Ahbab News

2010-04-01T12:19:00.002-04:00

مثليون مغاربة يصدرون أول مجلة مثليةفي سابقة هي من النوادر عربيا، أصدر مثليون مغاربة مجلة إلكترونية تحمل إسم "مثلي"، مما يعد خطوة نوعية ضمن محاولات هذه المجموعة لانتزاع اعتراف بهويتها الجنسية داخل مجتمع عربي يبدي رفضا عاما لوجودها.إصدار المجلة الإلكترونية، المتوافرة أيضا في نسخ ورقية لدى ممثلي مجموعة يطلق عليها "كيفكيف"، المتحدثة باسم المثليين المغاربة ثنائيي ومتحولي الهوية الجنسية، جاء في أعقاب

2010-03-30T12:03:00.001-04:00

ريكي مارتن: "أنا مثلي وفخور بنفسي"وأخيرا، وبعد فترة من تجنب الحديث في هذا الموضوع، أعلن مغني البوب، ريكي مارتن، أنه مثلي، وليس فقط، بل و"فخور" بأنه كذلك.وذكر مارتن على موقعه الإلكتروني على شبكة الإنترنت: "أشعر بالفخر للقول بأنني مزدوج الميول الجنسية."وكان ريكي مارتن قد رفض الحديث عن حياته الجنسية خلال عدة لقاءات، من أبرزها المقابلة التي أجرتها الإعلامية الأمريكية باربرا والترز قبل عقد من الزمان.

2010-03-24T17:35:00.007-04:00

المثلية الجنسية أكبر محرمات كرة القدمأصبحت المجتمعات الأوروبية تتقبل المثليين جنسيا في مجالات سياسية واجتماعية عدة، غير أن الأمر يختلف تماما في عالم كرة القدم، حيث ما يزال الاعتراف بالمثلية الجنسية من المحرمات التي يصعب كسرهاخطت البلدان الأوروبية خطوات كبيرة نحو تكريس الحقوق المدنية لفئة المثليين وحمايتهم من العنف والتمييز، وكان من ثمار ذلك أن أصبح المجتمع الغربي يتقبلهم دون أحكم مسبقة على

2010-03-21T17:06:00.001-04:00

هولندا ترفض تحميل المثليين بجيشها وزر مذبحة سربرينيتشاهاجمت الحكومة الهولندية الجنرال الأمريكي المتقاعد جون شيهان، بسبب شهادته الأخيرة أمام الكونغرس الأمريكي، التي حمل فيها وجود جنود مثليين بالجيش الهولندي مسؤولية الإبادة الجماعية التي تعرض لها المسلمون في مدينة سريبرينتشا البوسنية عام 1995. وقال وزير الخارجية الهولندي المؤقت، ماكسيم فرهاخن، على صفحته بموقع "تويتر" إن هذه أكثر التصريحات "هي

2010-03-11T19:59:00.001-05:00

مثليون على الهامش .. الحصار المجتمعي يدفعهم للهجرةكتب عدنان أبو زيد : تضع محاكمة المثلي الملقب ب"حمدان برتش" في الإمارات في آذار 2010 ، أكثر من علامة استفهام حول استفحال ظاهرة " المثليين " التي بدأت تتشكل في المجتمعات العربية، كجزء من نسيجها الاجتماعي الذي يتسم بالمحافظة ، لتفتح كوة في جدار التابوات الاجتماعية العربية التي أمكن اختراقها في السنوات الأخيرة مع انتشار الانترنت ، وتطور وسائل الميديا

لاعبو "إكس بوكس" المثليين يظهرون هوياتهم

2010-03-06T23:11:00.000-05:00

سان فرانسيسكو: اتخذت شركة "مايكروسوفت" الأمريكية خطوة جريئة يوم الجمعة بسماحها لأعضاء خدمة "إكس بوكس" لمشاركة ألعاب الفيديو على الإنترنت بإظهار هوياتهم الجنسية من خلال أسمائهم المستعارة وملفاتهم الشخصية.وذكر موقع "بي سي ورلد" المتخصص في مجال التقنية أن الشركة كانت تعتبر كلمات مثل مثلي ومثلية ومتحول جنسياً ومخنث وطبيعي غير مقبولة، خشية أن يستخدمها اللاعبون استخداماً مهيناً.ونقل الموقع عن مارك

2010-03-05T13:41:00.001-05:00

هل يستطيع اللاعب المثلي الكشف عن نفسه؟ يقول العديد من المتابعين والمهتمين بكرة القدم إنه حان الوقت الآن لمعالجة حالات المثلية الجنسية في الملاعب وفي غرف تغيير الملابس.غريام لوسو أكد أنه كان يخشى الذهاب إلى النادي مع زملاءه، ويصبح متوتراً بحلول وقت التدريب ويشعر بالمرض. وذكر الظهير السابق لمنتخب انجلترا وتشلسي في سيرته الذاتية: "كنت مثل الطفل الذي يخاف

2010-03-03T13:08:00.001-05:00

البابا يبيع شقته سرا لثنائي مثلي!تشير تقارير ووثائق رسمية في اسبانيا الى أن البابا يوحنا بولس الثاني قام ببيع شقة ورثها من امرأة متدينة في وسط مدريد لثنائي مثلي الجنس بطريقة سرية عبر وسيط. وقام المالكان عدة مرات بمخالفة طلب الكنيسة بابقاء الأمر طي الكتمان، وأقدما على عرض الأوراق الرسمية للشقة وعليها توقيع البابا. وعلق الزوجان المثليان على الموضوع قائلين: الكنيسة لا تحبنا، لكنها لا تمانع القيام

