2008
- The council for Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights, published his viewpoint on applying Human Right principles on to sexual orientation and gender
- Same-sex marriage began in Norway
- A new online magazine My.Kali.mag had published its first features in February 2008. The magazine gets featured on monthly basis and had got its break by the positive light from the media. Another first for Jordan, the Middle East witnessed the first openly Jordanian gay model, Khalid, who started appearing publically after the MK incident in late 2007, by gracing his first cover of My.Kali in the September 2008 (issue N.8) and continuing to do international features…
- In Britain, Leo Abse a noted politician who was a key figure in reforming homosexuality laws died
- In Israel, the Interior Ministry, granted a gay Palestinian from Jenin a rare residency permit to live with his partner of 8 years in Tel Aviv, after he said his sexulity put his life in danger in the West Bank
- In Yamen, Mujahideen are killing young people in Ja'ar on suspicion of sexual "irregularities" December 28, 08 Saeed Abdulla was a young 22-year old, shot dead by the Mujahideen in the city of Abyan province Ja'ar on allegations that the young man was gay. Well-infromed sources said the victim is the 3rd young man killed by Mujahideen militants in the street in front of Central Market, Ja'ar
2009
- Northern Cyprus became the last part of Europe to legalize male Homosexuality, with a new criminal code
- Johanna Sigurordottir became Prime Minister of Iceland, the first openly lesbian head of government in the Modern World
- In Beirut, Lebanon, authorities arrested the owners of several movie theatres in the Bouj Hammoud and Nabaa suburbs for screening pornography in addition to facilitating “homosexual encounters”
- In Tel Aviv, Uzi Even and his life partner were the first same-sex couple in Israel whose right of adoption was legally acknowledged
- Sweden legalized same-sex marriage
- In Uganda, Member of Parliament David Bahati, introduced the Anti-Homosexuality Bill which would broaden the criminalization of same-sex relationships in Uganda, introducing the death penalty for HIV positive people engaging in sexual activity with people of the same-sex
- On the 1st of August 2009, a man with a gun and a mask got in to the LGBT gay center in Tel- Aviv and started to shoot at the people in the place. 2 people reported dead; a 17-year old girl and a 26 year guy, and more than 15 other people injured
- In 2009, "Bareed Mista3jil", is a book published by the Lebanese lesbian Meem organization in Beirut, has hit the shelves
Hopes For The Future
In some cases this has been probably the defining decade for gay rights, huge strides in gaining equality have been undertaken, with Europe becoming less and less homophobic each year, gay advocacy groups in the Arab world being set up, and Israel being proclaimed the most gay friendly Middle Eastern nation, things can only be on the up, but what we must remember is that some nations have been turning more backwards than forwards, my personal hope for the future is that the world will finally acknowledge the struggle and bravery of gays and lesbians in countries such as Iran and Saudi Arabia, then hopefully this acknowledgement will lead to some much needed help being given out to the LGBT communities, who live in fear.
- The council for Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights, published his viewpoint on applying Human Right principles on to sexual orientation and gender
- Same-sex marriage began in Norway
- A new online magazine My.Kali.mag had published its first features in February 2008. The magazine gets featured on monthly basis and had got its break by the positive light from the media. Another first for Jordan, the Middle East witnessed the first openly Jordanian gay model, Khalid, who started appearing publically after the MK incident in late 2007, by gracing his first cover of My.Kali in the September 2008 (issue N.8) and continuing to do international features…
- In Britain, Leo Abse a noted politician who was a key figure in reforming homosexuality laws died
- In Israel, the Interior Ministry, granted a gay Palestinian from Jenin a rare residency permit to live with his partner of 8 years in Tel Aviv, after he said his sexulity put his life in danger in the West Bank
- In Yamen, Mujahideen are killing young people in Ja'ar on suspicion of sexual "irregularities" December 28, 08 Saeed Abdulla was a young 22-year old, shot dead by the Mujahideen in the city of Abyan province Ja'ar on allegations that the young man was gay. Well-infromed sources said the victim is the 3rd young man killed by Mujahideen militants in the street in front of Central Market, Ja'ar
2009
- Northern Cyprus became the last part of Europe to legalize male Homosexuality, with a new criminal code
- Johanna Sigurordottir became Prime Minister of Iceland, the first openly lesbian head of government in the Modern World
- In Beirut, Lebanon, authorities arrested the owners of several movie theatres in the Bouj Hammoud and Nabaa suburbs for screening pornography in addition to facilitating “homosexual encounters”
- In Tel Aviv, Uzi Even and his life partner were the first same-sex couple in Israel whose right of adoption was legally acknowledged
- Sweden legalized same-sex marriage
- In Uganda, Member of Parliament David Bahati, introduced the Anti-Homosexuality Bill which would broaden the criminalization of same-sex relationships in Uganda, introducing the death penalty for HIV positive people engaging in sexual activity with people of the same-sex
- On the 1st of August 2009, a man with a gun and a mask got in to the LGBT gay center in Tel- Aviv and started to shoot at the people in the place. 2 people reported dead; a 17-year old girl and a 26 year guy, and more than 15 other people injured
- In 2009, "Bareed Mista3jil", is a book published by the Lebanese lesbian Meem organization in Beirut, has hit the shelves
Hopes For The Future
In some cases this has been probably the defining decade for gay rights, huge strides in gaining equality have been undertaken, with Europe becoming less and less homophobic each year, gay advocacy groups in the Arab world being set up, and Israel being proclaimed the most gay friendly Middle Eastern nation, things can only be on the up, but what we must remember is that some nations have been turning more backwards than forwards, my personal hope for the future is that the world will finally acknowledge the struggle and bravery of gays and lesbians in countries such as Iran and Saudi Arabia, then hopefully this acknowledgement will lead to some much needed help being given out to the LGBT communities, who live in fear.