Gay refugees must get asylum, and a book tip
Good news of the day:
Gay refugees must get asylum, rule judges
Abbey Kiwanuka, 29, from Uganda, said: "This gives me hope for my appeal. I feared for my life in Uganda. Just two weeks ago a gay man was beheaded. I lost my appeal because the court said I should go back and live a discreet life. I can't do that. It's impossible to do."
Of course, good news for one is "the end of the world as we know it" for others, among them Sir Andrew Green, chairman of the campaign group Migrationwatch:
"The ruling could apply to millions of people around the world". He added: "An applicant has now only to show that he or she is homosexual and intends to return and live openly in one of the many countries where it is illegal, to be granted asylum in the UK."
This statement proves two things:
a) Sir Andrew Green doesn't have even the foggiest clue what he's talking about.
b) It's always the ones who don't have a clue who gather in "Migrationwatches", "My Country First" or "Ew, bloody foreigners!" groups.
Also, I'd be curious to learn how Sir Andrew imagines this "showing of homosexuality".
It's very unlikely that many refugees would claim to be gay if they were not. To understand this, the good Sir above would have to do a bit of study on the cultures in question, and, maybe, talk to people coming from countries where homosexuality is a crime punishable by death. The stance of those societies when it comes to same-sex relationships is almost exclusively condemning, and in the most violent way. There are many reasons; cultural heritage, tribal rules and of course religion - the latter spread by the usual suspects:
"However, anti-gay sentiment had dramatically worsened in some places, fanned by "the rampant homophobic teaching that right-wing evangelical Christian churches indulge in throughout much of sub-Saharan Africa" and "the ultra-conservative interpretation of Islamic law that prevails in Iran"."
Coming out as gay would mean persecution and execution, the loss of honour and respect plus bringing "shame and disgrace" over the whole family. Trust me on that, there won't be millions of people claiming to be gay just to get asylum granted. Many would actually "rather die than say they'd committed such a crime." (Direct quote from an asylum seeker I've talked to who managed to escape a bitter civil war.)
It's definitely important to let the governments in charge know that their actions are crimes against humanity. But while it's natural to get upset about the state-sanctioned murder of homosexuals f.e. in Iran, we should keep focussed on the homophobia in our own countries as well. Homophobia is never an isolated issue; it often goes hand in hand wih mysoginy, racism and fanatism. A group who is fanatical in its ostracizm of one minority is also very likely to go after another.
In this context, I'd like to recommend the book
"Itinéraire d'un triangle rose" - The Life of a Pink Triangle
It's the biography of Rudolf Brazda, probably the last survivor of the nazi concentration camps who was imprisoned for being gay. Brazda was deported to Buchenwald and spent there 32 months. Homosexual prisoners had to wear a pink triangle for identification, hence the title of the book. Unfortunately, it's (so far) only available in French, but I'd really like to urge those of you who speak the language to read it. This is a piece of very important, often overlooked or even forgotten GLBT history.
It's a horrible, cruel and at times almost unbearable story, it will make you angry and sad, but it's important that the tale of Rudolf Brazda's life is read and heard and spread. Mr. Brazda's 97 years old and lives not too far from me. He's lived for 50 years with the man he loved, and he wrote this book for the young generation, so that they won't forget and not repeat the mistakes of the past.
"My life's been cruel, but I always escaped by the skin of my teeth", he says.
By the way: an estimated 10'000 to 15'000 homosexuals were deported to the concentration camps. Unlike other victim groups, they never received any compensation.
For those who speak German: I can also recomend "Ich, Pierre Seel, deportiert und vergessen", by Pierre Seel. It's also available in English.
Gay refugees must get asylum, rule judges
Abbey Kiwanuka, 29, from Uganda, said: "This gives me hope for my appeal. I feared for my life in Uganda. Just two weeks ago a gay man was beheaded. I lost my appeal because the court said I should go back and live a discreet life. I can't do that. It's impossible to do."
Of course, good news for one is "the end of the world as we know it" for others, among them Sir Andrew Green, chairman of the campaign group Migrationwatch:
"The ruling could apply to millions of people around the world". He added: "An applicant has now only to show that he or she is homosexual and intends to return and live openly in one of the many countries where it is illegal, to be granted asylum in the UK."
This statement proves two things:
a) Sir Andrew Green doesn't have even the foggiest clue what he's talking about.
b) It's always the ones who don't have a clue who gather in "Migrationwatches", "My Country First" or "Ew, bloody foreigners!" groups.
Also, I'd be curious to learn how Sir Andrew imagines this "showing of homosexuality".
It's very unlikely that many refugees would claim to be gay if they were not. To understand this, the good Sir above would have to do a bit of study on the cultures in question, and, maybe, talk to people coming from countries where homosexuality is a crime punishable by death. The stance of those societies when it comes to same-sex relationships is almost exclusively condemning, and in the most violent way. There are many reasons; cultural heritage, tribal rules and of course religion - the latter spread by the usual suspects:
"However, anti-gay sentiment had dramatically worsened in some places, fanned by "the rampant homophobic teaching that right-wing evangelical Christian churches indulge in throughout much of sub-Saharan Africa" and "the ultra-conservative interpretation of Islamic law that prevails in Iran"."
Coming out as gay would mean persecution and execution, the loss of honour and respect plus bringing "shame and disgrace" over the whole family. Trust me on that, there won't be millions of people claiming to be gay just to get asylum granted. Many would actually "rather die than say they'd committed such a crime." (Direct quote from an asylum seeker I've talked to who managed to escape a bitter civil war.)
It's definitely important to let the governments in charge know that their actions are crimes against humanity. But while it's natural to get upset about the state-sanctioned murder of homosexuals f.e. in Iran, we should keep focussed on the homophobia in our own countries as well. Homophobia is never an isolated issue; it often goes hand in hand wih mysoginy, racism and fanatism. A group who is fanatical in its ostracizm of one minority is also very likely to go after another.
In this context, I'd like to recommend the book
"Itinéraire d'un triangle rose" - The Life of a Pink Triangle
It's the biography of Rudolf Brazda, probably the last survivor of the nazi concentration camps who was imprisoned for being gay. Brazda was deported to Buchenwald and spent there 32 months. Homosexual prisoners had to wear a pink triangle for identification, hence the title of the book. Unfortunately, it's (so far) only available in French, but I'd really like to urge those of you who speak the language to read it. This is a piece of very important, often overlooked or even forgotten GLBT history.
It's a horrible, cruel and at times almost unbearable story, it will make you angry and sad, but it's important that the tale of Rudolf Brazda's life is read and heard and spread. Mr. Brazda's 97 years old and lives not too far from me. He's lived for 50 years with the man he loved, and he wrote this book for the young generation, so that they won't forget and not repeat the mistakes of the past.
"My life's been cruel, but I always escaped by the skin of my teeth", he says.
By the way: an estimated 10'000 to 15'000 homosexuals were deported to the concentration camps. Unlike other victim groups, they never received any compensation.
For those who speak German: I can also recomend "Ich, Pierre Seel, deportiert und vergessen", by Pierre Seel. It's also available in English.