Gay Arabs

Contents:

• DISVER THE 5 MOST GAY-IENDLY ARAB UNTRI
• TOP 10 ARAB MEN ONLYFANS & SPICY ARAB GAY ONLYFANS 2023
• CóMO SER MULMáN, áRABE... Y GAY
• TORTURED AND KILLED IRAQ FOR BEG GAY
• 2 GAY IRAQI SOLDIERS FOUND LOVE AMID WAR. THEN THE ATH THREATS STARTED
• ARAB LGBT : MOVI, DOCUMENTARI AND SHORT FILMS OF TERT FOR A GAY AND LBIAN DIENCE OM ALGERIA AFGHANISTAN EGYPT IRAN IRAQ LEBANON MOROC TUNISIA + PAKISTAN AND TURKEY
• GAY ARABS
• GAY ARABS: IT GETS BETTER--FROM AN ARAB TEEN
• SDI GAY SCENE: 'FORBIDN, BUT I N'T HELP IT'
• THE MYTH OF THE QUEER ARAB LIFEEVOLVINGFOR MOST PEOPLE THE WT LIFE THE ARAB WORLD FOR GAY PEOPLE IS HARD TO FATHOM. IT IS, LIKE MANY OTHER PARTS OF LIFE THIS REGN, PLITED.SALEEM HADDADUPDATED JUL. 12, 2017 6:56PM EDT / PUBLISHED APR. 02, 2016 12:01AM EDT FACEBOOKONE OF MY FAVORE TELEVISN SHOWS GROWG UP WAS A RAMADAN SPECIAL FEATURG AN EGYPTIAN PERFORMER LLED SHERIHAN. ONE YEAR SHE HAD A RAMADAN SPECIAL LLED ‘SHERIHAN AROUND THE WORLD’, A TWENTY-MUTE SGG AND DANCG EXTRAVAGANZA, WHICH HAD HER DRSG EXQUISE STUM OM AROUND THE WORLD AND PERFORMG ELABORATE SONG AND DANCE ROUT. SHERIHAN WAS A WOMAN, BUT SHE WAS THE BT DRAG QUEEN I HAD EVER SEEN: MP, SELF-AWARE, AND FABULO. SHE HAD PLANTED ME, WHOUT MY KNOWLEDGE, THE FIRST SEEDS OF MY OWN GAY INTY.TWELVE YEARS LATER, WHEN I WAS LIVG AMMAN, MY BOYIEND BROKE UP WH ME. I WAS BEG TOO OPEN WH MY SEXUALY, HE SAID. I HAD NFID TOO MANY PEOPLE. BEG WH ME WAS BEG DANGERO. I TOLD HIM THAT NO ONE WOULD KILL , LET ALONE THREATEN . THE JORDANIAN POLICE DON’T HAVE A HISTORY OF TARGETG GAY MEN, I REASONED, PECIALLY THOSE OF OUR SOCIAL CLASS. BUT THAT WASN’T THE DANGER, HE EXPLAED. THE DANGER WAS THAT BEG SEEN WH ME WAS MAKG PEOPLE THK HE WAS ‘GAY’. AND HE DID NOT WANT TO BE SEEN AS ‘GAY’.I DID NOT SEE THIS TRANSFORMATN G, BUT HAPPENED. THE ‘GAY INTY’ HAD UNKNOWGLY BEEN GROWG SI ME LIKE A TUMOR, UNTIL SUDNLY ONE MORNG I WOKE UP AND REALIZED I WAS FECTED, AND THE DISEASE WAS TERMAL. I HAD BEE SOMEONE WHO INTIFIED AS ‘GAY’.I BLAMED SHERIHAN. AFTER ALL, SHE STARTED THIS MS. ***MANY ARABS WHO ENGAGE SAME-SEX PRACTIC DO NOT INTIFY AS ‘GAY’, ‘LBIAN’, OR ‘BISEXUAL’. FOR EVERY QUEER ARAB WHO HAS FORMULATED THEIR SENSE OF SELF BY WATCHG ‘WILL AND GRACE’ AND ‘PARIS IS BURNG’ ARE UNTLS OTHERS WHO DO NOT FEEL IS UNUAL TO ENGAGE SAME-SEX PRACTIC AND REMA UNNNECTED TO THE WORD ‘GAY’. EVEN AMONGST THOSE WHO MAY FEEL AT HOME THEIR GAY INTY, THE NOTN OF PUBLICLY G OUT RGS HOLLOW A CULTURE WHERE WHO YOU SHARE YOUR BED WH IS A PRIVATE MATTER.LIKE EVERYWHERE ELSE THE WORLD, SEXUAL INTI THE MIDDLE EAST TERSECT WH CLASS, GENR, AND THE PLEX TERPLAY OF PRIVATE AND PUBLIC, MAKG IMPOSSIBLE TO SPEAK OF A SGULAR ‘QUEER ARAB’ EXPERIENCE. THERE ARE A MULTU OF QUEER ARAB EXPERIENC: OM GENR RIGHTS ACTIVISTS PROVIDG UNRGROUND ABORTN SERVIC TO LONG ROMANTIC PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN BEDOU MEN SIWA, EACH QUEER LIFE THE ARAB WORLD IS UNIQUE. TRYG TO WRE ABOUT A SGULAR GAY ARAB EXPERIENCE WOULD BE, AS ONE LEBANE GAY RIGHTS ACTIVIST PUT , THE EQUIVALENT OF “WRG A STORY ABOUT GAY LIFE THE US, AND JT TERVIEWG SOMEONE OM THE WTBORO BAPTIST CHURCH, A CLOSETED TEENAGER NEBRASKA, AND ADAM LAMBERT.” DPE THIS, QUEER ARAB BODI HAVE BEE A BATTLEGROUND A MUCH LARGER WAR. AFTER ALL, IS NO SECRET THAT BOTH LIBERALS AND NSERVATIV NORTH AMERI AND EUROPE HAVE, SCE 9/11, WAVED THE FLAG OF WOMEN’S RIGHTS, AND TO A LSER GREE LGBT RIGHTS, AS A WAY TO GA WTERN PUBLIC SUPPORT TO WAGE WARS THE MIDDLE EAST. IMAG AND STORI OF OPPRSED AFGHAN WOMEN DROVE THE LL TO WAR 2001, AND THE MORE RECENT FOOTAGE OF ISIS THROWG GAY MEN OFF TOWERS AND ENSLAVG YEZIDI WOMEN STOKED THE FIR OF TERVENTN SYRIA.QUEER ARABS FACE A DUAL STGGLE: WE ARE BATTLG OPPRSIVE FORC WH OUR OWN MUNI, AND WE ARE ALSO RISTG THE GLOBAL NARRATIVE THAT TRI TO E OUR “OPPRSN” FOR BROAR ARY OR POLIL GOALS.THE QUTN THEN BE: WHO OWNS QUEER ARAB BODI?***WHOUT MY BOYIEND BY MY SI, I DID NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO WH MY DAYS. I CHA-SMOKED AND CRIED MY BEDROOM. AT WORK, I WROTE LONG, RAMBLG E-MAILS TO MYSELF ABOUT WHAT VALUE A PRIVATE RELATNSHIP WOULD HAVE IF ULD NOT BE CELEBRATED PUBLICLY, THE SAME WAY THE RELATNSHIPS OF MY STRAIGHT IENDS WERE BEG CELEBRATED THE LAVISH WEDDGS I ATTEND EVERY OTHER NIGHT.IN THE AFTERNOONS, I WATCHED OPRAH, BEE SHE SEEMED TO HAVE ALL OF THE ANSWERS. BUT THEN A FEMIST IEND TOLD ME THAT OPRAH PROPAGAT AN DIVIDUALISM THAT GO AGAST THE LLECTIVIST VALU NEED TO ADDRS STCTURAL PROBLEMS LIKE HOMOPHOBIA AND PATRIARCHY.