2 gay Iraqi soldiers found love amid war -- then fled to the US | CNN

Contents:

• WAIT: GAY LIFE IN IRAQ IS … ‘THRIVG’?
• WHAT IS LIKE TO BE A GAY MAN LIVG IRAQ?
• 2 GAY IRAQI SOLDIERS FOUND LOVE AMID WAR. THEN THE ATH THREATS STARTED
• WHY STORI: GAY IRAQ
• ISIS IS BEATEN. BUT IRAQ IS STILL HELL FOR LGBT+ PEOPLE.EQUALYFAY THREATS, IA MURRS, PERSECUTN, AND FEAR: THE FIRST EVER STUDY OF S KD BY ADVOCY GROUP IRAQUEER REVEALS A HEART-WRENCHG PORTRA OF LGBT LIFE IRAQ.TIM TEEMANSENR EDOR AND WRERUPDATED JUN. 25, 2018 1:37PM EDT / PUBLISHED JUN. 22, 2018 5:05AM EDT PHOTO ILLTRATN BY THE DAILY BEASTOMAR IS A 28-YEAR-OLD GAY IRAQI WHO NOW LIV LEBANON. “MY BOYIEND WAS KILLED FEBARY 2017,” HE SAID. “WE HAD BEEN TOGETHER FOR TWO YEARS, AND HE WAS MY ONLY SUPPORT SYSTEM. SHORTLY AFTER THAT, I HAD TO PE TO SAVE MY LIFE.”OMAR AND HIS AD PARTNER ARE FAR OM ALONE. NETY-SIX PERCENT OF LGBT+ IRAQIS HAVE FACED SOME FORM OF VERBAL OR PHYSIL VLENCE, THE FIRST EVER STUDY OF LGBT LIFE AND EXPERIENCE IRAQ HAS FOUND. IN 2017, MORE THAN 220 LGBT+ PEOPLE WERE KILLED THE UNTRY, THE SURVEY TIMAT. SCE 2003, THE STUDY SAYS THERE HAVE BEEN ANNUAL “KILLG MPAIGNS” IRAQ AIMED AT LGBT+ PEOPLE.OMAR’S EXPERIENCE IS ONE OF 257 LGBT+ IRAQI TTIMONI THAT FORM THE BASIS OF FIGHTG FOR THE RIGHT TO LIFE: THE STATE OF LGBT+ HUMAN RIGHTS IRAQ. THE REPORT WAS PILED BY ADVOCY GROUP IRAQUEER AND A PARTNER GROUP THAT WISH TO REMA ANONYMO FOR SAFETY REASONS. THE YEAR-LONG REARCH PROJECT ALSO SPOKE TO 11 ERNMENT OFFICIALS OR EMPLOYE, 16 RELIG LEARS, AND 201 MEMBERS OF IRAQI SOCIETY, AND SOUGHT TO GLEAN RMATN ABOUT IRAQI LGBT+ EXPERIENC BETWEEN 2015 AND 2018. IRAQUEER IS THE FIRST AND ONLY LGBT+ ANIZATN FOCG ON IRAQ AND THE KURDISH REGN. IT WAS FOUND 2015. COURTY IRAQUEER AMIR ASHOUR, FOUNR AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF IRAQUEER, TOLD THE DAILY BEAST: “THIS SURVEY IS THE FIRST OF S KD IRAQ. STATISTICS ABOUT THE LGBT+ MUNY IRAQ HAVE NEVER BEEN SHARED AS FAR AS WE KNOW. THIS NUMBER MIGHT SOUND SMALL WHEN PARED TO OTHER STUDI UNTRI LIKE THE U.K. BUT FOR A UNTRY LIKE IRAQ, WHERE ANY KD OF PUBLIC PARTICIPATN N LEAD TO FACG VLENCE AND POTENTIALLY ATH, THIS NUMBER IS POSIVELY SURPRISG.”ARMED GROUPS LIKE ISIS AND ASA’EB AHL AL-HAQ HAVE BEEN TWO OF THE MA GROUPS THREATENG THE LGBT+ MUNY, THE REPORT SAYS, WH ISIS’ PERSECUTN PARTICULARLY NOTORLY RERD IMAG OF GAY MEN BEG THROWN OFF BUILDGS.ARMED GROUPS HAVE ALSO ED BRICKS, GAS BOTTL, GUNS, AND OTHER WEAPONS TO KILL QUEER PEOPLE, IRAQUEER SAID.THE KILLGS HAVE TAKEN PLACE AS RECENTLY AS SEPTEMBER 2017. SEVERAL GAY MEN HAVE ALSO REPORTED THAT THEY HAVE BEEN SEXUALLY ASSLTED BY MEMBERS OF SUCH GROUPS.LGBT PEOPLE WERE ALSO PHYSILLY AND VERBALLY HARASSED BY TRIB AND FAY MEMBERS, WHO ACCE THEM OF SPOILG THE FAY’S “HONOR.” THIRTY-ONE PERCENT OF VLATNS AGAST LGBT PEOPLE WERE BY ARMED IAS, 27 PERCENT BY FAY, 22 PERCENT BY THE ERNMENT, 10 PERCENT BY ISIS, AND 10 PERCENT BY “OTHERS.” ISIS HAS MTED 30 KILLGS OF GAY MEN, ACRDG TO IRAQUEER AND OUTRIGHT INTERNATNAL. “THE ANNUAL KILLG MPAIGNS THAT HAVE BEEN HAPPENG FOR MORE THAN A ARE STILL UNADDRSED BY THE ERNMENT, AND NOT EVEN ONE PERSON HAS BEEN HELD ACUNTABLE FOR KILLG A GAY PERSON.”— AMIR ASHOUR, FOUNR AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF IRAQUEER THE SURVEY FOUND THAT NEARLY HALF, 42 PERCENT, OF THE VLENCE AGAST LGBT+ PEOPLE TOOK PLACE CENTRAL IRAQ, 32 PERCENT IRAQI KURDISTAN, AND 26 PERCENT SOUTHERN IRAQ.“LGBT+ DIVIDUALS IRAQ ARE FACG LIFE-THREATENG DANGER,” ASHOUR TOLD THE DAILY BEAST. “THE ANNUAL KILLG MPAIGNS THAT HAVE BEEN HAPPENG FOR MORE THAN A ARE STILL UNADDRSED BY THE ERNMENT, AND NOT EVEN ONE PERSON HAS BEEN HELD ACUNTABLE FOR KILLG A GAY PERSON. “THE FACT THAT 96 PERCENT OF LGBT+ PEOPLE RPOND TO THIS SURVEY SAYG THAT THEY HAVE FACED VLENCE IS HORRIFYG. NOT ONLY BEG VISIBLE IS IMPOSSIBLE, BUT ALSO THE MERE PERCEPTN OR THE MOR THAT ONE IS GAY N LEAD TO THAT PERSON’S ATH. THE REPORT CLUS TAILS OF ALL THE DIFFERENT VLATNS FACED BY THE LGBT+ MUNY, AND ALL OF THEM SHARE THE SAME LACK OF TST THE IRAQI ERNMENT.”THE VAST MAJORY OF LGBT+ RPONNTS TO IRAQUEER’S SURVEY LIVED IRAQ, ALTHOUGH SOME ASYLUM SEEKERS ALSO RELATED THEIR EXPERIENC; 61.5 PERCENT OF THOSE SURVEYED WERE GAY, 26.1 PERCENT LBIAN, 2.6 PERCENT BISEXUAL, 8.3 PERCENT TRANSGENR, AND 1.5 PERCENT FED THEMSELV AS “OTHERS.” “WE NEED OUR RIGHT TO LIFE. WE NEED OUR RIGHT TO HEALTH. WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO NOT BE AAID EVERY TIME WE MIGHT LEAVE OUR HO. WE NEED TO BE PROTECTED OM ILLEGAL POLICE RAIDS OF OUR HOM, AND THE VLENCE MTED BY ALL KDS OF GROUPS AGAST .”