There is a tremendous amount of risk being openly gay in most countries, but exponentially more in some. One of the most romatacized countries from the eyes of US Americans, Jamaica, is one of the most deadly places for queer people. This so called paradise is a place of execution if alternate sexualities are revealed. The middle east, is another region that is extremely dangerous to be openly queer. People are stripped of their dignity, social standing, excommunicated from their family and religion, and often killed. There is blame upon the queer person that they chose their orientation and a mentality, that it is a life event that created this, so it may be able to be undone. In an article I found on OUTIMPACT.COM, a young Muslim man from Egypt writes about being gay. He states that the gay culture moves just beneath the surface of mainstream culture, just as many marginalized groups feel they do. The suffering of the oppressed and shamed is always present in a culture, the racism, homeless, jobless, and sexual minorities.
He used to belong to the group Muslim Brotherhood, who has a tumultuous and mixed infamous reputation, being a grouped that began with righteous ideals and has strayed too far in to the dark of politics, What is Muslim Brotherhood, CNN; Muslim Brotherhood English website
The young man speaks about how he has been coached by his THERAPIST to not tell his family. Something that is unusual in this country, at least usually in the US we have a goal to eventually come out to our families. He has been told to keep it under wraps, “because there is a chance it may change,” and he doesn’t want to be ostracized from his family. He believes that he is gay because of the lack of a paternal figure in his life. On the same hand, he does not want to move to a place with greater freedom for homosexuals. He stands on the grounds that he should not be forced to leave the country he loves because he is gay.
I find this interview sad and haunting. His life is similar, yet so far away from the more privileged US gay rights movement. I know that being queer is still a danger in our society, resulting in beatings, and death, but we have more freedom. We have a GAy RIghts Movement. We are seen as humans and in general we believe we are born this way, and not thanks to Lady Gaga. We have parades and pride events. We build families and have lasting relationships, not just a shadow culture filled with insecurity and internal hate and prejudice. This young man believes it is his life experienced that shaped his sexuality, and that he may one day change. His culture has put the burden of his identity upon him. He is committing an ultimate sin against his culture and religion and it is his fault. He does not have a cultural movement around him to say, “no, you deserve rights, too! You are perfect just as you are!”
Read the interview and see the world from his eyes for just a moment…
Margins Of The Margins 