“BIS, YOU STILL HAVE EASIER THAN WOMEN,” SHE SAID. “AT LEAST YOU N RENT A HOTEL ROOM WH A GUY AND NO ONE WILL ASK TO SEE MARRIAGE DOCUMENTS. AT LEAST, AS A MAN, YOU N LEAVE THE HOE THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT WHOUT ANYONE BREATHG DOWN YOUR NECK.”I SHAVED MY HEAD, BEE I FELT THAT A SHAVED HEAD MIGHT MAKE ME LS GAY.“IS THIS BETTER?” I ASKED MY BOYIEND.“NO,” HE RPOND. “I’M SORRY.”***WHO OWNS QUEER ARAB BODI?ON MAY 11TH, 2001, 52 MEN WERE ARRTED EGYPT. THE MEN WERE ABOARD THE QUEEN BOAT, A FLOATG NIGHTCLUB ON THE BANKS OF THE NILE. THE MEN WERE CHARGED WH “OBSCENE BEHAVUR”, BEATEN, AND FORCED TO UNRGO HUIATG EXAMATNS TO TERME THEIR SEXUALY.THE STORY REMAED THE HEADL FOR MONTHS. IMAG OF THE MEN WERE PLASTERED ON ERNMENT NEWSPAPERS AND TELEVISN SCREENS. IN ONE PARTICULAR PHOTO, THE MEN WERE DRSED WHE, CRAMMED TOGETHER A GE AS THEY WAED FOR THEIR SENTENCE. MOST OF THE MEN HAD VERED THEIR FAC WH WHE CLOTH A FUTILE ATTEMPT TO PROTECT THEIR PRIVACY.THE BODI OF THE ‘CAIRO 52’, AS THEY HAD BEEN LLED, BEME A BATTLEGROUND FOR AMICS, TELLECTUALS AND RIGHTS ACTIVISTS TO PROJECT THEIR OWN THEORI ABOUT QUEER LIV THE ARAB WORLD. THE NMNATN AND SHAMG OF THE MEN BEME A WAY TO BRG SOME LEGIMACY TO PRINT MUBARAK’S RPT REGIME. WTERN LGBT ANIZATNS AND HUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS AMED THE RAID AS THE ARAB WORLD’S STONEWALL, WH ONE GROUP STAGG A PROTT AT THE EGYPTIAN EMBASSY PARIS WH SIGNS MANDG THE EGYPTIAN ERNMENT “EE OUR LOVERS”. MEANWHILE, ANTI-IMPERIALIST CRICS LIKE JOSEPH MASSAD ARGUED THAT WASN’T THE SAME-SEX SEXUAL PRACTIC THE EGYPTIAN ERNMENT WAS ATTACKG, BUT RATHER “THE SOC-POLIL INTIFITN OF THE PRACTIC WH THE WTERN INTY OF GAYNS.” AFTER ALL, HE SAID, THE MEN DID NOT INTIFY AS ‘GAY’. IN FACT, THEY SPERATELY HID THEIR FAC. “THE ARE HARDLY MANIFTATNS OF GAY PRI OR GAY LIBERATN,” HE ARGUED.THE 52 MEN, THEIR FAC VERED WHE CLOTH, WERE FURTHER OBSCURED AS THEIR LIV BEME POLIL SRG RDS: FOR THORARIAN REGIM, ISLAMISTS, WTERN HUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS AND ANTI-IMPERIALIST AMICS.***WHO OWNS QUEER ARAB BODI?WHEN ISIS THREW TWO MEN OFF A TOWER LAST YEAR AS PUNISHMENT FOR BEG GAY, WTERN MEDIA FUELLED TERNATNAL OUTRAGE AGAST THE TERRORIST ANISATN. BUT AMONG GAY IENDS THE MIDDLE EAST, THE CINT HAD NOTHG TO DO WH THEM. “ISIS DID NOT KILL THOSE GUYS AS A MSAGE TO ,” A GAY IEND TOLD ME AS WE DRANK G AND SLIM-LE TONICS A BAR BEIT, LS THAN 90 OM HOMS, WHERE THE CINT TOOK PLACE. “THE MSAGE WAS MEANT FOR THE WT: ISIS WANTED TO SHOW THAT THEY STOOD AGAST EVERYTHG THE WT BELIEVED .”IN OTHER WORDS, ISIS’S MSAGE WAS THE POLIL EQUIVALENT OF “COME AT ME, BRO.” QUEER BODI FLUNG OFF A TOWER ARE A FOOTNOTE A LARGER POLIL AND ARY BRO-DOWN.WHEN I FIRST READ ABOUT THE CINT, I WANTED TO KNOW HOW THE MEN WERE UGHT. WAS JT A VIC LIE SPREAD BY SOMEONE WH A PERSONAL VENTTA? WERE THOSE MEN A RELATNSHIP WH EACH OTHER? WERE THEY LOVE, AND IF SO, DID THEY HAVE ANY DREAMS? OR WAS JT A QUICKIE A DARK ALLEYWAY? I WANTED TO KNOW MORE. BUT AS I OPENED MY BROWSER, I BEGAN TO WORRY THAT, GIVEN MY ARAB BACKGROUND, PERHAPS SEARCHG ABOUT ‘ISIS’ AND ‘SYRIA’ MAY FLAG ME UP TO SOME WTERN TELLIGENCE OFFICERS AS A TERRORIST THREAT, AND I ALREADY HAD ENOUGH TROUBLE TRAVELG ACROSS BORRS AS WAS. MAYBE ’S BETTER NOT TO KNOW, I THOUGHT TO MYSELF AS I CLOSED THE BROWSER.LATER THAT WEEK, THE SAME LEBANE IEND LOOKED UP OM HIS PHONE AND SAID TO ME: “THE ONE GOOD THG ABOUT HAVG SO MANY SYRIAN REFUGE LEBANON IS THAT YOU N FD SOME GEO SYRIAN RTS ON GRDR.”HE WAS CHATTG TO ONE AS HE SAID THIS. HE VED THE MAN OVER LATER THAT EVENG.THE SYRIAN MAN ARRIVED. THEY CHATTED FOR A WHILE. THE SYRIAN MAN EXPLAED HOW HE HAD PED SYRIA AND WAS TRYG TO MAKE SOME MONEY TO SUPPORT HIS MOTHER. UPON HEARG THIS STORY, MY IEND’S AROAL DAMPENED, AND AS THE RT WENT FOR A KISS, MY IEND PULLED BACK.“NO,” MY IEND SAID. “I’M SORRY I N’T DO THIS.”“PLEASE KISS ME,” THE SYRIAN SAID. “YOU THK I’M A BAD PERSON, I KNOW .”“NO, I DON’T,” MY IEND SAID. HE PUT $100 THE MAN’S HANDS. “PLEASE TAKE THIS AND GO.”“I DON’T WANT THE MONEY,” THE SYRIAN MAN SAID, BURSTG TO TEARS. “I WANT TO GET TO KNOW YOU. BUT NOW YOU THK I’M A BAD PERSON.”ISIS KILLS GAY PEOPLE. ASSAD CREAT GAY REFUGE.***IN 2012, 36 MEN WERE ARRTED A CEMA BOURJ HAMMOUD, A NEIGHBOURHOOD BEIT. CEMA PLAZA WAS A NOTOR CISG SPOT FOR GAY MEN. THE RAID HAPPENED AFTER A SIAR CEMA TRIPOLI, A WORKG CLASS CY NORTHERN LEBANON, WAS EXPOSED A LEBANE TELEVISN SHOW LLED ‘INTA HURR’ (‘YOU ARE FREE’). NEHER THE POLICE NOR THE MEDIA PAID ANY ATTENTN TO THE MULTU OF GAY BARS THE MORE UPSLE NEIGHBOURHOODS OF BEIT.IN RPONSE TO THE RAIDS, LEBANE GAY ACTIVISTS RELEASED PICTUR OF THE HOST OF THE TV PROGRAMME PARTYG A GAY NIGHTCLUB MYKONOS. THE HOST SHOT BACK, SAYG THAT HIS PRIVACY WAS VAD. IN A STATEMENT RELEASED BY THE TELEVISN STATN THAT AIRED THE SHOW, THE HOST CLAIMED THAT HE “WILL NOT APOLOGISE [FOR EXPOSG THE CEMAS], BEE THE BREACH OF PUBLIC MORALY IS ONE THG, AND SEXUAL EEDOM IS SOMETHG ELSE.”THE MSAGE WAS CLEAR: PRIVACY IS A LUXURY THAT IS ONLY AFFORD TO THOSE WHO N PAY FOR . IF YOU HAVE MONEY YOU N BUY YOURSELF A GAY INTY MYKONOS. IF NOT, THEN HEAD TO A NDOWN CEMA AND HOPE FOR THE BT.