United Arab Emirates persecution of LGBT protested

A group called Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual & Transexual Rights UAE has presented an open letter to representatives of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in London as well as to the Canadian PM and UNHCHR.

The letter details examples of the persecution of LGBT people in the UAE. It particularly targets the Emirates Psychological Association and says that "belief in God cannot be an excuse for oppressing and terrorizing citizens."

It reads:

This letter is being written, with permission, on behalf of a particular contingent of the Diaspora of Arab citizens throughout Canada and the world. These are an Arab populace who feel obligated to openly criticize the government of the United Arab Emirates for their unwillingness to protect the basic human rights of its citizens, as they are codified in Article One of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The foundation for this internationally-recognized mandate begins with the belief that “all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.” Furthermore, the specific rights required for a society to be truly just and righteous are further defined as the “freedom of speech, freedom of belief, freedom from want, and freedom from fear.”  The group that wishes to publically express their concern with grievous breaches of this universally-recognized mandate is the Facebook group, Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual & Transexual Rights in the UAE.

On February 11th, 2006, six men were arrested in the United Arab Emirates for being at an alleged gay wedding in Ghantout. These men were convicted under the United Arab Emirates’ laws that ban obscenity and homosexual activity. “Because they've put society at risk they will be given the necessary treatment, from male hormone injections to psychological therapies,” the Interior Ministry spokesman, Issam Azouri told the local media. This practice of imprisoning individuals and subjecting them to a medical procedure with no scientific basis, just for expressing their innate, human tendencies that are protected under the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, is an atrocity that demands the attention of all Arabs and other concerned citizens around the world.

The incident in Ghantout is not an isolated event in the recent political climate of the U.A.E. In May, 2008 the Khaleej Times daily quoted Dubai Police Chief, Dhahi Khalfan Tamim as saying, "Several men in women's dresses and make-up have been arrested from shopping malls and residential buildings.” Following the arrests of the six men in Ghantout and the negative reaction of the international community, particularly the U.S. State Department, the sentencing for this indigenous transsexual community has been kept out of the international media; however, the arrests continue, as do the punishments demanded under Article 354 of the Federal Penal Code that states, “Whoever commits rape on a female or sodomy with a male shall be punished by death.”  Under this law, consensual sex between male adults is a crime punishable by death. Sodomy is not the only activity deemed punishable. On September 8th, 2008, two women were arrested for making out on a beach in Dubai. They were imprisoned for thirty days and then deported. In 2009, a homosexual couple from Toronto, Rocky Sharma and Stephen Macleod, were detained for their obvious homosexual tendencies and eventually arrested and held in separate prisons for thirty-nine days for possession of Celebrex, an over-the-counter medication. The real reason for their detainment was their apparent sexuality.

On December 6th, 2011, Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton pointed out a fact that has been confirmed by a vast majority of the international, scientific community: “Being gay is not a Western invention; it is a human reality.” She further articulated how “gay people are born into and belong to every society in the world. They are all ages, all races, all faiths; they are doctors and teachers, farmers and bankers, soldiers and athletes; and whether we know it, or whether we acknowledge it, they are our family, our friends, and our neighbours.” The Universal Declaration that protects these friends and neighbours was ratified through a proclamation by the General Assembly of the United Nations on December 10, 1948 with a count of 48 votes to none. The world has come to a complete consensus on this issue; humans should not be prosecuted or punished for their intrinsic sexual natures.

On May 28th, 2003, The U.A.E. formed the Emirates Psychological Association, an organization vested with “facilitating exchange of scientific and intellectual output between the association and other organizations in the UAE.”  We can only hope this association holds the most promise for generating empathy for those being persecuted for their natural, sexual orientations, as it is the consensus of all psychological associations around the world that homosexuality is a natural human condition. If the U.A.E. wishes to be a credible part of this international scientific community, they must concede this point, regardless of personal religious convictions. Belief in God cannot be an excuse for oppressing and terrorizing citizens. The Diaspora of Arab citizens who are represented in this letter implore the Emirates Psychological Association to review the scholarly evidence on this matter and publicly express their opposition to Article 354 of the Federal Penal Code and all other U.A.E. laws that discriminate against those persecuted for their natural, sexual orientation.

The group, Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual & Transexual Rights in the UAE, wishes to thank all those particularly chosen by us to read this letter and we wish to ask all others that read this to offer their support by emailing the following individuals, government entities and associations to ask them to accept the fact that homosexuality should be a protected human right the world over, regardless of nationality or personal religious conviction.

