For homosexual Palestinians, Israel is their best shot at safety

[GRClarkesq]

By Dan Brown

TEL AVIV, Dec. 24 (JTA) — Belying its name, Electricity Park is shrouded in darkness, an ideal spot for curb-crawlers keen to avoid attention as they prowl for male prostitutes at night.
The anonymity these streets offer serves as a refuge for the young men who ply their trade in this dismal corner of Tel Aviv. Many of them have far more to fear than the police or the occasional abusive client.

Tricked out in drag or the tight, modish attire of Western urban youth, dozens of gay Palestinian runaways eke out a dangerous living on Israel’s streets.

http://www.jta.org/page_view_story.asp?strwebhead=Palestinian+gays+seek+safety+in+Israel&intcategoryid=1

[Gloria]

1. I heard a long report on this a few weeks ago on BBC via shortwave...

Apparently, many enter Israel because they can't stay in the Palestinian areas for fear of their lives and once in Israel have to lead a pretty precarious life, because they've entered illegally. The program interviewed some young men...it was very sad.

[leftyandproud]

2. curb crawlers..

lol, I thought that was really funny for some reason
:)

[The Zanti Regent]

3. Hmm what do Fartwell and Robberson have to say about this?

I know...

"Nothing to see here, move on!"

[MikeGalos]

5. Probably the same silence

as we hear from the pro-Gay Rights/anti-Israel people.

Face it, if you want equal rights regardless of your race, religion, gender or sexual orientation you only have one place you can live in the Middle East and their flag has a six pointed star.

[JohnLocke]

6. Great quip, Mike!

"If you want equal rights regardless of your race, religion, gender or sexual orientation you only have one place you can live in the Middle East and their flag has a six pointed star."

[Darranar]

7. And what does that have to do with Israel's policy towards the...

Palestinians?

[MikeGalos]

11. Nothing - not everything does

What it DOES have to do with is the Palestinian Authority's right-wing bigotry toward anybody not exactly like them.

[Kayla]

4. .

From the article:

Torture by Palestinian Authority security services or vigilante attacks by relatives is a fate suffered by countless gays in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, where sodomy carries a jail term of three to 10 years.

Islam prescribes capital punishment for homosexual activity.




Another progressive stand taken by the Palestinians! :puke:

[bemildred]

10. "Islam prescribes capital punishment for homosexual activity."

There is some dispute about that. Some schools consider it
worthy of death, some consider that no physical punishment is
required. They all consider it a bad thing, as with the other
Abrahamic religions. It is certainly true that it is worth your
life in some countries. But it is not true in general of Islam
that it requires the death penalty.

[the populist]

8. I guess this excuses Sabra and Shatila...

the fence, bombing civilian buildings, shooting kids, the Six Day War and other atrocities.

Israel may be socially progressive, but the popular consensus there is still more anti-gay than America with the Hasidic influence and everything. It's not the Netherlands after all. And even if it were it wouldn't make a difference. Social progressivism doesn't excuse murder.

[Kayla]

9. I guess that post is off-topic

:think: :eyes:

[MikeGalos]

12. Actually

I guess that post is silly and senseless but some people hate to see their idols clay feet exposed.

[Darranar]

13. How so?

I don't think many people here view the PA as an "idol"...

[GabysPoppy]

14. Are you clarifying your comment by inserting the word many?

Or would a more accurate interpretation be

Just a few here views the PA as "idols"

But don't let me put words into your mouth, your explanation will suffice.

[Violet_Crumble]

15. That's not accurate at all...

Of course if I've missed these Arafat Groupies and they actually do exist, feel free to name them. Yr not breaking any rules by doing that, and it'd be interesting to see who they are...

Violet...

[vierundzwanzig]

16. I hear

the orthodox Jews have a particul affinity for the gay community.

Besides that, they wouldn't even look at me on their way to the Western Wall (unpolitically correct called the western wall) because I was impure.

And I am hetero.

[Name removed]

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