***WHO OWNS QUEER ARAB BODI? IS THE THORARIAN REGIM WHO TRAMPLE ON QUEER BODI FOR MORAL LEGIMACY, THE JIHADISTS WHO BURNISH THEIR RELIG CRENTIALS BY TOSSG THE BODI OFF THE HIGHT TOWERS, THE WTERN HUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS WHO ENFORCE THEIR OWN NARRATIV TO ‘SAVE’ THE BODI, THE ANTI-IMPERIALIST AMICS WHO ARGUE THAT THE BODI ARE NAIVELY ADOPTG LONIALIST DISURS, THE NEONSERVATIV WHO SHAKE AD QUEER BODI ONT OF THEIR NSTUENTS TO JTIFY WARS AND OCCUPATNS, OR THE RICH WHO DICTATE THE LE BETWEEN SEXUAL EEDOM AND PUBLIC MORALY?AS A QUEER PERSON THE ARAB WORLD, EVERYWHERE YOU TURN SOMEONE WANTS TO E YOUR BODY, YOUR STORY, OR YOUR LIFE FOR THEIR OWN PURPOS.***IN ONE SCENE MY NOVEL, RASA—A YOUNG GAY ARAB— OUT TO HIS LLEGE IEND AMERI. SHE RPONDS BY ASKG IF HE IS AT RISK OF BEG KILLED IF HE RETURNS TO THE MIDDLE EAST.“I DON’T THK SO,” RASA REPLI. HE PS FOR A MOMENT BEFORE ADDG, “LISTEN, PEOPLE DON’T JT KILL EACH OTHER LIKE YOU HEAR ON TV.”A FEW MONTHS AFTER MY BOYIEND BROKE UP WH ME, I CID TO MOVE TO EUROPE.I DID NOT LEAVE THE MIDDLE EAST BEE ANYONE WAS GOG TO KILL ME.I LEFT BEE I WANTED A WTERN PASSPORT THAT WOULD ALLOW ME TO TRAVEL WHOUT HAVG TO BOOK VISA APPOTMENTS MONTHS ADVANCE, WHOUT HAVG TO PREPARE E STATEMENTS AND LETTERS OM EMPLOYERS AND HOTEL BOOKGS AND RETURN TICKETS. I LEFT BEE I WANTED A PASSPORT THAT WOULD GIVE ME PROTECTN, A PASSPORT THAT WOULD RAISE THE VALUE OF MY LIFE THE GLOBAL HIERARCHY.I LEFT BEE I FELT THAT THE REGN WAS KNEE-EP TRATN AND HOPELSNS, THAT THGS WERE GOG TO LLAPSE, AND THAT WH MY ARAB PASSPORT I WOULD HAVE NOWHERE TO GO. I LEFT BEE I KNEW ENOUGH TO KNOW THAT THE WORLD DO NOT RE ABOUT ARAB AND MLIM BODI WASHG UP ON THE SHOR OF THE MEDERRANEAN.I LEFT BEE I WAS TIRED OF FDG WAYS TO JTIFY WHY I HAD TO KEEP MY GAY INTY HIDN, AND I FELT THAT MY SEXUALY WAS BEG YET ANOTHER WEAPON THAT ULD BE ED AGAST ME: IF SOMEONE VELOPED A PERSONAL VENTTA AGAST ME; IF I SPOKE OUT OF LE; IF I ENGAGED THE WRONG KD OF POLICS; IF I WAS NOT A GOOD CIZEN WHO SHUT UP AND TOOK . I LEFT BEE MY SEXUALY HAD BEE YET ANOTHER KNIFE HELD AGAST MY THROAT.HERE ARE OTHER KNIV HELD AGAST PEOPLE’S THROATS: BEG A REFUGEE ON A BOAT THE MEDERRANEAN. BEG A BLACK MAN THE U.S. BEG A PALTIAN ISRAEL. BEG A WOMAN PRETTY MUCH ANYWHERE.TWENTY YEARS AFTER I FIRST SAW SHERIHAN DANCG ON TV, I ME ACROSS A YOUTUBE VIO OF HER LEADG THE CROWDS A CHANT TAHRIR SQUARE 2011. MY DRAG MOTHER HAD JOED THE REVOLUTN FOR EEDOM AND DIGNY. WATCHG THIS WHILE STG LONDON, I ULDN’T HELP BUT SE. WE HAD E FULL-CIRCLE, I THOUGHT TO MYSELF, NAIVELY ASSUMG THAT THE WORST OF THE VLENCE WAS OVER. LISTEN, PEOPLE DON’T JT KILL EACH OTHER LIKE YOU HEAR ON TV. I DIDN’T LEAVE THE MIDDLE EAST BEE I FEARED FOR MY LIFE. I LEFT BEE I WAS PG ANOTHER SORT OF ATH.***THE TTH IS, I ALMOST DIDN’T WRE MY NOVEL.I ALMOST DIDN’T WRE MY NOVEL BEE, WHENEVER I OPENED THE MICROSOFT WORD DOCUMENT, I THOUGHT OF MY PARENTS, AND THE SHAME MY FATHER WOULD FEEL AS HIS SON EXPOSED HIMSELF SO OPENLY.I ALMOST DIDN’T WRE MY NOVEL BEE, AS MY FGERS HOVERED OVER MY ENGLISH LANGUAGE KEYBOARD, MY THOUGHTS TURNED TO VAR ARTICL, OPN PIEC AND BOOKS WRTEN BY SOME ARABS AND MLIMS WTERN MEDIA; PIEC THAT DULGED NARRATIV OF OPPRSN AND TALKED ABOUT THE NEED FOR SEXUAL LIBERATN THE ARAB WORLD; STORI THAT PANRED TO ORIENTALIST FANTASI AND ISLAMOPHOBIC STEREOTYP. THE SAME FANTASI AND STEREOTYP THAT GET ME TAED AND TERROGATED EVERY TIME I PASS THROUGH AN AMERIN AIRPORT. THE SAME FANTASI AND STEREOTYP THAT JTIFY CLOSG BORRS TO REFUGE FLEEG WAR ZON. THE SAME FANTASI AND STEREOTYP THAT HELP WTERN CIZENS SLEEP EASY AT NIGHT AS THEIR ERNMENTS DROP BOMBS ON YEMEN, AFGHANISTAN, PAKISTAN, SYRIA, PALTE AND IRAQ. I ALMOST DIDN’T WRE MY NOVEL BEE I FEARED THAT WRG WOULD MAKE MORE DIFFICULT TO GO BACK TO THE ARAB WORLD, THE PLACE I LL HOME AND THAT I LOVE ABOVE ALL ELSE.BUT NOT TO HAVE WRTEN MY NOVEL WOULD BE TO ADM FEAT TO ALL OF THE FORC. AND WHILE THE NOVEL REMAS ONLY ONE STORY AMONG THOANDS OF OTHER QUEER ARAB STORI WAG TO BE TOLD, THE END, THE ONLY STORY EACH OF N TELL—THE ONLY BODY WE OWN—IS OUR OWN.SALEEM HADDAD IS THE THOR OF THE NEW NOVEL GUAPA PUBLISHED THIS SPRG BY OTHER PRS. SALEEM HADDAD