2010-03-03T10:56:00.003-05:00

محكمة امريكية تسمح بزواج المثليين في العاصمة واشنطنرفض جون روبرتس كبير قضاةالمحكمة العليا الامريكية يوم الثلاثاء طلبا من معارضي زواج المثليين لوقف سريان قانون جديد يسمح للشواذ جنسيا بالزواج في واشنطن دي.سي. وجاء قرار روبرتس قبل أن يبدأ سريان القانون يوم الاربعاء. وفي ديسمبر كانون الاول تبنى مجلس المدينة مشروعا يضيف عاصمة الولايات المتحدة الي الولايات الامريكية الخمس التي سمحت بالفعل بزواج

خمسة آلاف شخص عراة أمام أوبرا سدني

2010-03-02T11:11:00.000-05:00

خمسة آلاف شخص عراة أمام أوبرا سدني

2010-02-22T00:22:00.001-05:00

شهاب: رفضنا الاعتراف بحقوق المثليين فى جنيفأكد د.مفيد شهاب وزير الشئون القانونية والمجالس النيابية أن مصر قدمت فى تقريرها للمجلس الدولى لحقوق الإنسان صورة مدعمة بالحقائق وموضوعية حول حالة حقوق الإنسان فى مصر وأشار إلى أن هذا العرض كان سبباً فى إشادة كل دول العالم بالتقريرين حتى مع وجود بعض الملاحظات.وقال شهاب خلال جلسة مجلس الشورى اليوم "إن وفد مصر اتضح له أن هناك بعض المعلومات المغلوطة تصل

2010-02-19T09:27:00.001-05:00

انتقد البابا بنديكت السادس عشر مشروع قانون في بريطانيا قد يجبر الكنائس الكاثوليكية على توظيف مثليين للعمل فيها، ما أثار موجة من الجدل في بريطانيا، التي اتهم فيها البعض "الكرسي الرسولي" بالتدخل في شؤون البلاد.وجاءت تصريحات البابا الاثنين، خلال لقائه وفدا من 35 أسقفا من إنجلترا وويلز، والتي أكد خلالها أنه سيزور بريطانيا للمرة الأولى في سبتمبر/ أيلول المقبل، قائلا إنه يتطلع كي يرى بنفسه مدى إيمان

2010-02-18T20:40:00.001-05:00

أبو الغيط: لن نقبل توصيات الغرب المتعلقة بحقوق المثليين بحث أحمد أبو الغيط وزير الخارجية اليوم، الخميس، مع عضو مجلس النواب الأمريكى عن ولاية واشنطن بريان بيرد، الأوضاع الإنسانية فى قطاع غزة وجهود عملية السلام.وقال المتحدث الرسمى باسم وزارة الخارجية السفير حسام زكى، إن بيرد يقوم بزيارة للقاهرة حاليا فى إطار زيارة للمنطقة، زار خلالها كلا من الأردن وقطاع غزة خلال عطلة الكونجرس الأمريكى.وأضاف أن

جريدة القبس :: من هنا وهناك :: البرلمان البريطاني.. صالة أعراس :: 17/02/2010

2010-02-16T20:45:00.000-05:00

جريدة القبس :: من هنا وهناك :: البرلمان البريطاني.. صالة أعراس :: سيُفتح البرلمان البريطاني أمام العامة للمرة الأولى ليعقدوا فيه قرانهم.وكان مجلس بلدية مدينة ويستمنستر وافق على تخصيص صالتين في البرلمان لعقد مراسم الزواج او «الشراكة المدنية» في اشارة إلى زواج المثليين الجنسيين.ويحصر الزواج في مبنى البرلمان حتى الآن بالنواب واللوردات وبعض المسؤولين في البرلمان وعائلاتهم. وقد وافقت البلدية على

AFP: ملك جمال العالم للمثليين جنوب افريقي

2010-02-15T12:10:00.000-05:00

AFP: ملك جمال العالم للمثليين جنوب افريقي

2010-02-09T18:27:00.001-05:00

جريدة الراي - محليات - ابتهال الخطيب لـ «الراي» رداً على «زوبعة» الانتقادات: هذا ما قصدته بزواج المثليين... ومفاخذة الرضيعة! - - 08/02/2010

2010-02-07T23:57:00.000-05:00

جريدة الراي - محليات - ابتهال الخطيب لـ «الراي» رداً على «زوبعة» الانتقادات: هذا ما قصدته بزواج المثليين... ومفاخذة الرضيعة! - - 08/02/2010

«حلم» بوقف التمييز العلمي ضدّ المثليّة الجنسيّة | جريدة الأخبار

2010-02-07T23:55:00.000-05:00

«حلم» بوقف التمييز العلمي ضدّ المثليّة الجنسيّة | جريدة الأخبار

الناشطة الكويتية ابتهال الخطيب مع اعطاء المثليين حقوقهم وتؤيد المواقع الإباحية! | وطن

2010-02-02T13:50:00.000-05:00

الناشطة الكويتية ابتهال الخطيب مع اعطاء المثليين حقوقهم وتؤيد المواقع الإباحية! | وطن

