Activists nmn vlence agast LGBTQ muny St. Vcent, where gay sex is illegal | AP News

Contents:

• THE ULTIMATE 10 DAY EGYPT ERARY FOR GAY TRAVELLERS (NILE RIVER CISE CLUD)
• TIPS FOR GAY AND LBIAN TRAVELERS EGYPT
• THE TTH ABOUT BEG GAY ANCIENT EGYPT
• GAY EGYPT TRAVEL GUI
• ACTIVISTS NMN VLENCE AGAST LGBTQ MUNY ST. VCENT, WHERE GAY SEX IS ILLEGAL
• JAGUARS ASSOCIATE STRENGTH ACH OUT AS GAY A FIRST FOR US-BASED PRO LEAGU
• CHARL BARKLEY FENDS LGBTQIA+ MUNY, BUD LIGHT EXPLETIVE-FILLED RANT: ‘IF YOU’RE GAY, GOD BLS YOU’
• CAIRO BATHHOE RAID SPREADS FEAR EGYPTIAN GAY MUNY
• AL-SISI’S EGYPT IS WORSE FOR GAYS THAN THE MLIM BROTHERHOODON THE RUNPRINT SISI, ALREADY FAMO FOR HIS CRACKDOWNS ON DISSINTS AND THE PRS, IS NOW GOG AFTER THE LGBT MUNY.BEL TREWUPDATED APR. 14, 2017 3:40PM EDT APCAIRO, EGYPT — THE PARTY AT A VILLA A WTERN SUBURB OF CAIRO WAS FULL SWG WHEN THREE ARMORED POLICE TCKS QUIETLY PULLED UP TO THE MA GATE. MORE THAN 300 MEN AND WOMEN OM THE GAY MUNY HAD GATHERED KERDASSA ON THE SAME DAY, NOVEMBER 4, THAT FORMER PRINT MOHAMED MORSI OF THE PURANIL MLIM BROTHERHOOD FIRST APPEARED URT. THEY WANTED TO PARTY HARD AND FET THE LATG VLENCE THAT HAD LEFT HUNDREDS AD AND WAS RIPPG THE UNTRY APART.WHOUT ANY WARNG, DOZENS OF BLACK-CLAD RT POLICE ARMED WH RIFL AND METAL STICKS STORMED THE GARN. TERRIFIED PEOPLE STTERED AND TRIED TO HI, REMEMBERS AHMED, A GAY CAIRENE HIS TWENTI WHO IS NOW A FUGIVE: “THEY HAD SO MANY WEAPONS, THEY HAD CLEARLY BEEN SOME SER PREPARATN. THEY H EVERYONE THEY ULD.”POLICE BUNDLED AHMED TO A TCK AND TOOK HIM TO A STATN THE SATELLE CY WT OF CAIRO KNOWN AS 6 OCTOBER. TOGETHER WH NE OTHERS HE WAS STRIPPED NAKED AND SUBJECTED TO HUIATG “ANAL TTS,” THEN PUT ON TRIAL. AFTER JT ONE URT SSN NE OF THE TEN FENDANTS WERE FOUND GUILTY OF BCHERY AND SEXUAL VIANCE AND HAND BETWEEN THREE- AND EIGHT-YEAR JAIL TERMS. ONLY ONE, THE FEMALE OWNER OF THE VENUE, WAS ACQUTED. AHMED, RELEASED ON BAIL, MANAGED TO AVOID BEG URT FOR THE VERDICT AND IS NOW “TRAVELLG” NSTANTLY TO AVOID RE-ARRT. OUTST BY HIS FAY, FIRED OM HIS JOB AND ON THE N, HE SAYS HIS LIFE IS PIEC. SCE THE ARY OVERTHREW MORSI LAST JULY, RIGHTS GROUPS HAVE RERD THE WORST STATE CRACKDOWN ON THE LGBT MUNY SCE THE DAYS OF HOSNI MUBARAK. BACK 2001, 52 GAY MEN WERE ARRTED ON A PARTY BOAT ON THE NILE AND TRIED FOR “PUBLIC PRAVY”. TWENTY-THREE WERE SENTENCED TO HARD LABOUR PRISON. IN 2004, A 17-YEAR-OLD STUNT WAS HAND A 17-YEAR JAIL SENTENCE FOR POSTG HIS PROFILE ON A GAY DATG SE.IN THE LAST 10 MONTHS, DOZENS HAVE BEEN ARRTED AND AT LEAST 18 HOMOSEXUAL AND TRANSGENR PEOPLE HAVE BEEN JAILED UNR THE UNTRY’S DRANIAN LEGISLATN CRIMALIZG “SEXUAL VIANCE,” “BCHERY” AND “SULTG PUBLIC MORALS.” THE PRISON SENTENC HAVE RANGED OM 3 TO 12 YEARS.