DISVER THE 5 MOST GAY-IENDLY ARAB UNTRI

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. 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.

TOP 10 ARAB MEN ONLYFANS & SPICY ARAB GAY ONLYFANS 2023

For a gay filmmaker, filmg Sdi Arabia prents two ser challeng: filmg is forbidn the untry and homosexualy is punishable by ath. Enuraged by Sandra, Ama lnch a blog lled “A Gay Girl Damasc, ” reprentg a margalized voice the Middle East on polics, relign, and sexualy.

CóMO SER MULMáN, áRABE... Y GAY

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.

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. Meet like-md members wh terts Gay Arabs, Gay Mlim Datg, Gay Mlims, Gay Arabic, Gay Iranians, Gay Egyptians, Gay Persians, Gay Armenians, Gay Afghans, Gay Iraqis.

TORTURED AND KILLED IRAQ FOR BEG GAY

No accueillons s membr tout l religns, to l horizons, tout l orientatns et tout l intifitns renntre en ligne t un excellent moyen pour renntrer s Gays arab. A man went to Sdi Arabia and said that there were actually gay bars there that were accepted as long as everythg was on the down low. Through a haze of shisha smoke and somewhat stiflg sexual stigma, the Arab world unveils an unexpected realm of possibili for trepid gay travellers.

If you n five the state-approved homophobia and are willg to act wh discretn while out and about, the Arab untri n reem themselv a thoand and one different ways, om the ancient centre of Petra to the glterg ephets of Bahra and to the serts beyond. While by and large closeted kgdoms, the handful of gay clubs the progrsive cy of Beit n allow you to be your te self, while the luxury ternatnal hotels across the regn n ensure your privacy is rpected.

Wh so much do see and do, Mt is bt seen by tour b, allowg you to hop off at untls mms, the Sultan’s Palace and the Mutrah Corniche wateront, before venturg further afield on day trips to the beach and turtle-filled lagoons for divg and of the slightly more tolerant untri the regn, Oman is said to have once had s own gay sultan – Sultan Qaboos b Said al Said – although the state prs is quick to ny this as a pric mour! Neverthels, the unofficial gossip is that the former sultan leads a lavish gay liftyle wh his palace, divorced om his wife and enjoyg the ocsnal English lover.

2 GAY IRAQI SOLDIERS FOUND LOVE AMID WAR. THEN THE ATH THREATS STARTED

In realy, the laws are rarely upheld except high-profile s, however, and gay Oman remas a perfectly safe place to | Photo: Katera KerdiPetra, particular, is the crowng glory of Jordan, protected wh sandstone cliffs and offerg an unrivalled llectn of monuments, cludg the fg Siq to the Treasury on an ethereal sert se of red rock and dun known as Wadi Rum2. Now you, avid explorer of gay Arab worlds, get to see the antiqui all their majty, movg om Roman Amphheatre to Csar stle wh a samplg of early Christian art along the way.

ARAB LGBT : MOVI, DOCUMENTARI AND SHORT FILMS OF TERT FOR A GAY AND LBIAN DIENCE OM ALGERIA AFGHANISTAN EGYPT IRAN IRAQ LEBANON MOROC TUNISIA + PAKISTAN AND TURKEY

Jordan crimalised homophobia as early as 1951 and while there remas social stigma and ‘public moraly’ laws that hr LGBTQ+ eedoms, gay Jordan gas tractn thanks to s unrground gay muny (most active on Grdr!

GAY ARABS

Gay Bahra legalised homosexualy 1976 though this means ltle as an LGBTQ crackdown is still force targetg those that supposedly vlate “public cency”, as Jordan.

Tunisian society is viewed posively among the Arab gay muny for s LGBT progrs, as the base for anisatns such as ‘Mawjoud’ which mpaigns for LGBTQ mory rights. On paper, Tunisian law still stat that homosexualy is illegal, yet wh an openly-gay printial ndidate recently nng and ongog activism, ’s lookg more and more likely crimalisatn will e. In a strange twist, one gay marriage beme legally regnised Tunisia and though that don’t say much for society as a whole, ’s a small w for gay Tunisia.

