Horrific Story from Iraq

Just a reminder of how lucky we all really are to live in our country.

Anti-gay attacks on rise in Iraq

Gay Iraqi men are being murdered in what appears to be a co-ordinated campaign involving militia forces, the group Human Rights Watch says.

It says hundreds of gay men have been targeted and killed in Iraq since 2004.

So-called honour killings also account for deaths where families punish their own kin in order to avoid public shame.

The report says members of the Mehdi Army militia group are spearheading the campaign, but police are also accused - even though homosexuality is legal.

Witnesses say vigilante groups break into homes and pick people up in the street, interrogating them to extract the names of other potential victims, before murdering them.

"Murder and torture are no way to enforce morality," said HRW researcher Rasha Moumneh, quoted in the report.

"These killings point to the continuing and lethal failure of Iraq's post-occupation authorities to establish the rule of law and protect their citizens."

In some cases, Human Rights Watch says it was told, Iraqi security forces had actually "colluded and joined in the killing".

Witch-hunt

Recently, posters appeared in Sadr City - a conservative, Shia area of Baghdad - calling on people to watch out for gay men and listing not only their names but also their addresses.

One gay man in Baghdad described the killing campaign as a witch-hunt. Nearly 90 gay men have been killed in Iraq since the beginning of January and many more are missing, local gay rights campaigners say.

The report, called They want us exterminated: Murder, Torture, Sexual Orientation and Gender in Iraq, says horrifically mutilated bodies of gay men have been left on rubbish tips.

Sometimes their bodies are daubed with offensive terms such as "pervert", or "puppy" which is a hate word for gay men in Iraq.

The report contains detailed testimonies of a range of brutal treatment of gay Iraqi men.

"We've heard stories confirmed by doctors of men having their anuses glued and then being force-fed laxatives which leads to a very painful death," says Ms Moumneh told the BBC.

'Feminised men'

When questioned in the past, officials in Iraq have condemned the killings, but the BBC's Natalia Antelava in Baghdad reports that gay men there say nothing has been done to protect them.

"These killings will continue, because it has simply become normal in Iraq to kill gay men," said a gay Iraqi man who did not want to be named.

Mehdi army spokesmen and clerics have condemned what they call the "feminisation" of Iraqi men and have urged the military to take action against them.

The report said many gay men have fled to other countries in the region, despite consensual homosexual activity being illegal there, because the risk of victimisation is reduced.

HRW says the threats and abuses have spread from Baghdad to Kirkuk, Najaf and Basra, although persecution remains concentrated in the capital.

Officials say part of the problem in dealing with the attacks is that victims' relatives seldom if ever provide information to the police.

"They consider talking about the subject worse than the crime itself. This is the nature of our society," ministry spokesman Major General Abdul-Karim Khalaf said.

Story from BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/middle_east/8204853.stm

Published: 2009/08/17 14:43:37 GMT

Cuidate.

It's a Cool...Cool Summer

Gorgeous day today in the Bay Area; sunny, but not hot and breezy. I love living here. I am headed to the east coast on Thursday for my family reunion. This may be my last big one. I would rather spend time with smaller groups of relatives that I like rather than larger groups of people that get together because it is the right thing to do for the family image. When you only see someone once every three years and then get ignored by the same person(s) any other time, what kind of fucked up relationships are these? It is not mean if it is true. That's my position and I am sticking to it.

I am copping out and using some loaded questions today. I have not done any in a while and I like how they make me think.

If you could be an expert in one current event, what would it be?

I am a big airplane and airline nerd, so I can talk for days about airlines and airplanes. I also am an excellent travel planner and arranger.

What one feud will never die?

Israel and Palestine. Personally, my feud with my sister Melissa.

What one thing about nature do you hate?

I am not a huge fan of the bugs... and I am afraid of snakes.

What job on the set of a movie is best suited for your personality?

I would be an excellent production assistant (aka gofer). I can carry 8 coffees at a time with no problems.

Assuming you were single, why would somebody choose not to date you?

I am a creature of habit and do not like my regular routine disturbed too much. I sleep until noon or one if it is my day off. If you are a morning person, we are not going to click.

What aspect of the "good old days" would you like to see make a comeback in today's world?

I would like to see the 24 hour news cycle disappear and go back to daily newspapers and the evening news broadcast. I would also like to see people relating to each other more and less distraction with texting and video games.

What is your biggest regret in the last week?

That Diablo Valley College did not receive my pass/fail form for my math course.

When/where do you most often catch yourself flirting?

Uh...everywhere. I am a huge flirt.

What do you see as the best possible thing happening to you in the next week?

Seeing my brother and his family and my parents.

What do you often make fun of?

Almost anything; coworkers, right wing people, and stupid people are at the top of the list.

Why do people often make fun of you?

I don't know if they do. Maybe they are jealous of my fabulous lifestyle? Yeah, that's it.

What is something your friends know about you... but your parents would never know?

I swear like a motherfucker...constantly. I suppose that I have a very adult, crass, and inappropriate sense of humor that they would likely not appreciate.

If you were the boss at your job, what incentive or perk (aside from money) would you offer your employees?

Free soda machines and snack machines.

What one thing have you hold on to...for no good reason?

I have a blanket that I have had since high school that probably is hazardous because it was one of those old style electric ones that you plugged in. But I cannot seem to get rid of it.

Who is the most overrated band (or musician) ever?

The Bee Gees.

How are you most creative?

I suppose writing more than anything else as I get older.

Alright all. Hope you are having a great weekend.

Cuidate.