“WE ARE NOT EVEN SURE IF WE HAVE DOCUMENTED ALL THE S,” SAID DALIA ABL-HAMID, OM EGYPTIAN INIATIVE FOR PERSONAL RIGHTS (EIPR). “WE KNOW THE ACTUAL NUMBER IS HIGHER.”ABL-HAMID THKS ’S PART OF A PR MPAIGN BY NEW PRINT ABL-FATTAH SISI’S ADMISTRATN, TO PROVE IS MORE “ISLAMIC THAN THE ISLAMISTS” AND TO CURRY FAVOR WH THE POPULATN, THAT SE HOMOSEXUALY AS A S. IT’S ALSO A HANDY TACTIC TO DISTRACT PEOPLE DURG ELECTN TIME. IRONILLY, UNR MORSI, WHEN THE WORLD RAILED AGAST THE “ISLAMIZATN” OF EGYPT, THE DAILY BEAST REPORTED THE START OF A FLEDGLG LGBT RIGHTS MOVEMENT, AS YOUNG GAY ACTIVISTS LNCHED ONLE AWARENS MPAIGNS VIA FACEBOOK AND TWTER.BUT WH THE RURGENCE OF THE POLICE STATE AFTER LAST JULY’S ARY UP, LGBT PEOPLE HAVE BEE THE FOC OF PERSECUTN THAT THE INTERR MISTRY TAK PRI PUBLICIZG. THE “MORAL PARTMENT” OF THE POLICE FORCE, TASKED WH MANAGG PUBLIC BEHAVR, HAS PUT LOL JOURNALISTS ON SPEED DIAL TO VER THE GAY ARRTS. REPORTERS FILM THE PS’ DRAMATIC RAIDS. VIOS OF TERRIFIED MEN AND WOMEN, HANDCUFFED AND HEADS BOWED, ARE GLEEFULLY BROADST BY EGYPTIAN NEWS WORKS ALONG WH THEIR NAM AND SOMETIM THEIR ADDRS.THE EGYPTIAN PRO-REGIME PAPER YOUM7 FORCED THE HOMOSEXUAL AND TRANSGENR PTIV OF THE LATT RAID MAY TO GIVE TERVIEWS THE MIDDLE OF THEIR ARRT. THE SAME PAPER, SHORTLY AFTERWARDS, PUBLISHED A LONG VTIGATN TO THE GAY “PROBLEM.”IMMEDIATELY AFTER ARRT, WHEN THEY ARE THE POLICE STATNS, HOMOSEXUAL MEN ARE PARAD NAKED AND THREATENED WH RAPE, SAYS AHMED, WHO RELLS A DOCTOR, THE PRENCE OF THE ARRTG OFFICERS “CHECKG” HIS AN TO SEE IF HE HAD HAD SEX WH A MAN. “IT WAS UTTERLY HUIATG,” HE SAID.TREATMENT JAIL IS WORSE—ANYONE INTIFIED AS A TRANSGENR, A CROSS-DRSER OR HOMOSEXUAL IS SGLED OUT AND BEATEN BY FELLOW MAT.BEHD CLOSED DOORS THERE REMAS A FLOURISHG HOMOSEXUAL MUNY EGYPT. PARTICULAR BARS AND NIGHTCLUBS ARE EARMARKED AS GAY-IENDLY SPE THE CRACKDOWN, MEMBERS TOLD THE DAILY BEAST. BUT MANY LGBT PEOPLE ARE FORCED TO MEET ONLE, AND THAT IS WHERE THE POLICE ARE HUNTG THEM DOWN.MOHAMED BAKEER, A LAWYER MONORG THE TRIALS, SAID THE POLICE TRAWL THE INTER LOOKG FOR EGYPTIAN PROFIL ON TERNATNAL DATG WEBS. THEY POST FAKE ACUNTS AND ARRANGE MEETGS TO SET UP THE ARRTS AND E THE NTACT TAILS TO TAP MOBIL, TO WIRE APARTMENTS AND TO SET UP STG , A WORLDWI TRANSSEXUAL-DATG SE THAT IS ALSO ED FOR RTS, HAS E FOR SPECIAL