Avoid the occurrenc and Lebanon will she, thanks to s fantastic beach rorts not far om the pal as well as s mounta vistas, ancient s and more, all urteoly attend by kdly Lebane social stigma rgs te and the ft array of Arabian gays is likely to be found onle (hello Grdr, my old iend) gay Lebanon is perhaps one of the few Arab natns where a tentative gay scene tak shape real life. As well as hostg the regn’s largt gay club, POSH, where gay Arabs and ternatnals n fally dance together whout fear of persecutn, gay Beit also hosts annual queer events such as the Internatnal Day Agast Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia and Beit Pri. Keterangan gambar, Kehidupan Sami membaik di Rights Watch juga mengetahui adanya kekerasan seksual terhadap laki-laki gay dan perempuan trans di Irak - mkipun serg kali hal i tidak dilaporkan ke polisi.

GAY ARABS: IT GETS BETTER--FROM AN ARAB TEEN

(CNN) -- Hamed Sno el lír la banda rock pendiente libanés Mashrou Leila y un tadouninse origen árabe abiertamente homosexual una faia mulmana.

Reaccnó n firmeza ntra el tiroteo en una diste gay Orlando, lamentando el ataque ntra la unidad LGBT y la retóri ntra los mulman y los árab que siguieron al ataque. "De repente, sólo porque er piel marrón y gay que no pues llorar y realmente no p***** jto", dijo Sno en el cenar mientras actuaba un show que se agotó el lun por la noche en The Haton en Washgton.

SDI GAY SCENE: 'FORBIDN, BUT I N'T HELP IT'

"Muchos nosotros que somos gay nos sentimos agredidos por e ataque que no pomos llorar porque somos también faias mulmanas y existimos... La banda hizo e a los entars Sno n una actuación nmovedora "Tayf", una nción su más reciente álbum "Ibn el-Leil" sobre un ataque a un club gay en Beit llamado "Ghost". A través su músi, letras y vios, el gpo aborda temas que son tabú en la cultura árabe: la sexualidad, la homosexualidad y la políti género y la religión, lo que l ó que l prohibieran dar un ncierto en Jordania el pasado abril.

"Esto bido a que las grans res y la televisión y las revistas no abordan tas cutn, ya se trate sas sobre las libertas sexual o la homosexualidad o la igualdad género o clo el socialismo". "Se siente que la ntidad homofobia, por ejemplo, que tendría que enentar en el Líbano o en otros lugar en el Med Oriente igual a la ntidad racismo que tendría que lidiar o un árabe que se parece a un niño lor fé (en) ", dijo Sno. BAGHDAD, Iraq, May 28, 2009— -- Two gay men were killed Baghdad's Sadr Cy slum, and police nfirmed they found the bodi of four more men, all killed durg a 10-day perd after an unknown Shie ia group urged a crackdown on homosexuals the Uned Natns Office for the Coordatn of Humanarian Affairs believ as many as 30 people have been killed durg the last three months bee they were -- or were perceived to be -- a letter to Iraqi Prime Mister Nouri al-Maliki, the human rights group Amnty Internatnal lled for "urgent and ncerted actn" to end the vlence agast the gay muny, the group reported on s Web se.

