Winnipeg Free Press story on where being gay is a death sentence

BORIS MINKEVICH / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS

In Iran, there are no homosexuals.

Or so said the president of Iran. When I posted the story about the thoughts/rants of Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore, little did I realize that I’d find the “180” in the next couple of days.

You see, that post was all about a minority that had won major gay acceptance and gay rights over the years, and about modifying its platform, so to speak. About what it should really be interested in doing/focusing on to ensure the “right kind” of liberation for gay people, perhaps not focused so much on marriage equality or anti-gay violence.

But in order to do that, in order to have the freedom to say what you want or wear a dress or call yourself Mattilda or Jimbo or re-appropriate the word “faggot” — you have to be free enough to not be looking over your shoulder every minute for the assassin.
It viagra purchase buy is one of the safest and effective treatment for sexual problems. The orlistat capsules appeared not only help people to treat their illnesses secretly by offering medication which needs no cialis on line prescription. This causes loss of blood circulation around the genital area causing active amount of positive vibration that enables a man to buy generic viagra have a good hard erection for a long period of time. Start your messages with, “Hey ” instead of, “Dear .” Using colloquial expressions instead of formal language will help your prospects feel at ease – and much more likely to buy from you. 7. order levitra online respitecaresa.org
And this is what is going on in Iran, Iraq, other countries in Africa. This is what would be going on in the United States if some fundamentalist Christian pastors had their way. Yes, here, yes, in Kansas and Maryland and probably some small town very near you.

So I wanted to publicize this program in Canada, the Iranian Railroad for Queer Refugees, which assists those trying to escape Iran for more hospitable countries like Canada, though the article also says they help place people in Finland and the USA.

If you read the story about Hamed, the young Iranian man in the picture above, you find out that the people he was most afraid of in Iran were his own family. I find that so sad and depressing. Yet, he triumphs: the two men in the photo behind him, his new family, were part of a “Group of Five” in Canada which was able to sponsor Hamed’s emigration.

I’d have to say, he looks pretty happy. The article also says that today, June 3, he’ll go to his first Pride parade, in Winnipeg. Appropriate for what I expect will be a number of GLBT-pride related posts this month of June Pride.

Also, I’ll be thinking of Hamed and people like him the next time I’m forced to watch a child spew hatred as the result of some pathetic misguided adult.