— AMIR ASHOUR “SCE THE UNED STAT AND UNED KGDOM LED VASN 2003, ONE MIGHT ARGUE THAT ALL IRAQIS HAVE BEEN FACG LIFE-THREATENG CIRCUMSTANC,” THE REPORT READS. “BUT THE SUATN FOR LGBT+ DIVIDUALS IS WORSE AND MORE DANGERO BEE THEY LACK ANY LEGAL PROTECTN WHATSOEVER AND TO DATE THERE IS NO POLIL WILL ON THE PART OF THE ERNMENT TO ADDRS HUMAN RIGHTS VLATNS AGAST LGBT+ DIVIDUALS. THE ERNMENT REF TO ACKNOWLEDGE LGBT+ DIVIDUALS AS IRAQI CIZENS AND IS NOT WILLG TO PROTECT THEM.”“THE NEEDS OF IRAQI LGBT+ PEOPLE ARE VERY BASIC,” ASHOUR TOLD THE DAILY BEAST. “WE NEED OUR RIGHT TO LIFE. WE NEED OUR RIGHT TO HEALTH. WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO NOT BE AAID EVERY TIME WE MIGHT LEAVE OUR HO. WE NEED TO BE PROTECTED OM ILLEGAL POLICE RAIDS OF OUR HOM, AND THE VLENCE MTED BY ALL KDS OF GROUPS AGAST . FOR NOW, WE JT WANT TO KNOW THAT OUR LIV MEAN SOMETHG.” THE REPORT FEATUR A NUMBER OF LGBT+ VOIC OM WH IRAQ. RANA OM BABYLON SAID: “I WILL DIE WHOUT ANYONE KNOWG THAT I WAS A LBIAN. ALL THE FEELGS I HAVE, AND ALL THE GIRLS I HAD CSH ON WILL REMA SECRETS I WILL TAKE WH ME TO MY GRAVE. I DON’T THK I WILL EVER LIVE TO SEE AN IRAQ THAT WEL PEOPLE LIKE ME.” “MY DAD IS A POLICE OFFICER AND HE FOUND OUT THAT I AM GAY. HE’S BEEN THREATENG TO KILL ME SCE THEN. I’VE BEEN STAYG AT MY IEND’S HOE SCE, AND RARELY GO OUT.”— MAZ, A GAY MAN LIVG BAGHDAD MAZ, A GAY MAN LIVG BAGHDAD, TOLD IRAQUEER JANUARY 2018: “I PED MY FAY’S HOME SIX MONTHS AGO. MY DAD IS A POLICE OFFICER AND HE FOUND OUT THAT I AM GAY. HE’S BEEN THREATENG TO KILL ME SCE THEN. I’VE BEEN STAYG AT MY IEND’S HOE SCE, AND RARELY GO OUT.” RAWA, A 26-YEAR-OLD GAY MAN, SAID HE WAS UNABLE TO KEEP HIS JOB BEE OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT AND VLENCE. “I WAS RAPED BY MY BOSS WHEN I WAS WORKG AS A BARISTA. HE THEN THREATENED THAT HE WILL REPORT ME TO THE POLICE IF I SAID ANYTHG. I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO PE.” HANA, WHO IS 31 YEARS OLD AND LIV THE KURDISTAN REGN OF IRAQ, SAID: “EVERY DAY I SPEND WH MY HBAND, ANOTHER PART OF ME DI. MY FATHER FORCED ME TO MARRY MY . I NO LONGER REGNIZE MYSELF THE MIRROR.” MEMBERS OF THE TRANS MUNY FACE PARTICULAR DANGER “SIMPLY BY EXISTG,” THE REPORT SAID. HORMONE TREATMENTS ARE NOT LEGAL AND SO MAKE TRANSNG EVEN MORE DANGERO. GENR NFIRMATN SURGERY IS NOT PERMTED BY THE LAW, AND IF PEOPLE MANAGE TO HAVE THE SURGERY OUTSI THE UNTRY, THEY FACE DIFFICULTI OBTAG LEGAL DOCUMENTS THAT REFLECT THEIR GENR INTY. COURTY IRAQUEER TRANS PEOPLE ALSO REPORTED VERBAL, PHYSIL, AND SEXUAL ABE AT VAR CHECKPOTS ACROSS BAGHDAD AND OTHER CI, IRAQUEER SAID. OTHER LGBT DIVIDUALS, PECIALLY “MASCULE” WOMEN, “FEME” MEN, AND TRANS PEOPLE, HAVE FACED PHYSIL ABE NORTHERN IRAQ UNR THE KURDISTAN REGNAL ERNMENT. SAZGAR, A 41-YEAR-OLD LBIAN, WAS TAED BY THE POLICE SEVERAL TIM. “A POLICE OFFICER THREATENED TO RAPE ME AND SAID THAT MIGHT MAKE ME A REAL WOMAN,” SHE TOLD IRAQUEER. “THE LGBT+ MUNY IRAQ DO NOT ONLY NEED LGBT+ ACTIVISM,” ASHOUR TOLD THE DAILY BEAST. “WE NEED HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISM. WE NEED WOMEN’S RIGHTS GROUPS, CHILDREN’S RIGHTS ACTIVISTS, AND OTHERS WHO FOC ON TN, HEALTH, AND SUCH TO BE CLIVE WHEN THEY WORK ON HUMAN RIGHTS. WE NEED THE SOCIETY TO REGNIZE THAT ADVOTG FOR HUMAN RIGHTS DO NOT E TEGORI. WE EHER HAVE EQUALY OR WE DON’T.” “I PED A MUTE AFTER MY DAD UGHT ME WH MY BOYIEND MY ROOM. IF I HAD STAYED TO GATHER MY DOCUMENTS, I WOULD’VE BEEN AD BY NOW.”— AMMAR, AN ASYLUM SEEKER GERMANY EIGHTY-NE PERCENT OF THOSE SURVEYED SAID THE IRAQI MEDIA’S RELENTLSLY ANTI-LGBT+ VERAGE HAD NEGATIVELY FLUENCED THEIR SELF-PERCEPTN.LGBT ASYLUM SEEKERS OM IRAQ HAVE TO FLEE THEIR HOM THE MOMENT OF DISVERY SO QUICKLY THAT THEY DO NOT HAVE TIME TO GATHER CCIAL DOCUMENTS. AMMAR, AN ASYLUM SEEKER GERMANY, TOLD IRAQUEER: “I PED A MUTE AFTER MY DAD UGHT ME WH MY BOYIEND MY ROOM. IF I HAD STAYED TO GATHER MY DOCUMENTS, I WOULD’VE BEEN AD BY NOW.” “TO ENSURE HUMAN RIGHTS FOR THE LGBT+ MUNY, IRAQ DO NOT NEED TO PASS OR AMEND LEGISLATN. THE IRAQI GOVERNMENT SIMPLY NEEDS TO RPECT AND IMPLEMENT S OWN MMENTS TO THE NATNAL NSTUTN AND LAWS, AND HONOR S MMENTS UNR INTERNATNAL HUMAN RIGHTS LAW,” IRAQUEER’S SURVEY NCLUS. COURTY IRAQUEER “OUR MOST IMPORTANT ASK IS TO PROTECT THE LGBT+ MUNY OM THE KILLG MPAIGNS ANIZED AGAST THEM, AND TO HOLD PERPETRATORS ACUNTABLE FOR THEIR CRIM,” ASHOUR TOLD THE DAILY BEAST. “WHOUT OUR RIGHT TO LIFE, THERE IS NO POT TO TALK ABOUT ANY OF OUR OTHER RIGHTS. THE IRAQI ERNMENT MT RPECT AND APPLY IRAQI AND TERNATNAL LAWS, BOTH OF WHICH SHOULD BE ENOUGH TO PROTECT LGBT+ DIVIDUALS OM KILLGS AND HUMAN RIGHTS ABE.