The letter was sent to: Ambassador, H. E.  Mr. Mohamed Abdulla Al Ghafli at the Ottawa Embassy for the United Arab Emirates; Counsellor, Mr. Mohammed Saeed Al Kaabi at the Ottawa Embassy for the United Arab Emirates; the Cultural Attaché for Education, Mr. Ali Rashed Al Mazrouei at the Ottawa Embassy for the United Arab Emirates; the Canadian Human Rights Commission; Prime Minister of Canada, Stephen Harper; the Office for the High Commissioner for Human Rights at the United Nations; Anjali Kapoor, Managing Editor, Digital, The Globe and Mail; Patti Tasko, Senior Supervising Editor at the Canadian Press head office in Toronto.

Related articles

• United Arab Emirates blogger sentenced to 3 years 
• In Dubai, fear stalks gay relationships (madikazemi.blogspot.com) 
• In Abu Dhabi, teenage boys sentenced to jail over 'secret habit' (madikazemi.blogspot.com)

Kenyan men trafficked as sex slaves to Gulf states

By Paul Canning

A Kenyan gay magazine has exposed male sex trafficking between Kenya and the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

Identity magazine says that gay and bisexual Kenyans are being lured from universities with promises of jobs only to end up as sex slaves.

The prestigious Kenyatta University is being particularly targeted, the magazine found. The men are often desperate as Kenya suffers from high unemployment.

Men are offered jobs as air stewards or in offices and help with visas and passports. Officials are bribed to facilitate travel.

They spoke to one victim promised a job in Qatar but who ended up suffering humiliating and violent sadistic sexual abuse. He managed to escape but told the magazine that he had traveled to the Gulf state with five others and they were then separated at the airport.

Qatar has no anti-trafficking legislation and is on a U.S. Department of State watch list for showing no evidence of overall progress in prosecuting and punishing trafficking offenders and identifying victims of trafficking.

Kenya does have anti-trafficking legislation, as of last year, but because homosexuality is illegal in both the Arab states as well as Kenya the men are unable to report abuse to police.

In July two men were reported to have been arrested for gay sex in Nairobi. In May the Kenya Human Rights Commission accused the police of sexually assaulting gay men in their custody.

Related articles

• Kenya: New Gay Website Gives New Voice to Lgbti Community (mask.org.za) 
• Report: In Kenya, police abuse LGBT, church, politicians incite violence (madikazemi.blogspot.com)
• Gay Kenya appeal (madikazemi.blogspot.com)

UN human rights commissioner tells General Assembly 'LGBT rights should be non-controversial'

Navi Pillay image via Wikipedia

Source: UN

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay 20 October presented her annual report [PDF] to the General Assembly. The written report touched on SOGI [sexual orientation and gender identity] issues in the following section of text:

“The Office continued to draw attention to human rights violations, including discrimination, perpetrated against individuals on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity. By resolution 17/19, the Human Rights Council, expressing grave concern at acts of violence and discrimination, in all regions of the world, committed against persons because of their sexual orientation and gender identity, requested me to commission a study on relevant discriminatory laws and practices and acts of violence. The findings of the study will be discussed by the Council at its nineteenth session.”

In her oral statement introducing her report this morning, the High Commissioner [HC] also mentioned SOGI-related work in the context of other discrimination-related work that the Office is carrying out, saying:

“Moving now to the topic of countering inequality and discrimination, OHCHR continued to draw attention to human rights violations, including discrimination, perpetrated against individuals on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity. In June, the HRC adopted resolution 17/19 “expressing grave concern at acts of violence and discrimination, in all regions of the world, committed against persons because of their sexual orientation and gender identity.” The resolution requests my Office to commission a dedicated study which will be discussed at the Council’s 19th session.”

During the Q and A session that followed the High Commissioner’s statements, a number of States asked questions or made statements referring to the Office’s focus on SOGI-related issues. Notably, the United Arab Emirates speaking on behalf of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) devoted its entire statement to the issue, expressing serious concern at “an attempt to introduce to the United Nations some undefined notions that have no legal foundation in any international human rights instrument.”

The OIC was:

“disturbed at the attempt to focus on certain persons on the grounds of their sexual interests and behaviours … our alarm does not merely stem from concerns about the lack of legal grounds, but more importantly it arises from the ominous usage of that notion. The notion of sexual orientation spans a wide range of personal choices that expand way beyond the individual’s sexual interest. The OIC reaffirms that this undefined notion is not and should not be linked to existing international human rights instruments.”

Speaking for the African Group, Kenya also expressed concern about the allocation of resources to “social issues” that lie outside of agreed human rights frameworks and urged the Office to wait until States are in agreement on the scope of such issues and any new obligations before pursuing work in such areas.

Benin suggested that the HC should restrict herself to human rights that were universally agreed by the internationally community and deplored the attempt to introduce new rights or concepts such as sexual orientation in the name of universality.

Iran also stressed the need for the HC to avoid insisting on issues which are not yet covered by internationally recognized norms and standards.

