACED BY LGBTQ PEOPLE IRAQ WILL NOT END IF AND WHEN ISIS IS ELIMATED, SAID ASHOUR.“THE PROBLEMS OF THE LGBTQ+ MUNY DID NOT STOP WH ISIS, AND ARE NOT GOG TO STOP WH THE ELIMATN OF ISIS. THE IRAQI ERNMENT HAS BEEN ANNOUNCG THAT ISIS IS BEG FEATED AND THE LIPHATE IS LLAPSG, AND THE TERNATNAL MUNY SAW ISIS THROWG PEOPLE THOUGHT TO BE GAY OFF THE TOPS OF BUILDGS, AND THOUGHT THAT WAS THE WORST THG FACG .“BUT REALY WE’VE BEEN FACG AN ANIZED KILLG MPAIGN SCE 2006, AND THAT’S NOT GOG TO STOP WH THE ELIMATN OF ISIS. THE FIRST ENEMY OF LGBT PEOPLE IRAQ IS THE ERNMENT SELF. NOT ONLY ARE THEY NOT PROVIDG PROTECTN FOR , BUT THEY ARE DIRECTLY VOLVED VLATG OUR RIGHTS.”ASHOUR TOLD THE DAILY BEAST THAT POLICE FORC AND SECURY GUARDS STOP DIVIDUALS AT CHECKPOTS WHO LOOK DIFFERENT, OR IF THEY ARE TRANSGENR AND GOG THROUGH HORMONAL TREATMENT, PARG HOW THEY LOOK THE PRENT WH THE PICTURE THAT LOOKS DIFFERENT ON THEIR INTIFITN RDS. IRAQUEER HAS VIO OF DIVIDUALS BEG HUIATED AND PHYSILLY ABED SUCH SUATNS.ONE OF THE MA ARMED GROUPS BAGHDAD, ASHOUR SAID, HAD ANNOUNCED A PARTNERSHIP WH THE ERNMENT THE NAME OF FIGHTG ISIS, AND THIS GROUP WAS ONE OF THE MA GROUPS ANIZG THE KILLG MPAIGNS OF GAY MEN AND FEME MEN PERCEIVED TO BE GAY.ASHOUR SAID, “REGARDLS OF THE FACT THAT THE IRAQI CONSTUTN PROTECTS PRIVACY AND EEDOM OF EXPRSN THE IRAQI ERNMENT HAS NOT BEEN TAKG ANY STEPS TO HOLD THE PEOPLE KILLG QUEER PEOPLE ACUNTABLE, OR UPHOLDG LAWS WHICH PROTECT DIVIDUALS REGARDLS OF PEOPLE’S PERCEIVED IA OF WHO THEY ARE.”***DAY TO DAY, IRAQI LGBTQ+ PEOPLE LIVE FEAR, ASHOUR SAID.“EVERYONE MATAS A REALLY LOW PROFILE. THEIR SOCIAL CIRCL ARE SMALL. THE SOCIAL CIRCL THE KURDISH REGN ARE A B BIGGER, BUT DO NOT MEAN VLENCE IS NOT HAPPENG THERE ALSO. THOSE WHO HAVE LIMED TN AND LIMED FANCE HAVE TROUBLE FDG JOBS AND MATAG A LIVG, AND ONLY THK OF SURVIVG TO THE NEXT DAY.”PEOPLE ARE ALSO BEG TARGETED BY ANTI-GAY ATTACKERS THROUGH DATG APPS. “EVERYONE IS AAID FOR THEIR LIV. THEY ARE JT TRYG TO HI THEIR SEXUALY AS MUCH AS THEY N,” SAID ASHOUR.A RECENT NEW YORK TIM REPORT TAILED THE PLIGHT OF MOHAMMED, A 26-YEAR-OLD GAY IRAQI CIVIL ENGEER PRENTLY STUCK TURKEY, A VICTIM OF PRINT TMP’S 120-DAY EEZE ON REFUGEE RETTLEMENT.IRAQUEER WORKS WH LGBTQ+ PEOPLE IRAQ, TURKEY, LEBANON, AND THOSE WHO HAVE MA TO EUROPE AND THE WT.“EVERY SGLE ONE IS FACG DIFFICULTI DIFFERENT FORMS,” SAID ASHOUR. “THOSE IRAQ FD DIFFICULT TO LEAVE THE UNTRY. IT IS NOT JT ABOUT GETTG MONEY TO BUY A TICKET, BUT ‘CAN WE GET TO ANOTHER UNTRY?’”TURKEY REQUIR AN E-VISA OM IRAQIS, WHICH THEORY ARE EASY TO OBTA, HE SAID, BUT NOT EVERYONE GETS THEM. “LEBANON IS VERY HARD TO SURVIVE . THEY N’T GET JOBS, AND IF THEY DON’T HAVE MONEY THEY N’T SUPPORT THEMSELV AND FD SOMEWHERE TO LIVE.”OTHER GAY IRAQI REFUGE WHO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO APPLY TO RETTLEMENT PROGRAMS N BY THE UNED NATNS AND OTHER ANIZATNS FACE DIFFICULTI WHEN NONTED WH THE BAN JT ANNOUNCED BY PRINT TMP. “THEIR S WERE BEG PROCSED AND FALIZED AND SUDNLY THEY HAVE A HOLD PUT ON THEM, AND ARE BEG ASKED TO WA AN FE PERD OF TIME,” SAID ASHOUR. “WAG IS JT ONE PROBLEM. THEY ARE NOT GETTG ANY SUPPORT OM THE UN OR OTHER ANIZATNS TERMS OF LIVG EXPENS AND FDG HOG. HOW N WE EXPECT PEOPLE TO SURVIVE AND WA FOR AN AVERAGE OF TWO YEARS WHEN THEY DON’T HAVE