“ALSO, WE WANT THE PUBLIC TO KNOW WHAT DIFFICULTI WE ARE FACG AS A MUNY AND AS AN ANIZATN, AND HOPEFULLY MOTIVATE THEM TO SUPPORT FANCIALLY AND POLILLY. SADLY, WE DO NOT HAVE A LOT OF SPACE TO DO ANY OF THAT SI IRAQ, NOT PUBLICLY AND SAFELY AT LEAST. WE NEED TO RELY ON OUR SUPPORTERS GLOBALLY TO HELP BUILD A STRONGER BASE THAT N ENABLE TO STRENGTHEN OUR WORK SI IRAQ.” “PEOPLE’S DONATNS N POTENTIALLY SAVE LGBT+ IRAQIS’ LIV. HELP PROVI SAFE HOG, MEDIL SERVIC, AND OTHER BASIC NEEDS.”— AMIR ASHOUR MANY PEOPLE IRAQUEER HAS SPOKEN TO ARE HOMELS OR LIVG TEMPORARY SUATNS AS THEY ARE CHASED BY DIFFERENT GROUPS AND DO NOT HAVE THE MEANS TO SUPPORT THEMSELV, ASHOUR SAID. “PEOPLE’S DONATNS N POTENTIALLY SAVE LGBT+ IRAQIS’ LIV,” SAID ASHOUR. “HELP PROVI SAFE HOG, MEDIL SERVIC, AND OTHER BASIC NEEDS.” TO THOSE WHO ARE POLILLY NNECTED, ASHOUR ASKS THAT THEY LOBBY THEIR ERNMENTS AND THE IRAQI ERNMENT “TO RPECT AND IMPLEMENT HUMAN RIGHTS STANDARDS.”THE REPORT DO NOT CLU THE STORI OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO WERE KILLED AND WERE NOT ABLE TO SHARE THEIR STORY, ASHOUR SAID. “HOW MUCH MORE WOULD WE BE ABLE TO DOCUMENT IF WE WERE WORKG A SAFER UNTRY WHERE WE WOULDN’T BE AAID OF NDUCTG SUCH REARCH AND PEOPLE WOULD NOT BE SRED OF SHARG THEIR STORI?” PERSONAL LGBT+ STORIES FROM INSIDE IRAQA GAY MAN HIS TWENTITELL ABOUT YOUR CHILDHOOD, AND GROWG UP. YOUR FAY, YOUR EXPERIENCE OF BEG LGBT.I WAS BORN TO A VERY REGULAR MIDDLE-CLASS KURDISH FAY. BOTH MY PARENTS HELD AND STILL HOLD ERNMENT EMPLOYEE POSNS. AS A KID, I WAS CUR, SOCIAL, AND ALWAYS YEARNG TO LEARN ABOUT THGS AND PEOPLE. I LEARNED ARABIC THROUGH WATCHG RTOONS LONG BEFORE I STARTED SCHOOL. I DID VERY WELL SCHOOL AND I MA MY PARENTS PROUD.ALTHOUGH I HAD ALWAYS FELT DIFFERENT OM MY IENDS, THE FEELGS OF BEG DIFFERENT AND ISOLATN BEGAN TO TENSIFY AS I APPROACHED PUBERTY. I HAD SOME IENDS WHO WOULD SHOW ME PORNOGRAPHIC IMAG AND VIOS, AND I SOON REALIZED THAT I WAS TERTED MAL. AT FIRST, I DIDN’T KNOW WHAT WAS LLED OR THAT WASN’T ACCEPTED BY SOCIETY. HOWEVER, DIDN’T TAKE LONG FOR ME TO LEARN THE WORD THROUGH THE TER. WHAT I WAS, WAS LLED “GAY.” I LEARNED THAT BEG GAY WASN’T WELED BY SOCIETY AND I WOULD SPEND HOURS EVERY NIGHT GOOGLG “HOW TO STOP BEG GAY.” THE ANSWERS I GOT WEREN’T WHAT I HOPED TO FD. I SANK TO A PERD WHERE I WOULD SPERATELY PRAY TO GOD HE WOULD CHANGE ME, BUT TO NO AVAIL. I FALLY ACCEPTED THAT I ULDN’T STOP BEG GAY, BUT I STILL DIDN’T ACCEPT MY INTY. I WAS TERMED TO NCEAL MY INTY AND TO STAY CELIBATE FOREVER.WHEN I STARTED HIGH SCHOOL AT AN ALL-MALE SCHOOL, ONE OF MY CLASSMAT AND I FELL FOR EACH OTHER. WE NEVER SPOKE OF BEG GAY BUT WE WERE LOVE. THE EXPERIENCE DIDN’T END UP WELL AND I SANK TO A VERY EP, NOW DIAGNOSED, CLIL PRSN. IT TOOK A FEW YEARS FOR ME TO GET BETTER, AND EVEN NOW I STILL STGGLE WH PRSN. I BEGAN TO ACCEPT MY INTY THROUGH THE PROCS. I WAS VERY LUCKY TO HAVE OPEN-MD IENDS. I SLOWLY ME OUT TO MY CLOSE IENDS, ALL OF WHOM WERE SUPPORTIVE OF ME AND MY INTY.FAST FORWARD TO NOW, I HAVE FULLY ACCEPTED MY INTY AND I AM SURROUND BY IENDS WHO ARE EHER LGBT THEMSELV OR WHO ARE VERY SUPPORTIVE. I NSIR THEM MY FAY. SOME OF LIVE DIFFERENT UNTRI, AND WE VIS EACH OTHER AS OFTEN AS MONEY AND VISA SUATNS ALLOW.WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU?I HAVE ONLY HAD ONE ALTERTN WH THE POLICE. I WAS DATG A GUY AT THE TIME AND WE WOULD DRIVE TO THE MOUNTAS TO PE REALY. IT WAS VERY LATE AT NIGHT AND A POLICE R DROVE BY . THEY STOPPED AND TOLD THAT THEY HAD SEEN KISSG. THEY STARTED BEATG AND SULTG . BUT THEY LET GO THE END.WHAT HAPPENED NEXT?I NEVER DROVE TO THE MOUNTAS AGA.WHERE ARE YOU NOW?I AM A LLEGE STUNT KURDISTAN/IRAQ.HOW ARE YOU DOG NOW?I AM AT A VERY DARK PLACE. I AM STGGLG WH MY PRSN, WHICH HAS AFFECTED ALL ASPECTS OF MY LIFE. EVEN THOUGH I HAVE MANY IENDS WHO ARE SUPPORTIVE OF ME, I STILL FEEL LIKE I DON’T BELONG WHERE I AM AT.WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE HAPPEN WHEN TO THE LGBT PEOPLE AND LIFE IRAQ?I WOULD LIKE THE UNTRY TO REVER OM THE RECENT AND THE OLR EVENTS. I WOULD LIKE THE SECURY AND THE SAFETY SUATNS TO IMPROVE. I WOULD LIKE THE SOCIETY TO BEE MORE CIVIL AND TED. I WOULD LIKE THE SOCIETY TO OPEN S ARMS TO EVERYONE REGARDLS OF THEIR DIFFERENC. AND MOST OF ALL, I WOULD LIKE THE LGBT+ MUNY TO FEEL SAFE AND AT HOME, AND TO FEEL LIKE THEY BELONG. TIM TEEMAN
• THIS NEW MOVIE TELLS THE TORTURED LOVE STORY OF TWO GAY IRAQI SOLDIERS
• HOW ISLAMIST GANGS E TER TO TRACK, TORTURE AND KILL IRAQI GAYS
• IRAQI GAYS TARGETED, BTALLY KILLED: HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH
• GAY UNSELOR'S FIRG BY INDIANAPOLIS CATHOLIC SCHOOL PERMTED BY FERAL APPEALS URT
• JAGUARS STRENGTH COACH KEV MAXEN COM OUT AS GAY

