by Samina Naseem
Yesterday I read in the State News online here in East Lansing, Michigan that Michigan State University (MSU) is celebrating “Pride Week” to celebrate and appreciate the presence of diverse population at MSU. It is mainly about celebrating LBGTA (lesbian, bisexual, gay, transgender & ally) community and their contribution to the university through their scholarly work. The underlying purpose also is to create awareness and empathy among students (I think more for international students, who might not be exposed or informed of such prevalent issues related to sexual orientation in their societies). A senior student’s email response to Pride Week was “Pride Week provides the MSU community an opportunity to see past stereotypes and understand the MSU’s LBGTA community is academic, social and proud.” I second her thoughts.
I posted the link on my facebook profile. I had a reason. I have students and colleagues from Pakistan in my friends’ list. I wanted them to read the news and think about it. Though none of them commented on the post but I know many of them have read it and must have thought that I have gone crazy or I’m westernized in my thoughts or the worst “she is Christian, they can talk about such notions. Well, my mind is still intact, my thoughts still desi and I’m still a believer. What I’m about to write is not against any religion or my belief as a Christian. What I write are my thoughts as a human being. We need to talk because if we don’t, several people especially children in our country will always be an easy target for sexual abuse.
I want to talk about it and I want to open this topic for discussion. Before I start, I applaud the initiatives taken to provide better living opportunities to transgender community. Still we are far behind in accepting and letting the transgender community to be a part of the larger community. I think as humans and citizens of Pakistan, they all have the right to same education as other children. I must say it is a matter of inclusive education. But the big question to be thought about; is our society prepared for including the transgender community in mainstream schools? I don’t think so. My point is that only accepting that the particular community has rights, does not necessarily give them the rights. There is a need to change our attitude and behaviors toward the community, which has to be a societal change. We have to stop demoralizing them, considering them as objects of mockery, subject to demeaning and start treating them as HUMANS. Let us also think that do our religions allow this kind of negative behavior toward other humans or is that we don’t consider them as humans because they’re not physically normal like us? Have we ever thought that the transgender community is sexually abused by physically normal humans?
Similarly, don’t we have gays and lesbians in Pakistan? Closing eyes to a problem or not having discussions about it, doesn’t mean that the problem doesn’t exist. There are reports by the United Nations that highlight the agony many male children go through in few areas (see http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/248219.stm). One of my Pakistan friends said and I quote, “USA is a secular country but Pakistan is an Islamic country and this is not allowed.” I agree with her too. I know that in our society, where declaring your sexual orientation as gay is subject to punishment by law. Therefore, people having different sexual orientation than heterosexuality will never accept it. But this does not mean that we don’t have gay community in Pakistan. For instance, the report I referred to shows how male children are sexually molested by adult males. This is a gay behavior. If not convinced, well then what such websites as this one shows; http://www.gayegypt.com/pakfregayper.html or stories about lesbians in Pakistan (see http://www.npr.org/2011/01/17/132711102/pakistans-lesbians-live-in-silence-love-in-secret). Think of the misery that this community is going through. It is not about their misery only but also the way a forceful heterosexual marriage can ruin lives of humans involved in the act. Fatima (pseudonym: Read the whole story from the above npr.org link) got married to a male, following the religious and societal norms but fell in love with another female after 6-months of marriage and got divorce. An acquaintance of mine got married and found on her wedding night that her husband was gay. She got the divorce. But she was stamped as a “divorcee” and our society unfortunately does not accept them too. Though she married again but was divorced again, this time with a child in her womb. I must say she is brave as being a single-parent to her son. Just think how many lives were affected in these two forceful marriages. Believe me; this isn’t going to stop at any given point.
