Mongolian LGBT activists honored in Manhattan

Bushwick is probably as far away from the Mongolian steppe as one can get, but Anaraa Nyamdorj of the Mongolian LGBT Centre had one of the best sound bites this cynical journalist has heard in a long time when she accepted the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission's Felipa de Souza Award at Landmark on the Park in Manhattan on Monday, March 7.

“Long ago, our warriors conquered half of the world,” she said. “Now our warriors will go and conquer hatred. We are fierce and determined.”

IGLHRC also honored journalist Jeff Sharlet for his reporting on the links between The Fellowship and Uganda’s so-called Anti-Homosexuality Bill that would impose the death penalty upon anyone found guilty of repeated same-sex sexual acts.

Gay activists seek rights in the Middle East

This week has been full of Web site updating, deadlines and pitches, but one of the things I have covered over the last few days is the push to secure rights for LGBT people in the Middle East.

The International Gay & Lesbian Human Rights Commission honored Helem, an LGBT rights organization based in the Middle East, at a ceremony at New York University on Monday. And Helem member Georges Azzi, who accepted the award on behalf of his organization, was among those who were on a panel to discuss LGBT rights in the Arab Middle East at the LGBT Community Center in lower Manhattan.

I just posted a story onto EDGE, but the thing to take away from the Middle East is it contains within it a variety of cultures, religiosity and societies. And levels of tolerance and acceptance of homosexuality are simply a manifestation of this complex tapestry that comprises the region. The situation on the ground is almost certainly much different than the nightly news may indicate. And Helem and Azzi and other activists who work within the region are truly making a difference in the lives of their LGBT brothers and sisters.