THE MYTH OF THE QUEER ARAB LIFEEVOLVINGFOR MOST PEOPLE THE WT LIFE THE ARAB WORLD FOR GAY PEOPLE IS HARD TO FATHOM. IT IS, LIKE MANY OTHER PARTS OF LIFE THIS REGN, PLITED.SALEEM HADDADUPDATED JUL. 12, 2017 6:56PM EDT / PUBLISHED APR. 02, 2016 12:01AM EDT FACEBOOKONE OF MY FAVORE TELEVISN SHOWS GROWG UP WAS A RAMADAN SPECIAL FEATURG AN EGYPTIAN PERFORMER LLED SHERIHAN. ONE YEAR SHE HAD A RAMADAN SPECIAL LLED ‘SHERIHAN AROUND THE WORLD’, A TWENTY-MUTE SGG AND DANCG EXTRAVAGANZA, WHICH HAD HER DRSG EXQUISE STUM OM AROUND THE WORLD AND PERFORMG ELABORATE SONG AND DANCE ROUT. SHERIHAN WAS A WOMAN, BUT SHE WAS THE BT DRAG QUEEN I HAD EVER SEEN: MP, SELF-AWARE, AND FABULO. SHE HAD PLANTED ME, WHOUT MY KNOWLEDGE, THE FIRST SEEDS OF MY OWN GAY INTY.TWELVE YEARS LATER, WHEN I WAS LIVG AMMAN, MY BOYIEND BROKE UP WH ME. I WAS BEG TOO OPEN WH MY SEXUALY, HE SAID. I HAD NFID TOO MANY PEOPLE. BEG WH ME WAS BEG DANGERO. I TOLD HIM THAT NO ONE WOULD KILL , LET ALONE THREATEN . THE JORDANIAN POLICE DON’T HAVE A HISTORY OF TARGETG GAY MEN, I REASONED, PECIALLY THOSE OF OUR SOCIAL CLASS. BUT THAT WASN’T THE DANGER, HE EXPLAED. THE DANGER WAS THAT BEG SEEN WH ME WAS MAKG PEOPLE THK HE WAS ‘GAY’. AND HE DID NOT WANT TO BE SEEN AS ‘GAY’.I DID NOT SEE THIS TRANSFORMATN G, BUT HAPPENED. THE ‘GAY INTY’ HAD UNKNOWGLY BEEN GROWG SI ME LIKE A TUMOR, UNTIL SUDNLY ONE MORNG I WOKE UP AND REALIZED I WAS FECTED, AND THE DISEASE WAS TERMAL. I HAD BEE SOMEONE WHO INTIFIED AS ‘GAY’.I BLAMED SHERIHAN. AFTER ALL, SHE STARTED THIS MS. ***MANY ARABS WHO ENGAGE SAME-SEX PRACTIC DO NOT INTIFY AS ‘GAY’, ‘LBIAN’, OR ‘BISEXUAL’. FOR EVERY QUEER ARAB WHO HAS FORMULATED THEIR SENSE OF SELF BY WATCHG ‘WILL AND GRACE’ AND ‘PARIS IS BURNG’ ARE UNTLS OTHERS WHO DO NOT FEEL IS UNUAL TO ENGAGE SAME-SEX PRACTIC AND REMA UNNNECTED TO THE WORD ‘GAY’. EVEN AMONGST THOSE WHO MAY FEEL AT HOME THEIR GAY INTY, THE NOTN OF PUBLICLY G OUT RGS HOLLOW A CULTURE WHERE WHO YOU SHARE YOUR BED WH IS A PRIVATE MATTER.LIKE EVERYWHERE ELSE THE WORLD, SEXUAL INTI THE MIDDLE EAST TERSECT WH CLASS, GENR, AND THE PLEX TERPLAY OF PRIVATE AND PUBLIC, MAKG IMPOSSIBLE TO SPEAK OF A SGULAR ‘QUEER ARAB’ EXPERIENCE. THERE ARE A MULTU OF QUEER ARAB EXPERIENC: OM GENR RIGHTS ACTIVISTS PROVIDG UNRGROUND ABORTN SERVIC TO LONG ROMANTIC PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN BEDOU MEN SIWA, EACH QUEER LIFE THE ARAB WORLD IS UNIQUE. TRYG TO WRE ABOUT A SGULAR GAY ARAB EXPERIENCE WOULD BE, AS ONE LEBANE GAY RIGHTS ACTIVIST PUT , THE EQUIVALENT OF “WRG A STORY ABOUT GAY LIFE THE US, AND JT TERVIEWG SOMEONE OM THE WTBORO BAPTIST CHURCH, A CLOSETED TEENAGER NEBRASKA, AND ADAM LAMBERT.” DPE THIS, QUEER ARAB BODI HAVE BEE A BATTLEGROUND A MUCH LARGER WAR. AFTER ALL, IS NO SECRET THAT BOTH LIBERALS AND NSERVATIV NORTH AMERI AND EUROPE HAVE, SCE 9/11, WAVED THE FLAG OF WOMEN’S RIGHTS, AND TO A LSER GREE LGBT RIGHTS, AS A WAY TO GA WTERN PUBLIC SUPPORT TO WAGE WARS THE MIDDLE EAST. IMAG AND STORI OF OPPRSED AFGHAN WOMEN DROVE THE LL TO WAR 2001, AND THE MORE RECENT FOOTAGE OF ISIS THROWG GAY MEN OFF TOWERS AND ENSLAVG YEZIDI WOMEN STOKED THE FIR OF TERVENTN SYRIA.QUEER ARABS FACE A DUAL STGGLE: WE ARE BATTLG OPPRSIVE FORC WH OUR OWN MUNI, AND WE ARE ALSO RISTG THE GLOBAL NARRATIVE THAT TRI TO E OUR “OPPRSN” FOR BROAR ARY OR POLIL GOALS.THE QUTN THEN BE: WHO OWNS QUEER ARAB BODI?***WHOUT MY BOYIEND BY MY SI, I DID NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO WH MY DAYS. I CHA-SMOKED AND CRIED MY BEDROOM. AT WORK, I WROTE LONG, RAMBLG E-MAILS TO MYSELF ABOUT WHAT VALUE A PRIVATE RELATNSHIP WOULD HAVE IF ULD NOT BE CELEBRATED PUBLICLY, THE SAME WAY THE RELATNSHIPS OF MY STRAIGHT IENDS WERE BEG CELEBRATED THE LAVISH WEDDGS I ATTEND EVERY OTHER NIGHT.IN THE AFTERNOONS, I WATCHED OPRAH, BEE SHE SEEMED TO HAVE ALL OF THE ANSWERS. BUT THEN A FEMIST IEND TOLD ME THAT OPRAH PROPAGAT AN DIVIDUALISM THAT GO AGAST THE LLECTIVIST VALU NEED TO ADDRS STCTURAL PROBLEMS LIKE HOMOPHOBIA AND PATRIARCHY.“BIS, YOU STILL HAVE EASIER THAN WOMEN,” SHE SAID. “AT LEAST YOU N RENT A HOTEL ROOM WH A GUY AND NO ONE WILL ASK TO SEE MARRIAGE DOCUMENTS. AT LEAST, AS A MAN, YOU N LEAVE THE HOE THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT WHOUT ANYONE BREATHG DOWN YOUR NECK.”I SHAVED MY HEAD, BEE I FELT THAT A SHAVED HEAD MIGHT MAKE ME LS GAY.“IS THIS BETTER?” I ASKED MY BOYIEND.“NO,” HE RPOND. “I’M SORRY.”***WHO OWNS QUEER ARAB BODI?ON MAY 11TH, 2001, 52 MEN WERE ARRTED EGYPT. THE MEN WERE ABOARD THE QUEEN BOAT, A FLOATG NIGHTCLUB ON THE BANKS OF THE NILE. THE MEN WERE CHARGED WH “OBSCENE BEHAVUR”, BEATEN, AND FORCED TO UNRGO HUIATG EXAMATNS TO TERME THEIR SEXUALY.THE STORY REMAED THE HEADL FOR MONTHS. IMAG OF THE MEN WERE PLASTERED ON ERNMENT NEWSPAPERS AND TELEVISN SCREENS. IN ONE PARTICULAR PHOTO, THE MEN WERE DRSED WHE, CRAMMED TOGETHER A GE AS THEY WAED FOR THEIR SENTENCE. MOST OF THE MEN HAD VERED THEIR FAC WH WHE CLOTH A FUTILE ATTEMPT TO PROTECT THEIR PRIVACY.THE BODI OF THE ‘CAIRO 52’, AS THEY HAD BEEN LLED, BEME A BATTLEGROUND FOR AMICS, TELLECTUALS AND RIGHTS ACTIVISTS TO PROJECT THEIR OWN THEORI ABOUT QUEER LIV THE ARAB WORLD. THE NMNATN AND SHAMG OF THE MEN BEME A WAY TO BRG SOME LEGIMACY TO PRINT MUBARAK’S RPT REGIME. WTERN LGBT ANIZATNS AND HUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS AMED THE RAID AS THE ARAB WORLD’S STONEWALL, WH ONE GROUP STAGG A PROTT AT THE EGYPTIAN EMBASSY PARIS WH SIGNS MANDG THE EGYPTIAN ERNMENT “EE OUR LOVERS”. MEANWHILE, ANTI-IMPERIALIST CRICS LIKE JOSEPH MASSAD ARGUED THAT WASN’T THE SAME-SEX SEXUAL PRACTIC THE EGYPTIAN ERNMENT WAS ATTACKG, BUT RATHER “THE SOC-POLIL INTIFITN OF THE PRACTIC WH THE WTERN INTY OF GAYNS.” AFTER ALL, HE SAID, THE MEN DID NOT INTIFY AS ‘GAY’. IN FACT, THEY SPERATELY HID THEIR FAC. “THE ARE HARDLY MANIFTATNS OF GAY PRI OR GAY LIBERATN,” HE ARGUED.THE 52 MEN, THEIR FAC VERED WHE CLOTH, WERE FURTHER OBSCURED AS THEIR LIV BEME POLIL SRG RDS: FOR THORARIAN REGIM, ISLAMISTS, WTERN HUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS AND ANTI-IMPERIALIST AMICS.