البنتاجون يتخذ خطوات جديدة بشأن خدمة المثليين في الجيش | أخبار عالمية | Reuters

2010-02-02T13:49:00.000-05:00

البنتاجون يتخذ خطوات جديدة بشأن خدمة المثليين في الجيش | أخبار عالمية | Reuters

2009-11-18T15:15:00.001-05:00

Man beaten by sheikh sues Swiss A man who claims he was whipped by a UAE sheikh is taking Switzerland to the European Court of Human Rights after Swiss courts acquitted his attacker.Silvano Orsi says Sheikh Falah al-Nahyan used a belt to beat him after he rejected a gift of a bottle of champagne at a hotel in Geneva in 2003.He was initially convicted of actual bodily harm, but was acquitted by

2009-09-24T16:18:00.003-04:00

حلم تنتفض ضد السياحة في إسرائيل العنصريةفي حرب تموز 2006 فتحت جمعية «حلم» اللبنانية المعنية بالدفاع عن حقوق المثليين والمثليات أبواب مقرها لاستقبال النازحين إلى بيروت من المناطق التي قصفها الطيران الإسرائيلي. ولم يتوانَ الشباب الناشطون في الجمعية عن المساعدة في أعمال الإغاثة طيلة فترة الحرب. هكذا تحوّلت الجمعية وشبابها إلى الدفاع عن كلّ تمييز أينما كان. ومن هنا جاء استنكار الجمعية لإقامة رابطة

2009-09-16T11:56:00.001-04:00

Transgender belly dancer helps launch Arab gay initiative in Sweden Dressed in a flashy black belly-dancing outfit, Nancy is a hobby transgender dancer from Iraq, ready to take to the stage with full make-up and skinny high heels. She is preparing to entertain more than 200 other Arab gays, lesbians and transgender people in Stockholm, Sweden.The setting is the Stockholm headquarters of the

2009-09-15T16:03:00.001-04:00

اطلاق كتيّب "احبهم...و لكنقامت جمعية العناية الصحية وجمعية "حلم" بالتنسيق مع التحالف العالمي لمكافحة السيدا وفي إطار برنامج التوعية لفئة الرجال ذوي العلاقات الجنسية مع الرجال ...بإنتاج دليل "احبهم... ولكنوقد تمّ اطلاق هذا الدليل، الذي يتوجه إلى الأهل الذين لديهم ابناء مثليين او مثليات الجنس ليزوّدهم بالمعلومات العلمية ويناقش المواقف الأفضل للتعامل مع هذا الواقع، خلال لقاء جمع ممثلين عن منظمات

2009-08-31T16:47:00.001-04:00

يقدّم فيلم "طول عمري" حكاية أناس لم نسمع عن حكايتهم من قبل. إنها حكاية الإختلاف عن الآخر، وقصة اولئك الذين أُجبروا على الصمت والعيش في الخفاء. يقول مخرج الفيلم، ماهر صبري: "الرقابة عبارة عن خنجر في قلب الحركة الإبداعية. الرقيب بيعاملني زي الطفل بيحدد لي كإنسان أقرا إيه، وأسمع إيه، وأشوف إيه. وبالتالي بيحدد لي أفكر إزاي وأعبّر إزاي. كل ده باسم "حماية الصالح العام" لكن بالفعل هو حماية السلطة

2009-08-11T13:03:00.000-04:00

New AIDS Statistics In Lebanon Lebanon's National AIDS Program released new statistics for the last three years that indicate a jump in cases of gay people being diagnosed with HIV, moving from a minority to a slight majority. In 2007, about 52 percent of cases were heterosexual while only 26 percent were homosexual (the rest being “bisexuals” or “unidentified,” standing at around 10 percent

2009-07-08T14:40:00.000-04:00

حكم صدام كان "أفضل" لمثليي الجنس في العراقفي تحقيقاتها الاذاعية حول تعذيب وقتل مثليي الجنس من الرجال في العراق، وجدت اشلي بايرن الاعلامية البريطانية ان بعض مثليي الجنس يفضلون ديكتاتورية صدام حسين على خطر العنف الذي يواجهونه اليوم.اخبار الموت والدمار التي سيطرت على اجواء العراق جعلت من النادر ان تتطرق وسائل الاعلام الرئيسية لوضع مثليي الجنسية بعد انتهاء حكم صدام حسين.ولكن قصص تعذيب وقتل العراقيين

2009-06-21T16:43:00.001-04:00

Sixty-seven Filipino men working in Saudi Arabia face jail and lashes for "imitating women" after being arrested at a party in which a number were dressed in drag, a Philippines embassy official said on Saturday. Riyadh police arrested all 67 men at a private party and drag show in a resort villa near Riyadh on June 13, Philippines embassy Vice Consul Roussel Reyes told the news agency AFP. "They

2009-04-05T12:39:00.000-04:00

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Six gay men were shot dead by members of their tribe in two separate incidents in the past 10 days, an official with Iraq's Interior ministry said.In the most recent attack, two men were killed Thursday in Sadr City area of Baghdad after they were disowned by relatives, the official said.The shootings came after a tribal meeting was held and the members decided to go after

2009-02-23T10:17:00.001-05:00

In response to recent police brutality incidents, HELEM, the Lebanese LGBT organization organized a demonstration in Beirut yesterday... this is the first ever protest of this kind in the region....Check out the video:

2009-01-27T09:58:00.001-05:00

Helem board member and fundraiser Shadi Ghrawi: “It is a great honour to be selected. We hope it will help advance the struggle for human rights for LGBTI people in Lebanon, and throughout the Middle East.”photo courtesy IGLHRCNEW YORK, January 23, 2009 – Helem, the first organisation in the Arab world to set up a gay and lesbian community centre, has won this year’s Felipa de Souza Award, the