MONEY OR ACCS TO JOBS THE UNTRI THEY ARE WAG ? “THE SUATN IS REALLY, REALLY DIFFICULT. THE FACT THAT THE U.S. IS PULLG AWAY OM S LEADG ROLE QUEER RIGHTS TERNATNALLY IS MAKG EVEN HARR FOR .”THAT IRAQUEER EXISTS IS E FOR OPTIMISM, SAID ASHOUR. “JT TWO YEARS AGO I WAS TRAVELG WH [LGBT ANIZATN] OUTRIGHT INTERNATNAL, THROUGH EVERY SGLE CY IRAQ LOOKG FOR OTHER POSSIBLE ACTIVISTS AND THERE WERE LERALLY NONE. NOW WE HAVE NE FULL-TIME EMPLOYE AND A WORK OF MORE THAN 200 PEOPLE.”IRAQUEER, WHICH IS ALSO REQUTG DONATNS, IS TRAG MEMBERS OF TWO FEMIST ANIZATNS IRAQ TO WORK ON LGBTQ+ ISSU.“WE ARE G TOGETHER TO CREATE A BLUEPRT FOR FUTURE GENERATNS TO FOLLOW, AND PEOPLE ARE FDG SOME SENSE OF BELONGG KNOWG THAT IRAQUEER EXISTS AND BEG ABLE TO TALK TO ,” SAID ASHOUR.THE ANIZATN IS ALSO VENTG WORDS THAT DIDN’T EXIST ARABIC AND KURDISH TO ENURAGE THE IRAQI PUBLIC TO E RPECTFUL WORDS, “RATHER THAN WORDS THAT TRANSLATE TO ‘FAGGOT’ OR OFFENSIVE TERMS HAVE BEEN ED FOR SO MANY YEARS,” ASHOUR SAID.THE WORD “QUEER” SELF WAS ED NEGATIVELY, UNTIL—AS ACTIVISTS THE WT DID THE 1990S—IRAQUEER RECLAIMED . THE “LGBT+ MUNY” ARABIC, SAID ASHOUR, TRANSLATED TO “THE ABNORMAL MUNY,” OR “THE GAY MUNY.” THE LATTER IS OK, SAID ASHOUR, BUT HE WOULD PREFER THE MORE CLIVE LBGTQ+.AN TERVIEWER ON ONE OF IRAQI TV’S MA WORKS JT TERVIEWED HIM, AND AFTER SHE ED “THE ABNORMAL MUNY,” HE SAID HE WOULD NOT NTUE WH THE TERVIEW UNLS SHE ED “LGBTQ+.” THE PRENTER DID, AND ASHOUR IS TERTED TO SEE IF THE NEW WORD MAK THE FAL CUT: “I’M NOT GOG TO BELIEVE TILL I SEE ON FRIDAY.”***ASHOUR, LIKE THE HIGH-PROFILE GAY SYRIAN REFUGEE SUBHI NAHAS (WHO WAS ONE OF THE GRAND MARSHALS AT NYC PRI 2016), HAS VOTED HIMSELF TO ACTIVISM SCE LEAVG HIS NATIVE UNTRY.  HE FORMED IRAQUEER 2015. HALF-KURD, HALF-ARAB, ASHOUR NOW LIV AS A POLIL REFUGEE—MEANG, HE SAID, THAT HE NNOT RETURN TO IRAQ— MALMö, SWEN. HE IS “VERY BLSED” TO BE CLOSE TO HIS FAY AND IS DAILY MUNITN WH HIS MOTHER AND SIBLGS IRAQ WHO ARE VERY SUPPORTIVE OF HIM. HIS MOTHER, HE SAID, ABANDONED HALF HER SOCIAL WORK BEE OF THEIR HOMOPHOBIA.SCE BEG A REFUGEE, “EVERYTHG ELSE MY LIFE HAS BEEN MUCH MORE PLITED THAN WAS,” ASHOUR SAID, OM APPLYG TO SCHOOLS TO TRAVEL AND BASIC LIVG.“I DON’T HAVE AN IRAQI PASSPORT, I DON’T HAVE A SWEDISH PASSPORT. I’M NOT PROTECTED BY ANY REAL ERNMENT. THAT PLIT MY SUATN MUCH MORE. BUT I’VE NEVER BEEN HAPPIER TO BE HONT, BEE I’M LIVG WHO I REALLY AM AND STANDG FOR WHAT I BELIEVE . THE WORK OF IRAQUEER, AND THE REGNAL AND TERNATNAL ACTIVISTS I HAVE GOTTEN TO KNOW, HAS BEEN AMAZG AND VERY SPIRG TO WORK WH. IT’S MUCH BIGGER THAN JT BEG ABLE TO LIVE ONE UNTRY. ACTIVISM IS BASILLY MY LIFE NOW.”THE IMPACT OF IRAQUEER’S WORK HAS BEEN FELT BY LGBTQ+ IRAQIS TOO.“I WISH I ULD SHOW YOU THE EMAILS WE RECEIVE OM PEOPLE,” SAID ASHOUR. “WE ARE A VERY YOUNG ANIZATN AND NO WAY SAYG WE HAVE CHANGED EVERYTHG. BUT PEOPLE REACH OUT TO SAY, ‘WE N FALLY INTIFY WH YOU, SOMEONE PUBLIC, AND NOT ONLY PUBLIC BUT NOT ASHAMED AND PROUDLY ADVOTG FOR WHO ARE WE ARE.’“AS AN ANIZATN WE ARE NOT ONLY FOCG ON QUEER ISSU. WE ARE NOT SAYG ‘LOOK AT THE POOR PEOPLE,’ BUT JT PEOPLE. WE’RE NOT ASKG FOR QUEER RIGHTS BUT OUR HUMAN RIGHTS THE SAME AS EVERYONE ELSE. THE APPROACH WE ARE TAKG IS NOT, ‘WE ARE HERE, HELP , WE NEED HELP,’ BUT THAT WE ARE TAKG AN ACTIVE ROLE AND OWNG OUR FUTURE. “WE ARE PHG FOR LOTS OF PEOPLE TO REACH OUT, TO OFFER THEIR SERVIC, TO VOLUNTEER WH , TO BE ACTIVE PARTICIPANTS. SOME PEOPLE SAY, ‘WE WANT YOU TO STOP THE KILLGS,’ AND WE SAY, ‘WE WISH. WE’D LIKE TO.’ WE HAVE TO STRIKE A BALANCE. WE REALIZE WE ARE NOT ABLE TO DO EVERYTHG PEOPLE EXPECT TO DO, BUT BY TAKG THGS SLOWLY AND STEADILY WE WILL HOPEFULLY GROW AND ACHIEVE OUR GOALS THE LONG TERM.”***FOR NOW, THE THREATS TO LGBT+ IRAQIS REMA ON ALL SIS: OM ISIS, IAS, AND THE ERNMENT AND S OWN FORC. “ON TOP OF THAT, ALSO FAI ARE A SOURCE OF THREAT, PECIALLY THE EXTEND FAY,” ASHOUR SAID. “MALY LGBTQ+ PEOPLE JT THK OF SURVIVG. OF URSE PEOPLE BELIEVE OUR RIGHTS AND EXISTENCE, BUT THE PROBLEM IS LIVG SO MUCH FEAR FOR SO MANY YEARS THOSE DIVIDUALS WHO SUPPORT ARE SILENT. THEY DON’T TALK ABOUT THGS PUBLICLY. THEREFORE, WE TEND TO REMA BY OURSELV OR REACH OUT TO A SMALL CIRCLE WHO ARE QUEER. OR, LIKE WHAT HAPPENED TO KARAR, WE GET KILLED.”ASHOUR IS AWARE OF A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE LGBTQ+ ALLI, AND HAS MANY WORKS SI AND OUTSI IRAQ. “BUT THE PEOPLE WHO MOST NEED THIS ARE SI THE UNTRY AND DON’T HAVE ACCS TO A CENT JOB, TN, AND PROBABLY DON’T HAVE A SOCIAL CIRCLE THEY N RELY ON. I REALLY HOPE PEOPLE WHO DON’T INTIFY AS LGBTQ+ BUT WHO ARE SUPPORTIVE E OUT AND SUPPORT .”FEME GAY MEN, REGARDLS OF THEIR SEXUALY, FACE THE MOST PERSECUTN, ASHOUR SAID. TRANS WOMEN FACE SIAR VLENCE. BEE OF CULTURAL STEREOTYP, ASHOUR SAID, FEME GAY MEN ARE SEEN AS PEOPLE WHO HAVE STOPPED SHORT OF TRANSNG TO FEMALE. TRANS WOMEN ALSO SUFFER BEE CULTURALLY THEY ARE SEEN AS MEN WHO HAVE CHOSEN TO GIVE UP THEIR MALE “POWER” TO BEE A WOMAN.“LBIANS FACE DOUBLE DISCRIMATN AS WOMEN AND LBIANS,” SAID ASHOUR. “THEY ARE OFTEN VISIBLE, EHER FORCED TO MARRIAGE OR IF NOT, KEPT ‘PROTECTED’ WH THEIR HOM BY THE MALE FIGUR THEIR FAI. THEY DO NOT HAVE THE SPACE TO EXPLORE WHO THEY ARE OR REACH OUT TO OTHERS.”WHILE THERE ARE NO LAWS AGAST HOMOSEXUALY IRAQ, “THE MA PROBLEM,” SAID ASHOUR, IS THE NON-APPLITN OF EXISTG LAWS THAT SHOULD PROTECT LGBTQ+ PEOPLE OM PERSECUTN AND VLENCE.“THE CONSTUTN SAYS THAT EVERYONE IS EQUAL UNR THE LAW, AND DO NOT DISCRIMATE ON THE BASIS OF RACE, ETHNICY ET CETERA. THERE IS NO MENTN OF LGBTQ+ PEOPLE PER SE, BUT OUR RIGHTS SHOULD BE PROTECTED,” SAID ASHOUR. “LAWS ON ‘PUBLIC MORALY’ AND ‘HONOR’ ARE SO VAGUE THEY ARE ED AGAST ALL THE TIME,” HE ADD. “ACRDG TO THE LAWS DRKG WATER ULD BE PUNISHABLE. THEY DO NOT FE WHAT ‘DAMAGG TO PUBLIC HONOR’ IS.” MEANWHILE, LGBTQ+ PEOPLE, AND THOSE SPECTED OF BEG LGBTQ+ LIKE NHI, ARE MURRED, “AND SUCH CRIM ARE EXCED AWAY AS HONOR CRIM OR FAY MATTERS, OR SOMETHG THE IAS NEED TO TAKE RE OF WHICH THE LAW NNOT TERFERE WH.”NHI’S MURR, WHICH HAS GARNERED SO MUCH TERNATNAL VERAGE, MAY BE A SIGNIFINT, FG MOMENT, ASHOUR SAID.“IT MAY HAVE PEOPLE ASKG, ‘WHERE DO WE WANT TO GO OM HERE?’ IT REMDS ME OF THE ATTENTN THE EMO KILLGS GOT 2012. THE MEDIA VERAGE IS GREAT, BUT UNLS THE TERNATNAL MUNY HOLDS IRAQ ACUNTABLE, AND UNLS IRAQ MS FULLY TO THE HUMAN RIGHTS TREATI HAS SIGNED LAST FEW S, THE REPORTG WILL NOT MEAN MUCH. MEDIA VERAGE WILL NOT PROTECT . HOLDG IRAQ ACUNTABLE WILL.” TIM TEEMAN
• DYG TO COME OUT: THE WAR ON GAYS IRAQ
• THREATS AND KILLGS STRIKG FEAR AMONG YOUNG IRAQIS, INCLUDG GAYS

