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OutRage!-London Pride:Stop deporting gay Asylum Seekers.

pirate | 04.07.2005 15:07 | Gender | Repression | Social Struggles | World

Gay rights group OutRage! demands the Government stop deporting gay Asylum Seekers to face further persecution and death.




'OutRage!News Service'

Subject: Gay Pride London - "Stop Deporting Gay Asylum Seekers"
Date: Jul 04 2005, 12:33 PM

Stop deporting gay asylum seekers

Gays sent back face jail, torture & murder

London – 2 July 2005

“Tony Blair deports gay asylum seekers. Shame!”

“Labour deports gays to face jail, torture and death”

Bearing placards with these words, the OutRage! contingent on
Saturday’s Pride London parade condemned the UK government’s abuse of
LGBT asylum seekers.

“Tony Blair’s government is deporting lesbian and gay asylum seekers
who have fled jail, rape and torture in countries like Jamaica, Iran,
Belarus, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Pakistan and Algeria,” reports Wendyl
Harris of the queer rights group OutRage!.

“Many have been victims of queer-bashing violence and attempts to kill
them. Some have seen their partners murdered, their homes fire-bombed
and their families stoned for having a gay child.

“Home Secretary Charles Clarke is ordering these victims of violent
homophobia to return to face their persecutors and to suffer further
brutality,” added Ms Harris.

On the main stage in Trafalgar Square, OutRage! activist, Aaron Saeed,
a gay Muslim of Pakistani heritage, condemned the Pakistan government
for “jailing, flogging and stoning lesbian and gay people.”

He also attacked the UK government for “refusing asylum to gay
refugees fleeing homophobic persecution in Pakistan.”

Two other OutRage! speakers, Andrew and his Columbian boyfriend,
Gustavo, detailed how right-wing death squads and paramilitaries in
Columbia target gays and lesbians for “social cleansing” and
“extra-judicial execution”.

“The government’s abuse of gay asylum seekers defies international law
and humanitarian norms of civilised behaviour,” according to Peter
Tatchell of OutRage!

“Most asylum claimants get no adequate legal representation. The Home
Office often rejects gay asylum claims based on biased, inaccurate
information, which glosses over the violation of queer human rights
around the world.

“After escaping homophobic victimisation in their home countries, when
they arrive here gay asylum applicants are arrested and imprisoned in
detention centres – often for months at a time with no contact with
the outside world. This perpetuates the abuse they suffered in their
countries of origin.

“The Home Office justifies refusing gay victims refugee status by
arguing they will not suffer persecution if they return to their home
country, move to a new city or village where no one knows them, stop
acting effeminately and never have sex unless it is ‘with discretion’.
It is monstrous that the Home Secretary expects gay people to deny
their sexuality,” said Mr Tatchell.

For photos of OutRage! at the Pride London parade and rally on 2 July
2005 and further information: Brett Lock – 0770 843 5917
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Comments

Hide the following 4 comments

ridiculous

04.07.2005 16:15

Utter rubbish.

If you allow all gays to claim asylum here, in theory most of the 3rd world could come here tomorrow and stay. Totally unpractical.

If they are from Zimbabwe and other countries that are far afield, then they have crossed several countries where homosexuality is perfectly legal, why come here? You guessed it - money and we're a soft touch.

It is perfectly possible for them to live in their home countries if they stop flaunting their homosexuality.

sensibility


no genderquee3rs in outrage!

04.07.2005 16:54

It's good to see Outrage! [sic] up to thwir old tricks: the only Queer people that exist for them are Lesbian (women) and Gay (men) [clarification is always good as to 'gender' otherwise we might get confused.]

In my reserch into Queer Rites abuses in Sieria Leonne and Jamacia I found that the police where targetinmg Genderqueer people (who, in the rep[orts, became 'cross dressing gay men/ gay men in drag.)

Yet again Outrage! show themselfs to be discriminatory towards Genderqueer and Bisexual people.

We should, in seems, shout about abuses of Lesbians and Gay men but not care sabout anyother Queer people.

elizabeth veldon
mail e-mail: elizabethveldon@yahoo.co.uk


I second what sensibility says

05.07.2005 03:12

If we stopped deporting gays we'd be the pervert capital of the world. The last thing we want is for the UK to be more like a San Francisco bathhouse. We already have too many gays here (Just look at their recent display of debauchery in London), the last thing we need is any more.

Humpty Dumpty


after talking with Peter Thatchell

07.07.2005 17:40

After receving an email from Peter Thatchell regarding my coment on this story I am writing again to say that I was incorect about Outrage! and that they have Genderqueer members and have facititated speaches by Bisexuals.

The problem is with language: if you don't include froups in the words you use you get people's backs up.

This is what happend this time.

elizabeth veldon
mail e-mail: elizabethveldon@yahoo.co.uk