Monday, December 17, 2007

State Sponsored Homophobia Report

The country of IRAN is not the only country that uses the appartus of the state to discriminate, torture and murder queer people.

"In 2007, no less than 85 member states of the United Nations still criminalize consensual same sex acts among adults, thus institutionally promoting a culture of hatred. " from State Sponsored Homophobia [a world survey of laws prohibiting same sex activity between consenting adults]
by Daniel Ottosson for International Gay & Lesbian Association.

Here is a link to the report:

http://www.ilga.org/statehomophobia/State_sponsored_homophobia_ILGA_07.pdf

I mention this not to minimize what IRAN has recently done in the Makwan Mouloodzadeh situation - which is particular egregious and certainly requires a response in my view - but to show the extent of the problem worldwide.

Many of us living in the United States and elsewhere, mistakenly aggregate social progress in our countries (on tolerance and acceptance of queer people) to what is happening in other areas.

- Joey Nelson

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