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| Ali Hili, an exiled gay Iraqi living in London, protests efforts by the British government to deport gay asylum seekers in this May 2006 photo. Hili told the Blade this week that gays living in Iraq are being ‘assassinated by religious fanatics.’ (Photo by Brett Lock/OutRage) |
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HOME > NEWS > NATIONAL NEWS
By: JOSHUA LYNSEN COMMENTS
 
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international law, the occupiers have a responsibility to protect the civilian population, and therefore it is their duty to ensure the wellbeing of Iraqi homosexuals.”
Military officials at the Pentagon and in Iraq previously told the Blade that they’re working to stop all violence, including acts targeting gay Iraqis, but face a “massive, massive concerted effort.”
Long said although the new troops going to Iraq will provide some relief, they’re unlikely to have a substantial effect on the plight of gay Iraqis.
“The overall violence is simply not likely to abate,” he said. “In that climate of lawlessness and impunity, violence against gays will continue.”
Experts said it could take a far greater number of troops — perhaps as many as 500,000 total — to fully secure Iraq and protect all its citizens.
But Long noted such a drastically increased U.S. troop presence would be ill received, and harm gay Iraqis in the long run.
“A violent campaign to suppress the militias in the short term would risk increasing sectarian divisions that would only lead to renewed and intensified vengeance campaigns and violence once U.S. troops were drawn down or departed.”
In the absence of an immediate solution, gay groups are doing what they can to protect gay Iraqis.
OutRage is imploring Western countries to provide asylum. Human Rights Watch is posting detailed warnings in Arabic to sites frequented by gay Iraqis.
A recent report in GQ magazine detailed a new “gay underground railroad” of safe houses where gay and transgender Iraqis can hide while awaiting smugglers to take them to other parts of the world and seek asylum.
The efforts are helping some Iraqis, but experts said many gays remain in danger.
“Beyond such intensive individual warnings, the only long-term solution is to achieve a political solution that pacifies the country,” Long said. “And frankly, after almost four years of consistently bungling the occupation and transition, it gets more and more difficult for the U.S. to do anything to help bring a quick end to the civil war at this juncture.”
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