WAIT: GAY LIFE IN IRAQ IS … ‘THRIVG’?

While Amir Ashour was growg up Iraq the early 2000s, he knew homosexualy existed but he didn’t know much else about . ’ when I was 10 or 11, I had my first experience when I was 16 or 17, ” he said his teens, most of what Ashour heard about homosexualy was that LGBTQ people did not exist Iraq before the U.

Although most people around him never talked about their sexualy, he let known among his clost iends at school and universy, as well as activist circl, about his terts for disvered more openns by gog onle — mostly to lol gay datg webs — not to meet men but to “get answers for my qutns” on homosexualy, he says. ”When he signed up for the popular gay datg app Grdr 2010, he remembers fdg only five ers the whole untry. Until 2006, a few gay-iendly f or the ocsnal party was anized by unrground groups for the LGBTQ muny, he says, “but armed ias and ernment-affiliated groups have been actively targetg those plac pecially the last few years.

” Over the weekend, for example, an pennt Syrian news agency reported that Islamic State fighters threw an Iraqi man off a buildg Kirk, after he was acced of beg ’s hard to tell when exactly the gay muny is beg targeted, but ’s certaly been ensnared recent vlence. A report om the Internatnal Lbian and Gay Human Rights Commissn (ILGHRC) and MADRE found that Shie ias were actg unr the Iraqi ernment persecutg the LGBTQ muny.

WHAT IS LIKE TO BE A GAY MAN LIVG IRAQ?

”Ashour has left Iraq — he liv Swen now — but om a distance he’s tryg to make easier to be gay, lbian or genr nonnformg Iraq. “Sexualy Iraq is tradnally fed as straight or gay — bisexualy don’t exist our dictnary — and so most people don’t really unrstand the language of genr, ” Ashour says. Although the Iraqi culture of holdg hands, huggg and kissg by heterosexual men n help protect gay men like him to an extent, Ashour says, queer men live nstant fear of beg outed based on the way their drs, due to Iraqi fns of homosexualy.

“Gay Iraq means a feme guy — the one who is the on the receivg end of sex, as ’s seen as an act of pretendg to be a woman. So if you’re the person dog the peratg, then you’re not gay, ” Ashour explas.

As a rult, if men are wearg tight jeans, have long hair or high-pched lghs, he says, they’re “at the biggt risk of beg profiled as feme, and therefore gay. IraQueer members have never met face-to-face, stead munitg exclively through social media and gay apps.

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

“I rely heavily on our team and their nnectns to check up on mors about gay-iendly spac, ” he explas. One day, he’d like to return to Iraq and bee s first gay prime mister.

Another, "Lah", a 27-year-old gay man, told how his boyiend was killed ont of him.

