29
Oct
2006
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Homosexuality in the Arab world: Interview with gay rights activist

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Here’s my interview with a homosexual activist.

Hello, I’m a 25 year old Lebanese, from the beautiful land of the cedars. I guess it’s no surprise I’m Queer, Gay, homosexual; I fall for other men. It has not been the easiest thing, born in a country where homosexuality is a sin and a crime. I think I managed to survive. At least until now. The hardest part is all the offence you had to hear while growing up, hearing how your family discriminate gays, without knowing that one of their members (if not more then one) is in fact, Gay.

Q. What sort of rights would you like to see homosexuals in the Arab world have?
A.I do not believe in homosexual rights. I believe we have a serious problem in the Arab world with human rights. What we are missing nowadays, is the basic rights for a human being to be recognized as a human being! Discrimination faces everyone, everywhere. There is no single place where you will be treated as a human because you simply are one. Gay rights is no exception.

Q. How would these rights apply in strict Muslim cultures, especially since the Koran doesn’t speak in favor of homosexuality?
A. If you search Gay on google.com with search results, you will get that 10% of the IP’s that entered the keyword ‘gay’ on the search engine comes from Saudi Arabia. 8 out of the top 10 are Arabic countries.

If you want to interpret the result, we can do so in many ways, however I prefer not to, and to let the reader stop and think about this fact.

The same implies on the “paltalk” gay room. The only room with full attendance all the time, is GayArab.

Q. Are there any official anti-homosexual laws where you live? Did you ever experience any form of discrimination?
A. Yes and no. Yes there is an official anti-homosexual law in Lebanon which prohibits unusual sexual intercourse. Even though it does not clearly specify “homosexuality” it was been used in numerous cases against homosexuals. No, I didn’t face any form of discrimination since I am only out to close friends, and rare are those that knows about my homosexuality. Besides I do not look gay (or I try not to).

Q. What would you have to risk in order to declare yourself as a homosexual?
A. Let’s start: Family rejection, job rejection, half of your friends will flee you, your dad will have a heart attack, your mom will go to the mental hospital, your brother will prevent you visiting him (I actually did hear that from his mouth while discussing with him).

To sum it up, if you want to declare yourself as a homosexual, better go live in Europe.

Q. In your opinion, do you think homosexuality is a choice, or is it who you are (as in, something you can’t change?)
A. It is who I am, and I am proud of what I am. It is a just a different taste.

Q. Where do people get the idea that homosexuality is a “disease,” and how do you reply to such a claim?
A. You have to witness a live psychological massacre I commit. Well I aboard the subject from their point of view, I place myself in their shoes to prove them wrong. It always works because people spit out what they were fed. It is rare that they speak out their convictions.

Q. Where do people get the idea that homosexuality is a “disease,” and how do you reply to such a claim?
A. You have to witness a live psychological massacre I commit. Well I aboard the subject from their point of view, I place myself in their shoes to prove them wrong. It always works because people spit out what they were fed. It is rare that they speak out their convictions.

Q. Do you proudly declare the fact that you’re gay to people? Once you tell people that you’re gay, or if they find out somehow, does your relationship/friendship with them get awkward or are people generally understanding and open-minded?
A. Concerning the persons I came out to, I do it with my head high. They often feel sorry when I come out, but then they realize I am better in my head then they are. Most of them wants me to try sleeping with a girl, which is practically impossible.

All the people that I came out too were more then understanding even though some where homophobes and now they defend hard the fact homosexuality is just another sexual orientation.

However a story is to tell. I had a best friend for over 4 years. We practically spent all our time together, we shared the same university, courses, friends, life, I was unable to come out too, afraid I will loose him knowing the religious person he is. With time, he found out, and it practically destroyed our friendship. He wanted to change me in all means a person can try. From my brotherhood love to him, I followed his advices, the result 5 years from that we speak once a year, I faced the ugliest era of my life, depression followed another depression trying to fake who I was. Add to it, I forced myself to date a girl which fell in love with me, and I didn’t have any single feeling towards her. All that, just to try to adapt to society norms so that you won’t loose your best friend.

I believe in the beautiful person that I am, with all the differences I behold in the eye of other human beings.

Q. Finally, as a gay rights activist, do you think your goals will ever be met? Especially since civil rights in general are hardly applied in most Arab states?
A. Not in my lifetime perhaps, but it will definitely be met some day. In Europe 100 years ago homosexuality was alike nowadays in the Arab countries. Today homosexual adoption is being legalized throughout Europe. We’re not far of that, specially with the globalisation each country is facing.

Love really has no limits.

Thanks for doing this. I hope it’ll enlighten some narrow-minded people out there.

My pleasure…