2008-11-09T14:33:00.001-05:00

The United Arab Emirates’ health ministry has approved the dispensing of eight antiretroviral drugs for HIV postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) across the country, officials said recently. The drugs, if taken within 72 hours of exposure to the virus, can reduce the chances of HIV infection by about 79%.PEP will be available only with a prescription and recommendation by health officials or the health

2008-10-09T13:59:00.001-04:00

Imperfect Strangers Mohamed and Ahmed push through the wall of burly, beefy men and force their way up the stairs to the roof-deck bar. It’s Saturday night at the crowded Chelsea gay destination known for leather and fetish displays—like the man downstairs polishing patrons’ shoes on his hands and knees—and these boys are ready to mix and mingle. Mohamed’s lanky frame is squeezed into skinny

2008-07-26T09:29:00.002-04:00

2008-07-02T16:55:00.000-04:00

Sheikh Falah Al Nahyan, the Gay brother of the UAE president has been found guilty in a Swiss court of beating a US citizen with a belt at a hotel bar in Geneva in 2003.The tribunal fined the gay sheikh 10,000 Swiss francs (£4,930, $9,820). In addition he received a suspended penalty of 540,000 francs. The judgement said that the sheikh repeatedly hit Silvano Orsi with a steel-buckled belt. The

2008-01-10T11:17:00.000-05:00

Egyptian Film Offends Extremist Religious Scholars A lesbian sex scene in an Egyptian film has outraged religious scholars, who are telling people not to watch the 'sinful' movie. An Islamic Studies professor at Cairo University wants the Egyptian authorities to prosecute the director and both actresses involved in the scene, Ghada Abdel-Razeq and Sumaya Al-Khashab. Dr Abdel-Sabour Shahin

2007-12-04T09:30:00.000-05:00

Gay Muslim Outs Himself to Muslim Scholars at ConferenceJOHANNESBURG, December 3, 2007 (PlusNews) – Suhail AbualSameed looked calm, yet he was shaking inside. He was seated before a row of ulama, distinguished Islamic scholars, from Afghanistan to Yemen at the International Consultation on Islam and HIV/AIDS, organised by the charity, Islamic Relief Worldwide (IRW), in Johannesburg, South Africa,

2007-03-20T09:12:00.000-04:00

In Israel, gay Arab activists forge ahead with plans for a rare public conferenceJERUSALEM: A rare gathering of openly gay Arab activists is slated to be held in Israel this month, drawing the ire of religious conservatives. Headlined "Home and Exile," the March 28 meeting is meant to spark discussion of homosexuality among Israel's 1 million Arab citizens, said Roula Deeb, a prominent Arab

2006-10-02T17:41:00.000-04:00

Coming out in ArabicWhen Rauda Morcos heard there was an emailing list for lesbian Palestinians, she couldn't believe it at first."I thought it was a joke," she said. "Until then, I thought I was the only lesbian who speaks Arabic."The list was certainly not a joke but, in a society where same-sex relations are still taboo, its members guarded their privacy. The only way a newcomer could join was

2006-08-08T13:08:00.000-04:00

WorldPride supports gay Palestinians Despite a call from some LGBT Arabs to boycott WorldPride in Israel, WorldPride organisers – Jerusalem Open House - will express solidarity with gay Palestinians today at a demonstration at the city’s separation wall. As the WorldPride Jerusalem 2006 organisers wrote, "Holding WorldPride in Jerusalem, the city at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,

2006-08-07T12:07:00.000-04:00

Al Fatiha's Open Letter Regarding World Pride Open Letter to the LGBTIQ Community and WorldPride Participants As LGBTIQ Muslims and allies, the Al-Fatiha Foundation is torn, but united in our boycott of WorldPride in Jerusalem. As a religious organization, Al-Fatiha embraces the great symbolism that WorldPride in Jerusalem represents: the bringing together of LGBTIQ people in a city regarded as

2006-06-19T09:03:00.000-04:00

Lebanon Minister Denies Approving Gay Group BEIRUT: Lebanon's acting Interior Minister Ahmed Fatfat Saturday denied charges by conservative Muslim clerics that the government had approved a gay rights group as well as nudist beaches at two resorts. "Contrary to what has been alleged in sermons in the mosques, we have authorized neither the Helem (Dream) Association nor the opening of nudist

2006-05-18T16:18:00.000-04:00

Gays flee as religious militias sentence them all to death The death threat was delivered to Karazan’s father early in the morning by a masked man wearing a police uniform. The scribbled note was brief. Karazan had to die because he was gay. In the new Baghdad, his sexuality warranted execution by the religious militias. The father was told that if he did not hand his son over, other family

2006-05-16T12:36:00.000-04:00

Safe For Gays, Sort Of, But Not For Lesbians An order to kill gays in the "worst, most severe way possible" has been removed from the Web site of Iraq's most revered Shiite Muslim leader, the Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani.An Iraqi gay rights organization in London, Iraqi LGBT-UK, made the announcement Monday. The group had protested the cleric's order, or fatwa, and negotiated with the leader to

2006-05-06T11:32:00.000-04:00

Gay teen shot in Iraq14-year-old Ahmed Khalil has been shot, according to witnesses, by Iraqi police officers for being gay.According to his neighbours in the al-Dura area of Baghdad, Khalil was shot at point-blank range, after a scuffle with the police.Ali Hili, an exiled gay Iraqi who is Middle East Affairs spokesperson for the London-based gay human rights group OutRage! Said :"According to a

