Really though, that was the first thought I had when I saw this article on the New York Times. I didn't think there weren't gays in Iraq; I don't think I had ever entertained the concept. Actually, I don't think I've ever used homosexuality and Iraq in the same sentence. Oil and water, peanut butter and dill pickles.
It's remarkable that there are Iraqi gays going out to bars, gathering in cafes, walking in the streets with makeup on, wearing their hair long...whatever their methods of expression, it's touching to see these men and women slowly coming out of the woodwork.
But the Iraqi response has been devastating. Possibly 25 total boys and men have been murdered in the past two months alone, on suspicion of homosexuality. The police have only acknowledged six. And no arrests have been made.
Information provided by police and the officials remains as inconsistent as ever. According to Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, the Shiite head honcho, gays should be "'punished, in fact, killed.' He added, 'The people should be killed in the worst, most severe way of killing.'" But another official claims that clerics are, in no way, encouraging anti-gay attacks. Which, once again, reflects the biggest obstacle in the Middle East: they don't want to let us in.
Regardless of official policy, the news I found absolutely horrifying is that the murderers are not just members of Shiite/Sunni death squads, they're often family members. So I guess the thought process goes something like this: my son shames the family by being gay, let's murder him and then never claim his body; let us forget his existence completely.
It's unbelievable and painful to realize this kind of blind, blatant hatred still exists. That, in some cultures, murder is a method of resolution for a community. The last line, a quotation from a young gay Iraqi, broke my heart--
“I don’t care about the militias anymore, because they’re going to kill me anyway — today, tomorrow or the day after...I hate my community and my relatives. If they had their way, the result would be one gunshot.”
To all those men and women, it looks like Iraq is changing, if very slowly. I hope, with all my heart, you can hold on long enough for that day. Respect.
So much respect.
To all those men and women, it looks like Iraq is changing, if very slowly. I hope, with all my heart, you can hold on long enough for that day. Respect.
So much respect.
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