Speaking in support of the Office’s work in the area of SOGI were Chile, Ireland, Norway, South Africa, the United Kingdom, all of whom said they looked forward to the release of the HC’s forthcoming study on violence and discrimination against individuals on the basis of their sexual orientation and gender identity. In its statement, South Africa referred to the discussion of the study’s findings and recommendations in March as a potential opportunity for dialogue rather than finger-pointing.

In her response to question, the High Commissioner said:

“As a human rights challenge, countering discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity should be non-controversial. We are not trying to create new rights or extend human rights into new, uncharted territory. What we are doing is insisting that all people are entitled to the same rights and to the equal protection of international human rights law—doesn’t matter who they are, what they look like, or whether you approve of them or disapprove of them."

“In June 2011, the Human Rights Council adopted resolution 17/19, expressing deep concern at acts of violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The resolution requests my Office to prepare a study documenting violence, discriminatory laws and discriminatory practices, and setting out ways in which international human rights law can be used to prevent these kinds of human rights violations in future. In March, we will have a panel discussion at the Human Rights Council, as foreseen in resolution 17/19, at which Member States can discuss the findings and recommendations contained in the study.

“If we can just focus on the facts, on the violations themselves—on cases of people being killed, raped, attacked, imprisoned, tortured and executed for being gay, lesbian bisexual or transgender, or simply discriminated against—then I think we will begin to see more and more support for action to address these problems in a more effective manner at the national level.”

Related articles

• UN passes historic LGBT human rights resolution (madikazemi.blogspot.com) 
• Video: UN Human Rights Commissioner's powerful support for LGBT human rights (madikazemi.blogspot.com)

In Abu Dhabi, teenage boys sentenced to jail over 'secret habit'

Source: The National

By Haneen Dajani

Two teenage boys who committed indecent acts on themselves were sentenced to two months in a youth correctional centre after being cleared of rape and kidnapping.

SM, an Egyptian, and RM, who is Jordanian, had been accused with two friends of kidnapping, robbing and raping a Filipino man, AJ.

The friends, AM, Jordanian, and MM, Egyptian, were cleared of those charges but sentenced to three months for homosexual acts.

The judges who issued the verdict said the boys were sentenced to two months because they practised the "secret habit" on top of AJ's naked body, so it was considered as a form of sexual assault.

"However, if a person practises the 'secret habit' in the privacy of their bathroom, they don't face penalties," one of the judges noted.

AJ had accused the boys of kidnapping him and taking him to his apartment, where they raped him and then stole Dh150 and a gold chain.

In previous hearings, the teenagers argued that AJ actually offered them money in exchange for sex. The taxi driver who drove the group to AJ's apartment testified that AJ rode willingly with them.

According to the UAE Fatwa Centre, though there is no penalty for masturbation under Sharia, it is forbidden under Islam.

"There is one exception, however, which is if the person was in a situation where he could either commit sex out of wedlock or get rid of his desire through masturbating. Then [masturbation] is the lesser of two evils," the fatwa says.

Related articles

• Three Men Reportedly Executed in Iran for Gay Sex (towleroad.com)

In Dubai, fear stalks gay relationships

Image via Wikipedia

Source: Gay Middle East

By Dan Littauer and Sami Al Ali

The UAE newspaper The National reported 25 May that a man was accused today, in Dubai, of tying up his colleague and roommate, then stabbing him in the neck after accusing him of spreading rumours that he’s gay.

The Egyptian AM, 27, denied the charge of attempting to kill his compatriot MA, 37, when he appeared before the Dubai Criminal Court of First Instance.

According to records, the two worked at a glass installation company and on the day of the incident, in December 2010, they returned to their apartment in International City for a midday break.

MA told prosecutors that he took a one-hour nap in the bedroom, and when he woke, he saw AM sitting on the bed holding a rope. He said AM convinced him that he wanted to play a game that included tying him up. He testified that AM tied his hands and legs, and wrapped the rope around his body.

"When I told him that my hands hurt, he answered that its better than your heart hurting you," said MA, who then untied himself and followed AM into the living room to ask him what he meant, records show.

AM then told him he heard MA was talking about him behind his back, telling people AM was gay. MA said he denied it, but AM grabbed a kitchen knife and stabbed him in the neck while he was watching TV.

Records say AM stabbed him four more times, in the abdomen and face, shouting, "Die, die, die – you scandalized me, all of Egypt knows I'm gay."

MA said he got the knife away from AM, who bit him in the arm. Then MA went downstairs and told the security guard to call rescue workers and the police.

MA said AM followed him down and told him, "You shouldn't die – I am the one who should die."

A police officer testified that when he responded to the incident, he found MA lying bleeding at the entrance of the building and AM sitting next to him saying over and over, "I wish I was in your place."

The next hearing is on June 8.