"You may also be terted :Media ptn, How the persecutn of gay people took hold post-Saddam IraqMore on this story. (Baghdad) – Armed groups Iraq abduct, rape, torture, and kill lbian, gay, bisexual, and transgenr (LGBT) people, wh impuny, Human Rights Watch said a report released today wh IraQueer. One 27-year-old gay man om Baghdad scribed how his boyiend was tortured by four members of an armed group ont of him May 2020.

WHY STORI: GAY IRAQ

© 2022 John Holm for Human Rights WatchZoran, a 25-year-old gay man om Sulaymaniyah, said he was sexually asslted by two members of the Asayish while he was on a date wh a man who tricked him after they met on a same-sex datg applitn.

ISIS IS BEATEN. BUT IRAQ IS STILL HELL FOR LGBT+ PEOPLE.EQUALYFAY THREATS, IA MURRS, PERSECUTN, AND FEAR: THE FIRST EVER STUDY OF S KD BY ADVOCY GROUP IRAQUEER REVEALS A HEART-WRENCHG PORTRA OF LGBT LIFE IRAQ.TIM TEEMANSENR EDOR AND WRERUPDATED JUN. 25, 2018 1:37PM EDT / PUBLISHED JUN. 22, 2018 5:05AM EDT PHOTO ILLTRATN BY THE DAILY BEASTOMAR IS A 28-YEAR-OLD GAY IRAQI WHO NOW LIV LEBANON. “MY BOYIEND WAS KILLED FEBARY 2017,” HE SAID. “WE HAD BEEN TOGETHER FOR TWO YEARS, AND HE WAS MY ONLY SUPPORT SYSTEM. SHORTLY AFTER THAT, I HAD TO PE TO SAVE MY LIFE.”OMAR AND HIS AD PARTNER ARE FAR OM ALONE. NETY-SIX PERCENT OF LGBT+ IRAQIS HAVE FACED SOME FORM OF VERBAL OR PHYSIL VLENCE, THE FIRST EVER STUDY OF LGBT LIFE AND EXPERIENCE IRAQ HAS FOUND. IN 2017, MORE THAN 220 LGBT+ PEOPLE WERE KILLED THE UNTRY, THE SURVEY TIMAT. SCE 2003, THE STUDY SAYS THERE HAVE BEEN ANNUAL “KILLG MPAIGNS” IRAQ AIMED AT LGBT+ PEOPLE.OMAR’S EXPERIENCE IS ONE OF 257 LGBT+ IRAQI TTIMONI THAT FORM THE BASIS OF FIGHTG FOR THE RIGHT TO LIFE: THE STATE OF LGBT+ HUMAN RIGHTS IRAQ. THE REPORT WAS PILED BY ADVOCY GROUP IRAQUEER AND A PARTNER GROUP THAT WISH TO REMA ANONYMO FOR SAFETY REASONS. THE YEAR-LONG REARCH PROJECT ALSO SPOKE TO 11 ERNMENT OFFICIALS OR EMPLOYE, 16 RELIG LEARS, AND 201 MEMBERS OF IRAQI SOCIETY, AND SOUGHT TO GLEAN RMATN ABOUT IRAQI LGBT+ EXPERIENC BETWEEN 2015 AND 2018. IRAQUEER IS THE FIRST AND ONLY LGBT+ ANIZATN FOCG ON IRAQ AND THE KURDISH REGN. IT WAS FOUND 2015. COURTY IRAQUEER AMIR ASHOUR, FOUNR AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF IRAQUEER, TOLD THE DAILY BEAST: “THIS SURVEY IS THE FIRST OF S KD IRAQ. STATISTICS ABOUT THE LGBT+ MUNY IRAQ HAVE NEVER BEEN SHARED AS FAR AS WE KNOW. THIS NUMBER MIGHT SOUND SMALL WHEN PARED TO OTHER STUDI UNTRI LIKE THE U.K. BUT FOR A UNTRY LIKE IRAQ, WHERE ANY KD OF PUBLIC PARTICIPATN N LEAD TO FACG VLENCE AND POTENTIALLY ATH, THIS NUMBER IS POSIVELY SURPRISG.”ARMED GROUPS LIKE ISIS AND ASA’EB AHL AL-HAQ HAVE BEEN TWO OF THE MA GROUPS THREATENG THE LGBT+ MUNY, THE REPORT SAYS, WH ISIS’ PERSECUTN PARTICULARLY NOTORLY RERD IMAG OF GAY MEN BEG THROWN OFF BUILDGS.ARMED GROUPS HAVE ALSO ED BRICKS, GAS BOTTL, GUNS, AND OTHER WEAPONS TO KILL QUEER PEOPLE, IRAQUEER SAID.THE KILLGS HAVE TAKEN PLACE AS RECENTLY AS SEPTEMBER 2017. SEVERAL GAY MEN HAVE ALSO REPORTED THAT THEY HAVE BEEN SEXUALLY ASSLTED BY MEMBERS OF SUCH GROUPS.LGBT PEOPLE WERE ALSO PHYSILLY AND VERBALLY HARASSED BY TRIB AND FAY MEMBERS, WHO ACCE THEM OF SPOILG THE FAY’S “HONOR.” THIRTY-ONE PERCENT OF VLATNS AGAST LGBT PEOPLE WERE BY ARMED IAS, 27 PERCENT BY FAY, 22 PERCENT BY THE ERNMENT, 10 PERCENT BY ISIS, AND 10 PERCENT BY “OTHERS.” ISIS HAS MTED 30 KILLGS OF GAY MEN, ACRDG TO IRAQUEER AND OUTRIGHT INTERNATNAL. “THE ANNUAL KILLG MPAIGNS THAT HAVE BEEN HAPPENG FOR MORE THAN A ARE STILL UNADDRSED BY THE ERNMENT, AND NOT EVEN ONE PERSON HAS BEEN HELD ACUNTABLE FOR KILLG A GAY PERSON.”— AMIR ASHOUR, FOUNR AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF IRAQUEER THE SURVEY FOUND THAT NEARLY HALF, 42 PERCENT, OF THE VLENCE AGAST LGBT+ PEOPLE TOOK PLACE CENTRAL IRAQ, 32 PERCENT IRAQI KURDISTAN, AND 26 PERCENT SOUTHERN IRAQ.“LGBT+ DIVIDUALS IRAQ ARE FACG LIFE-THREATENG DANGER,” ASHOUR TOLD THE DAILY BEAST. “THE ANNUAL KILLG MPAIGNS THAT HAVE BEEN HAPPENG FOR MORE THAN A ARE STILL UNADDRSED BY THE ERNMENT, AND NOT EVEN ONE PERSON HAS BEEN HELD ACUNTABLE FOR KILLG A GAY PERSON. “THE FACT THAT 96 PERCENT OF LGBT+ PEOPLE RPOND TO THIS SURVEY SAYG THAT THEY HAVE FACED VLENCE IS HORRIFYG. NOT ONLY BEG VISIBLE IS IMPOSSIBLE, BUT ALSO THE MERE PERCEPTN OR THE MOR THAT ONE IS GAY N LEAD TO THAT PERSON’S ATH. THE REPORT CLUS TAILS OF ALL THE DIFFERENT VLATNS FACED BY THE LGBT+ MUNY, AND ALL OF THEM SHARE THE SAME LACK OF TST THE IRAQI ERNMENT.”THE VAST MAJORY OF LGBT+ RPONNTS TO IRAQUEER’S SURVEY LIVED IRAQ, ALTHOUGH SOME ASYLUM SEEKERS ALSO RELATED THEIR EXPERIENC; 61.5 PERCENT OF THOSE SURVEYED WERE GAY, 26.1 PERCENT LBIAN, 2.6 PERCENT BISEXUAL, 8.3 PERCENT TRANSGENR, AND 1.5 PERCENT FED THEMSELV AS “OTHERS.” “WE NEED OUR RIGHT TO LIFE. WE NEED OUR RIGHT TO HEALTH. WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO NOT BE AAID EVERY TIME WE MIGHT LEAVE OUR HO. WE NEED TO BE PROTECTED OM ILLEGAL POLICE RAIDS OF OUR HOM, AND THE VLENCE MTED BY ALL KDS OF GROUPS AGAST .”