ATTENTN, SAID BAKEER. “IT WILL HAVE AT LEAST ANOTHER THREE OR FOUR ARRTS BY THE END OF THE YEAR, THEY ARE GOG SYSTEMATILLY THROUGH .”THIS WILL LIKELY GET WORSE AS POLICE BOLSTER THEIR WEB SURVEILLANCE PABILI. A REQUT FOR NTRACT PROPOSALS LEAKED TO THE LOL PRS EARLIER THIS MONTH SHOWED THAT THE INTERR MISTRY IS SEEKG TO SET UP A SYSTEM TO SN SOCIAL MEDIA S AND MOBILE APPLITNS LIKE FACEBOOK, TWTER AND WHAT’S APP FOR “STCTIVE IAS”— CLUDG IMMORALY AND PROFANY.HUMAN RIGHTS WORKERS FEAR THAT THE CRACKDOWN WILL DRIVE THE MUNY FURTHER UNRGROUND AND WILL HURT PREVENTN, TTG AND AWARENS OF HIV/AIDS EGYPT. ALREADY THERE IS AN HIV EPIMIC AMONG MEN WHO HAVE SEX WH MEN AND TRAVENO DG ERS EGYPT. MORE THAN 6 PER CENT OF THE MUNY IS FECTED.“THAT PERCENTAGE IS ON THE RISE,” SAYS DR. AMANI MASSOUD, WHO NS EIPR’S RIGHT TO HEALTH PROGRAM. “ARRTS MEAN OUTREACH EFFORTS BEE IMPOSSIBLE AS PEOPLE OPERATE UNRGROUND.”TWO OF THOSE ARRTED MAY5 ARE HIV POSIVE, AND MASSOUD FEARS THEY WILL NOT RECEIVE TREATMENT JAIL.STRAGELY, CAIRO’S LUCRATIVE “BARET” CLUBS WHERE SEX WORKERS PLY THEIR TRA HAVE YET TO BE TOUCHED. BUT WH 12 OF THE 18 MEN JAIL ALSO BELIEVED TO BE SEX WORKERS, THE TRANSGENR AND MALE PROSTUT WORKG THE JOTS FEAR THEY WILL BE NEXT.IN DIMLY L LAVISH NIGHTCLUBS THE PATRONS, MOSTLY MEN OM THE GULF, THROW WADS OF SH AT STAG WHERE BOTH FEMALE AND MALE SEX WORKERS DANCE, WHILE LIVE BANDS PLAY THE BACKGROUND. ON A GOOD NIGHT WORKERS ON THE STAFF ARE KNEE EP SH, LLECTG AS MUCH AS $70,000 SMALL BILLS. THE OWNERS N GREASE A LOT OF PALMS WH REVENU LIKE THAT.THE PROSTUT PAY AROUND $70 TO ENTER AND DISCRETELY PICK UP THEIR CLIENTS. ONE MALE PROSTUTE CLAIMED HE IS ABLE TO CHARGE AS MUCH AS $1000 A NIGHT. “SO FAR THE THORI HAVEN’T GIVEN THE PLAC A HARD TIME,” HE TOLD THE DAILY BEAST, BUT HE SEEMED RIGNED TO A BLEAK FUTURE. “WE DON’T HAVE A SYSTEM TO LOOK AFTER OURSELV,” HE SAID. “IT’S NOT A BETIFUL LIFE—WHAT IS GOG TO HAPPEN WILL HAPPEN.” YOUNG GAY MEN LIKE AHMED FEAR THE SUATN WILL ONLY GET WORSE SCE SISI’S RECENT ELECTN GIV HIM WHAT HE’LL LL A POPULAR MANDATE FOR WHATEVER REPRSIVE MEASUR HE WANTS TO TAKE AGAST ANY PART OF SOCIETY THAT DON’T F HIS VISN OF EGYPT. FOR NOW, AHMED IS STUCK THE UNTRY’S TERRIFYG JUDICIAL SYSTEM. THE POLICE REPORT AGAST HIM WAS FABRITED, HE SAYS. HIS RETRIAL HAS BEEN POSTPONED FELY. AND SO HE KEEPS NNG.“MY LIFE IS ED,” HE SAID, EN ROUTE TO A NEW TEMPORARY HOME. ”MY WORK, MY IENDS, MY FAY ARE GONE.” BEL TREW
• HOW ONE GAY EGYPTIAN WOMAN STOOD UP TO HOMOPHOBIA AND PAID THE ULTIMATE PRICE