Sami Al Ali, an LGBT activist in the Middle East commented on this incident as follows:

Perhaps it's not the first incident, and for sure will not be the last in the Arab world. The Egyptian guy's case in Dubai reveals the social fear of gay Arabs even while they are away from their countries, the fear of facing society, and even of accepting their sexual identity.

Read more »

Blackmail of gay men "common" in Saudi Arabia, Gulf States

By Paul Canning

Saudi Arabia has been described as a “gay heaven” because strict gender segregation supports what's called a "flourishing" underground gay sex scene, but for those who fall foul of official prohibitions, through being discovered or being entrapped, jail and flogging awaits.

The Philippines Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) are looking into cases of 24 Filipino men who were allegedly framed in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on charges of being prostitutes.

The men's case only came to light after OWWA was notified by Philippine Ryan Ferrer. Ferer claims that he was blackmailed by his employer into extending his stay in the Kingdom. He says that his employer had him jailed for six months for prostitution and he met the other men in the prison. On release he was stripped of all pay and benefits.

In 2009 72 Philippine men were arrested and lashed after a private party in Riyadh was raided.

Last May the Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Manila issued a memorandum ordering local recruitment agencies to screen Philippine applicants for sexual orientation.

“Officials of recruitment agencies… are strongly advised to screen (applicants) thoroughly. The accreditation of recruitment agencies found to have failed to observe this advisory will be permanently terminated,” the memorandum read.

About three million Asian workers go abroad on contractual jobs each year, mainly in the Gulf and Southeast Asian countries - the Philippines is believed to send 3000 workers every day. However, they can face various abuses including low pay, excessive workload and sexual harassment after spending exorbitant amount of money to find jobs. Asian nations who supply Labour to Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states have been criticised for their lack of support for their nationals.

Read more »

Happy new year - a look back and a look forward

By Paul Canning

LGBT Asylum News wishes a happy, safe and prosperous 2011 to all our readers.

In 2010 we published about a thousand posts, including 29 'action alerts'. Our daily average number of posts has gone up from about two to about four and they were viewed on the website about 110,000 times. You came from 191 countries, read, on average, one and a half pages and spent about two and a half minutes on the website. A quarter of you have visited and come back.

Our most popular content in 2010 was:

Kiana in a scene from the film 'Cul de Sac'

Iranian lesbian makes her appeal against removal by UK authorities
The story of Iranian lesbian asylum seeker Kiana Firouz, which we broke in April, attracted attention like no LGBT asylum case since that of another Iranian, Mehdi Kazemi. A petition for her drew an astonishing 45,000 signatures. In June, very quickly after a new asylum case was put to the UK Home Office, she won asylum.

Albania: reality TV programme prompts 'explosive debate' 
In March, reader John Hodgson gave us the story of Klodian Çela, an Albanian Big Brother contestant whose coming out on the show had prompted 'riots' in one town (there were claims the 'riots' were orchestrated for publicity). The story we broke was later raised by none other than Hillary Clinton as an example of homophobia in Albania during a speech to mark LGBT History Month in June!

Did X Factor 'out' a gay asylum seeker, putting him in danger?
In July we followed up on a story broken by Lesbian and Gay Foundation in Manchester of Zac, a teenage asylum seeker from the United Arab Emirates. Zac's story had appeared without his consent in the popular British tabloid newspaper The Sun - potentially exposing him to danger if he was returned. At year's end, Zac's claim for asylum has still not be settled

Iranian LGBT: Persecuted, harassed, raped, tortured, threatened with death, forced into operations
Our March post which collated testimony from Iranian transgender people, lesbians and gay men has proved popular throughout the year. Last month we published an in-depth analysis of the first report by a major NGO on the plight of Iranian LGBT.

Austria deports African gay footballer
In May we reported on Cletus B, a gay Nigerian deported by Austria. His case attracted mass support including a big demonstration in Vienna, but the authorities ignored the protests. In June a follow up report, Nigerian gay footballer deported by Austria has gone underground; Austrian police charge his counsellor with 'promoting an illegal stay', also proved popular. This story happened because of another reader, Heinz Leitner in Vienna.

In the US, two new strategies for same-sex binational couples
In November our republishing of a post by the American activist group Out4Immigration drew a lot of links and referrals from email. It looked at new ideas for changing the situation of same-sex couples facing the bald choice of having to leave America to stay together or be split apart.

In Colombia, at least ten LGBT 'cleansed' in one week
In September we reported via Argentina's AG Magazine that a wave of killings of gays had hit Northern Colombia. Although this report drew links from a few American LGBT news sources, shamefully these killings were not more widely reported.

