Muslim Country motions to Legally Recognise Same-Sex Unions

Yes indeed, you heard us correctly. India has been making small steps towards becoming an entity fighting anti-discrimination by first decriminalising homosexual acts in the nation's capital. This has been rivaled by a surprising Muslim country who seeks to get into the European Union. Albania, a Muslim populace of 70%, has put forth a motion to legalise gay marriage. Although it seems like a long-shot with Albania's conservative yet secular culture, it looks promising that this former Communist state will perform leaps and bounds in breaking Eastern Europe's reputation of being anti-gay.

Reports on this are on the following websites:
Pinknews.Co.UK
Balkan Insight

Decriminalisation of Homosexuality in India's Capital? Say Wha?!

Links:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090702/ap_on_re_as/as_india_gay_rights

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-8645.html

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8129836.stm

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2009/0702/breaking29.htm

Slowly but surely, times are a-changin'.

Voices From the Community: Cruising, Blackmail, and Guns

"As a gay, Muslim teenager growing up in a posh area of Karachi, Pakistan, I struggled to hide from my family the fact that I was attracted to other men. I immersed myself in literature, and as a precocious ninth grader I produced and acted in George Bernard Shaw's farce "Passion, Poison and Petrifaction," a play whose title unconsciously expressed my nervous view of the Pakistani world outside my cocoon. Looking for an exit, I was a superachiever in a hurry. At 18, I earned a scholarship to Stanford University. I should have made a clean break then. But all through college I dated women, willing myself to be "normal." Not surprisingly, my attraction to men didn't wane.

In grad school, I was ready for adventure and decided to spend a summer back home researching rural-development projects. I worked with a local social worker, a handsome, bearded man who liked to flirt. We'd sit together under the sun discussing politics, while I observed his body under his diaphanous kurta shalwar. Knowing he was married, I didn't dare make a move.

One evening I drove to a park known for being Karachi's unofficial cruising spot for gay men. Within a few minutes I noticed a burly man with a heavy mustache in his late 30s gesturing toward me. My heart was pounding as he approached. "I have a place we can go," he said, and we started walking toward the park's exit, visions of a forbidden tryst flashing in my mind.

In my air-conditioned car he gave me driving directions. Looking around, he suddenly sneered, "This is a very nice, expensive car." I started getting nervous. He didn't touch me. He gave no signals.

We arrived at the entrance to a dingy house and entered the driveway. He locked the gate behind us, told me to wait in the car and disappeared into the house. I was sweating profusely now and wondered, "Can I still get out of this situation?" Five minutes later he came out, visibly angry now, sat in the car and pointed a gun at me. He said he was an undercover cop and that inside the house were several men waiting to rape me to teach me a lesson. "What is wrong with people like you?" he yelled maniacally. "You should like girls, or you will be treated like one."

My lust had transformed into immobilizing fear. He told me to drive again, and as we drove around for what seemed like hours, I had a vague sense that I needed to play his game and find a way to survive this ordeal. He demanded that I admit homosexuality was a sin, and I eventually complied. I also promised to meet him at a hotel the following day, where he would tell me how much money he wanted. He warned me that he had my car's license-plate number, and that he'd track me down if I didn't show."

Read the rest of the story at Out of the Closet, At Gunpoint

A breath of fresh air...

A few months ago, the US refused to sign a United Nations declaration that urged countries to decriminalize homosexuality. Well today, the Obama Administration formally endorsed that UN statement, allowing the US to finally join sixty-six other nations who supported the measure this past December. State Department spokesman Robert Wood delivered the following,

"...as such, we join with other supporters of this statement, and we will continue to remind countries of the importance of respecting the human rights of all people in all appropriate international fora."

The approval effectively reverses eight years of silence on the part of the Bush Administration. While the declaration does little in terms of enforcement or any real action, it is the first of its kind. We can only hope that with the US vocally behind the rights of sexual minorities, nations like India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka can begin to see the errors of their human rights policies.

Representin' at Sydney Mardi Gras

A Pakistani Lesbian and an Indian transsexual represent the Desis in BBC's Mardi Gras photos. The theme for this year's event was "Nations United," a tribute to queers living around the world.

In Pictures: Gay Mardi Gras in Sydney

Weekly Mix Masala

StarAsia Censors the Homos out of the Oscars
Queerty

Check out a free copy of Pukaar, the journal of Naz Foundation International! Includes such topics as the Evolution of Homosexuality, MSM's, eunuchs, Nepal's courts, HIV, prostitution, virgins, and much much more...
Naz Foundation International

"I can be a good Muslim and be gay"
Muslims against Sharia Blog

Bobby Jindal declares gay marriage for everyone! (yeah right..)
Queerty

Oh no they didn't - Pussycat Dolls put the "Ho" in Jai-Ho. Listen to it here...
zSHARE

Anyone into water sports? India launches new cow urine soft drink.
Times Online

When Pink turns to Red.. A slightly annoying article that makes homosexuals look like sex-craved murders.
Mumbai Mirror

Just hope that we won't have to wait 466 years..