THE ULTIMATE 10 DAY EGYPT ERARY FOR GAY TRAVELLERS (NILE RIVER CISE CLUD)

The ultimate 10 day Egypt erary for gay travellers (Nile river cise clud)Stori > Iterari > The ultimate 10 day Egypt erary for gay travellers (Nile river cise clud)Sand swept wh ancient trigue and shaped by human civilisatn’s most fantastic archectural feats, Egypt as no stranger to worldly travellers. Even as recently as 2017, there was a ernment crackdown on the gay Egypt muny wh a number of queer spac beg raid which rulted 57 arrts.

We’d remend agast g gay datg apps while Egypt wh extra utn beg taken if approached by a lol due to the possibily of set-ups and extortn. To be safe, rea om PDA and mata discretn bookg acmodatn, rt assured that midrange and top-end hotels will likely have no problem wh acceptg gay upl and those requtg a double bed, but the budget range hotels, particularly more ral spots, may not be que so ed to acmodatg gay guts.

TIPS FOR GAY AND LBIAN TRAVELERS EGYPT

If stayg the night Abu Simbel, head back to the temple se for sunset and the Light Show after Simbel Templ | Photo: AsieactiveRi a dimentary feluc or splurge on a stay-aboard luxury cise ship; whatever you n afford, the tradnal Nile cise is a fe mt on your gay Egypt travel eraryDay 5 - 7: Nile ciseRi a dimentary feluc or splurge on a stay-aboard luxury cise ship; whatever you n afford, the tradnal Nile cise is a fe mt on your gay Egypt travel erary. On the one hand, homosexualy is nsired viant and gay men are discrimated agast; on the other hand, sexual relatns between men are often ignored as harmls. 800/448-8550 or 954/776-2626;) is the tra associatn for the gay and lbian travel dtry, and offers an onle directory of gay- and lbian-iendly travel bs and tour operators.

It provis regularly updated rmatn about gay-owned, gay-oriented, and gay-iendly lodgg, dg, sightseeg, nightlife, and shoppg tablishments every important statn worldwi. The followg travel guis are available at many bookstor, or you n orr them om any onle bookseller: Spartac Internatnal Gay Gui, 35th Edn (Bno Gmünr Verlag;); Odysss: The Internatnal Gay Travel Planner, 17th Edn (); and the Damron guis (), wh separate, annual books for gay men and lbians.

THE TTH ABOUT BEG GAY ANCIENT EGYPT

In spe of the overwhelmg assumptn  the Arab world, that homosexualy never existed before Sodom and Gomorrah, historil and lerary evince suggts otherwise. Yet, has been found that Ancient Egyptian society was faiar wh homosexualy as a cultural norm and practice, manifted var artifacts and historil evince.

” This suggts that there was a gree of leniency toward lbianism at the time, pared to the prevailg attus toward homosexual men. This particular passage, nohels, do not pot to the prohibn of homosexualy or ntempt for the receptive (“passive”) partner.

GAY EGYPT TRAVEL GUI

Rather, specifilly refers to homosexual (lbian) terurse the temple, which at the time served as the se of popular celebratns and ruals of fertily, which sexual acts would unfold between men and women, particular the temple prostut.

ACTIVISTS NMN VLENCE AGAST LGBTQ MUNY ST. VCENT, WHERE GAY SEX IS ILLEGAL

A number of Egyptologists and archaeologists believe them to be the first homosexual uple rerd history, th ncludg that the culture at the time did not preclu homosexual relatns.

While evince pots to the fact that Ancient Egyptian society was largely acceptg of male homosexualy, nohels, the receptive partner was viewed as ferr, while the active partner was celebrated and praised for his virily.

Wh the passg of time and the chang iology and beliefs, as traced the artifacts om each era, the disda for the receptive partner a homosexual relatnship grew. Mohamed Gamal supports this theory, statg: “In ntemporary Egyptian society, certa youth circl, particularly those the tourism and hospaly dtri, is not shameful to adm havg engaged homosexual relatns, so long as you are the active partner. He trac the chang iology to the fact that Egypt was the center of a vast empire, thereby g to ntact wh a number of different civilizatns and cultur, which “perhaps disdaed homosexualy, and therefore fluenced Egyptian culture that regard.