Big victory for USA in fresh United Nations 'gay killings' vote
Last month we 'live blogged' the sensational outcome of an American move to reverse a UN vote on excluding sexual orientation in a resolution on extrajudicial killings. We were the first to post the result and the only news outlet to analyze the vote in depth, showing the massive and possibly game-changing vote by African, Caribbean and Pacific Island countries.

Damning report says practically all UK LGBT asylum claims are being refused; Border Agency "cruel and discriminatory"
In March we looked at a new report by UK Lesbian and Gay Immigration Group (UKLGIG) which examined 50 LGBT asylum cases and found that nearly all had been turned down by British authorities. It also documented the then Home Office policy of 'go home and be discrete'. This report later informed Stonewall's 'No Going Back' report, released in May. In June came the historic Supreme Court decision which put an end to the 'go home and be discrete' policy.

Here's a Wordle showing the commonest words on LGBT Asylum News:

Our Twitter account, opened in September 2009, was almost at 2,000 followers at year's end and is now on 161 other 'Twitterers' lists. And we have 277 'likes' for our Facebook page - Facebook has proved an increasing source for referrals to the website in 2010.

We added 17 uploads to our YouTube channel, which we started in March, and 166 Favorites. Our video and audio has been viewed over 4000 times with In Phnom Penh, the amazing work of a 70-year-old transgender sex worker by far the most popular upload.

On the document sharing service Scribd, we've put 47 documents and these have been read over 13,000 times.

Content views by email last week

375 of you subscribe to the website by email and views of posts by this route now average over 1,000 per day - interestingly the content viewed this way is always very different to that viewed on the web. Our content also circulates widely via republishing on other websites as well as via web services like FriendFeed.

Our content has been widely picked up and repurposed by other news outlets - most notably by pinknews.co.uk, LezGetReal and the San Diego Gay and Lesbian News and later in the year by Pink Paper. We've had consistent links from the major US LGBT news outlet Towleroad, which has drawn in a huge new audience for the website.

We'd like to thank all those who have linked to, republished, 'liked' and retweeted our stories in 2010!

We'd also like to thank all those who have contributed to the website whether through their own posts or through suggesting stories or through helping with translations. We are always looking for help with translations so please let us know if you're able to help here.

Early in 2011 there will be major, exciting changes to the website. These will embed and make sustainable our goal of 'documenting the situations in countries from which LGBT people are fleeing to the UK hoping for a safe haven and the problems they can face from the UK asylum system' - and make this truly international. It will also provide a new way for our readers to talk to each other and for LGBT asylum advocates, lawyers, refugees and refugee workers to work together.

Keep watching this space! (And please give us your feedback by email or in the comments below!)

Daily Express protest misses the point – and doesn't help Zac

Source: The Guardian

By Paul Canning

There's a protest happening outside the Daily Express office in London this afternoon. Any protest against the Express gets two thumbs up from me. It's a vile, nasty rag. But this one seems a tad pointless and the anger misplaced.

Last week's supreme court decision on gay and lesbian asylum seekers generated the Express front-page headline: "Now asylum if you're gay" – hence the protest. The usual suspects, including the Daily Mail and talk radio, all behaved predictably too. But a few days before the Express's front page appeared, a gay asylum seeker was being put into actual danger by the Sun.

Zac is a gay teenager from Abu Dhabi, the most conservative of the United Arab Emirates. He's been in the UK for six years but ran away last year from his family after he was rejected by them when he came out. He got help and after claiming asylum was moved to Liverpool. There he found friends and a (hopefully) long-term partner – a new, happier and safer life. His asylum claim as a gay man under threat if he returned home was rejected by the Home Office, as most have been, but his appeal is on track.

In Dubai this week another gay man was sentenced to three years in jail. In Abu Dubai a few years ago 25 men were arrested in a raid on a party and threatened with hormone treatment – which was only stopped after US state department protests.

Zac also has a talent: he can sing. And like many teenagers he tried his hand with The X Factor talent show. He passed the initial audition and had been called back for further trials in Manchester last week.

But, it appears, someone connected with Talkback Thames, the show's producers, contacted the press and on 3 July a nasty story about Zac appeared in the Sun. He was only told about it two days later and after being told in the same phone call to prepare five songs for another audition later the same day. After he called the Sun and they told him the information had come from The X Factor, he was dropped.

The Sun's story uses his real name. Association of his family's name with homosexuality puts Zac in real danger as his father has already tried to kill him. Where, I wonder, could the Sun have discovered his name from?

For the record, Talkback Thames denies passing his name to the Sun.

Perhaps today's protesters at the Express should, if concerned to help an actual gay asylum seeker, travel a bit further east to News International's HQ, or four miles west to Talkback Thames. The pointlessness of demonstrating outside the Express building is underlined if you read the protesters' statement railing against homophobia in the media and invoking protests to the Press Complaints Commission. It doesn't appear to have been drawn up in discussion with anyone working with actual gay asylum seekers, but they have got the National Union of Journalists on board.