2006-04-07T12:22:00.000-04:00

Briton's book gives voice to gay Arabs BEIRUT: When Salim, a 20-year-old Egyptian, told his family that he was gay, they packed him off for six months of psychiatric treatment. When Ali, a teenager from Lebanon, was discovered to be gay, his father broke a chair over his head and his brother threatened to kill him for tarnishing the family honor. Ali left home and no longer has any contact with

2006-02-12T11:03:00.000-05:00

UAE Sentences 26 Gays To 5 Years In Prison(Abu Dhabi) Twenty-six men arrested at what police inthe United Arab Emirates called a "gay wedding" havebeen sentenced each to five years in prison.The men were charged with homosexuality, a crime underSharia law, although police acknowledged that non ofthe men were engaged in a sexual act when policeraided the event.Press reports from the capital say

2006-02-09T23:05:00.000-05:00

United Arab Emirates bans "Brokeback"Despite winning even more awards in London Wednesday, "Brokeback Mountain" will not be seen by moviegoers in the United Arab Emirates, after the country's government banned the film.Following a lead set by China last month, the UAE said the ban was an attempt to protect its citizens from "offensive, abnormal behaviors.""The film will upset the people of this

2005-11-30T15:32:00.000-05:00

UAE ministry denies reports of hormone treatments for 'gay wedding' suspects Abu Dhabi: The Ministry of Interior has categorically denied reports appearing in a section of the media that 26 individuals who were held at an alleged gay wedding have been subjected to hormonal or any other treatments. An official source at the ministry rejected the statement by the US State Department spokesman."They

2005-11-29T16:24:00.000-05:00

US condemns UAE gay men arrestsThe US has condemned the arrests of 26 gay men during a raid on a party at a hotel in the United Arab Emirates earlier this month.Washington also warned the UAE that any attempt to administer hormone or psychological treatment would break international law.Police launched on Tuesday disciplinary proceedings against an officer who published photos taken during the

2005-11-28T17:38:00.000-05:00

26 men arrested at mass gay marriage in DubaiMore than two dozen gay Arab men face strict punishment after being arrested at what police in the United Arab Emirates described as a mass homosexual wedding. They could be lashed, forced to undergo hormone treatments and jailed for five years, an Interior Ministry official said as he announced the arrests on Saturday. Interior Ministry spokesman

2005-11-21T13:53:00.000-05:00

HIV infection rising in Mid East Levels of HIV infection in the Middle East and North Africa are increasing and better education and prevention are urgently needed, a new UN report says. Some 510,000 people are now infected, with 67,000 new infections and 57,000 deaths, UNAids regional figures show. Worldwide 40.3m people are infected. Sudan is the worst-hit, and two thirds of women there were

2005-11-14T15:44:00.000-05:00

Arrests in Beirut Gay Club We received the following story from HELEM, the Lebanese LGBT organizationLast night (12-11-05), 11 people were arrested at Acid nightclub. We don't know if there were any women among those taken in. They were charged with article 534 and are now in Hbeich. An emergency meeting was held in Helem on Sunday and a preliminary plan of action was put together following

2005-11-08T15:45:00.000-05:00

SAUDI ARABIA: POLICE BREAK UP GAY BEAUTY CONTEST Riyadh, 7 Nov. (AKI) - Police in Saudi Arabia have broken up a beauty contest for gay men at al-Qatif on the east coast of the kingdom, arresting five men previously arrested less than six months ago for the same offence. The men were preparing to stage the competition on Thursday night, the first day of the Muslim festival Eid al-Fitr, when police

2005-09-22T11:46:00.000-04:00

Gay Lebanese Seeking AsylumBEIRUT: Lebanese homosexuals have sought political asylum in the Netherlands to escape their country's tough laws which brand homosexuality an "unnatural" act and to avoid jail at home, Lebanese officials said. Article 534 of the Lebanese penal code "bans unnatural sexual relations" although it does not explicitly refer to homosexuality, the officials in Beirut

2005-09-13T15:31:00.000-04:00

Riyadh to form a government commission for human rightsSaudi Arabia's government announced its determination to establish a government commission for human rights. This is the second commission of its kind in the kingdom since one and a half years.The Saudi official news agency said that the Saudi cabinet approved during its weekly session on Monday to organize the commission with the objectives

2005-09-07T16:17:00.000-04:00

Lebanon's homosexual community speaks out From The Daily StarBEIRUT: In a country that enjoys a rather relaxed attitude toward issues concerning sex - at least, compared to the other, more conservative countries of the region - Lebanese homosexuals still suffer from prejudice and discrimination. "A day does not go by where I don't have to deal with people who point me out and call me names," said

2005-08-29T10:43:00.000-04:00

Lebanon's gays struggle with lawHomosexuality in Lebanon is no longer on the fringes of society or confined to an underworld of nightclubs and exclusive gatherings. It is now the subject of daily discussions in the country.Just over a year ago, Helem, the first-ever advocacy group of its kind in the Arab world was founded here, with the aim of improving the legal and social status of lesbian, gay

2005-08-29T06:58:00.000-04:00

Gay Iraqi laments life after invasion As the drafters of the new Iraqi constitution debate the role of religious law, Salam Pax, the gay Iraqi blogger who became internationally known through his postings about life in Iraq during the war, told the Blade that conditions have worsened for gays in the country since the United States invaded.Salam said that gays in Iraq have no rights and are seen

