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progree

(10,864 posts)
Sat Aug 18, 2018, 05:27 PM Aug 2018

Achtung! If you are gay, then act gay! - Austrian officials to Afghan man seeking asylum

^-- (The above title is something I made up)

Austria Denies Asylum To Afghan Man For Failing To Act Or Dress Sufficiently Gay, Huffington Post, 8/17/18
https://www.yahoo.com/news/austria-denies-asylum-afghan-man-125015219.html

Austrian officials denied asylum to an 18-year-old Afghan for not being able to lend credence to the claim that he was being persecuted for being gay ― specifically, he was told that he didn’t behave or dress in a stereotypically gay manner.

“Neither your walk, nor your behavior nor your clothing give the slightest indication that you could be gay,” the decision said according to The New York Times. It was handed down in May but gained attention this week when an Austrian magazine, Falter, published a piece about the man’s case after gaining access to the decision.

“They reported that you frequently got into fights with roommates,” it said. “You clearly have the potential to be aggressive, which would not be expected in a homosexual.”

The decision also questioned the man’s homosexuality given reports that he didn’t have many friends in the country. “Don’t homosexuals tend to be rather sociable?”

And it also questioned the man’s claim that he became aware of his sexuality at age 12, claiming that sounded “rather early” and dubious. Afghanistan, according to the decision, is a country “where there is no public sexual stimulation through fashion and advertisement.”
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Achtung! If you are gay, then act gay! - Austrian officials to Afghan man seeking asylum (Original Post) progree Aug 2018 OP
Uhmmmmm Doreen Aug 2018 #1
most of my friends are lgbt; very few 'act gay' AlexSFCA Aug 2018 #2

Doreen

(11,686 posts)
1. Uhmmmmm
Sat Aug 18, 2018, 06:00 PM
Aug 2018

Except for knowing all of his life my gay friend does not look, talk, walk, or does anything that is the stupid stereotypical "gay way." My friend is not very sociable either. As far as public stimulation my friend is about 72 and grew up in a small red county and public sexual stimulation pointing towards homosexuality was not around when he was young. You did NOT let anyone back when he was young know that you were gay. For some people they are so repressed that it does take until they are preteen or young teens to realize they are gay. What a stupid thing to say or believe.

AlexSFCA

(6,137 posts)
2. most of my friends are lgbt; very few 'act gay'
Sat Aug 18, 2018, 06:08 PM
Aug 2018

I think what Austria is referring here to, is that this person is unlikely to be suspected as gay and so is unlikely to be prosecuted; refugee standard is very hard to meet. There is legitimate concern that straight people would apply for lgbt based asylum if all you need to do is admit being gay.

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