Stories of rape and torture are recounted by two young Iraqis, who say they would like to leave the country for San Francisco:
“CNN spoke with Kamal, now 18, and his 21-year-old friend, Rami, about what it’s like to be gay in Iraq. Coming out as gay is not easy in any country, but to do so in Iraq could mean a death sentence or torture. The two men rarely show feelings toward each other in public. They spend a lot of time in Internet cafes in Baghdad, surfing gay chat rooms and seeking contacts with other gay men in Iraq and elsewhere. Since the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003, the situation for gays and lesbians in Iraq has deteriorated. Ridiculed under Hussein, many now find themselves the targets of violence, according to humanitarian officials. Lesbians are also victims of harassment and violence, but not nearly as often as gay men….Kamal and Rami say the dangers are all too real in Baghdad — and they live in secrecy not to shame their families. ‘I would rather commit suicide than allow my family to find out I am gay,’ Rami said. Kamal said he often pretends to have girlfriends in social settings and tells his friends he’s dating girls. ‘I am also careful with the way I dress — not to show them that I am gay, especially my family.’ What would his family do if they found out? ‘They will force me to give it up, and I cannot do that,’ he said. ‘The ‘normal’ people cannot live in Iraq. Imagine how the life is for gays.’ Rami added, ‘I do not know why people hate gays even though so many have this tendency. But still they hate it.'”
Gays in Iraq terrorized by threats, rape, murder [cnn]
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