2005-08-12T09:58:00.000-04:00

Spain allows gays to wed foreignersSpain's justice ministry ruled this week that citizens can marry a same-sex partner who is foreign, even if that person's home country would not legally recognize the marriage.The ruling was published Monday in the Official State Bulletin, according to international news reports.The action resolves the first snag in Spain's new law allowing same-sex couples to

2005-08-01T10:44:00.000-04:00

Qatar Crown Prince Outed by 365Gay.com(London) Qatar's 25 year old Crown Prince Tameem Bin Hamad Al-Thani has been outed in a British-based publication.Aljazeera, quoting a Qatar-based Islamic website, reports that the prince and two other Qataris were involved in a bar fight at G.A.Y. one of the biggest gay nightclubs in Britain.Aljazeera Magazine reports that the heir to the throne of Qatar

2005-07-28T11:14:00.000-04:00

Iran "hunting more gay teens"The Iranian government is apparently hunting more gay teens, after publicly executing two boys for having sex with each other last week.According to campaigners, police officials are searching for three boys connected with the “crimes” of Mahmoud Asgari (16) and Ayaz Marhoni (18), who were hanged last week.An international protest is being urged in response to the

2005-07-26T10:12:00.000-04:00

Gay Palestinian wins asylum appeal in the UKIn one of the first judgements of its kind, a gay asylum seeker has won the right to make an appeal to remain in Britain.The 34 year old Palestinian man who can only be identified as 'HC' lived in a refugee camp near Sidon, in Lebanon, but fled to Britain in 1998 after the video shop he worked in was blown up.The man claimed that he was told by a fellow

2005-07-25T14:26:00.000-04:00

Canada Warns Gay Couples to be Careful Traveling AbroadCanada’s Foreign Affairs Department this week is warning same-sex married couples to be wary when traveling or moving to foreign countries which may not recognize the marriages and, in some cases, could even bar entry or enforce the country's death penalty for homosexual activity."As we welcome new legislation in Canada that extends access to

2005-07-22T11:22:00.000-04:00

To Jordan, with loveMaking films based on her Jordanian roots is as important to lesbian filmmaker Cherien Dabis as stories about gay life.Filmmaker Cherien Dabis often looks to her personal life to inform her film work, whether she’s plumbing her experiences as a lesbian for dramatic stories or tapping into her friendships to create vibrant characters. These days, she’s digging even deeper for

2005-07-22T10:50:00.000-04:00

Iranian teens executed for homosexualityIran publicly executed two teenagers on Tuesday accusing them of raping a 13-year-old boy and having gay sex, according to Iran's ISNA news agency.The two teenagers were hanged in Edalat (Justice) Square in Mashhad, Iran's second-largest city. They were only identified by their initials, M.A. and A.M.Before their execution, the teenagers were held in prison

2005-07-05T15:08:00.000-04:00

Stabbings mar Jerusalem Gay Pride paradeJERUSALEM -- An ultra-Orthodox Jew stabbed and wounded two marchers in the annual Jerusalem Gay Pride parade Thursday, the most serious in a series of incidents involving opponents of the gay and lesbian gathering.Opponents tried to stop the march by throwing a stink bomb at the starting point, but several thousand marchers paraded through the center of

2005-05-14T14:20:00.000-04:00

Gay protestors target Saudi embassy Gay campaigners will protest outside the Saudi Arabian embassy in London next week, as part of the International Day Against Homophobia (IDAHO). The demonstrators hope their appearance at the embassy will help increase pressure on the Saudi government to lift their bar on homosexuality and improve their current human rights record.It comes as the country is

2005-04-18T13:33:00.000-04:00

Iran records over 10,000 HIV/AIDS casesTEHRAN (AFP) - Some 10,265 people in Iran are infected with the HIV virus and another 390 have full-blown AIDS, according to health ministry figures reported in the press.According to the statistics, intravenous drug use is still the main cause of infection, narrowly followed by sexual contact. The reports did not say if the number of dead has risen from

2005-03-18T22:29:00.000-05:00

Saudi Arabia arrests 110 gay men From Gay.com UKSaudi Arabia has apparently arrested a group of presumably gay men, claiming they were celebrating a gay wedding in the city of Jeddah.According to press reports, 110 men were arrested at a party with many fleeing as special forces entered. Although 80 were released, The Guardian reports, 30 men are still being detained and are likely to face

2005-03-15T10:10:00.000-05:00

Saudi Arabia executes two gay men From Gay.comTwo gay men have been executed in Saudi Arabia, according to news agency reports, after the government accused them of killing another man.Ahmed al-Enezi and Shahir al-Roubli, who were apparently in a relationship, were reportedly beheaded over the weekend.The government claims that they had killed Malik Khan after he saw them together and threatened

2005-03-09T10:10:00.000-05:00

Gay Lebanese man gets asylum reviewA U.S. appeals court ruled on Monday that a gay Lebanese man with AIDS can seek asylum in the United States, agreeing that his fear of persecution in his native country was well-founded.The decision reverses a ruling by the board of immigration appeals, which sided with Attorney General Alberto Gonzales in saying that Nasser Mustapha Karouni could avoid

2005-02-21T14:28:00.000-05:00

Turkish gays plead for more EU supportTurkey's gay community has called on the European Union (news - web sites) to offer it more support, as the debate over whether the country should be included in the next batch of new member states gears up. Representatives of the LGBT population say that while the EU has flagged up queries over Turkey's human rights record the issue of sexual diversity is