Have we learned nothing from the death of a gay pop singer, his slagging off in the Mail and the waste of time trying to complain using section 12 of the PCC's editors' code (Discrimination)?

Use of this section will always bang up against principles of free speech and I'm not so sure that's a bad thing. There's a vengeful tendency in the gay community, which I understand, but the line in law and ethical codes should be about provoking violence.

No, what the tabloids did with the gay asylum supreme court decision, which I suspect Lord Rodger deliberately created for them, should be complained about under editors' code, section 1, (i) – "inaccurate, misleading or distorted information" – because every single one of the tabloids took the judge's "right to Kylie and cocktails" comments out of context (as did even some foolish gay commentators). Read the whole thing. He used the comments deliberately "as stereotypes" to say that being gay is about more than sex.

Being "discreet", as the Guardian's Michael White and the Home Office perceive it to be, is not just being quiet about sex or not showing affection in the street. It's about suppressing everything about yourself – a near impossibility. As was put to the supreme court, the analogy is of Anne Frank in her attic being "discreet" – and yet still "found out".

Lord Rodger chose his language deliberately to make that point. "Discretion" is never expected of "straight" people: this is about equality and whether Britain believes in it or not. This sailed over many heads, including the TalkSport presenter who invited me on, ignored what I explained and carried on about gay "privileges". Legally, the supreme court's ruling is a landmark for LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) rights.
So if you want to make a homophobia point to the PCC about the Mail, Express and Star on gay asylum, mention section 1, (i) of the code.

If you want to help gay asylum seekers more directly, you can support a charity that works on their behalf and you can demand real change, not just promises, from the coalition government.

If you want justice for Zac, send Talkback Thames a message. And maybe schedule another demonstration?

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Did X Factor 'out' a gay asylum seeker, putting him in danger?

By Paul Canning

The production company for hit TV show X Factor passed the real name to the Sun newspaper of a contestant who is a young Middle Eastern gay asylum seeker, he has claimed in comments published by Manchester's Lesbian and Gay Foundation (LGF) and then Pink Paper.

The Sun subsequently ran an inaccurate article belittling the asylum seeker and this was then picked up in the Middle East, which has put him in danger.

The asylum seeker known as Zac told LGF:

“I was shocked that the paper used my real name and age. I rang them and they said a press release had come from the X Factor’s marketing company.”

LGBT Asylum News has confirmed that the conversation with Sun journalist Chris Robertson took place in the presence of a worker for the Young Person's Advisory Service (YPAS) in Liverpool, of which Zac is a client.

YPAS LGBT Youth Co-ordinator Kieran Bohan told us that Zac had been called by the X Factor 5 July to inform him about the article which was published 3 July. Zac then went to YPAS and Robertson was called. He told Zac that the article was based on a press release.

It is common practice for entertainment news stories to be based in part or entirely on material supplied by public relations companies or departments.

Zac had also been told by X Factor to prepare five songs for an audition in Manchester however later in the day he was called and told that they didn't want him after all. Kieran said that it is his belief that the story was placed "in order to drop Zac."

LGF says that Zac did give his personal details as part of the audition process and “signed a lot of papers” but was assured that his personal information wouldn’t get published.

X Factor producers Talkback Thames have denied that The Sun received a press release, telling us:

There was no press release issued to the sun by the x factor. We did not disclose personal information about this contestant.

The Sun would not discuss the origins of the story with us.

The story published in The Sun was picked up by two news websites in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as well as social media. This would put Zac in danger of persecution including possible physical harm if his case is rejected and he is returned. But a source in Dubai (via Gay Middle East) suggested to us that the most serious risk to Zac would be that the mention of the family name in the media in connection with homosexuality could also cause problems for family members or cause family members to cause further harm to Zac - even though he now lives in Liverpool.

The Middle East based website 7 Days was one outlet which picked up on The Sun's article, saying “it is unclear why he doesn’t want to return to the UAE” but Zac says:

“They make it sound ridiculous, they don’t realise the harm. I wish I could go back, but as a gay man it’s not safe. I would be killed by my father. The government would jail me, if I didn’t change my behaviour on release. I’d face the death penalty. My religion says I would be killed for having relations with a man.”

"If I went back, I would be arrested at the airport because the paper printed my real name and sexuality. The police would say change, they would beat me, anything could happen. I could be put to death.”

Dan Littaneur, Gay Middle East (GME) Editor, told us:

"If Zac is deported to Abu Dhabi he is very likely to be in serious trouble with the authorities; article 80 of the Abu Dhabi Penal Code makes sodomy punishable with imprisonment of up to 14 years."