***WHO OWNS QUEER ARAB BODI?WHEN ISIS THREW TWO MEN OFF A TOWER LAST YEAR AS PUNISHMENT FOR BEG GAY, WTERN MEDIA FUELLED TERNATNAL OUTRAGE AGAST THE TERRORIST ANISATN. BUT AMONG GAY IENDS THE MIDDLE EAST, THE CINT HAD NOTHG TO DO WH THEM. “ISIS DID NOT KILL THOSE GUYS AS A MSAGE TO ,” A GAY IEND TOLD ME AS WE DRANK G AND SLIM-LE TONICS A BAR BEIT, LS THAN 90 OM HOMS, WHERE THE CINT TOOK PLACE. “THE MSAGE WAS MEANT FOR THE WT: ISIS WANTED TO SHOW THAT THEY STOOD AGAST EVERYTHG THE WT BELIEVED .”IN OTHER WORDS, ISIS’S MSAGE WAS THE POLIL EQUIVALENT OF “COME AT ME, BRO.” QUEER BODI FLUNG OFF A TOWER ARE A FOOTNOTE A LARGER POLIL AND ARY BRO-DOWN.WHEN I FIRST READ ABOUT THE CINT, I WANTED TO KNOW HOW THE MEN WERE UGHT. WAS JT A VIC LIE SPREAD BY SOMEONE WH A PERSONAL VENTTA? WERE THOSE MEN A RELATNSHIP WH EACH OTHER? WERE THEY LOVE, AND IF SO, DID THEY HAVE ANY DREAMS? OR WAS JT A QUICKIE A DARK ALLEYWAY? I WANTED TO KNOW MORE. BUT AS I OPENED MY BROWSER, I BEGAN TO WORRY THAT, GIVEN MY ARAB BACKGROUND, PERHAPS SEARCHG ABOUT ‘ISIS’ AND ‘SYRIA’ MAY FLAG ME UP TO SOME WTERN TELLIGENCE OFFICERS AS A TERRORIST THREAT, AND I ALREADY HAD ENOUGH TROUBLE TRAVELG ACROSS BORRS AS WAS. MAYBE ’S BETTER NOT TO KNOW, I THOUGHT TO MYSELF AS I CLOSED THE BROWSER.LATER THAT WEEK, THE SAME LEBANE IEND LOOKED UP OM HIS PHONE AND SAID TO ME: “THE ONE GOOD THG ABOUT HAVG SO MANY SYRIAN REFUGE LEBANON IS THAT YOU N FD SOME GEO SYRIAN RTS ON GRDR.”HE WAS CHATTG TO ONE AS HE SAID THIS. HE VED THE MAN OVER LATER THAT EVENG.THE SYRIAN MAN ARRIVED. THEY CHATTED FOR A WHILE. THE SYRIAN MAN EXPLAED HOW HE HAD PED SYRIA AND WAS TRYG TO MAKE SOME MONEY TO SUPPORT HIS MOTHER. UPON HEARG THIS STORY, MY IEND’S AROAL DAMPENED, AND AS THE RT WENT FOR A KISS, MY IEND PULLED BACK.“NO,” MY IEND SAID. “I’M SORRY I N’T DO THIS.”“PLEASE KISS ME,” THE SYRIAN SAID. “YOU THK I’M A BAD PERSON, I KNOW .”“NO, I DON’T,” MY IEND SAID. HE PUT $100 THE MAN’S HANDS. “PLEASE TAKE THIS AND GO.”“I DON’T WANT THE MONEY,” THE SYRIAN MAN SAID, BURSTG TO TEARS. “I WANT TO GET TO KNOW YOU. BUT NOW YOU THK I’M A BAD PERSON.”ISIS KILLS GAY PEOPLE. ASSAD CREAT GAY REFUGE.***IN 2012, 36 MEN WERE ARRTED A CEMA BOURJ HAMMOUD, A NEIGHBOURHOOD BEIT. CEMA PLAZA WAS A NOTOR CISG SPOT FOR GAY MEN. THE RAID HAPPENED AFTER A SIAR CEMA TRIPOLI, A WORKG CLASS CY NORTHERN LEBANON, WAS EXPOSED A LEBANE TELEVISN SHOW LLED ‘INTA HURR’ (‘YOU ARE FREE’). NEHER THE POLICE NOR THE MEDIA PAID ANY ATTENTN TO THE MULTU OF GAY BARS THE MORE UPSLE NEIGHBOURHOODS OF BEIT.IN RPONSE TO THE RAIDS, LEBANE GAY ACTIVISTS RELEASED PICTUR OF THE HOST OF THE TV PROGRAMME PARTYG A GAY NIGHTCLUB MYKONOS. THE HOST SHOT BACK, SAYG THAT HIS PRIVACY WAS VAD. IN A STATEMENT RELEASED BY THE TELEVISN STATN THAT AIRED THE SHOW, THE HOST CLAIMED THAT HE “WILL NOT APOLOGISE [FOR EXPOSG THE CEMAS], BEE THE BREACH OF PUBLIC MORALY IS ONE THG, AND SEXUAL EEDOM IS SOMETHG ELSE.”THE MSAGE WAS CLEAR: PRIVACY IS A LUXURY THAT IS ONLY AFFORD TO THOSE WHO N PAY FOR . IF YOU HAVE MONEY YOU N BUY YOURSELF A GAY INTY MYKONOS. IF NOT, THEN HEAD TO A NDOWN CEMA AND HOPE FOR THE BT.***WHO OWNS QUEER ARAB BODI? IS THE THORARIAN REGIM WHO TRAMPLE ON QUEER BODI FOR MORAL LEGIMACY, THE JIHADISTS WHO BURNISH THEIR RELIG CRENTIALS BY TOSSG THE BODI OFF THE HIGHT TOWERS, THE WTERN HUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS WHO ENFORCE THEIR OWN NARRATIV TO ‘SAVE’ THE BODI, THE ANTI-IMPERIALIST AMICS WHO ARGUE THAT THE BODI ARE NAIVELY ADOPTG LONIALIST DISURS, THE NEONSERVATIV WHO SHAKE AD QUEER BODI ONT OF THEIR NSTUENTS TO JTIFY WARS AND OCCUPATNS, OR THE RICH WHO DICTATE THE LE BETWEEN SEXUAL EEDOM AND PUBLIC MORALY?AS A QUEER PERSON THE ARAB WORLD, EVERYWHERE YOU TURN SOMEONE WANTS TO E YOUR BODY, YOUR STORY, OR YOUR LIFE FOR THEIR OWN PURPOS.***IN ONE SCENE MY NOVEL, RASA—A YOUNG GAY ARAB— OUT TO HIS LLEGE IEND AMERI. SHE RPONDS BY ASKG IF HE IS AT RISK OF BEG KILLED IF HE RETURNS TO THE MIDDLE EAST.“I DON’T THK SO,” RASA REPLI. HE PS FOR A MOMENT BEFORE ADDG, “LISTEN, PEOPLE DON’T JT KILL EACH OTHER LIKE YOU HEAR ON TV.”A FEW MONTHS AFTER MY BOYIEND BROKE UP WH ME, I CID TO MOVE TO EUROPE.I DID NOT LEAVE THE MIDDLE EAST BEE ANYONE WAS GOG TO KILL ME.I LEFT BEE I WANTED A WTERN PASSPORT THAT WOULD ALLOW ME TO TRAVEL WHOUT HAVG TO BOOK VISA APPOTMENTS MONTHS ADVANCE, WHOUT HAVG TO PREPARE E STATEMENTS AND LETTERS OM EMPLOYERS AND HOTEL BOOKGS AND RETURN TICKETS. I LEFT BEE I WANTED A PASSPORT THAT WOULD GIVE ME PROTECTN, A PASSPORT THAT WOULD RAISE THE VALUE OF MY LIFE THE GLOBAL HIERARCHY.I LEFT BEE I FELT THAT THE REGN WAS KNEE-EP TRATN AND HOPELSNS, THAT THGS WERE GOG TO LLAPSE, AND THAT WH MY ARAB PASSPORT I WOULD HAVE NOWHERE TO GO. I LEFT BEE I KNEW ENOUGH TO KNOW THAT THE WORLD DO NOT RE ABOUT ARAB AND MLIM BODI WASHG UP ON THE SHOR OF THE MEDERRANEAN.I LEFT BEE I WAS TIRED OF FDG WAYS TO JTIFY WHY I HAD TO KEEP MY GAY INTY HIDN, AND I FELT THAT MY SEXUALY WAS BEG YET ANOTHER WEAPON THAT ULD BE ED AGAST ME: IF SOMEONE VELOPED A PERSONAL VENTTA AGAST ME; IF I SPOKE OUT OF LE; IF I ENGAGED THE WRONG KD OF POLICS; IF I WAS NOT A GOOD CIZEN WHO SHUT UP AND TOOK . I LEFT BEE MY SEXUALY HAD BEE YET ANOTHER KNIFE HELD AGAST MY THROAT.HERE ARE OTHER KNIV HELD AGAST PEOPLE’S THROATS: BEG A REFUGEE ON A BOAT THE MEDERRANEAN. BEG A BLACK MAN THE U.S. BEG A PALTIAN ISRAEL. BEG A WOMAN PRETTY MUCH ANYWHERE.TWENTY YEARS AFTER I FIRST SAW SHERIHAN DANCG ON TV, I ME ACROSS A YOUTUBE VIO OF HER LEADG THE CROWDS A CHANT TAHRIR SQUARE 2011. MY DRAG MOTHER HAD JOED THE REVOLUTN FOR EEDOM AND DIGNY. WATCHG THIS WHILE STG LONDON, I ULDN’T HELP BUT SE. WE HAD E FULL-CIRCLE, I THOUGHT TO MYSELF, NAIVELY ASSUMG THAT THE WORST OF THE VLENCE WAS OVER. LISTEN, PEOPLE DON’T JT KILL EACH OTHER LIKE YOU HEAR ON TV. I DIDN’T LEAVE THE MIDDLE EAST BEE I FEARED FOR MY LIFE. I LEFT BEE I WAS PG ANOTHER SORT OF ATH.***THE TTH IS, I ALMOST DIDN’T WRE MY NOVEL.I ALMOST DIDN’T WRE MY NOVEL BEE, WHENEVER I OPENED THE MICROSOFT WORD DOCUMENT, I THOUGHT OF MY PARENTS, AND THE SHAME MY FATHER WOULD FEEL AS HIS SON EXPOSED HIMSELF SO OPENLY.I ALMOST DIDN’T WRE MY NOVEL BEE, AS MY FGERS HOVERED OVER MY ENGLISH LANGUAGE KEYBOARD, MY THOUGHTS TURNED TO VAR ARTICL, OPN PIEC AND BOOKS WRTEN BY SOME ARABS AND MLIMS WTERN MEDIA; PIEC THAT DULGED NARRATIV OF OPPRSN AND TALKED ABOUT THE NEED FOR SEXUAL LIBERATN THE ARAB WORLD; STORI THAT PANRED TO ORIENTALIST FANTASI AND ISLAMOPHOBIC STEREOTYP. THE SAME FANTASI AND STEREOTYP THAT GET ME TAED AND TERROGATED EVERY TIME I PASS THROUGH AN AMERIN AIRPORT. THE SAME FANTASI AND STEREOTYP THAT JTIFY CLOSG BORRS TO REFUGE FLEEG WAR ZON. THE SAME FANTASI AND STEREOTYP THAT HELP WTERN CIZENS SLEEP EASY AT NIGHT AS THEIR ERNMENTS DROP BOMBS ON YEMEN, AFGHANISTAN, PAKISTAN, SYRIA, PALTE AND IRAQ. I ALMOST DIDN’T WRE MY NOVEL BEE I FEARED THAT WRG WOULD MAKE MORE DIFFICULT TO GO BACK TO THE ARAB WORLD, THE PLACE I LL HOME AND THAT I LOVE ABOVE ALL ELSE.BUT NOT TO HAVE WRTEN MY NOVEL WOULD BE TO ADM FEAT TO ALL OF THE FORC. AND WHILE THE NOVEL REMAS ONLY ONE STORY AMONG THOANDS OF OTHER QUEER ARAB STORI WAG TO BE TOLD, THE END, THE ONLY STORY EACH OF N TELL—THE ONLY BODY WE OWN—IS OUR OWN.SALEEM HADDAD IS THE THOR OF THE NEW NOVEL GUAPA PUBLISHED THIS SPRG BY OTHER PRS. SALEEM HADDAD