JAGUARS ASSOCIATE STRENGTH ACH OUT AS GAY A FIRST FOR US-BASED PRO LEAGU

In many s, history or archaeology lecturers have nsired such reprentatns of homosexualy as offensive to their nceptns of history, thereby attemptg to erase large swath of antiquy. Vcent and the Grenad, where gay sex is still homelsns to ongog physil and verbal abe, the gay muny the small natn of some 100, 000 people says is unr nstant threat. While rarely voked, the rights group and a lol activist said the laws help legimize hostily and abe agast gay people.

”Human Rights Watch terviewed more than 20 members of the island’s LGBTQ muny who shared their stori but were not intified to protect them, notg that lol police are often openly discrimatory toward gay people who seek help. Several reported that their fai are homophobic and physilly and verbally abed them, g them to bee homels and promptg some to nsir suici. Many also stggle to fd jobs amid a high unemployment rate and said they face discrimatn, cludg a 19-year-old gay man who said he has rorted to beggg: “Sometim I am so hungry.

”González wh Human Rights Watch noted that 2019, the ernment held a workshop for public employe on the importance of rpectg gay rights, a rare move for a nservative Caribbean natn. In other words, where Bud Light has buckled unr prsure as bigotry grows agast the LGBTQ+ muny, Gay Water’s creator Spencer Hodson wants his new boozy brand to be the anthis of that. “The key issue that Bud Light tapped to was the fact that they didn’t unrstand their re dience and know enough about them,” Hodson, a gay man, told CNN about the ntroversy that began when the Anhser-Bch beer brand sent fluencer Dylan Mulvaney a n of beer.

CHARL BARKLEY FENDS LGBTQIA+ MUNY, BUD LIGHT EXPLETIVE-FILLED RANT: ‘IF YOU’RE GAY, GOD BLS YOU’

The nned cktail is named after a lloquialism given to the popular mixed drk (vodka and soda) orred at bars by the gay muny.

“Puttg a product wh the word gay the tle is reprentatn self,” which he hop reclaims the word om the negativy ’s sometim associated wh. The two chatted about the limed amount of gay people wh , and wh Hodson burnt out om his tradnal day job tech, started the nned cktail.

Hodson built up a strong social media followg on TikTok and Instagram durg Covid-19 and is g some of the money om that (as well as om iends and fay) to help fund Gay Water.

CAIRO BATHHOE RAID SPREADS FEAR EGYPTIAN GAY MUNY

“Gay is an umbrella term and the ia behd the brand is to be as clive as possible, which means we want alli, we want straight people to be part of this muny we’re buildg.”. For now, Gay Water is sold largely onle (wh a few retailers) and four sugar-ee flavors — watermelon, lime, peach and grapeu — at lnch.

Gay Water might not have the ep pockets pared to s petors, like Whe Claw, but “even at small sle, pani of many siz are havg succs makg spir-based seltzers and premixed cktails,” Bryan Roth, an analyst for Feel Goods Company and edor of the alhol beverage newsletter, Sightl+, told CNN.

“There’s lots of space the spir-based seltzer tegory which Gay Water n play, pecially if the brand n offer a cultural or emotnal nnectn that will feel more excg than the prospect of another peapple-flavored vodka seltzer om natnal or ternatnal rporatns,” Roth said.

