Algeria: "We want to show that a new era begins for LGBT"

Source: Tetu

By Habibou Bangré

[Google translation]

The militant group Abu Nawas - name of the poet "gay" from the eighth century buried in Baghdad (Iraq) - October 10 celebrates the fourth annual LGBT Algerians. Criminalization of homosexuality forces, there has never been a Pride march in the country. While members of the community symbolically lit a candle at the same time to break the isolation ...
 
Since the first edition, participation is "shy" but gaining momentum, thanks to Gay and Lesbian partner of Algeria (GLA). Still, the concept is decommunitised. This year, Abu Nawas officially invite the LGBT supporters to join the movement to 20h. Whatever their nationality and sexual orientation.
 
TÊTU: For the first time, the day has a LGBT theme: hope. Why is that?
 
Yahia: To show that a new era begins, we hope to change everyday, get a social change in terms of LGBT rights. We hope that tomorrow everyone LGBT can live his life like any Algerian. Finally, it does not take much: just have the same rights as everyone else!
 
The concept is changing a bit for this fourth edition ...

Since the launch, there has always been discreetly: we lit a candle at home. This time we decided to go out into the street to the Algerian people say we're here, we exist and we are among them. The idea is to represent the 48 wilaya (prefecture, ed) with pictures of candles made in the different monuments. We've already received pictures from several cities in Algeria (Oran, Algiers, Jijel, Setif) but also others taken with a symbol of Algeria to the United States, Sudan, Qatar, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, in Jerusalem.
 
The photos will be used. Comment? How?

It has not yet defined what we were doing, but one of our members thought of designing a beautiful album - "Elachi," which means in Algeria "sociability" - and edit it. We could do something artistic rather interesting.

• Video: It's national LGBT day in Algeria