Welcome To America.
Two gay Iraqi refugees are making serious headway here in New York City, especially among the bear scene: “…Here they look exotic among the mix of bellies, baseball caps and bearded men. It’s this all-American aesthetic, however, that draws Mohamed and Ahmed week after week.” [NY Press]
Wow. What an extraordinary story.
In my days as a “professional student”, I met a lot of foreign students, and I found that the friendliest people were Arab men. Having an Afghani friend (who was a refugee from the Taliban) last summer only confirmed this. Wonderful, wonderful people. The idea that these two young men would be killed if they went home to Iraq, and yet are given the runaround by our government (the government that attacked their country) in their efforts to secure citizenship breaks my heart and makes me indescribably angry.
Mohamed & Ahmed, I salute you guys! Good luck in your American adventure. If you ever want to come to Portland, OR, look me up.