Gay Paltians Are Beg Blackmailed Into Workg As Informants

Contents:

• EXPLORG GAY PALTE
• GAY PALTIANS ARE BEG BLACKMAILED INTO WORKG AS INFORMANTS
• GAY PALTIANS
• SHOCK, QUTNS AFTER GOME KILLG OF GAY PALTIAN

EXPLORG GAY PALTE

“Meet me at Arafat Square, ” my gay Paltian iend Najeeb texted me, “I’ll take you to one of the queer fés Ramallah. Admtedly, I arrived the Wt Bank wh certa expectatns of homophobia, xenophobia, and even vlence.

GAY PALTIANS ARE BEG BLACKMAILED INTO WORKG AS INFORMANTS

Acrdg to Troy Masters, origally om Nashville and currently livg New York as the -founr and associate publisher of Gay Cy News. Troy reunts a story of g across a small group of gay and l- bian Paltians Ramallah who, “after spottg me as gay, ved me to their table and offered me ffee. ” Many other gay travelers I met the Wt Bank reunted siar stori of hospaly.

GAY PALTIANS

Gay Perspectiv Palte. Another gay Paltean I met Ramallah, Sam, says that homosexualy is generally not accepted Palte, but there are spac Ramallah where you n “be whatever you want.

Though there are no laws the Wt Bank that crimalize homo-sexualy, neher are there laws that protect LGBTQ persons om discrimatn. Gay polics Palte are plited by a nvo- luted history of legal s, cludg Ottoman, Brish, Jordanian, Egyptian, and Israeli occupatn. In Gaza, for example, homosexual acts between men are still illegal unr the Brish Mandate Crimal Co Ordance of 1936.

(For more rmatn on LGBTQ rights Palte, I suggt readg through the publitns of the Paltian gay rights group lled alQaws. Timothy McCarthy, a foundg member of Barack Obama’s Natnal LGBT Learship Council and part of the first LGBT legatn of the US to Israel/Palte told me that “the suatn that Paltians them- selv are ‘by nature’ more homophobic is not te…while there is certaly more progrs to be ma on LGBT issu Palte, this is te of Israel and the Uned Stat as well. I spoke wh several other gay travelers about how safe they felt durg their travels to the Wt Bank.

SHOCK, QUTNS AFTER GOME KILLG OF GAY PALTIAN

Gay Pri shuffl awkwardly. ”Saif is wonrg what would happen if his homosexualy was ma public. As a gay guy the Paltian Wt Bank, such rmatn uld see him murred.

While his sexualy remas hidn om his direct fay, Saif said lol Paltian Authory police are aware and keep fil on him and other homosexuals, blackmailg them to workg as spi and rmants. In recent months, PA forc have stggled for ntrol of ci, and 's that temperamental nature the Wt Bank that elics an environment where those on the social g are targeted for Paltian law don't crimalise homosexualy, is socially taboo to be openly gay. Saif believ that the PA surveillance on him rulted om his first relatnship, wh a “well-known” homosexual.