THIS NEW MOVIE TELLS THE TORTURED LOVE STORY OF TWO GAY IRAQI SOLDIERS

In the plac, beg gay is still seen as a s or disease to be routed out, which has taken the form of gay men beg hurled om the top of buildgs or stoned to ath.

TIME spoke to the uple featured a film that spans a and four untri about what was like to grow up that part of the world, why they ma this film and how feels to watch gay refuge flee persecutn the Middle East now that they’re safe Washgton state. And if they fd about [ beg gay], of urse we will get killed or be tortured to be exampl for others … It ma me feel like they’re tyg my hands and my legs and I nnot move. The movie tells the story of an Algerian-French heterosexual young man begng a soclogy study of gay islamic homosexuali and disverg gay love wh a young French steward.

IRAQI GAYS TARGETED, BTALLY KILLED: HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH

Out Loud is the first film om Lebanon wh a gay theme that sets a new standard for cema om the Middle East the midst of the Arab Sprg. A documentary by Peter Barbosa and Garrett Lenoir, I Exist giv a voice to gay and lbian Amerins om the Middle East, who often rema silent out of shame and fear. Filmed 12 untri and 9 languag, this documentary, directed by gay Mlim filmmaker Parvez Sharma, tells the lorful and varied stori of gay and lbian Mlims om all over the world.

WHAT IS LIKE TO BE A GAY MAN LIVG IRAQ?

Enuraged by Sandra, Ama lnch a blog lled “A Gay Girl Damasc, ” reprentg a margalized voice the Middle East on polics, relign, and sexualy. In this portra that is multi-layered both terms of form and ntent, a gay man nonts the ghosts of his past and explor hidn longgs, unrequed love and tormentg feelgs of guilt. In post-Fran Madrid where he lived an openly gay existence, his life rembled one long Almodóvarian y, full of excs and sexual taboo-breakg.

After beg tranged om his fay for his homosexualy, we observe a young Arab man over four seasons and om far away as he navigat his solu – all the while attemptg to rennect wh his mother.

IRAQ: A GAY SOLDIER’S VIEW

A short documentary that tells the stori of Mashrou’ Leila, a Lebane rock band wh an outspoken gay sger, and Sarah Hegazy, an Egyptian activist. Between realy and animatn, the story of Nidhal is told, a young homosexual Tunisian who fend dividual eedoms Tunisia through his work rad. The number of liberate attacks agast homosexual men Iraq has risen precipoly this year at the hands of Iraqi ias and ath squads, acrdg to a report released today by an ternatnal human rights York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) terviewed nearly 50 gay Iraqi men for the report, publishg their harrowg stori about the crackdown on gays and documentg the wi-reachg mpaign of targeted executns, kidnappgs, abductns, ath threats and torture of gay men and men spected of homosexual nduct.

SCE VASN, GAYS IRAQ LEAD LIV OF NSTANT FEAR

" Human Rights Watch timat several hundred men have died om homosexual targeted says Iraqi police and secury forc have done ltle to vtigate or quell the vlence agast Iraqi homosexuals and many Iraqis doubt the ernment's scery and succs to purge key officials wh ia ti. "Iraq's lears are supposed to fend all Iraqis, not abandon them to armed agents of hate, said HRW's Stt Long, Director of the Lbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgenr Rights Program, a statement. Acrdg to ttimoni, the attackers vad hom, abducted men and terrogated and btalized them to extract nam of other people spected of homosexual nduct.

Mahdi Army spokmen have "promoted fears about the 'third sex' and the 'femizatn' of Iraq men, suggtg that ia actn was the remedy, " acrdg to the men who have acclimated to Wtern fashn trends are viewed as ls "manly" and often sgled out as homosexuals by relig and ia groups. HRW says the targeted killgs were mted whout evince or homosexuals did not live fear or feel forced to leave their hom and villag when former print Saddam Hse led the untry, says Hosse Alizah of Internatnal Gay and Lbian Human Rights Commissn.

"Homosexualy remas a forbidn, even taboo, topic for many Iraqis and the lack of unrstandg and sympathy om the public allows ias to kill effemate men wh tac approval, says Alizah.

GAY IRANIAN MAN AD ALLEGED 'HONOR KILLG,' RIGHTS GROUP SAYS

Many Iraqi homosexuals, or those perceived to be, are an embarrassment to their fai and trib and are killed by the hands of loved on, he said. "Iraq is a relig and tradnal society and killers of homosexuals are very proud of what they see as a social service, a cleansg of society, " he Uned Stat ernment has recently begun to addrs the plight of homosexual Iraqis after the media and ternatnal human rights anizatns brought awarens to the problem. Polis said about five percent of the Iraqi populatn is homosexual, however, there are no official aggregate statistics for this group.

