Gay syria
Being Gay in Syria
Now, firstly, before you browse this. No, we are not selling Syria as the new Mykonos, San Francisco or Sydney, however in our experience we contain found that Syria and the people there are surprisingly liberal, and it’s a lot easier to travel there as a lgbtq+ person than you might expect.
The Middle East is often consideration of as a place of utmost conservatism and sexual repression and largely that’s not entirely wrong, however there are some areas that stand out as being way more open than others. Tel Aviv is an noticeable choice, as is Beirut in Lebanon, but we also see Damascus as a destination that is safe for gay travellers.
Again, let us preface, this is not saying that you should adorn yourself with self-acceptance flags or present overt displays of public affection. But if you were to strike up conversation with a young Syrian or one of your local guides and if you were to let it slip you had a same-sex boyfriend they’d probably not even skip a beat. We’ve had this happen on several tours before and the response is usually “ok yeah, so what?”.
In evidence, there have even been situations where the local Syrians have gone to enquire about
This section addressed the situation of lesbian, same-sex attracted, bisexual, trans and intersex individuals in Syria.
COI summary
[Main COI reference:Targeting, 13]
The Syrian legislation makes lgbtq+ activities punishable by law, as stipulated in the Penal Code of 1949 in Book Two under ‘morality and public morals’. Article 520 states: ‘any sexual intercourse against the order of nature can be punished with up to three years of imprisonment’. Article 517 of the Penal Code states that also violations of public decency as defined under Article 208 of the Syrian Penal Code are punishable with imprisonment from three months to three years. The legal status of same-sex exercise between women is unclear.
Recent reliable information on the enforcement of laws regarding LGBTI persons is available but limited. It is noted that there were no reports of prosecutions of same-sexual conduct in 2018. However, in previous years police used legal charges to prosecute LGBTI persons, for example based on drug abuse or abusing social values. Syrian authorities and others can also use one’s sexual orientation to blackmail, harass, and eventually abus
Mr. Gay Syria
Ayse Toprak
Syrian refugee Mahmoud Hassino organizes the very first Mr. Gay Syria competition in Istanbul. Hairdresser Husein is competing in the pageant, but is also leading a double being as a father and husband in a conservative Syrian family.
24 years ancient, Husein fled Syria with his family and is now working in downtown Istanbul cutting hair. One of his friends is Mahmoud Hassino, who fled Syria before him and now publishes the first Arabic gay magazine from his new home in Berlin. Homosexuality is a huge taboo in Syria, as it is in many Arabic countries. To generate more awareness of the plight of the Syrian LGBTI community, Hassino organizes the first Mr. Gay Syria contest, a kind of beauty pageant for gay men, with qualifying contests in all sorts of countries, culminating in the Mr. Same-sex attracted Syria pageant on Malta.
Husein enters the challenge, but is fighting an inner battle since his family and relatives contain no clue about his homosexual identity. His participation could be a stepping stone towards a resident permit in a defended European country and a new life. But Husein loves his little daughter dearly and does not want to leave her
Gays join the Syrian uprising
Gay men and lesbians lead tough lives in Syria, where homosexuality is illegal. One man has taken it upon himself to carry the community together, whether or not they, like him, have joined the anti-regime opposition.
https://p.dw.com/p/162h3
The room fills with the music of Elissa, the Lebanese singer who has become a same-sex attracted icon in Syria. Back in Damascus, activist and writer Mahmoud Hassino can't even discuss that Elissa is a gay favorite, permit alone raise the issue of male lover rights.
Hassino connected the opposition to President Bashar Assad and seeks to raise awareness about gay issues. It isn't easy.
Hassino knew he was gay at a young age, but there was no one with whom he could speak his feelings. "I was 15 when I had a crush on my teacher," he says. "I knew it was something that came from within."
Later as a medical student he researched the issue of homosexuality and realized that it wasn't a disease, that being queer was a normal sexual preference.
When he came out to his mother as a teenager, she gave him good advice, he says.
"Nobody will accept this," she told him. "You 'will