18/09/2023
The progressive news website The Canary, which was founded by Jewish lesbian activist and journalist Kerry-Ann Mendoza, publishes a piece by Steve Topple on the increasingly precarious position of LGBTQIA people in Iraq, where the relatively indifferent attitude of the former dictatorship of Saddam Hussein, toppled by an illegal war in 2003 which was protested across Europe, has been replaced by clerical fascism from religious extremists. Ironically, Saddam's regime kept these extremists under the proverbial thumb, but since the supposed "liberation" of Iraq, which peace activists note led to the deaths of half a million people, but now, as Mr Topple's article notes, they are flexing their muscles. He notes that The amendment to a 1988 anti-prostitution law passed a first reading in parliament last week. It would enable courts to issue “the death penalty or life imprisonment” sentences for “homosexual relations”. This is according to a document seen by Agence France-Press (AFP). The amendment would also set a minimum seven-year prison term for “promoting homosexuality”. A 2022 report by Human Rights Watch (HRW) and non-governmental organisation IraQueer found that people often target LGBTQ+ Iraqis with “kidnappings, rapes, torture and murders”. The state fails to punish the perpetrators. LGBTQ+ rights researcher at HRW Rasha Younes called the new proposed legislation as a “dangerous step”.
https://www.petertatchell.net/military/against_queer/