MURRED FOR ‘LOOKG GAY’: HOW LGBT IRAQIS ARE FIGHTG FOR THEIR LIVNOT GIVG UPAFTER KARAR NHI WAS REPORTEDLY MURRED BAGHDAD, IRAQUEER’S AMIR ASHOUR REVEALS ISIS’ NOTOR ANTI-GAY VLENCE IS ONLY ONE STGGLE FACG LGBT PEOPLE IRAQ.TIM TEEMANSENR EDOR AND WRERUPDATED JUL. 06, 2017 11:21AM EDT / PUBLISHED JUL. 06, 2017 1:00AM EDT TWTERIF IRAQI ACTOR AND MOL KARAR NHI WAS KIDNAPPED, TORTURED, AND MURRED BAGHDAD BEE HE “LOOKED GAY” WOULD E AS NO SURPRISE TO AMIR ASHOUR, THE FOUNR AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS ANIZATN IRAQUEER.“I THK IRAQ MOST OF THE MURRS THAT HAVE HAPPENED AGAST QUEER PEOPLE, OR PEOPLE PERCEIVED TO BE, HAVE BEEN BEE OF THEIR APPEARANCE,” ASHOUR TOLD THE DAILY BEAST. “THERE IS STILL THE MISNCEPTN OF HOW PEOPLE LOOK VERS THE PERCEIVED IA OF THEIR SEXUAL ORIENTATN. “THE ARMED GROUPS WHO DO THE KILLGS TEND TO THK ONE IS AN EXTENSN OF THE OTHER. THERE IS A BLURRED UNRSTANDG OF WHAT GENR INTY AND GENR EXPRSN MEAN VERS WHAT SEXUAL ORIENTATN MEANS.”IRAQUEER, ASHOUR TOLD THE DAILY BEAST, IS “AWARE OF SEVEN PEOPLE BEG KILLED THIS PAST JANUARY FOR SIAR REASONS TO KARAR’S. THOSE SEVEN PEOPLE WERE MORED TO BE ON A LIST OF 100 NAM OF DIVIDUALS WHO WERE TARGETED BY AN ARMED GROUP.” IRAQUEER ULD NOT SHARE THE PEOPLE’S NAM, ASHOUR SAID. NHI, A GRADUATE OF BAGHDAD UNIVERSY’S COLLEGE OF FE ARTS, WAS FOUND AD ON A BY ROAD THE MIDDLE OF BAGHDAD. HE HAD REPORTEDLY RECEIVED ATH THREATS BEE OF HIS LONG HAIR AND ATTIRE. HIS BODY SHOWED SIGNS OF TORTURE AND STAB WOUNDS, ACRDG TO KURDISTAN 24.ATTU REPORTED THAT NHI HAD SAID A FACEBOOK POST THAT HE EMBODIED “EVERY YOUNG MAN FIGHTG WH ALL HIS HONOR TO FEND THE NATN.” HIS PICTUR, HE SAID, WERE “THEATRIL AND CEMATIC WORKS OF ART, WHICH I PRI MYSELF ON... I CHERISH MY PERSONAL EEDOM TO BUILD A UNIQUE EXTERNAL APPEARANCE.” HE DISMISSED THE CEL MENTS HE RECEIVED: “I REMA SILENT ABOUT THE ABIVE RPONS THAT UNDOUBTEDLY REFLECT THE LEVEL OF THEIR WRERS.”“THERE HAS NOT BEEN REAL RMATN SAYG THAT KARAR WAS GAY,” SAID ASHOUR. “IT’S AN ASSUMPTN WHOEVER KILLED HIM MA BASED ON HOW HE LOOKED. ONE OF THE PEOPLE WHOSE KILLG WE DOCUMENTED A UPLE OF YEARS AGO WAS THE FATHER OF FOUR CHILDREN. HE WAS STRAIGHT ACRDG TO EVERYONE HIS CIRCLE. HE WAS KILLED BEE HE HAD LONG HAIR.” TWTER THE MURR OF NHI REVEALS THAT THE DANGERS FACED BY LGBTQ PEOPLE IRAQ WILL NOT END IF AND WHEN ISIS IS ELIMATED, SAID ASHOUR.“THE PROBLEMS OF THE LGBTQ+ MUNY DID NOT STOP WH ISIS, AND ARE NOT GOG TO STOP WH THE ELIMATN OF ISIS. THE IRAQI ERNMENT HAS BEEN ANNOUNCG THAT ISIS IS BEG FEATED AND THE LIPHATE IS LLAPSG, AND THE TERNATNAL MUNY SAW ISIS THROWG PEOPLE THOUGHT TO BE GAY OFF THE TOPS OF BUILDGS, AND THOUGHT THAT WAS THE WORST THG FACG .“BUT REALY WE’VE BEEN FACG AN ANIZED KILLG MPAIGN SCE 2006, AND THAT’S NOT GOG TO STOP WH THE ELIMATN OF ISIS. THE FIRST ENEMY OF LGBT PEOPLE IRAQ IS THE ERNMENT SELF. NOT ONLY ARE THEY NOT PROVIDG PROTECTN FOR , BUT THEY ARE DIRECTLY VOLVED VLATG OUR RIGHTS.”ASHOUR TOLD THE DAILY BEAST THAT POLICE FORC AND SECURY GUARDS STOP DIVIDUALS AT CHECKPOTS WHO LOOK DIFFERENT, OR IF THEY ARE TRANSGENR AND GOG THROUGH HORMONAL TREATMENT, PARG HOW THEY LOOK THE PRENT WH THE PICTURE THAT LOOKS DIFFERENT ON THEIR INTIFITN RDS. IRAQUEER HAS VIO OF DIVIDUALS BEG HUIATED AND PHYSILLY ABED SUCH SUATNS.ONE OF THE MA ARMED GROUPS BAGHDAD, ASHOUR SAID, HAD ANNOUNCED A PARTNERSHIP WH THE ERNMENT THE NAME OF FIGHTG ISIS, AND THIS GROUP WAS ONE OF THE MA GROUPS ANIZG THE KILLG MPAIGNS OF GAY MEN AND FEME MEN PERCEIVED TO BE GAY.ASHOUR SAID, “REGARDLS OF THE FACT THAT THE IRAQI CONSTUTN PROTECTS PRIVACY AND EEDOM OF EXPRSN THE IRAQI ERNMENT HAS NOT BEEN TAKG ANY STEPS TO HOLD THE PEOPLE KILLG QUEER PEOPLE ACUNTABLE, OR UPHOLDG LAWS WHICH PROTECT DIVIDUALS REGARDLS OF PEOPLE’S PERCEIVED IA OF WHO THEY ARE.”***DAY TO DAY, IRAQI LGBTQ+ PEOPLE LIVE FEAR, ASHOUR SAID.