There can be and will be hundreds of such stories that call for considering a reorientation of our society. It is the time that I think we should talk about it, about sexual orientation and issue related to gender and sexuality. We cannot stop our children from getting exposed to such aspects of human behaviors through internet and media. Therefore, it is the need of the hour that we talk and discuss what our children read and watch as educationists, parents and policy makers. I would end my thoughts by borrowing conclusion from my friend’s article (whom I much appreciate for being a listener to all my frustrations). He wrote “We should ask: How do we best reach kids, how do we defeat for them, before they start, oppressive and cruel socializations? Redirecting the focus in this way would also make moot the need for painful and pragmatically problematic explorations of our abilities, as adults, to reprogram our attitudes and actions away from our (decades of) socialization. Ultimately, after all, citations, talks, papers, conferences, protests, case studies, books, and any other work we put in is rather irrelevant if today’s and tomorrow’s children will pick up these adult conversations where we left off, and see that we were egocentric and inefficient enough to have left the mess to them.”
Please wake up– Don’t just watch– think and discuss about it!
The writer is a PhD Scholar at Michigan State University and a Lecturer at Fatima Jinnah Women University, Pakistan
Secular Pakistan 
Ameer
April 15, 2011
As a gay 18 year old male living in Pakistan, your article is (I feel) exactly the sort of awareness we need over here. I know a myriad of LGBT people living in Pakistan, and the country needs to realize that we exist, and that the notion that people can be gay or lesbian isn’t some form of “western propaganda”.
Two thumbs up! 🙂
Ahlam
April 15, 2011
I have been acutely aware of such problems in our society, but never had the nerve to write about it though. Thanks a lot! Cheers!
Uhh
April 21, 2011
Uh, gays are not a ‘problem’ and molesting children is is not ‘gay behavior’, its pedophilia. Are you calling all gays pedophiles?
Samina Naseem
April 21, 2011
Dear Uhh,
I’m saying that kids are “easy prey” in our country. In our country, one of the reason of child abuse might be this, that when people might not be able to find an adult partner, male children become an easy target for them. I’m not at all saying or even suggesting that “gays are pedophiles.”
Samina Naseem
April 21, 2011
Dear Ameer,
I am humbled by your comment. I wish I could be more verbal and to give voice to people who are silenced because of social and cultural norms including LGBT.
Ali Kazmi
April 23, 2011
Sweet article, Samina 🙂
I know a lot of queers and I’m queer myself and I think the biggest problem queers face is their families. I know people who are very out to their friends, but not to their families.
I’m really happy you’ve written this article. There’s a lot of stuff out there that talks about “human rights”, which does nothing for queers because they’re not really thought of as all that human. There has to be special mention of the rights of queers for people to start thinking about them and their rights.
It was the same for women once upon a time. There used to be talk of “the rights of Man”, which never included women.
athar waqar
April 23, 2011
Samina Naseem
Even people born this way does not mean they should die this way. being gay is not problem but remaining gay and die with gay pride is big problem in islam.
as a muslim, i believe that our inclination doesnot represent our true inner self, it only explain our nature of struggle in this universe. same is the case for same gender or sae sex attraction issue. these intension does not become true destination for us if we fee in our heart and mind, instead of that it explains the nature battle ground of struggle for purification of our self.
yes pakistan have gays and bisexuals but it doesnot mean that God made them so. here youth and people are gay due to societical environment. for pakistanies , it is choice. but opening discussion by gays of pakistan make this issues full of prejudices .
alikazmi87
April 23, 2011
Athar,
Alright, perhaps Islam considers homosexuality a sin, but should it? Why does it? What is the logic behind prohibiting homosexuality?
“i believe that our inclination doesnot represent our true inner self, it only explain our nature of struggle in this universe”
What do you mean by that?
Also, did you know that there’s overwhelming scientific evidence that people are born gay? But that’s totally irrelevant. Whether or not homosexuality is a choice is totally beside the point. What I want to know is why it should be prohibited. I can’t think of any sound reason why it should be.
alikazmi87
April 23, 2011
Athar,
Okay, I think I understand what you mean by “i believe that our inclination doesnot represent our true inner self, it only explain our nature of struggle in this universe”. Why should gay men and women struggle with their “inner self” and if the “inner self” of some men and women is gay, doesn’t that mean they don’t choose to be gay?
