Gay liberation may be heading to the Middle East. A group of Kuwaiti queers recently asked the government to register the constitutional monarchy’s first gay rights organization. The obviously biased Alarbiya reports:
The Kuwaiti Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs has received a request for the establishment of an association to protect the rights of homosexuals and transsexuals, press reports said Monday.
The request is the latest sign of defiance by Kuwait’s growing gay community, which has upset some in the Muslim country, Kuwait’s An-Nahar newspaper reported.
The homo’s move comes just weeks after the government reportedly asked for money to crack down on Kuwait’s burgeoning gay scene.
Michael Petrelis offers some more information on anti-gay tyranny in Kuwait. The homo-journo cites a US Department of Justice report outlining Kuwait’s anti-queer trends:
There was discrimination against homosexuals in societal attitudes and legal issues. In February 2005 police charged a group of 28 alleged homosexuals with creating a public disturbance after they met outside a fast-food restaurant. On October 27, police raided a party where homosexuals were allegedly celebrating a wedding. On December 10, the legislative committee of the National Assembly unanimously approved a law to impose a fine of $3,450 (1,000 dinars) and/or one year’s imprisonment for those imitating the opposite sex.
Considering those conditions, it seems unlikely the government will grant the gays their wish.