AL-SISI’S EGYPT IS WORSE FOR GAYS THAN THE MLIM BROTHERHOODON THE RUNPRINT SISI, ALREADY FAMO FOR HIS CRACKDOWNS ON DISSINTS AND THE PRS, IS NOW GOG AFTER THE LGBT MUNY.BEL TREWUPDATED APR. 14, 2017 3:40PM EDT APCAIRO, EGYPT — THE PARTY AT A VILLA A WTERN SUBURB OF CAIRO WAS FULL SWG WHEN THREE ARMORED POLICE TCKS QUIETLY PULLED UP TO THE MA GATE. MORE THAN 300 MEN AND WOMEN OM THE GAY MUNY HAD GATHERED KERDASSA ON THE SAME DAY, NOVEMBER 4, THAT FORMER PRINT MOHAMED MORSI OF THE PURANIL MLIM BROTHERHOOD FIRST APPEARED URT. THEY WANTED TO PARTY HARD AND FET THE LATG VLENCE THAT HAD LEFT HUNDREDS AD AND WAS RIPPG THE UNTRY APART.WHOUT ANY WARNG, DOZENS OF BLACK-CLAD RT POLICE ARMED WH RIFL AND METAL STICKS STORMED THE GARN. TERRIFIED PEOPLE STTERED AND TRIED TO HI, REMEMBERS AHMED, A GAY CAIRENE HIS TWENTI WHO IS NOW A FUGIVE: “THEY HAD SO MANY WEAPONS, THEY HAD CLEARLY BEEN SOME SER PREPARATN. THEY H EVERYONE THEY ULD.”POLICE BUNDLED AHMED TO A TCK AND TOOK HIM TO A STATN THE SATELLE CY WT OF CAIRO KNOWN AS 6 OCTOBER. TOGETHER WH NE OTHERS HE WAS STRIPPED NAKED AND SUBJECTED TO HUIATG “ANAL TTS,” THEN PUT ON TRIAL. AFTER JT ONE URT SSN NE OF THE TEN FENDANTS WERE FOUND GUILTY OF BCHERY AND SEXUAL VIANCE AND HAND BETWEEN THREE- AND EIGHT-YEAR JAIL TERMS. ONLY ONE, THE FEMALE OWNER OF THE VENUE, WAS ACQUTED. AHMED, RELEASED ON BAIL, MANAGED TO AVOID BEG URT FOR THE VERDICT AND IS NOW “TRAVELLG” NSTANTLY TO AVOID RE-ARRT. OUTST BY HIS FAY, FIRED OM HIS JOB AND ON THE N, HE SAYS HIS LIFE IS PIEC. SCE THE ARY OVERTHREW MORSI LAST JULY, RIGHTS GROUPS HAVE RERD THE WORST STATE CRACKDOWN ON THE LGBT MUNY SCE THE DAYS OF HOSNI MUBARAK. BACK 2001, 52 GAY MEN WERE ARRTED ON A PARTY BOAT ON THE NILE AND TRIED FOR “PUBLIC PRAVY”. TWENTY-THREE WERE SENTENCED TO HARD LABOUR PRISON. IN 2004, A 17-YEAR-OLD STUNT WAS HAND A 17-YEAR JAIL SENTENCE FOR POSTG HIS PROFILE ON A GAY DATG SE.IN THE LAST 10 MONTHS, DOZENS HAVE BEEN ARRTED AND AT LEAST 18 HOMOSEXUAL AND TRANSGENR PEOPLE HAVE BEEN JAILED UNR THE UNTRY’S DRANIAN LEGISLATN CRIMALIZG “SEXUAL VIANCE,” “BCHERY” AND “SULTG PUBLIC MORALS.” THE PRISON SENTENC HAVE RANGED OM 3 TO 12 YEARS.“WE ARE NOT EVEN SURE IF WE HAVE DOCUMENTED ALL THE S,” SAID DALIA ABL-HAMID, OM EGYPTIAN INIATIVE FOR PERSONAL RIGHTS (EIPR). “WE KNOW THE ACTUAL NUMBER IS HIGHER.”ABL-HAMID THKS ’S PART OF A PR MPAIGN BY NEW PRINT ABL-FATTAH SISI’S ADMISTRATN, TO PROVE IS MORE “ISLAMIC THAN THE ISLAMISTS” AND TO CURRY FAVOR WH THE POPULATN, THAT SE HOMOSEXUALY AS A S. IT’S ALSO A HANDY TACTIC TO DISTRACT PEOPLE DURG ELECTN TIME. IRONILLY, UNR MORSI, WHEN THE WORLD RAILED AGAST THE “ISLAMIZATN” OF EGYPT, THE DAILY BEAST REPORTED THE START OF A FLEDGLG LGBT RIGHTS MOVEMENT, AS YOUNG GAY ACTIVISTS LNCHED ONLE AWARENS MPAIGNS VIA FACEBOOK AND TWTER.BUT WH THE RURGENCE OF THE POLICE STATE AFTER LAST JULY’S ARY UP, LGBT PEOPLE HAVE BEE THE FOC OF PERSECUTN THAT THE INTERR MISTRY TAK PRI PUBLICIZG. THE “MORAL PARTMENT” OF THE POLICE FORCE, TASKED WH MANAGG PUBLIC BEHAVR, HAS PUT LOL JOURNALISTS ON SPEED DIAL TO VER THE GAY ARRTS. REPORTERS FILM THE PS’ DRAMATIC RAIDS. VIOS OF TERRIFIED MEN AND WOMEN, HANDCUFFED AND HEADS BOWED, ARE GLEEFULLY BROADST BY EGYPTIAN NEWS WORKS ALONG WH THEIR NAM AND SOMETIM THEIR ADDRS.THE EGYPTIAN PRO-REGIME PAPER YOUM7 FORCED THE HOMOSEXUAL AND TRANSGENR PTIV OF THE LATT RAID MAY TO GIVE TERVIEWS THE MIDDLE OF THEIR ARRT. THE SAME PAPER, SHORTLY AFTERWARDS, PUBLISHED A LONG