I know a lot of men and a few women who struggle with their sexuality. They despise the fact that they’re gay and desperately wish they weren’t and it’s quite horrible seeing them struggle with their sexuality. Did you know that suicidality is 3 to 5 times higher in gay teens than it is in straight teens? I think asking gay men and women to struggle with their sexuality is a very unreasonable thing to ask of them. They shouldn’t because being gay isn’t a bad thing at all (you may argue otherwise, but lets see how sound your arguments are) and struggling with it is not only entirely futile, but also very damaging.
Gay men and women should embrace their sexuality and straight people should be okay with homosexuality. Asking a gay person to struggle with their sexuality is liking asking a black person to struggle with their skin colour. It’s asking for too much and it’s a very horrible thing to do.
athar waqar
April 24, 2011
alikazmi87,
dear, every body in this universe is in struggle. straight man are also in struggle by the divine limits of their relations with their wife only. so we human cannot escape from struggle. And this type of struggle is constructive by purification of our inner selfs. because we believe that not every inner voice of our heart is moment of truth for us. often voice of evils looks like very natural,real intense and easy way of adaption for us. Like at time of prayers, we feel laziness, at time of serious study we feel distratction of our concentration level. at that time we reject these lazy thinking and bad intentions , because we believe that all these feeling are fake and resistance to go ahead.
first of all , let me clear my position, i am not against the fact that same sex attractions are unreal or fake. i am not rejecting the pain of homosexuals that they face in the society. but i am and will against those homosexual who have believen that they are born that way so , not need to change and that is why we should feel proud on their sexual orientation.
this type of behaviour is totally unislamic and due to being muslim i cannot accept it, because we can not middle way in it. i donot believe that people cannot change their sexual orientation that feelin their hreart very deep that they are gay. i have read literature on web site NARTH.please see that site then things will be more clear.
so i disagree that you can compare lust wishes of same sex with the colour of skin example. if we accepts the things in this way then there will be no hope for change and led a normal life. gays can never prove that they are living normal life even in euopean countries because of high rate of socidical, use of drug and short term break up and STD and Aids.
so even when a person or yough open up that he is Gay or Lisbean, in public by socalled come out process. the rules of universe never changes for him or her. Laws of nature can never friendly for his new life style. very soon in his or her thirties he feels that this not life style for which he is dreaming in his youth.
Isa Aldrete
July 8, 2011
You did not give one reason why homosexuality is wrong. And procreation does not count, because oral sex is halal by most scholars, and that will not get you children. In fact, sex does not have to be able making babies in Islam.
Homosexuals ARE born that way. And unlike religion, it will NEVER go away. There is absolutely no justification to say it should be forbidden, let alone punished. I am a Muslim, and I am 100% for Gay rights. And just because you read one website does not make you some genius on human sexuality. There exists not one credible Scientific institution that says homosexuality is harmful or unnatural. The mere fact that it has happened and does happen in all human societies (whether it is an Islamic one or not) shows that it is completely natural, unless you are saying that there has never been an Islamic society that completely practiced what is right (including the time of the Prophet (saws) and the first generations).
Gays can and DO lead normal lives. The only people that say they don’t are not scientists or psychologists, but theists who probably do not even know the language of their holy books.
There are other people that have high suicide rates, and I will use this example as I am Native American. Native Americans are ten times as likely to kill themselves as other Americans. Does that mean we are not normal? Because we have a higher suicide rate than homosexuals.
As for the STD comments, only homosexual men have a higher rate of Aids and HIV than heterosexual men (and it is not by much). On the flip side, lesbians tend to have far fewer STD’s than ANY group, including straight men and straight women. And where does that leave Africans? In some places the HIV rate is as high as 50%, are you saying we should say that are not normal, instead of trying to help them? Because that would be racism, something that is explicitly forbidden in Islam. But if you can not use this argument, then how on Earth can you use it against gay people?