“EVERYONE MATAS A REALLY LOW PROFILE. THEIR SOCIAL CIRCL ARE SMALL. THE SOCIAL CIRCL THE KURDISH REGN ARE A B BIGGER, BUT DO NOT MEAN VLENCE IS NOT HAPPENG THERE ALSO. THOSE WHO HAVE LIMED TN AND LIMED FANCE HAVE TROUBLE FDG JOBS AND MATAG A LIVG, AND ONLY THK OF SURVIVG TO THE NEXT DAY.”PEOPLE ARE ALSO BEG TARGETED BY ANTI-GAY ATTACKERS THROUGH DATG APPS. “EVERYONE IS AAID FOR THEIR LIV. THEY ARE JT TRYG TO HI THEIR SEXUALY AS MUCH AS THEY N,” SAID ASHOUR.A RECENT NEW YORK TIM REPORT TAILED THE PLIGHT OF MOHAMMED, A 26-YEAR-OLD GAY IRAQI CIVIL ENGEER PRENTLY STUCK TURKEY, A VICTIM OF PRINT TMP’S 120-DAY EEZE ON REFUGEE RETTLEMENT.IRAQUEER WORKS WH LGBTQ+ PEOPLE IRAQ, TURKEY, LEBANON, AND THOSE WHO HAVE MA TO EUROPE AND THE WT.“EVERY SGLE ONE IS FACG DIFFICULTI DIFFERENT FORMS,” SAID ASHOUR. “THOSE IRAQ FD DIFFICULT TO LEAVE THE UNTRY. IT IS NOT JT ABOUT GETTG MONEY TO BUY A TICKET, BUT ‘CAN WE GET TO ANOTHER UNTRY?’”TURKEY REQUIR AN E-VISA OM IRAQIS, WHICH THEORY ARE EASY TO OBTA, HE SAID, BUT NOT EVERYONE GETS THEM. “LEBANON IS VERY HARD TO SURVIVE . THEY N’T GET JOBS, AND IF THEY DON’T HAVE MONEY THEY N’T SUPPORT THEMSELV AND FD SOMEWHERE TO LIVE.”OTHER GAY IRAQI REFUGE WHO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO APPLY TO RETTLEMENT PROGRAMS N BY THE UNED NATNS AND OTHER ANIZATNS FACE DIFFICULTI WHEN NONTED WH THE BAN JT ANNOUNCED BY PRINT TMP. “THEIR S WERE BEG PROCSED AND FALIZED AND SUDNLY THEY HAVE A HOLD PUT ON THEM, AND ARE BEG ASKED TO WA AN FE PERD OF TIME,” SAID ASHOUR. “WAG IS JT ONE PROBLEM. THEY ARE NOT GETTG ANY SUPPORT OM THE UN OR OTHER ANIZATNS TERMS OF LIVG EXPENS AND FDG HOG. HOW N WE EXPECT PEOPLE TO SURVIVE AND WA FOR AN AVERAGE OF TWO YEARS WHEN THEY DON’T HAVE MONEY OR ACCS TO JOBS THE UNTRI THEY ARE WAG ? “THE SUATN IS REALLY, REALLY DIFFICULT. THE FACT THAT THE U.S. IS PULLG AWAY OM S LEADG ROLE QUEER RIGHTS TERNATNALLY IS MAKG EVEN HARR FOR .”THAT IRAQUEER EXISTS IS E FOR OPTIMISM, SAID ASHOUR. “JT TWO YEARS AGO I WAS TRAVELG WH [LGBT ANIZATN] OUTRIGHT INTERNATNAL, THROUGH EVERY SGLE CY IRAQ LOOKG FOR OTHER POSSIBLE ACTIVISTS AND THERE WERE LERALLY NONE. NOW WE HAVE NE FULL-TIME EMPLOYE AND A WORK OF MORE THAN 200 PEOPLE.”IRAQUEER, WHICH IS ALSO REQUTG DONATNS, IS TRAG MEMBERS OF TWO FEMIST ANIZATNS IRAQ TO WORK ON LGBTQ+ ISSU.“WE ARE G TOGETHER TO CREATE A BLUEPRT FOR FUTURE GENERATNS TO FOLLOW, AND PEOPLE ARE FDG SOME SENSE OF BELONGG KNOWG THAT IRAQUEER EXISTS AND BEG ABLE TO TALK TO ,” SAID ASHOUR.THE ANIZATN IS ALSO VENTG WORDS THAT DIDN’T EXIST ARABIC AND KURDISH TO ENURAGE THE IRAQI PUBLIC TO E RPECTFUL WORDS, “RATHER THAN WORDS THAT TRANSLATE TO ‘FAGGOT’ OR OFFENSIVE TERMS HAVE BEEN ED FOR SO MANY YEARS,” ASHOUR SAID.THE WORD “QUEER” SELF WAS ED NEGATIVELY, UNTIL—AS ACTIVISTS THE WT DID THE 1990S—IRAQUEER RECLAIMED . THE “LGBT+ MUNY” ARABIC, SAID ASHOUR, TRANSLATED TO “THE ABNORMAL MUNY,” OR “THE GAY MUNY.” THE LATTER IS OK, SAID ASHOUR, BUT HE WOULD PREFER THE MORE CLIVE LBGTQ+.AN TERVIEWER ON ONE OF IRAQI TV’S MA WORKS JT TERVIEWED HIM, AND AFTER SHE ED “THE ABNORMAL MUNY,” HE SAID HE WOULD NOT NTUE WH THE TERVIEW UNLS SHE ED “LGBTQ+.” THE PRENTER DID, AND ASHOUR IS TERTED TO SEE IF THE NEW WORD MAK THE FAL CUT: “I’M NOT GOG TO BELIEVE TILL I SEE ON FRIDAY.”***ASHOUR, LIKE THE HIGH-PROFILE GAY SYRIAN REFUGEE SUBHI NAHAS (WHO WAS ONE OF THE GRAND MARSHALS AT NYC PRI 2016), HAS VOTED HIMSELF TO ACTIVISM SCE LEAVG HIS NATIVE UNTRY.  HE FORMED IRAQUEER 2015. HALF-KURD, HALF-ARAB, ASHOUR NOW LIV AS A POLIL REFUGEE—MEANG, HE SAID, THAT HE NNOT RETURN TO IRAQ— MALMö, SWEN. HE IS “VERY BLSED” TO BE CLOSE TO HIS FAY AND IS DAILY MUNITN WH HIS MOTHER AND SIBLGS IRAQ WHO ARE VERY SUPPORTIVE OF HIM. HIS MOTHER, HE SAID, ABANDONED HALF HER SOCIAL WORK BEE OF THEIR HOMOPHOBIA.SCE BEG A REFUGEE, “EVERYTHG ELSE MY LIFE HAS BEEN MUCH MORE PLITED THAN WAS,” ASHOUR SAID, OM APPLYG TO SCHOOLS TO TRAVEL AND BASIC LIVG.