VTIGATN TO THE GAY “PROBLEM.”IMMEDIATELY AFTER ARRT, WHEN THEY ARE THE POLICE STATNS, HOMOSEXUAL MEN ARE PARAD NAKED AND THREATENED WH RAPE, SAYS AHMED, WHO RELLS A DOCTOR, THE PRENCE OF THE ARRTG OFFICERS “CHECKG” HIS AN TO SEE IF HE HAD HAD SEX WH A MAN. “IT WAS UTTERLY HUIATG,” HE SAID.TREATMENT JAIL IS WORSE—ANYONE INTIFIED AS A TRANSGENR, A CROSS-DRSER OR HOMOSEXUAL IS SGLED OUT AND BEATEN BY FELLOW MAT.BEHD CLOSED DOORS THERE REMAS A FLOURISHG HOMOSEXUAL MUNY EGYPT. PARTICULAR BARS AND NIGHTCLUBS ARE EARMARKED AS GAY-IENDLY SPE THE CRACKDOWN, MEMBERS TOLD THE DAILY BEAST. BUT MANY LGBT PEOPLE ARE FORCED TO MEET ONLE, AND THAT IS WHERE THE POLICE ARE HUNTG THEM DOWN.MOHAMED BAKEER, A LAWYER MONORG THE TRIALS, SAID THE POLICE TRAWL THE INTER LOOKG FOR EGYPTIAN PROFIL ON TERNATNAL DATG WEBS. THEY POST FAKE ACUNTS AND ARRANGE MEETGS TO SET UP THE ARRTS AND E THE NTACT TAILS TO TAP MOBIL, TO WIRE APARTMENTS AND TO SET UP STG , A WORLDWI TRANSSEXUAL-DATG SE THAT IS ALSO ED FOR RTS, HAS E FOR SPECIAL ATTENTN, SAID BAKEER. “IT WILL HAVE AT LEAST ANOTHER THREE OR FOUR ARRTS BY THE END OF THE YEAR, THEY ARE GOG SYSTEMATILLY THROUGH .”THIS WILL LIKELY GET WORSE AS POLICE BOLSTER THEIR WEB SURVEILLANCE PABILI. A REQUT FOR NTRACT PROPOSALS LEAKED TO THE LOL PRS EARLIER THIS MONTH SHOWED THAT THE INTERR MISTRY IS SEEKG TO SET UP A SYSTEM TO SN SOCIAL MEDIA S AND MOBILE APPLITNS LIKE FACEBOOK, TWTER AND WHAT’S APP FOR “STCTIVE IAS”— CLUDG IMMORALY AND PROFANY.HUMAN RIGHTS WORKERS FEAR THAT THE CRACKDOWN WILL DRIVE THE MUNY FURTHER UNRGROUND AND WILL HURT PREVENTN, TTG AND AWARENS OF HIV/AIDS EGYPT. ALREADY THERE IS AN HIV EPIMIC AMONG MEN WHO HAVE SEX WH MEN AND TRAVENO DG ERS EGYPT. MORE THAN 6 PER CENT OF THE MUNY IS FECTED.“THAT PERCENTAGE IS ON THE RISE,” SAYS DR. AMANI MASSOUD, WHO NS EIPR’S RIGHT TO HEALTH PROGRAM. “ARRTS MEAN OUTREACH EFFORTS BEE IMPOSSIBLE AS PEOPLE OPERATE UNRGROUND.”TWO OF THOSE ARRTED MAY5 ARE HIV POSIVE, AND MASSOUD FEARS THEY WILL NOT RECEIVE TREATMENT JAIL.STRAGELY, CAIRO’S LUCRATIVE “BARET” CLUBS WHERE SEX WORKERS PLY THEIR TRA HAVE YET TO BE TOUCHED. BUT WH 12 OF THE 18 MEN JAIL ALSO BELIEVED TO BE SEX WORKERS, THE TRANSGENR AND MALE PROSTUT WORKG THE JOTS FEAR THEY WILL BE NEXT.IN DIMLY L LAVISH NIGHTCLUBS THE PATRONS, MOSTLY MEN OM THE GULF, THROW WADS OF SH AT STAG WHERE BOTH FEMALE AND MALE SEX WORKERS DANCE, WHILE LIVE BANDS PLAY THE BACKGROUND. ON A GOOD NIGHT WORKERS ON THE STAFF ARE KNEE EP SH, LLECTG AS MUCH AS $70,000 SMALL BILLS. THE OWNERS N GREASE A LOT OF PALMS WH REVENU LIKE THAT.THE PROSTUT PAY AROUND $70 TO ENTER AND DISCRETELY PICK UP THEIR CLIENTS. ONE MALE PROSTUTE CLAIMED HE IS ABLE TO CHARGE AS MUCH AS $1000 A NIGHT. “SO FAR THE THORI HAVEN’T GIVEN THE PLAC A HARD TIME,” HE TOLD THE DAILY BEAST, BUT HE SEEMED RIGNED TO A BLEAK FUTURE. “WE DON’T HAVE A SYSTEM TO LOOK AFTER OURSELV,” HE SAID. “IT’S NOT A BETIFUL LIFE—WHAT IS GOG TO HAPPEN WILL HAPPEN.” YOUNG GAY MEN LIKE AHMED FEAR THE SUATN WILL ONLY GET WORSE SCE SISI’S RECENT ELECTN GIV HIM WHAT HE’LL LL A POPULAR MANDATE FOR WHATEVER REPRSIVE MEASUR HE WANTS TO TAKE AGAST ANY PART OF SOCIETY THAT DON’T F HIS VISN OF EGYPT. FOR NOW, AHMED IS STUCK THE UNTRY’S TERRIFYG JUDICIAL SYSTEM. THE POLICE REPORT AGAST HIM WAS FABRITED, HE SAYS. HIS RETRIAL HAS BEEN POSTPONED FELY. AND SO HE KEEPS NNG.“MY LIFE IS ED,” HE SAID, EN ROUTE TO A NEW TEMPORARY HOME. ”MY WORK, MY IENDS, MY FAY ARE GONE.” BEL TREW