2004-12-22T11:51:00.000-05:00

American soldier shoots Iraqi after sex A National Guardsman who pleaded guilty to killing a 17-year-old Iraqi soldier said he shot the young man after they had consensual sex in a guard tower, a newspaper reported Saturday, citing court-martial records. Pvt. Federico Daniel Merida, 21, pleaded guilty to murder without premeditation and other charges during a court-martial in Iraq (news - web

2004-11-19T13:39:00.000-05:00

Israel court: Inheritance law applies to gaysA court in Israel has ruled that lesbian and gay couples must also be recognized in the realm of inheritance tax -- the first time such a decision has been made in the country. Nazareth District Court has ruled that same-sex couples can be included in inheritance laws, despite the existing legislation using the terms "man and woman" to describe a

2004-11-05T13:47:00.000-05:00

Does Arafat Have AIDS?(Paris) As French doctors continue to run tests on Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat some medical authorities not connected directly to his case are suggesting that he may have HIV/AIDS. Palestinian Foreign Minister Nabil Shaath Monday said that all types of cancer had been ruled out. Arafat has been visibly ill for more than two weeks. Last Wednesday he collapsed and

2004-10-20T13:15:00.000-04:00

Lebanese group wants ban on homosexuality liftedHurriyyat Khassa seeks to abolish law which stipulates one-year jail sentence for sexual intercourse against nature. A rights group has launched a campaign in Lebanon to overturn the country's ban on homosexuality, in the first publicity offensive of its kind to take place in the Arab world. The group, Hurriyyat Khassa or Private Liberties,

2004-10-06T07:50:00.000-04:00

Turkey's homosexuals come out for their rights From The Daily Star, Beirut. ANKARA: Long oppressed in a largely conservative society, Turkey's homosexuals are timidly coming out for their own share of freedoms as the country's bid to join the European Union spreads the gospel of human rights and tolerance. Ali Erol recalls the days back in 1994 when a group of aspiring homosexual activists went

2004-07-19T19:00:00.000-04:00

HIV awareness takes tentative public step From the Daily Star BEIRUT: Saad Solloum sat with his guitars on the St. Nicholas stairs in Gemmayzeh and rapped in Arabic about daily life in Beirut, love and Lebanon's dreams. It was not the first time that the 27-year-old musician played on the streets - he did so last time at the Fete de la Musique last month. Yet this Sunday he played for a good

2004-07-10T11:05:00.000-04:00

No Asylum for Gay Lebanese ManA 1998 advisory opinion issued by the State Department that found that “prohibitions on homosexual behavior went unenforced” in Lebanon helped to sink an asylum petition by Mohamad Abdul-Karim, a gay Lebanese man hoping to stay in the U.S. Abdul-Karim’s application for asylum was denied by the Board of Immigration, a ruling now affirmed by the U.S. Court of Appeals

2004-07-08T11:59:00.000-04:00

Yalla Barra Helem, the Lebanese LGBTQ organization is having a fundraising party, Yalla Barra (Come On, Come Out) in Montreal, Canada on Thursday, July 29th at the Lion D'Or nightclub (1676 Ontario Est). Cover charge is $10 and all proceeds go to benefit the group's work in Lebanon and also in Canada. This event is part of the city's pride week events, Divercite. For more information on Helem,

2004-06-16T11:39:00.000-04:00

Beirut Man Puts a New Spin on Belly Dance BEIRUT (Reuters) - Dark eyes peep bashfully over a black, sequined veil. Silver tassels tremble as the belly dancer's hips move in a sweeping circle. His sideburns and muscular torso are less typical. Beirut's celebrated male belly dancer, Mousbah Baalbaki, has taken the floor. To the cheers and whistles of the mixed audience, the veil is thrown aside

2004-06-08T12:30:00.000-04:00

Is U.S. Backing Egyptian Crackdown? By Duncan Osborne From the Gay City News, New York. Four Egyptian judges who have been involved in the prosecutions of men who have sex with men in that country on charges of habitual debauchery have received training paid for by U.S. taxpayers, according to a source familiar with the training who insisted on anonymity. But when Gay City News sought

2004-06-03T10:14:00.000-04:00

Rabbi compares Gays to Rabbits From Al Arabiya.net The Shin Bet security service ordered the Jerusalem Municipality to increase its security detail around Mayor Uri Lupoliansky after threats were received on his life for allowing today's Jerusalem Pride Parade in the capital. A leading ultra-Orthodox rabbi said that as a punishment, homosexuals would "in their next reincarnation, come back as

2004-05-18T23:27:00.000-04:00

Journalists convicted for Gay reportFrom Al Jazeera Online A Yemeni court has convicted three journalists, their lawyer has said, for publicly discussing homosexuality. The court ruled that a report in Arabic-language newspaper The Week in March 2003, which included interviews with men jailed for homosexuality, had violated Yemeni morals and customs. Homosexuality in the conservative Arab

2004-05-13T23:52:00.000-04:00

Iraqi gay blogger's story to become filmThe gay man behind "The Baghdad Blog" is set to see his story made into a film. From Planet OUT The 29-year-old architecture student, known only as Salam Pax, sparked international interest in his online depiction of life in Iraq during the early days of the U.S.-led war. Since then, his blog has been turned into a book ("The Baghdad Blog"), and Pax,