And how many gay people do know know that are in their 30’s? Because the ones I know tend to be in very healthy, happy, and long term relationships. The only reason why suicide rates and drug usage is high is because they are so hated. It has nothing to do with nature, it is the intolerant people that are acting in an unnatural fashion.
Meera Ghani
April 24, 2011
Thank you for this excellent piece Samina and for bring this very import issue up. I share your views and I think the conversation needs to be happening at least within the younger generation. Like the quote you quoted from your friend these conversations can not and should not be picked up where they were left off. I know its going to take years for Pakistani society to come to terms with homosexuality not just because of our close minded culture but also because of what many interpret it to be according to Islam. Till we learn to become humans first and muslims later we will keep ostracizing people and keep curtailing their liberties. We need to not just tackle the laws that make homosexuality a criminal act (even if you go by traditional Islamic standards at the most it can be considered a sin but certainly not a crime) and then we have to change people’s mindset. People have to understand its not a choice but its nature.
Also pedophilia is not the same as homosexuality. While I understand why you gave that example. Many people will misconstrue it. And its really sad that many people in fact equate the two often, which is a vile vile thing to do.
Meera Ghani
April 24, 2011
Thank you for this excellent piece Samina and for bringing this very import issue up. I share your views and I think the conversation needs to be happening at least within the younger generation. I agree with the final quote from your friend these conversations can not and should not be picked up where they were left off. I know its going to take years for Pakistani society to come to terms with homosexuality not just because of our close minded culture but also because of what many interpret it to be according to Islam. Till we learn to become humans first and muslims later we will keep ostracizing people and keep curtailing their liberties. We need to not just tackle the laws that make homosexuality a criminal act (even if you go by traditional Islamic standards at the most it can be considered a sin but certainly not a crime) and then we have to change people’s mindset. People have to understand its not a choice but its nature.
Also pedophilia is not the same as homosexuality. While I understand why you gave that example. Many people will misconstrue it. And its really sad that many people in fact often equate the two, which is a vile vile thing to do.
Samina Naseem
April 28, 2011
Athar I don’t understand why opening such discussions would make these issues full of prejudices. Why do we always have to think like that. The behavior might be against your and my religions but still it is human behavior. Majority think that it is not a normal behavior or natural behavior or even some call it as a disorder. If it is disorder then it should have been in debates as a disorder, not as a matter of choice or sexual orientation.
I sometimes also don’t understand why we consider it as unnatural behavior. I mean, I struggle to understand that if such behavior is found in other living beings then how could it be considered as unnatural for humans. There has to be some natural instinct to it. I don’t find anything unnatural in them.
Thank you Meera. I agree with you that many people would misconstrue what I wanted to say. It would be partly because I elaborated my thought and forgot to save the doc before submission. So the added part isn’t there. I wouldn’t have guessed it if UHH hadn’t asked me. Sometimes it happens and I apologize that the elaboration of my thought isn’t there, though I explained it afterwards.
Thanks Ali Kazemi. I know facing your family is the most difficult aspect of having a different sexual orientation. It is the same here in the US even though it is a secular and democratic country. It would take a long time to accept these “other” realities of human nature. I totally feel for you and empathize with you.
Ahlam, you’re my friend and I appreciate your response.
athar waqar
April 28, 2011
@Samina naseem, thanks for commenting all this. we are free to choose here what we really want. so i cannot impose my thinking upon you or people like you. but i have said what i have believed in my heart and soul.
that is why for me, anything if exist in any other species does not provide logical reason of adoption for human. for me this problem is not mere mental disorder, it is struggle, really great struggle in this universe , that how we fight with this.
so for this struggle is imposed by God as, any other type of struggle for other humans.
so you have your way of ‘born this way’ and i have my own way of “choice”.
why i insist that prejudice can be flourished by this, because weare living in this secular age, which is so much progay , and its culture. so much glemour and emmotion hasbeen injected by gay activist. it is nearly impossible for any media circle to talk this issue with open mindness and without any prejudice……
for me favouring gay agenda and right means, first we should decide that in which islam we are honestly believing. because the islam of more then one billion muslim is completely against it as ancient christentionity and judism.