Of urse, other drks e the word “gay,” too, cludg Gay Beer and So Gay Rosé, Hodson noted, which are also tryg to reach the queer muny and offer them an alternative the straight-domated space. ” The edian Bill Maher said on his show that by 2054, if we follow what he se as the current trajectory, “we will all be gay, ” addg that the rise the number of younger people intifyg as transgenr seemed spic. Bee of the fluence of Schorr put siarly Natnal Review: “To suggt that social suggtibily uld be playg a role the skyrocketg numbers of young girls’ exprsg their sire to bee mal, for example, is not of urse to say that gay and transgenr people would not exist whout the topics’ beg discsed the public square.

”This fear is based on an unrstandg of genr and sexualy as alarmgly agile, easily undone by a gay teacher or a trans TikTok fluencer.

This is the first time Amerin history that gay and trans people have been able to live as themselv any real way, wh jobs and marriag and dogs and ts and visibily. Vcent, anal sex is punishable by up to 10 years prison, while “gross cency” wh another person of the same sex is punishable by up to five years, acrdg to lonial-era laws that are mon the socially nservative Caribbean rarely voked, the rights group and a lol activist said the laws help legimize hostily and abe agast gay people. Several reported that their fai are homophobic and physilly and verbally abed them, g them to bee homels and promptg some to nsir also stggle to fd jobs amid a high unemployment rate and said they face discrimatn, cludg a 19-year-old gay man who said he has rorted to beggg: “Sometim I am so hungry.

HOW ONE GAY EGYPTIAN WOMAN STOOD UP TO HOMOPHOBIA AND PAID THE ULTIMATE PRICE

In September, the Lebane band Mashrou' Leila played a ncert to an dience of 30, 000 Cairo, led by openly-gay sger Hamed Sno.

In September, the Lebane band Mashrou’ Leila played a ncert to an dience of 30, 000 Cairo, led by openly-gay sger Hamed Sno. Mubarak’s secury servic ntued to entice and sentence gay and trans people followg the Queen Boat raid, often by g police or rmants as lur. They have floated two new bills, one that will strengthen the existg bchery and prostutn law by lengtheng sentenc and cludg msag on electronic media, and another that will outlaw homosexualy and crease sentenc to five years.