Homosexualy is prohibed almost everywhere the Middle East, but ndns have bee pecially dangero recent years for gays and lbians, as relig ias have bee more powerful sce the U. -led vasn of an Iraqi ary source claimed the recent killgs were lked to tribal vlence, not ias, and his characterizatn of the killgs hts at how ep homophobia ns Iraqi society. Their trib killed them to rtore their fay honor, " an Iraqi army member who did not want to give his name told ABC army source said the bodi of four gay men were unearthed Sadr Cy March 25, each bearg signs readg "pervert" Arabic on their chts.

The Iraqi army source also said two of the men found ad were wearg diapers and women's gay men were found elsewhere Sadr Cy, alive but bearg the srs of severe torture.

Acrdg to the source, the group clus not only Iraqis but also Iranians and young men who might have cut their hair short and grown beards when relig gangs ntrolled much of Iraq now drs a more Wtern style as ernment forc take back of those men have now reportedly been acced of beg gay by Asaieb al-Haq. In the last 10 days Sadr Cy, wns said at least five ffee shops, which are popular wh Iraqi gays, were set on Sourc Claim Gay Prostutn Is on the RiseAcrdg to army members who rry out patrols on the streets of Baghdad, smetic peddlers are sellg a number of products targeted at gay men, pills and hormon to enlarge their breasts, hair removal smetics, and sk otments. ISIS, which held large swaths of Iraqi terrory until recently, has also targeted gay men, tossg many to their aths om tall buildgs.