"GME has received various reports and there are also news articles that have revealed how the law is typically enforced including imprisonment, forced hormonal and psychological treatments. Most of the inhabitants of Abu Dhabi are strict Sunnis followers of the Maliki school which believe that sodomy merits death by stoning."

"Being gay is seen as one of the worst crimes and offenses against the faith, honour and integrity of not only the accused person but for all his family members and those who have dealings with them."

"A source of GME in the Emirates commented that due to these facts, Zac will be most definitely be socially ostracised and may face abuse, both psychological and physical from his family, the authorities and the general public. He will be unlikely ever to find employment, and his movements will be restricted and monitored. Worse still he would always be in danger of being put to death in some of the other Emirates which uphold the UAE Article 354 of the Federal Penal Code states, "Whoever commits rape on a female or sodomy with a male shall be punished by death.""

"In my view as well as sources of GME within the Emirates, not granting asylum and deporting Zac to Abu Dhabi would mean loss of freedom as well as a serious threat to his well being and even his life."

In 2005, twenty-six young men were arrested at an Abu Dhabi hotel. They initially faced government-ordered hormone treatments.

In January we reported on the arrest of two gay men in Dubai. According to court documents one of the defendants was entrapped by a 'cybercrimes investigator' in an online chat room. One of the men was sentenced to three years imprisonment.

A source in Kuwait (via Gay Middle East) told us that online entrapment by the state in common in countries around the Gulf. "In Oman, for example, they use it to blackmail foreigners into extending their work contracts," he said.

In 2007 Dubai police initially treated sixteen year old French Swiss boy Alexandre Robert who had been kidnapped and raped as a suspect. The worry that a case was being built against Alexandre as an illegal homosexual led his family to leave the country on the advice of the French consul. His mother subsequently set up the website boycottdubai.com

Zac told LGF that the Sun's report was full of inaccuracies. It claimed that he was desperately using the show to stay in the UK and describes him as a “failed asylum seeker” who has had his application “rejected”.

“They say my case has failed, but it hasn’t. They say I ought to be on my way back to the Middle East, but I’ve been told by the Home Office that I’m not allowed to leave the UK”.

“They say I use the programme to get asylum. I didn’t, my case is strong. I auditioned because I love singing. Taking part in the show wouldn’t change anything about my case.”

Zac's legal representative Dr Edward Mynott told us that although his original claim was rejected on the basis that he was not known to anyone who could harm him in the UAE an appeal has been lodged, the asylum tribunal has accepted that Zac is gay and last week's Supreme Court decision on the so-called 'discretion test' "has clarified the legal approach and will be relevant to any consideration of our client's case."

"Our client has never used his involvement in X Factor as a basis for his asylum claim,"said Mynott.

"Our client is shocked by the public disclosure of his personal information and we fear that the disclosure has exacerbated the risk to him." 

Zac grew up in the most conservative Emirate Abu Dhabi but came to the UK with his mother in 2004. He ran away last year when she found out he is gay, then the Home Office relocated him to Liverpool. Here he says he has grown in confidence and is a different person thanks to the support of local agencies like the Young Persons Advisory Service.

Zac told LGF:

“I miss my mum a lot. It’s hard to be without family. I’ve been sick and thought if only my mum was with me, it’s the same when I see kids at college with their parents. I wish I had her support. She’s got a good heart but when it comes to sexuality it’s all wrong.  I don’t blame her – it’s our religion. I’ve tried to change, but I can’t.”

In Liverpool, Zac says he has the “love and support” of a long term boyfriend and good friends, so was horrified to read the negative comments posted by readers of The Sun online such as, “get him out before he takes any more of the government’s money” and “next plane out good riddance”.

Zac told LGF he was dismayed and hurt by the comments:

“I’ve not done anything wrong. I know some asylum seekers aren’t for real. They make me sound like I am an animal. I’m not begging. My mother pays taxes. I would work but the government won’t let us. I try hard to save money”.

LGBT Asylum News spoke with X Factor producers Talkback Thames for comment on Zac's claims and subsequently emailed the following questions:

