Syria's Gay activists launch their first magazine

   March for Syrian gays in Istiklal Street, the center of Istanbul, have raised the flags of the revolution and the Regime.

 The controversial rally was organized by 'Mawaleh"- The salty nuts- the first Syrian magazine for homosexuals, Zaman Alwasl has interviewed its Editor-in-chief Mr. Mahmoud Hussaino.

 ''Our Magazine will be the sound of gay people which is trying to collect gays and earn their trust, to be able to highlight the increased risks may confront them, especially in wars where's violation of everyone rights not only the homosexuals only.

 The march was on the occasion of annual Global Gay, but this initiative showed us the difficulty of the work to reconcile the Syrians at this stage, Hussaion said.

 Many gay men and women like Hussaino lead a life on the margins of Syrian society, which generally sees them as perverts or mentally ill.

They also suffer from discrimination on the part of the state that considers homosexual acts as “moral offences” punishable by up to three years in prison.

The Syrian penal code prohibits "carnal knowledge against the order of nature", which is mostly used to criminalizes sodomy, so lesbians are less liable to be persecuted than gay men.

In addition, unlike gay men, lesbians are less likely to go cruising in parks and on the street where they could be caught by the police.

While most gay people in Syria prefer to hide their sexual tendencies and submit to social norms or lead a double life, more and more say that they are slowly asserting their right to be different.

Some say that they are not afraid to display their sexuality in bars and nightclubs in the way they dress or behave.

Hussaino who looks to turn the magazine into a quarterly magazine, says: We must now begin to address the Syrian simulate reality without the exclusion of the political problems and the consequences of war, which requires a greater effort.

 For many of them, especially young gay men, the internet has helped them to regroup, create a network of social support, and meet others in similar situations.

“The internet brought a real change to my life,” said Nouhad Ibrahim, a 25 year-old gay man from Damascus studying economics.

“I discovered gay communities from around the world and that made me feel I was not alone in this world.”

Online, Syrian homosexuals can find several dating and chatting websites where they can exchange photos and telephone numbers and sometimes fix dates to meet.

But for most gay men, the topic of their homosexuality is still a taboo and so they prefer not to divulge their tendencies in a society that values machismo.

Amir, a 28-year-old gay man who works in his father’s clothing shop in Damascus, said that he had to pretend to be very manly in the way he talked and walked during the day.

Amir, who refused to give his last name, added that at night among his gay friends he felt more relaxed and able to express his “feminine side”.

Syrian gays used to have several cafes, bars and nightclubs before the Civil War where they used to meet in Damascus. Cruising for sexual partners also takes place in certain public squares or gardens during the night.

Gay prostitution is also evident at these sites but many say that the places are monitored by the morality police.

Individuals who are caught by the police engaging in homosexual acts are often rounded up and sent to court where they generally receive a sentence of few months’ imprisonment.

 Syrian authorities do not recognize gay rights and homosexuality was rejected by Syrian society and culture.

For gays and lesbians not to be subjected to mistreatment or harassment, they must keep their sexuality concealed.

Dr Jalal Nawfal, a Damascus-based psychiatrist, said that the authorities were only responding to the social and religious realities of Syria, where homosexuality is strongly rejected.

He added, however, that the government needed to raise awareness about homosexuality.

Although homosexuality is no longer regarded as a psychological disorder in the West, many Syrian psychologists still see gays as mental patients.

Some even say that sexual harassment during childhood plays an important role in determining sexual orientation during adulthood.

Christian and Muslim clerics who have a strong influence over social attitudes in Syria are more severe in judging homosexuality. Some Muslim clerics overtly incite the killing of homosexuals.

Other less extreme opinions favor providing gays with social support to help them “overcome their illness.

IWPR Feature story about Syrian Homosexuals- I wrote before- contributed in this report.

Reporting by Lma Shammas and Mohamed Hamdan