Samina Naseem
April 28, 2011
Athar I never said that you’re imposing your thoughts on me or anyone. I understand where you’re coming from and appreciate your sharing.
athar waqar
April 28, 2011
@ samina
thanks for this. did u visit Narth website? what you think about their stand on this issue?
Samina Naseem
April 30, 2011
@Athar,
I would… as soon as I get finish my papers.
Samina Naseem
April 30, 2011
Sorry, I meant as soon as I finish my papers 🙂
Ali Kazmi
May 7, 2011
Do you think it makes any sense to equate the struggle to being faithful to your spouse with being and expressing yourself? A married man doesn’t have to hide or struggle with his sexuality (the fact that he’s married gives away his sexuality). His struggle is a far easier one because it’s one that involves just his lust and not his sexuality.
It doesn’t matter whether or not you believe some people are born homosexual. Research in neurobiology indicates that they are. And what’s all this about “purifying the inner self”? You’re not using any logical arguments to defend your position. All you’re doing is spewing airy fairy religious arguments that have zero weight. And NARTH is a joke. Conversion therapy doesn’t work and is actually harmful. Instead of reading the nonsense on the NARTH website, why don’t you read some credible and truly scientific material on homosexuality?
Suicidality, promiscuity and drug abuse are more common among gay people because of the discrimination against them. Research shows that gay people are no more promiscuous than straight people in countries where gay people are allowed to marry. Suicidality and drug abuse are more common among gay teens simply because they get bullied a lot more.
Ali Kazmi
May 7, 2011
My last message was addressed to Athar.
athar waqar azeem
May 7, 2011
@Ali kazmi
Really, that is why i donot like to discuss the issue of sexual orientation or preferces, because it is very sensitive issue, and if case is same sex attraction then this sensitivity level multipy many times.
let me assure you, that if i am against you it doesnot mean i am not with you. i can feel the pain , suffering and sense of lost, that LbGT have fet in their hearts. can any body here to believe on my sincereity?????
ok, i should admin that i am not seculor of religion, may be i know much less about religion of islam then you, but with this little knowledge , i cannot get any clue in any verse of Quran and haidth(PBUH) about the acceptance of homosexuality and there popular culture of gay pride. if you have any thing new based on solid prove of holy scripture then please send me and guide me. i have to come to this position that islam shows zero tolerance about issue of homosexuality. even for those persons who feel in deep , that they are born this way, for them also, islam advice and order also that they shoud not die this way. being gay is smaller problem but remaining gay is bigger problem for islam.you can visit chapter of sura Tuba, ahraf,sura Noor that clearly describes the position of this issue.
sorry but being muslim, i cannot dare that religious argument on this issue weights zero for me. because after adopting this position there will be not benifit for me to have faith of book without belief.
Moreover, i donot know howmuch you have read the archives on Narth. but i have visited thi site many times and read 80% articles there that are written by leading secular scientist, belongs to leading universities of USA. so it is very easy to claim there views nonscietifit but very difficult to ignore their research based secientific point of view.i also visted progay sites, but i did find more emmotion and politics there. but on Narth i find more science and less political agenda and emmotions.
