Three Missing Gay Stories: Iran, Turkey, Belarus
It’s Russia, Russia, Russia when it comes to ‘foreign gay news’ these days. But it’s a much bigger and badder gay world out there.
Although the video footage of gays being tormented by Russian Nazis is mainstream news, worse footage from Jamaica is failing to attract anything like the same attention. The Jamaican situation is getting so bad, with the government doing nothing about what seems to be a wave of murders and violent attacks, that the veteran, exiled gay leader Maurice Tomlinson is on the verge of calling for economic sanctions.
Should Tomlinson call for sanctions — and get support from the organised Jamaican LGBT community — I wonder if that will break through and get anything approaching the attention Russia has? I have to say I’m cynical.
Jamaica, however, does get at least some attention but there have been three recent stories which leapt out at me and I think deserve at least some coverage (as opposed to none) because they obviously qualify as serious news.
LGBT activism now ‘terrorism’ in Belarus
Iran criminalises homosexual identity
Turkey writes LGBT into draft constitution
More: Paul Canning: Three Missing Gay Stories: Iran, Turkey, Belarus