2004-05-07T16:01:00.000-04:00

U.S. leaders decry Egypt's anti-gay abuses From The PlanetOut Network On Thursday U.S. Rep. Steve Rothman, D-N.J., sent a letter urging Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to eliminate all abuses against gay men. Rothman co-authored the letter with Reps. Barney Frank, D-Mass., and Tom Lantos, D-Calif., and 41 other members of Congress, both Republicans and Democratics, signed it. "We regard the

2004-04-26T10:25:00.000-04:00

Kuwait sex-change case upheld From BBC News A Kuwaiti court has said a 25-year-old man who underwent sex-change surgery can be officially regarded as a woman. The unprecedented ruling came after the court was told of the plaintiff's physical and mental torment since childhood due to hormonal imbalances. Lawyer Adel al-Yahya told Reuters news agency the judges were guided by a religious edict

2004-03-29T10:49:00.000-05:00

Check Out Bidoun Finally, there is a magazine devoted to the global Arab and Persian Art scene. Published in Brooklyn, Bidoun Magazine covers the world of Art, Architecture, Theater, Music, etc. Written and designed in a very professional and stylish fashion, it is something to proudly display on your coffee table or to discuss with your friends during sunday brunch. The word Bidoun stands

2004-03-16T08:53:00.000-05:00

STOPPING THE SPREAD OF HIV: 2 break through silence to help teach gay Arabs From The Detroit Free Press It was a life-or-death business that brought two young men to the Ferndale nightclub. But their urgency was masked by smiles, hugs of friendship, balloons tied to fake palm trees, and booming Arabic dance music. Beside flickering candles, these two health educators -- paid with state

2004-03-01T15:04:00.000-05:00

Egypt rapped on 'gay persecution' From the BBC Online Egypt has been criticised for its treatment of homosexuals by the New York-based Human Rights Watch. The group reports a campaign to repress Egyptian gay men, who, it says, are routinely persecuted, arrested and tortured by the authorities. The report was released in conjunction with five local rights groups. Many Egyptians see gays as

2004-03-01T14:25:00.000-05:00

Saudi police raid 'homosexual' weddingFrom Al Jazeera Saudi investigators are questioning more than 50 people for allegedly attending a gay wedding in the holy Islamic city of Madina. Mostly expatriates, the suspects denied they were attending a gay marriage in the Aziziya district on Monday and said they took part in a ceremony to mark the wedding of a Chadian friend. Gay marriages are illegal

2004-02-25T12:48:00.000-05:00

Egyptian Teenager Sentenced for Gay Internet PostingFrom El Akhbar in Cairo A seventeen years old private universitystudent received a 17 years sentence in prison including 2 years hard labor, for posting a personal profile on a gay dating site. The Student was arrested outside the American University in Midan Al Tahrir (Liberation Plaza) in Cairo yesterday. He is accused of "offences" to the

2004-02-17T12:12:00.000-05:00

Egypt: NGOs reject state human rights groupFrom Al Jazeera Net Fifteen Egyptian groups have pledged not to work with the government's new council to protect human rights. The non-government organisations "are not ready to work with the National Human Rights Council as long as the conditions exist that rob it of credibility," they said in a statement on Tuesday. They would only cooperate if

2004-02-13T10:59:00.000-05:00

Male belly dancer shimmies his way into people’s hearts From the Daily Star BEIRUT: He slithers, he slides, he shakes, he teases. His heavily made-up face holds the crowd firmly in his gaze. His body, revealed by a see-through red and black tiger print top flowing around him, is in control of his every move as he takes over the stage, making it his, enrapturing an ecstatic audience. He is

2004-02-01T14:39:00.000-05:00

Lesbian activist fights deportation in Israel Lesbian human rights and peace activist Kate Raphael remained in custody Tuesday in an Israeli detention center following her arrest last Wednesday while videotaping Israeli military actions in the Palestinian village of Budrus. Raphael is now fighting plans by Israeli authorities to deport her. Raphael's supporters planned to demonstrate outside

2004-02-01T14:11:00.000-05:00

Saudi cleric denounces mixing of sexes at talks Saudi Arabia's leading Muslim cleric has denounced an international economic summit in the Red Sea port of Jiddah for breaking Islamic laws which forbid men and women mingling in public. Grand Mufti Sheik Abdul-Aziz bin Abdullah al-Sheik said he was troubled by photographs from the meeting, published in newspapers on Monday, which showed male and

2004-01-18T12:49:00.000-05:00

Wissam Abyad Is Free Ahbab News received the following story this morning: We are happy to announce that Wissam has been released. After a long trip from Cairo to Alex, he went through several days of transfers around Alexandria, paperwork, and finally some processing of his probation, he was released on Thursday afternoon, January 15 2004, almost one year to the day that he was arrested.

2004-01-02T11:27:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year 2004 We at Ahbab would like to wish all our readers the best in 2004. As we all take time to reflect on previous achievments and where we are heading as a community, we wanted to share with you the following editorial from "The Daily Star" that bring up some interesting points to think about and act on. Best wishes to all. The Arabs’ missed opportunities in 2003 - by Rami

2003-12-08T11:19:00.000-05:00

Coming clean on AIDS is key to preventing epidemic Lebanon’s rate of infection may be low, but failing to deal openly with social stigmas could exact heavy toll in near future By Rhonda Roumani From The Daily Star BEIRUT: Once a week, at a small center in the suburbs of Beirut, 10 to 15 HIV infected patients sit in a semi-circle on plush burgundy sofas to talk freely and openly about their