We should ask some question in loneliness with ourselves…
Why we feel like???why our childhood is so different then normal chldern? why our relatinship with our father is not based on healty mascularity? why we didnot prefer grounds then doll house of our sister?why we feel that we are artistic in ourchildhood?thousand of question like tell us whole story of our preferences and orientation. sometimes child abuse by any mature gay can lead to this destination.That is why i have strong belief that same gender attraction is not matter of sexuality, it is matter of manhood failure.parents are wrong when they feel their childern atain manhood byself. infact Manhood is an achievement. we have to get there to take it.
i have read some data that clearly decribes that even those countries where gay marriages are freely allowed and families are so tolerant . even those european countries due to depression not bullying, drug use and sucide is very high, Like in holland,denmark etc….
hense, we cannot escape from depression even at condition of extreme freedom.why there brother then? why?bully and homopobia is not problem for gays, real “problem”is that gay cannot change conditions and natural laws of God for themselves.There are no god for gays. Alas but it is tragic truth.there are no place in this universe where they can say that they had get rid from pain, sufferingo and fear of life after death.we have to cooperate this reality. we have freedom to choose but we have not freedom to create conditions of choose.
pakistanisgreat
June 27, 2011
Mahmood Saleem
after reading this article i am 100% sure that u are mentally sick person who is full of negative thinking i think u should go to a doctor other wise you will be admitted in hospital and say sorry also to Almighty Allah
Samina Naseem
March 15, 2012
Thoughts are always subjective, and everyone has a right to express thoughts. Right, Mr. Mahmood Saleem?
And if you are worrying about me and my aakhirat, please don’t. I know my Allah and His Greatness. However, I would suggest that think about your own attitude and behavior toward other humans. I think Hakook-ul-Aabad are above Hakook-Allah. Think about your forgiveness when your Allah will ask you about your behavior and language toward your fellow humans.
Just a thought!
athar waqar azeem
July 2, 2011
sorry mr maHMOOD ALEEM, for which person you comment is given.
Nuwas Manto
July 4, 2011
Athar,
Do you even know what is the history of NARTH? No? You just read some stuff which suited your political/religious agenda and shoved it in our face without proper background research.that is enough to convince me that self righteous people like you dont need to be debated with.
NARTH had George Reker as its member. Kindly do research on him as well. NARTH is a Christian fundo group.Why is that you are all about converting the misguided Christians to Islam but unite with them against us?
George Reker is a closeted homosexual himself who was recently outed as well as responsible for his subject of experiment which should called “child abuse!”.
Nuwas Manto
July 4, 2011
Samina
I applaud your courage to even write on this issue.
However as pointed our as above by someone homosexuals are not pedophile and while you didnt mean to imply that it sure looks like that. Thats an honest and constructive criticism.
In this country turning to madness, we need people like you and Ali Kazmi to speak up on behalf. (I am also doing it so by “we” I am Queers in general :P)
Samina Naseem
March 15, 2012
Dear Nuwas Manto,
Thank you for your comments. They mean a lot to me. I’m glad that at least my article started some debate. I wish we could talk and discuss about all burning issues as a nation, without judging others and calling bad names.
As I said before, and I say it again. I apologize from the depth of my heart and I think I should have made sure before submitting the article. I DID NOT INTEND TO EQUATE GAYS WITH PEDOPHILES. I have many gay friends and they are indeed the most humble humans I have ever met. I truly respect them. I’m SORRY again.
1111
July 7, 2011
To the Pakistanis who condemn homosexuality because of religion.
There is no punishment for homosexuality in the Quran. Its not mentioned in a positive light – but there is no punishment spelled out in the Quran.
The punishment comes from hadees. Which I think is Islamic jurisprudence over reach. Prescribing a punishment as extreme as death – based on hadees – when it is not mentioned in the Quran – in my opinion is biddat.
athar waqar azeem
July 15, 2011
Dear all.
Islam is very clear about issue of homosexuality, but those muslims are not claer who donot want to be cleared on this issue. please tell me one thing the religion that cannot allow to see any private part or naked body of any other male for other male and vice versa except any extreme need for heath or to save life. How can that religion can allow to have sex between two men or women.
It is biggest lie on Quran that quran didnot condemn homosexuality.even a simple muslim can understand after studying ayats regarding homosexuality that spirit of quran and islam against this act.
