Alii 2,039 Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 In a garage behind a row of parked cars sleeps Mostafa near a pile of litter left behind by a street dog and its newborn puppies. A couple of dusty blankets and pieces of cardboard serve as his bed. He earns his money as a parking attendant, shoe shiner and handyman; anything that will make him a few pounds. A little over a year ago, the 25 year old university graduate was living with his parents in a working class neighborhood in Cairo. He worked as a salesman in an electronics shop and spent his weekends with his friends at the local tea-house. In the summer of 2014, he and a friend went to a hotel bar to have a beer. Two hours later, he was locked up in a police cell, handcuffed and with a black eye. “I was charged with being a homos-xual,” he explains. “Apparently, that hotel bar is a meeting place for gay people, and that evening, the police raided the bar.” It took Mostafa until the beginning of this following year to get released, thanks to a local human rights organisation. However, while the charges against him were dropped, his parents and friends never came to visit him during the time he spent behind bars. When he returned home, his parents refused to open the door. Furthermore, he lost his job and his friends no longer wanted anything to do with him. “In the blink of an eye, I lost everything I had,” he mumbles, obviously still in shock over what has happened. “My life as I knew it was over.” The fact that the charges were dropped didn’t matter. “Everybody thinks I am gay now, so I’ve become a pariah. My own brother doesn’t even answer my phone calls.” Since president Mohammed Morsi was deposed in July 2013, at least 170 people have been put in prison for allegations and accusations of homos-xuatlity. Later under the new leadership of president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, the situation for homos-xuals, if anything, got even worse, leaving them more oppressed than ever before. In Egypt, homos-xuals are mostly thought of as ‘sick’ and ‘immoral’. “I would rather have my brother have cancer than be gay, because cancer can be cured,” says Khaled, a 28-year-old TV reporter. Meanwhile, Walaa,26, a receptionist at a language institute, thinks it would help if the media dedicated more time to covering homos-xuality, so people would get a better understanding of how great the danger of this ‘immoral disease’ is. “The degeneration of society is to blame; young people no longer have morals,” she thinks. On another note, Mohammed and Mahmoud, who both still live with their parents, have been together for four years behind their families’ backs. “My family is like the American army,” Mohammed explains. “Don’t ask; don’t tell. My mom is a liberal and well-educated woman, but for the of her peace of mind, it’s better that I don’t openly confess [my homos-xuality].” On the other hand, Mahmoud’s family refuses to acknowledge his s-xual orientation all the same, and preferred to act in denial. “They think this is some sort of a phase I am going through, and that in a few years’ time, I’ll get married and start a family,” says Mahmoud. However, opposite to his family, Mohammed’s coming out of the closet cost him losing all of his college friends. “They all cut me off afterwards,” he says. “When there are other people around, we act like regular friends,” Mahmoud says. “Sometimes, people will comment ‘wow, you guys spend a lot of time together,’ and then we make a point of not seeing each other for a few days. As soon as someone gets suspicious, we start avoiding that person.” According to Mahmoud, it’s logical that the current regime cracks down harder on the LGBTQ scene than their more religious predecessors -the Muslim Brotherhood. “They are trying to maintain this image of being more religious than the Brotherhood. Besides, the Muslim Brotherhood had plenty of other problems to worry about than a few gay guys.” What troubles Mahmoud greatly though is how people meddle in each other’s businesses the way they do. “I just want to be left alone. We’re not bothering anyone, so why bother us?” Mohammed only has one wish for the future, and that is to get out of Egypt with Mahmoud as soon as possible. “I love Egypt, but I can’t be myself here. I want to be able to be who I am -out of the closet- without endangering myself. The only way I can do that is by having a European passport.” However, back at the garage, Mostafa looks to the past instead of to the future. “I would give everything to be able to go back in time and spend my evening at home on the couch instead of in that bar.” Source: http://egyptianstreets.com/2015/08/30/homos-xuality-in-egypt-lives-ruined-between-allegations-and-confessions/ This is so sad. The situation is only getting worse in the East. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melech 9,900 Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 In Egypt, homos-xuals are mostly thought of as ‘sick’ and ‘immoral’. “I would rather have my brother have cancer than be gay, because cancer can be cured,” says Khaled, a 28-year-old TV reporter. At least he is acknowledging that being gay can't be "cured".The Middle East is getting so horrible for LGBTIQ* (except for Israel). Hopefully the trend is changing soon. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alii 2,039 Posted August 31, 2015 Author Share Posted August 31, 2015 At least he is acknowledging that being gay can't be "cured". The Middle East is getting so horrible for LGBTIQ* (except for Israel). Hopefully the trend is changing soon. Not going to happen anytime soon, sadly. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melech 9,900 Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 Not going to happen anytime soon, sadly. I mean gays were persecuted in Germany till 1994 with §175 and today it's one of the gayest countries in the world! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SychosSoChic 9,995 Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 The Middle East has SO MUCH potential. They have the economy and the workforce and the people trained to do anything they set their minds too, but instead allow their backward social ideologies to hold them back.It's really saddening seeing a region that could do so much tearing itself apart from the inside. Life ain't Hollywood for any one of us. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
A Beaverhausen 280 Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 this is so heart breaking!!!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLACKOUTbritney 22,369 Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 This makes me so sad! I know there are members on here from egypt! Hope you all stay safe Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melech 9,900 Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 The Middle East has SO MUCH potential. They have the economy and the workforce and the people trained to do anything they set their minds too, but instead allow their backward social ideologies to hold them back. It's really saddening seeing a region that could do so much tearing itself apart from the inside. And Middle Eastern culture Of all parts of the world I prefer Middle Eastern culture,cuisine and music. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alii 2,039 Posted August 31, 2015 Author Share Posted August 31, 2015 I mean gays were persecuted in Germany till 1994 with §175 and today it's one of the gayest countries in the world! I didn't know that. I thought gay s-x was decriminalized in the 50s and that Berlin had gay bars since the 20s. But people here won't be accepting of it anytime soon because extramarital s-x between a man and a woman isn't accepted AT ALL. The morality police would also arrest them, although they don't really go after them. It is socially not accepted, for girls, to be in a relationship unless you intend to marry that person. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alii 2,039 Posted August 31, 2015 Author Share Posted August 31, 2015 This makes me so sad! I know there are members on here from egypt! Hope you all stay safe I don't think there are. Except for me. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melech 9,900 Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 I didn't know that. I thought gay s-x was decriminalized in the 50s and that Berlin had gay bars since the 20s. But people here won't be accepting of it anytime soon because extramarital s-x between a man and a woman isn't accepted AT ALL. The morality police would also arrest them, although they don't really go after them. It is socially not accepted, for girls, to be in a relationship unless you intend to marry that person. Gay life firstly was accepted and the 20's in Berlin ,but then the Nazis came Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLACKOUTbritney 22,369 Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 I don't think there are. Except for me. I've seen a few say they live in Egypt. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SychosSoChic 9,995 Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 And Middle Eastern culture Of all parts of the world I prefer Middle Eastern culture,cuisine and music. Asian culture > For me But I spent a good deal of my childhood in Kuwait and Abu Dhabi, so I just feel something for the Middle East I dunno haha. Just want them to do better coz I know all that they're capable of and the good they can do Life ain't Hollywood for any one of us. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alii 2,039 Posted August 31, 2015 Author Share Posted August 31, 2015 Asian culture > For me But I spent a good deal of my childhood in Kuwait and Abu Dhabi, so I just feel something for the Middle East I dunno haha. Just want them to do better coz I know all that they're capable of and the good they can do UAE and Kuwait are the best in the ME, also Qatar and Bahrain. I wanna visit Dubai one day. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 This is heartbreaking. I wonder how long it will take us to separate religion and state worldwide and thus live in a more tolerant world. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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