“I DON’T HAVE AN IRAQI PASSPORT, I DON’T HAVE A SWEDISH PASSPORT. I’M NOT PROTECTED BY ANY REAL ERNMENT. THAT PLIT MY SUATN MUCH MORE. BUT I’VE NEVER BEEN HAPPIER TO BE HONT, BEE I’M LIVG WHO I REALLY AM AND STANDG FOR WHAT I BELIEVE . THE WORK OF IRAQUEER, AND THE REGNAL AND TERNATNAL ACTIVISTS I HAVE GOTTEN TO KNOW, HAS BEEN AMAZG AND VERY SPIRG TO WORK WH. IT’S MUCH BIGGER THAN JT BEG ABLE TO LIVE ONE UNTRY. ACTIVISM IS BASILLY MY LIFE NOW.”THE IMPACT OF IRAQUEER’S WORK HAS BEEN FELT BY LGBTQ+ IRAQIS TOO.“I WISH I ULD SHOW YOU THE EMAILS WE RECEIVE OM PEOPLE,” SAID ASHOUR. “WE ARE A VERY YOUNG ANIZATN AND NO WAY SAYG WE HAVE CHANGED EVERYTHG. BUT PEOPLE REACH OUT TO SAY, ‘WE N FALLY INTIFY WH YOU, SOMEONE PUBLIC, AND NOT ONLY PUBLIC BUT NOT ASHAMED AND PROUDLY ADVOTG FOR WHO ARE WE ARE.’“AS AN ANIZATN WE ARE NOT ONLY FOCG ON QUEER ISSU. WE ARE NOT SAYG ‘LOOK AT THE POOR PEOPLE,’ BUT JT PEOPLE. WE’RE NOT ASKG FOR QUEER RIGHTS BUT OUR HUMAN RIGHTS THE SAME AS EVERYONE ELSE. THE APPROACH WE ARE TAKG IS NOT, ‘WE ARE HERE, HELP , WE NEED HELP,’ BUT THAT WE ARE TAKG AN ACTIVE ROLE AND OWNG OUR FUTURE. “WE ARE PHG FOR LOTS OF PEOPLE TO REACH OUT, TO OFFER THEIR SERVIC, TO VOLUNTEER WH , TO BE ACTIVE PARTICIPANTS. SOME PEOPLE SAY, ‘WE WANT YOU TO STOP THE KILLGS,’ AND WE SAY, ‘WE WISH. WE’D LIKE TO.’ WE HAVE TO STRIKE A BALANCE. WE REALIZE WE ARE NOT ABLE TO DO EVERYTHG PEOPLE EXPECT TO DO, BUT BY TAKG THGS SLOWLY AND STEADILY WE WILL HOPEFULLY GROW AND ACHIEVE OUR GOALS THE LONG TERM.”***FOR NOW, THE THREATS TO LGBT+ IRAQIS REMA ON ALL SIS: OM ISIS, IAS, AND THE ERNMENT AND S OWN FORC. “ON TOP OF THAT, ALSO FAI ARE A SOURCE OF THREAT, PECIALLY THE EXTEND FAY,” ASHOUR SAID. “MALY LGBTQ+ PEOPLE JT THK OF SURVIVG. OF URSE PEOPLE BELIEVE OUR RIGHTS AND EXISTENCE, BUT THE PROBLEM IS LIVG SO MUCH FEAR FOR SO MANY YEARS THOSE DIVIDUALS WHO SUPPORT ARE SILENT. THEY DON’T TALK ABOUT THGS PUBLICLY. THEREFORE, WE TEND TO REMA BY OURSELV OR REACH OUT TO A SMALL CIRCLE WHO ARE QUEER. OR, LIKE WHAT HAPPENED TO KARAR, WE GET KILLED.”ASHOUR IS AWARE OF A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE LGBTQ+ ALLI, AND HAS MANY WORKS SI AND OUTSI IRAQ. “BUT THE PEOPLE WHO MOST NEED THIS ARE SI THE UNTRY AND DON’T HAVE ACCS TO A CENT JOB, TN, AND PROBABLY DON’T HAVE A SOCIAL CIRCLE THEY N RELY ON. I REALLY HOPE PEOPLE WHO DON’T INTIFY AS LGBTQ+ BUT WHO ARE SUPPORTIVE E OUT AND SUPPORT .”FEME GAY MEN, REGARDLS OF THEIR SEXUALY, FACE THE MOST PERSECUTN, ASHOUR SAID. TRANS WOMEN FACE SIAR VLENCE. BEE OF CULTURAL STEREOTYP, ASHOUR SAID, FEME GAY MEN ARE SEEN AS PEOPLE WHO HAVE STOPPED SHORT OF TRANSNG TO FEMALE. TRANS WOMEN ALSO SUFFER BEE CULTURALLY THEY ARE SEEN AS MEN WHO HAVE CHOSEN TO GIVE UP THEIR MALE “POWER” TO BEE A WOMAN.“LBIANS FACE DOUBLE DISCRIMATN AS WOMEN AND LBIANS,” SAID ASHOUR. “THEY ARE OFTEN VISIBLE, EHER FORCED TO MARRIAGE OR IF NOT, KEPT ‘PROTECTED’ WH THEIR HOM BY THE MALE FIGUR THEIR FAI. THEY DO NOT HAVE THE SPACE TO EXPLORE WHO THEY ARE OR REACH OUT TO OTHERS.”WHILE THERE ARE NO LAWS AGAST HOMOSEXUALY IRAQ, “THE MA PROBLEM,” SAID ASHOUR, IS THE NON-APPLITN OF EXISTG LAWS THAT SHOULD PROTECT LGBTQ+ PEOPLE OM PERSECUTN AND VLENCE.“THE CONSTUTN SAYS THAT EVERYONE IS EQUAL UNR THE LAW, AND DO NOT DISCRIMATE ON THE BASIS OF RACE, ETHNICY ET CETERA. THERE IS NO MENTN OF LGBTQ+ PEOPLE PER SE, BUT OUR RIGHTS SHOULD BE PROTECTED,” SAID ASHOUR. “LAWS ON ‘PUBLIC MORALY’ AND ‘HONOR’ ARE SO VAGUE THEY ARE ED AGAST ALL THE TIME,” HE ADD. “ACRDG TO THE LAWS DRKG WATER ULD BE PUNISHABLE. THEY DO NOT FE WHAT ‘DAMAGG TO PUBLIC HONOR’ IS.” MEANWHILE, LGBTQ+ PEOPLE, AND THOSE SPECTED OF BEG LGBTQ+ LIKE NHI, ARE MURRED, “AND SUCH CRIM ARE EXCED AWAY AS HONOR CRIM OR FAY MATTERS, OR SOMETHG THE IAS NEED TO TAKE RE OF WHICH THE LAW NNOT TERFERE WH.”NHI’S MURR, WHICH HAS GARNERED SO MUCH TERNATNAL VERAGE, MAY BE A SIGNIFINT, FG MOMENT, ASHOUR SAID.“IT MAY HAVE PEOPLE ASKG, ‘WHERE DO WE WANT TO GO OM HERE?’ IT REMDS ME OF THE ATTENTN THE EMO KILLGS GOT 2012. THE MEDIA VERAGE IS GREAT, BUT UNLS THE TERNATNAL MUNY HOLDS IRAQ ACUNTABLE, AND UNLS IRAQ MS FULLY TO THE HUMAN RIGHTS TREATI HAS SIGNED LAST FEW S, THE REPORTG WILL NOT MEAN MUCH. MEDIA VERAGE WILL NOT PROTECT . HOLDG IRAQ ACUNTABLE WILL.” TIM TEEMAN

