No Gays? Or No "Living" Gays?

Iran Does Far Worse Than Ignore Gays, Critics Say

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s seemingly ridiculous claim that "we don’t have homosexuals, like in your country" masks the cruel reality that his government does far worse than ignore gays, human rights groups charge.

"There are criminal laws on the books in Iran that allows for people to be killed for being homosexual," said Paula Ettelbrick, executive director of the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission.

Just how many gays may have been killed — some say the figure is more than 400 — is impossible to determine. But Ahmadinejad’s flip follow-up answer to the question posed to him Monday at Columbia University — "We do not have this phenomenon. I don’t know who has told you that we have" — suggests he won’t take the issue seriously.

Maybe Ahmadinejad’s claim at Columbia yesterday will help bring more attention to the plight of homosexuals in that brutal nation. As my tag line says:

"Only in the Western world can a gay man live a free life as himself. Hence, the health and strength of the West is fundamental to my survival. ~ USMale"

Tinkerty Tonk has more on the issue, as well as some obfuscating from the Columbia Queer Alliance.