Usman
August 8, 2011
Quran condemns homosexuality. However, the hadiths that mention the capital punishment are considered weak by the majority of the scholar.
-If you are seeking a purely logical explanation from within Islam against homosexuality, I think you will understand the difficulty associated with it if you attempt to produce a purely logical explanation for homosexuality from any other paradigm. For anyone who claims that they can back it up with science, why dont you post the evidence and the debate can move on by scrutinizing those scientific assertions.
-You cannot essentialize religion to rational and logical arguments. The fundamental submission is belief in the unseen, which inherently entails an acceptance of fallibility of rational faculties when one is dealing with the ultimate reality. Then there are matters pertaining to daily life that allude us constantly, which religion has its way of addressing.
-Any religion that claims to have a universal appeal and is for all times cannot highlight strict rulings but rather sets down general principles from which one can extrapolate legal and personal matters. If you are coming from within the islamic tradition these principles hold the utmost importance and negating would be going against the spirit of Islam. If the Quran mentions Qaum-e-lut and talks about their homosexuality as something that is invoked Gods wrath, it becomes quite difficult to make a case for homosexuality from within the islamic tradition. Other stipulations can be used to further consolidate this argument, but i think the ayats of Quran are fairly clear on the impressibility of homosexual behavior in religion.
– I think what the issue boils down to in our society is the lack of compassion. We need to be open about these matters and talk to people with all sorts of sexual orientations. If these ppl are claiming to be muslims, then the onus of justifying their position with regard to their preferences is on them and not on other. If these people are from other faiths muslims have no right condemning their behaviour or treating them any differently. Conversely, it would be equally justified to ask such individuals to extend a similar deference to islams stance on the matter. What we need to understand is that mutual respect does not mean that everyone should adhere to a unique set of values.
-Last point of information, pedophiles in Pakistan are usually sexually repressed heterosexual individuals. Also, if homosexuals are not allowed to express their sexual behavior and end up targeting children then we are lead down on a very dangerous path whereby rape by heterosexual men can also made to appear such that it undermines the true barbaric and criminal nature of such an heinous acts.
mahmood anwar
December 1, 2011
Yes one of the problem with many Pakistanis is that they cant differentiate between pedophile and gays. There are thousands of LGBT in Pakistan, I should know, as I am one of them.
A Proud Paki gay
Romo
September 2, 2012
Hugs to all Paki gays, male and females, from a straight in the US! I’m fighting for a better world every day, and I’m hoping Pakistan will become a livable place for gays one day.
Samina Naseem
March 15, 2012
Thank you Usman for elaborating what I meant in my article by “It is gay behavior.” I wanted to highlight the misconception, but sometimes one forgets to save things when they add or delete in a doc. I apologize. I feel so terrible about it.
Mahmood Anwar you’re a brave man.
Jenab-e-Iconoclast
September 27, 2012
Courageous article, Samina.
But let’s cut to the chase here: Islam is the problem, not LGBT people.
It’s an obcsurantist, absolutist, fear-mongering ideology that is immune to actual facts and reason and to compassion for those who hold different views. Islam is anathema to freedom of thought and expression, as it demands one to be a slave and submit to the desert god Allah, to be blindly obedient to a monotheistic monolithic tyranny. It’s homophobic, misogynistic, chauvinistic, superstitious, supremacist, and fatalistic. To quote Shakespeare, it’s a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.
And I say this as an ex-Muslim gay Pakistani.
The world will be much better off when the scourge of Islam, as Ahmadinejad would say, “has been erased from the pages of history.” And this goes for all fairy tale religions: Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Scientology, and so on.
I’m SICK of having to keep justifying my humanity as a gay person to brainwashed religious bigots. Millenia of human experience and volumes of scientific and medical literature have proven that sexual orientation is another variance of human beings, just like skin color, height, eye color, ability to not have smelly pee after eating asparagus, etc. That people pass such violent moral judgment against a person’s sexual orientation is the real crime here, the truly shameful act. It’s time to evolve and move on!