• Is Zac correct that his real identity was supplied by a marketing company for X Factor to The Sun?
• If this was the case was the danger to him as a gay asylum seeker from the UAE considered?
• If this was the case were any details regarding his asylum case in information released to The Sun?

~~~~~~~~

This interview with Zac was for a film and web project called 'BreakOUT'.

UAE: Too close for comfort: Homosexuality in schools

Image by wallyg via Flickr

Source: Gulf News - Feb 11

By Salam Al Amir

Sharjah: A shocking trend is sweeping across educational institutions in the UAE. It’s called same-sex relationships and it’s worrying officials and parents no end.

A number of students, school employees and others confided in XPRESS that inappropriate intimacy among girls is on the rise on campuses.

“They sit intimately close and touch each other inappropriately,” said Umm Rawan, an employee at the Sharjah University for Women (UOS).

The Emirati woman also had to deal with the demon on a personal level recently – first when her 16-year-old daughter fell for an Indian girl and then when her teenage son started receiving overtures from homosexual male students. Umm Rawan lodged a complaint with the school administration. “I am a divorcee and couldn’t handle these things on my own. I feared my kids would become homosexual so I gave them in the custody of their father,” she recalls.

But Umm Rawan’s startling revelation pales in comparison to the scandalous disclosure made by a girl on Abu Dhabi TV’s Step programme some time back.

Badriya, who prefers to be addressed as Bandar (a male name), shocked television audiences across the nation when she openly spoke of her relationship with another girl, Maha, and expressed the desire to marry her and have children with her through artificial fertilisation. “I love my girlfriend and I want to have children with her,” she said on national TV, adding that she would work to support her family.

Prohibited by law

Homosexuality is prohibited in the UAE and violators face stiff punishment.

Authorities are trying to curb deviant behaviour to better reflect the traditional conservative laws of the UAE. Last year the Ministry of Social Affairs launched an awareness campaign called Excuse me, I am a Girl, directed against what was described as ‘the ‘fourth gender’.

Meant to tackle lesbianism-related issues, the campaign included a series of workshops, TV programmes and lectures at universities and schools and was run by the Sharjah Social Care Centre for Women, an affiliate of the ministry. Samira Al Shair, Security Affairs Officer, Ajman Police, who implemented the campaign at Ajman Educational Zone said lesbianism accounted for 40 per cent of the 70-80 per cent of juvenile delinquency cases reported at Ajman schools.

“I dealt with many cases, almost all of which had one thing in common – the absence of a father,” recalled Samira.

Shocking estimates

Ameenah Ahmad, a UOS student who stays at the university dormitory, said that she estimates that up to one-third of the residents are lesbians. “We were ordered to dress properly even inside the dormitory. Sleeveless dresses and shorts have been banned lately,” she said.

Bakheeta Al Khatri, Manager, women’s dormitory at UOS, which has 8,000 female students including 1,600 in the hostel, denied knowledge of deviant activity, but didn’t entirely rule out the possibility. “If there are such cases, I doubt if the girls involved will talk about it,” she said. But some girls are talking.

Nana Rami, 19, an American University pupil, claims she was approached by a girl during a visit to Sharjah University. “She started flattering my body and sought to seek a relationship, but I turned her down,” said Nana.

Hana Al’adi, a student at UOS also had a similar experience. “Now I exercise caution while interacting with them,” she said.

 Dr Alia Ebrahim, a family and educational issues consultant based in Sharjah and Ajman, said there were several factors responsible for the upswing in same-sex relationships.

“Some theories suggest that gender identity disorder, often overlooked by parents and sometimes promoted by discriminating between genders within the family, is a key factor, “ she said.

Other possible contributing factors, she said, could include being the only girl among male siblings, absence of a father figure and sexual assault.

According to Dr Alia, worried mothers have reported many cases of delinquent behaviour at the Umm Al Mo’mineen Society, Family Bonds Consultation Centre in Ajman, which deals with the issue, adding that lack of comprehensive research makes it difficult for experts to estimate exact numbers.

What’s the solution?

The solution, according to Dr Alia, includes gathering accurate statistics and assigning specialised committees to tackle the problem and setting in motion a mechanism to educate students and create awareness.

She also emphasised the importance of revising the curricula and supervising internet use and other technological tools.

In a TV interview, Saudi Arabia-based consultant psychiatrist Dr Tarek Habib admitted that same-sex relationships existed in universities and schools in GCC countries, but insisted that the numbers were fewer compared to educational institutions in other parts of the world. Habib said there are essentially two types of homosexual females; one who feels womanly but is sexually attracted towards girls, and the other who feels manly and trapped within a woman’s body.

He contended that some girls need a specialist therapist and that the issue falls under the purview of medical science and therefore does not need interference from religious scholars.

Scholar speaks

Dubai-based Islamic scholar Shaikh Ahmad Al Qubaisi, speaking on the issue of lesbianism noted that while it is forbidden (haram), there is no specific punishment as per Sharia law. He said Islam considers a woman's status in society to be important and by publicising such cases, the entire family of the woman feels a sense of shame. He advised that such girls be treated discreetly.

Did you know?

According to Samira Al Shair, Ajman police, student delinquency at schools in Ajman stood at a steep 70-80 per cent, with lesbianism accounting for 40 per cent of this percentage.

Characteristics:

• The Boya: The first type is the girl who turns to sexual delinquency and plays the boy's role.
• The Tomboy: The second type is a girl who is not sexually delinquent.
• The Weaker girl: The third type is the weaker, beautiful girl who gets lured by the first type.