— AMIR ASHOUR “SCE THE UNED STAT AND UNED KGDOM LED VASN 2003, ONE MIGHT ARGUE THAT ALL IRAQIS HAVE BEEN FACG LIFE-THREATENG CIRCUMSTANC,” THE REPORT READS. “BUT THE SUATN FOR LGBT+ DIVIDUALS IS WORSE AND MORE DANGERO BEE THEY LACK ANY LEGAL PROTECTN WHATSOEVER AND TO DATE THERE IS NO POLIL WILL ON THE PART OF THE ERNMENT TO ADDRS HUMAN RIGHTS VLATNS AGAST LGBT+ DIVIDUALS. THE ERNMENT REF TO ACKNOWLEDGE LGBT+ DIVIDUALS AS IRAQI CIZENS AND IS NOT WILLG TO PROTECT THEM.”“THE NEEDS OF IRAQI LGBT+ PEOPLE ARE VERY BASIC,” ASHOUR TOLD THE DAILY BEAST. “WE NEED OUR RIGHT TO LIFE. WE NEED OUR RIGHT TO HEALTH. WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO NOT BE AAID EVERY TIME WE MIGHT LEAVE OUR HO. WE NEED TO BE PROTECTED OM ILLEGAL POLICE RAIDS OF OUR HOM, AND THE VLENCE MTED BY ALL KDS OF GROUPS AGAST . FOR NOW, WE JT WANT TO KNOW THAT OUR LIV MEAN SOMETHG.” THE REPORT FEATUR A NUMBER OF LGBT+ VOIC OM WH IRAQ. RANA OM BABYLON SAID: “I WILL DIE WHOUT ANYONE KNOWG THAT I WAS A LBIAN. ALL THE FEELGS I HAVE, AND ALL THE GIRLS I HAD CSH ON WILL REMA SECRETS I WILL TAKE WH ME TO MY GRAVE. I DON’T THK I WILL EVER LIVE TO SEE AN IRAQ THAT WEL PEOPLE LIKE ME.” “MY DAD IS A POLICE OFFICER AND HE FOUND OUT THAT I AM GAY. HE’S BEEN THREATENG TO KILL ME SCE THEN. I’VE BEEN STAYG AT MY IEND’S HOE SCE, AND RARELY GO OUT.”— MAZ, A GAY MAN LIVG BAGHDAD MAZ, A GAY MAN LIVG BAGHDAD, TOLD IRAQUEER JANUARY 2018: “I PED MY FAY’S HOME SIX MONTHS AGO. MY DAD IS A POLICE OFFICER AND HE FOUND OUT THAT I AM GAY. HE’S BEEN THREATENG TO KILL ME SCE THEN. I’VE BEEN STAYG AT MY IEND’S HOE SCE, AND RARELY GO OUT.” RAWA, A 26-YEAR-OLD GAY MAN, SAID HE WAS UNABLE TO KEEP HIS JOB BEE OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT AND VLENCE. “I WAS RAPED BY MY BOSS WHEN I WAS WORKG AS A BARISTA. HE THEN THREATENED THAT HE WILL REPORT ME TO THE POLICE IF I SAID ANYTHG. I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO PE.” HANA, WHO IS 31 YEARS OLD AND LIV THE KURDISTAN REGN OF IRAQ, SAID: “EVERY DAY I SPEND WH MY HBAND, ANOTHER PART OF ME DI. MY FATHER FORCED ME TO MARRY MY . I NO LONGER REGNIZE MYSELF THE MIRROR.” MEMBERS OF THE TRANS MUNY FACE PARTICULAR DANGER “SIMPLY BY EXISTG,” THE REPORT SAID. HORMONE TREATMENTS ARE NOT LEGAL AND SO MAKE TRANSNG EVEN MORE DANGERO. GENR NFIRMATN SURGERY IS NOT PERMTED BY THE LAW, AND IF PEOPLE MANAGE TO HAVE THE SURGERY OUTSI THE UNTRY, THEY FACE DIFFICULTI OBTAG LEGAL DOCUMENTS THAT REFLECT THEIR GENR INTY. COURTY IRAQUEER TRANS PEOPLE ALSO REPORTED VERBAL, PHYSIL, AND SEXUAL ABE AT VAR CHECKPOTS ACROSS BAGHDAD AND OTHER CI, IRAQUEER SAID. OTHER LGBT DIVIDUALS, PECIALLY “MASCULE” WOMEN, “FEME” MEN, AND TRANS PEOPLE, HAVE FACED PHYSIL ABE NORTHERN IRAQ UNR THE KURDISTAN REGNAL ERNMENT. SAZGAR, A 41-YEAR-OLD LBIAN, WAS TAED BY THE POLICE SEVERAL TIM. “A POLICE OFFICER THREATENED TO RAPE ME AND SAID THAT MIGHT MAKE ME A REAL WOMAN,” SHE TOLD IRAQUEER. “THE LGBT+ MUNY IRAQ DO NOT ONLY NEED LGBT+ ACTIVISM,” ASHOUR TOLD THE DAILY BEAST. “WE NEED HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISM. WE NEED WOMEN’S RIGHTS GROUPS, CHILDREN’S RIGHTS ACTIVISTS, AND OTHERS WHO FOC ON TN, HEALTH, AND SUCH TO BE CLIVE WHEN THEY WORK ON HUMAN RIGHTS. WE NEED THE SOCIETY TO REGNIZE THAT ADVOTG FOR HUMAN RIGHTS DO NOT E TEGORI. WE EHER HAVE EQUALY OR WE DON’T.” “I PED A MUTE AFTER MY DAD UGHT ME WH MY BOYIEND MY ROOM. IF I HAD STAYED TO GATHER MY DOCUMENTS, I WOULD’VE BEEN AD BY NOW.”— AMMAR, AN ASYLUM SEEKER GERMANY EIGHTY-NE PERCENT OF THOSE SURVEYED SAID THE IRAQI MEDIA’S RELENTLSLY ANTI-LGBT+ VERAGE HAD NEGATIVELY FLUENCED THEIR SELF-PERCEPTN.LGBT ASYLUM SEEKERS OM IRAQ HAVE TO FLEE THEIR HOM THE MOMENT OF DISVERY SO QUICKLY THAT THEY DO NOT HAVE TIME TO GATHER CCIAL DOCUMENTS. AMMAR, AN ASYLUM SEEKER GERMANY, TOLD IRAQUEER: “I PED A MUTE AFTER MY DAD UGHT ME WH MY BOYIEND MY ROOM. IF I HAD STAYED TO GATHER MY DOCUMENTS, I WOULD’VE BEEN AD BY NOW.” “TO ENSURE HUMAN RIGHTS FOR THE LGBT+ MUNY, IRAQ DO NOT NEED TO PASS OR AMEND LEGISLATN. THE IRAQI GOVERNMENT SIMPLY NEEDS TO RPECT AND IMPLEMENT S OWN MMENTS TO THE NATNAL NSTUTN AND LAWS, AND HONOR S MMENTS UNR INTERNATNAL HUMAN RIGHTS LAW,” IRAQUEER’S SURVEY NCLUS. COURTY IRAQUEER “OUR MOST IMPORTANT ASK IS TO PROTECT THE LGBT+ MUNY OM THE KILLG MPAIGNS ANIZED AGAST THEM, AND TO HOLD PERPETRATORS ACUNTABLE FOR THEIR CRIM,” ASHOUR TOLD THE DAILY BEAST. “WHOUT OUR RIGHT TO LIFE, THERE IS NO POT TO TALK ABOUT ANY OF OUR OTHER RIGHTS. THE IRAQI ERNMENT MT RPECT AND APPLY IRAQI AND TERNATNAL LAWS, BOTH OF WHICH SHOULD BE ENOUGH TO PROTECT LGBT+ DIVIDUALS OM KILLGS AND HUMAN RIGHTS ABE.