"NEW DELHI (AP) — The High Court in New Delhi is so behind in its work that it could take up to 466 years to clear the enormous backlog, the court's chief justice said in a damning report that illustrates the decrepitude of India's judicial system.

The Delhi High Court races through each case in an average of four minutes and 55 seconds but still has tens of thousands of cases pending, including upward of 600 that are more than 20 years old, according to the report.

The problems of the Delhi High Court, which hears civil, criminal, and constitutional cases, is more the standard than the exception in India. The country's creaky judicial system has long been plagued by corruption, inefficiency and lack of accountability, often making the rule of law unattainable for all but the wealthy and the well-connected.

The United Nations Development Program says some 20 million legal cases are pending in India.

"It's a completely collapsed system," said Prashant Bhushan, a well-known lawyer in New Delhi. "This country only lives under the illusion that there is a judicial system." "

Indian Court is 466 years behind schedule

Mr. Patel and his Gay Elephant

It's one part Spongebob, one part Ren & Stimpy, and a whole lot of political incorrectness. The Mr. Patel series one of many produced by UK animation studio, ZACtoons. Creator Troy Zafer states that, "The series perceptively highlights Indian culture in a positive and light hearted manner, with the hero, Mr Patel always triumphing." While it might not match everyone's humor, the animation and storyline are undoubtedly unique.

Each episode is about 2 min (with a total of ten in the series), all available on YouTube. The one imbedded below deubts Mr. Patel's gay elephant, Rajiv. To set up the clip, Mr. Patel and female interest, Blondie, are trapped in Rajiv's belly. Slick and his thugs hold Rajiv captive to find Mr. Patel so they can buy out his shop. Racist, homophobic, or just plain odd -- decide for yourself...

The Gayest and Brownest Oscars EVER

The Oscars this year was like no other. In order to stave off the terrible ratings of previous years, the producers changed around the format, hoping to keep audiences tuned in for more. While the jury is still out on their success, Hugh Jackman certainly did entertain us. His song and dance numbers livened up our Oscar experience, paying homage to the ceremony's heyday of the past.

While there was no Queer Desi winner tonight, both gays and brown folk have much to celebrate. Here are the artists who, by winning, made us feel as if we won too....


Dustin Lance Black
Best Original Screenplay -- Milk
Black gave a heartwarming speech on his journey to Milk as a gay man. He also spoke directly to LGBT youth,

"who have been told that they are less than by their churches, by the government or by their families, that you are beautiful, wonderful creatures of value and that no matter what anyone tells you, God does love you and that very soon, I promise you, you will have equal rights federally, across this great nation of ours."

Smile Pinki
Best Documentary Short Film
Mylan's short film's protagonist, Pinki, is a hard-willed girl from a humble household in Mirzapur. Pinki suffers from a cleft lip, something she never knew a simple surgery could fix. Smile Pinki is a "real-world fairy tale that follows a young girl's journey to a dream smile from isolation and shame."




AR Rahman
Best Original Score -- Slumdog Millionaire
Best Original Song -- "Jai Ho"
AR Rahman is finally getting the global recognition he has deserved for decades. His ability to fuse unique beats with nontraditional rhythms has already earned him the title of a musical deity in the Subcontinent. During the presentations of Best Song, the Oscars suddenly transformed into the Filmfares; the performances were gripping with Rahman's two wins as the icing on the cake. And, like every good boy, he thanked his mom.



Sean Penn
Best Actor in Leading Role -- Milk
In what was most likely the biggest surprise of the night, Sean Penn beat out front-runner, Mickey Rourke, for his endearing portrayal of Harvey Milk, gay activist and politician. He like Black, used the podium to address the need to continue Milk's work.

"I think it is a good time for those who voted for the ban against gay marriage to sit and reflect and anticipate their great shame and the shame in their grandchildren's eyes if they continue that way"

Slumdog Millionaire
Best Picture & 7 other awards!
Slumdog was, by far, the runaway hit at this years' Oscars. With the entire cast on stage receiving the more coveted award of the night, the energy was palpable from even my living room. The underdog story was a case of life imitating art; three months ago no one could even anticipate the success that Slumdog Millionaire and its cast and crew have reaped. And of course, who could forget the adorable young actors who were flown into LA just for the occasion.

The Al-Fatiha Foundation, one of the oldest Muslim LGBT communities, is revamping their website to better serve and connect their members. The site plans to debut later this Spring; in the meantime, Al-Fatiha is helping coordinate a historic survey of LGBT Muslims worldwide. The creators cite that,

"...this is the first survey of its kind. The results of this survey will tell us all about our community, our experiences and our concerns. The results will guide Al-Fatiha's educational and advocacy work on behalf of LGBTIQQ Muslims, and will be shared with the entire community."

Remember that all responses are anonymous and confidential, you can skip any questions that you wish -- your feedback will only strengthen Al-Fatiha's response to the community's issues and obstacles. Check out the survey, let your voice be heard!