PANTS DOWN

Former Cyprus Finance Minister Charged With “Felony Homosexuality”

Last week, a Turkish Cypriot court arrested and formally charged 65-year-old former Greek Cypriot finance minister Michalis Sarris with felony homosexuality, or as ABC News calls it “[having] gay sex in the north.”

In 1974 the country split into two halves—the Turkish-speaking north and a Greek-speaking south. While the south repealed it’s anti-gay law almost a decade ago, the north still has its anti-gay law on the books.

Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu reportedly agreed that his legislature should repeal the anti-gay law, though no such bill exists at the time.

Sarris has been released on $63,000 bail and will appear in court next month. In the meanwhile, activists demonstrated in front of the courthouse where Sarris was being held to condemn the outdated law.

That being said, did you know that sodomy is still punishable in 16 states?

Image via Keith Allison

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