“ALSO, WE WANT THE PUBLIC TO KNOW WHAT DIFFICULTI WE ARE FACG AS A MUNY AND AS AN ANIZATN, AND HOPEFULLY MOTIVATE THEM TO SUPPORT FANCIALLY AND POLILLY. SADLY, WE DO NOT HAVE A LOT OF SPACE TO DO ANY OF THAT SI IRAQ, NOT PUBLICLY AND SAFELY AT LEAST. WE NEED TO RELY ON OUR SUPPORTERS GLOBALLY TO HELP BUILD A STRONGER BASE THAT N ENABLE TO STRENGTHEN OUR WORK SI IRAQ.” “PEOPLE’S DONATNS N POTENTIALLY SAVE LGBT+ IRAQIS’ LIV. HELP PROVI SAFE HOG, MEDIL SERVIC, AND OTHER BASIC NEEDS.”— AMIR ASHOUR MANY PEOPLE IRAQUEER HAS SPOKEN TO ARE HOMELS OR LIVG TEMPORARY SUATNS AS THEY ARE CHASED BY DIFFERENT GROUPS AND DO NOT HAVE THE MEANS TO SUPPORT THEMSELV, ASHOUR SAID. “PEOPLE’S DONATNS N POTENTIALLY SAVE LGBT+ IRAQIS’ LIV,” SAID ASHOUR. “HELP PROVI SAFE HOG, MEDIL SERVIC, AND OTHER BASIC NEEDS.” TO THOSE WHO ARE POLILLY NNECTED, ASHOUR ASKS THAT THEY LOBBY THEIR ERNMENTS AND THE IRAQI ERNMENT “TO RPECT AND IMPLEMENT HUMAN RIGHTS STANDARDS.”THE REPORT DO NOT CLU THE STORI OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO WERE KILLED AND WERE NOT ABLE TO SHARE THEIR STORY, ASHOUR SAID. “HOW MUCH MORE WOULD WE BE ABLE TO DOCUMENT IF WE WERE WORKG A SAFER UNTRY WHERE WE WOULDN’T BE AAID OF NDUCTG SUCH REARCH AND PEOPLE WOULD NOT BE SRED OF SHARG THEIR STORI?” PERSONAL LGBT+ STORIES FROM INSIDE IRAQA GAY MAN HIS TWENTITELL ABOUT YOUR CHILDHOOD, AND GROWG UP. YOUR FAY, YOUR EXPERIENCE OF BEG LGBT.I WAS BORN TO A VERY REGULAR MIDDLE-CLASS KURDISH FAY. BOTH MY PARENTS HELD AND STILL HOLD ERNMENT EMPLOYEE POSNS. AS A KID, I WAS CUR, SOCIAL, AND ALWAYS YEARNG TO LEARN ABOUT THGS AND PEOPLE. I LEARNED ARABIC THROUGH WATCHG RTOONS LONG BEFORE I STARTED SCHOOL. I DID VERY WELL SCHOOL AND I MA MY PARENTS PROUD.ALTHOUGH I HAD ALWAYS FELT DIFFERENT OM MY IENDS, THE FEELGS OF BEG DIFFERENT AND ISOLATN BEGAN TO TENSIFY AS I APPROACHED PUBERTY. I HAD SOME IENDS WHO WOULD SHOW ME PORNOGRAPHIC IMAG AND VIOS, AND I SOON REALIZED THAT I WAS TERTED MAL. AT FIRST, I DIDN’T KNOW WHAT WAS LLED OR THAT WASN’T ACCEPTED BY SOCIETY. HOWEVER, DIDN’T TAKE LONG FOR ME TO LEARN THE WORD THROUGH THE TER. WHAT I WAS, WAS LLED “GAY.” I LEARNED THAT BEG GAY WASN’T WELED BY SOCIETY AND I WOULD SPEND HOURS EVERY NIGHT GOOGLG “HOW TO STOP BEG GAY.” THE ANSWERS I GOT WEREN’T WHAT I HOPED TO FD. I SANK TO A PERD WHERE I WOULD SPERATELY PRAY TO GOD HE WOULD CHANGE ME, BUT TO NO AVAIL. I FALLY ACCEPTED THAT I ULDN’T STOP BEG GAY, BUT I STILL DIDN’T ACCEPT MY INTY. I WAS TERMED TO NCEAL MY INTY AND TO STAY CELIBATE FOREVER.WHEN I STARTED HIGH SCHOOL AT AN ALL-MALE SCHOOL, ONE OF MY CLASSMAT AND I FELL FOR EACH OTHER. WE NEVER SPOKE OF BEG GAY BUT WE WERE LOVE. THE EXPERIENCE DIDN’T END UP WELL AND I SANK TO A VERY EP, NOW DIAGNOSED, CLIL PRSN. IT TOOK A FEW YEARS FOR ME TO GET BETTER, AND EVEN NOW I STILL STGGLE WH PRSN. I BEGAN TO ACCEPT MY INTY THROUGH THE PROCS. I WAS VERY LUCKY TO HAVE OPEN-MD IENDS. I SLOWLY ME OUT TO MY CLOSE IENDS, ALL OF WHOM WERE SUPPORTIVE OF ME AND MY INTY.FAST FORWARD TO NOW, I HAVE FULLY ACCEPTED MY INTY AND I AM SURROUND BY IENDS WHO ARE EHER LGBT THEMSELV OR WHO ARE VERY SUPPORTIVE. I NSIR THEM MY FAY. SOME OF LIVE DIFFERENT UNTRI, AND WE VIS EACH OTHER AS OFTEN AS MONEY AND VISA SUATNS ALLOW.WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU?I HAVE ONLY HAD ONE ALTERTN WH THE POLICE. I WAS DATG A GUY AT THE TIME AND WE WOULD DRIVE TO THE MOUNTAS TO PE REALY. IT WAS VERY LATE AT NIGHT AND A POLICE R DROVE BY . THEY STOPPED AND TOLD THAT THEY HAD SEEN KISSG. THEY STARTED BEATG AND SULTG . BUT THEY LET GO THE END.WHAT HAPPENED NEXT?I NEVER DROVE TO THE MOUNTAS AGA.WHERE ARE YOU NOW?I AM A LLEGE STUNT KURDISTAN/IRAQ.HOW ARE YOU DOG NOW?I AM AT A VERY DARK PLACE. I AM STGGLG WH MY PRSN, WHICH HAS AFFECTED ALL ASPECTS OF MY LIFE. EVEN THOUGH I HAVE MANY IENDS WHO ARE SUPPORTIVE OF ME, I STILL FEEL LIKE I DON’T BELONG WHERE I AM AT.WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE HAPPEN WHEN TO THE LGBT PEOPLE AND LIFE IRAQ?I WOULD LIKE THE UNTRY TO REVER OM THE RECENT AND THE OLR EVENTS. I WOULD LIKE THE SECURY AND THE SAFETY SUATNS TO IMPROVE. I WOULD LIKE THE SOCIETY TO BEE MORE CIVIL AND TED. I WOULD LIKE THE SOCIETY TO OPEN S ARMS TO EVERYONE REGARDLS OF THEIR DIFFERENC. AND MOST OF ALL, I WOULD LIKE THE LGBT+ MUNY TO FEEL SAFE AND AT HOME, AND TO FEEL LIKE THEY BELONG. TIM TEEMAN

