Azeri-Armenian gay love story stras at taboos | Rters

Contents:

• GAY LIFE AZERBAIJAN
• GAY DICTNARY AZERI
• AZERI-ARMENIAN GAY LOVE STORY STRAS AT TABOOS
• AZERI GAY RIGHTS ACTIVIST'S DEATH RAIS DIFFICULT QUTNS
• NOVEL OF GAY LOVE BRGS OUT THE POLICE
• GAY AZERBAIJAN NEWS & REPORTS
• BAKU GAY TRAVEL
• FEATURE: THE TTH ABOUT GAY LIFE AZERBAIJAN OUTSI OF THE EUROVISN SONG CONTT
• AZERBAIJAN DETAS DOZENS OF GAY AND TRANSGENR PEOPLE

GAY LIFE AZERBAIJAN

The year 2000 saw the abolishg of the Azerbaijani law forbiddg homosexual teractns (gay sex). Gay Life a Straight Society. Although homosexual acts between nsentg male adults were officially crimalized, reports about police ab agast gays, maly male prostut, persisted durg the last year.

It has been observed that the state ntrolled media outlets e homosexualy as a tool to harass and discred crics of the ernment and opposn journalist. Homosexualy Azerbaijan is an issue surround by nfn, ignorance, secrecy and a lack of nceptual unrstandg at the most basic level. There is hardly any objective and rrect rmatn on the psychologil, soclogil and legal aspects of homosexualy Azerbaijan, wh the rult that the majory of society simply do not know what homosexualy is.

Social attus are generally homophobic. “Comg out” as a gay, lbian, bisexual or transgenr person is therefore rare and dividual LGBT people are aaid of the nsequenc.

GAY DICTNARY AZERI

Some feel eply ashamed about beg gay.

AZERI-ARMENIAN GAY LOVE STORY STRAS AT TABOOS

Some, particular those who are fancially pennt and livg Baku, are able to lead a safe life as a LGBT person, as long as they ‘practice’ their homosexualy the private sphere.

The age of nsent is equal for both heterosexual and homosexual sex, at 16 years of age. As of 2009, there are no tablished forms of legally regnized unns for homosexuals. But not all is well for LGBT people Azerbaijan; is, spe some reforms and secularism, still a Mlim-based untry where homophobia has ep roots i the relign.

As reported this BBC story, one gay artist was forced to flee his untry bee of persecutn and threats. Eurovisn 2012: Azerbaijan’s Gays Not Wele at Home. Officials Azerbaijan sist gay visors are wele to the 2012 Eurovisn song ntt when the event, which has an enthiastic gay followg, is hosted the pal, Baku.

AZERI GAY RIGHTS ACTIVIST'S DEATH RAIS DIFFICULT QUTNS

However, such assuranc jar wh those who have had first-hand experience of how homosexuals are treated Azeri society. “My brother has vowed to kill me, and then kill himself, ” says Babi Badalov (photo right), a radil gay Azeri artist who has recently been granted polil asylum France. “We knew he was gay, ” says his iend Tora Aghabayova, also an artist.

“But he never talked about beg gay, so we didn’t mentn eher. But his applitn failed on the grounds that homosexualy was not illegal Azerbaijan. “Homosexualy here is seen as worse than prostutn, ” says Yadigyar Sadykov, a human rights activist om Mr Badalov’s native regn.

“If a fay cid to kill a gay relative, most people would approve. I have heard of many suicis of spected homosexuals – I have never met an openly gay person around here. “Durg Eurovisn, no-one will bother gay foreigners Baku, ” says Alekper Aliyev, a wrer and an thor of a ntroversial book about a gay relatnship between an Azeri and a man om Armenia, the untry’s historic enemy.

NOVEL OF GAY LOVE BRGS OUT THE POLICE

There are several openly gay celebri Baku who have money and bodyguards, and they are safe.

But nothg will change for the majory of gays, particularly the provc. Azeri officials disagree, potg out that Azerbaijan crimalized homosexualy 2001. “Recently there has been much ill-rmed speculatn by some expatriat about how we treat our homosexual muny, ” says Elnur Aslanov, a senr official om the printial admistratn.

“Everyone knows that after midnight not far om this hotel you n get gay sex wh a transvte prostute. And yet homosexualy to them is disgtg.

GAY AZERBAIJAN NEWS & REPORTS

“Everybody’s rights are vlated Azerbaijan, ” says Mr Badalov, “and gays are not an exceptn. ILGA Report About Gay Azerbaijan.

BAKU GAY TRAVEL

ILGA Report: Submted by Azerbaijanian gay muny. Homosexualy is not well seen and public homosexual behavr not tolerated, although a uple of bars seem to work as meetg plac for the gay and lbian muny.

Neverthels gay visors may nsir keepg a low profile. Currently article 150 only prcrib punishment for vlent homosexual terurse, which is punishable by 3-15 year imprisonment.

FEATURE: THE TTH ABOUT GAY LIFE AZERBAIJAN OUTSI OF THE EUROVISN SONG CONTT

Lbian and non-perative gay sex between nsentg adults is not explicly mentned the laws as a crimal offense. In a recent printial amnty, prisoners nvicted for homosexual acts were exclud om those released. There are no exclively Gay bars, but a uple of bars have a mixed clientele.

Anyway, male or female, straight or gay, take preutns, HIV fectn levels are on the rise Azerbaijan. Interview wh a Azerbaijani Gay Activist. As far as I n remember, an anizatn, official reprentativ of LGBT muny Azerbaijan, exists om 2006 – 2007 [this was ‘Azeri Gay Communy’].

AZERBAIJAN DETAS DOZENS OF GAY AND TRANSGENR PEOPLE

Q: Although homosexualy is legal Azerbaijan, I unrstand that is not tolerated? People do not know about blogil and geic of homosexualy. Q: How do gay upl survive, is everyone closeted?

A: If you mean livg together, there are many homosexual upl Azerbaijan. In most of our fai, the attu towards gays is that they shouldn’t be their fai.

Q: What do you thk about the future of the LGBT gay movement Azerbaijan?