Amnty Internatnal's Said Boumedouha says Iraqi gay men have to hi their homosexualy or flee their neighborhoods fear that neighbors will report their nam to relig ia groups. "Some homosexual Iraqis have sought asylum other Middle Eastern untri such as Jordan, Lebanon and Kurdistan wh the fancial assistance of NGOs.

Human Rights Watch, like other ternatnal anizatns, has lled on the Uned Natns High Commissn for Refuge as well as other ernments that accept Iraqi refuge to offer rapid rettlement to homosexual and transgenr Iraqis. Followg on om our report March, OutNews Global spoke exclively wh two gay men om Sulaymaniyah about what life is really like for LGBT+ people Iraq.

DYG TO COME OUT: THE WAR ON GAYS IRAQ

Forced to flee Kamaran* scrib life for a gay man Iraq as a relentls stggle: “It’s like beg between four walls and hidg who you are om the muny, and even yourself. “There are still homophobic people that are also refuge om other untri, and once they know you are gay they make fun of you and verbally abe you.

In a untry wh such strong relig and culture beliefs that ntue to fuel a fire of homophobia society, mt be challengg to meet other LGBT+ the first place? "So often women will lie and protect the perpetrators, pecially if they are known to them, as they are sred to trigger a crimal vtigatn which might put them at risk of retributn, " she ptn, Sami's life improved after he moved to BaghdadHuman Rights Watch is also aware of stanc of sexual vlence perpetrated agast gay men and trans women Iraq - though seems that the too are often not reported to the police. "The crim ntue to be unr-reported bee social norms do not allow for men to talk about the thgs, and the fact that reportg might also reveal that the victims are gay, which uld lead to more vlence and discrimatn.

THREATS AND KILLGS STRIKG FEAR AMONG YOUNG IRAQIS, INCLUDG GAYS

"If I were to pla about beg raped, the police are likely to see me not as a victim but might even put me jail bee I would be seen as a party to the cint, which would be seen as act of homosexualy - which is illegal, " he says.