© 2022 John Holm for Human Rights WatchLah, a 27-year-old gay man om Baghdad, said he watched as armed group members abducted his boyiend om his hoe, tortured and killed him. © 2022 John Holm for Human Rights WatchKarim, an 18-year-old gay man om Najaf, said he was 17 when police Baghdad arrted him, verbally and physilly abed him, sexually harassed him, and subjected him to a forced anal exam. 99999999877 percent certa life is pretty miserable for many of Iraq’s openly gay and transgenr folks.

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

State Department’s Bure of Near Eastern Affairs John Flemg that all is okay wh gays Iraq — you know, bee homosexualy isn’t illegal, so what’s there to worry about? ” Long also says the “crackdown” on gay and even effemate men is beg led by ias mand by the Mahdi Army of radil Shie cleric Moqtada al-Sadr (pictured), a group known as Sadrists, which radilly ntradicts al-Sadr’s supposed ll for an end to anti-gay vlence. … Although there are substantiated reports that Shi’e mosqu started preachg about the dangers of homosexualy earlier this years neighborhoods such as [strong Sadrist centers] Medat Sadr and Karrada, they do not appear to have directly lled for killg.

HOW ISLAMIST GANGS E TER TO TRACK, TORTURE AND KILL IRAQI GAYS

That’s the report om Islam Onle, whose terpretatn of gay life Iraq is markedly different om ternatnal aid groups.

Gay life is thrivg post-vasn Iraq wh many plac beg openly homosexual-iendly amid efforts by social groups and relig lears to reverse the trend. “The gay muny Iraq is creasg spe the fear om extremists, ” Salahdne Abdullah al-Rabia’a, a social worker the pal Baghdad, told.

Contrary to reports that homosexuals are gog unrground, gays are reportedly gag choic and plac the war-torn untry. In the first years after the US-led vasn, ant attacks had led gays to go to hidg.

IRAQI GAYS TARGETED, BTALLY KILLED: HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH

But now, nearly seven years, gay life is takg some roots wh central Baghdad emergg as their popular meetg pot.

Wh very few money, as cheep as US $3, gay upl are able to spend hours hotels wh no worri of attacks or secury arrts. Cemas, taverns and specific rners are the new havens for homosexuals, particularly mal. (Not to mentn some of the new “gay-oriented bs” clu prostutn.

Certaly, the experienc of gays Iraq differs om cy to cy, but Baghdad is reportedly home base to gays thrivg and gays beg targeted.

GAY UNSELOR'S FIRG BY INDIANAPOLIS CATHOLIC SCHOOL PERMTED BY FERAL APPEALS URT

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“I was threatened wh ath by my fay, after they found out I was gay”. 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.

JAGUARS STRENGTH COACH KEV MAXEN COM OUT AS GAY

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. “I uldn’t tell anyone around me that I’m a gay man.

“I was threatened wh ath by my fay, after they found out I am gay. “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. Lost love Omar* is another gay man om Sulaymaniyah and is still livg Iraq.