Gay community hit hard by Middle East turmoil
"There is nobody left in my life who hasn't hurt me."
Jawad worked in sales in Syria before the war began. When his father found out he was gay, he had him arrested. After five years of hard labour, he emerged a broken man, only to find his country at war. Estranged from his family, he found himself dangerously exposed. Soon after his release, he was gang raped at gun point by four men from an armed group. "They could tell I was gay," he told me, through stifled sobs, looking out over the Beirut cityscape. His vulnerability made him an easy target for this brutal weapon of war. Now in Lebanon, where he thought he could start again, he works as a prostitute....
...
One refuge in the region for some is Israel, one of the most progressive countries in the world for LGBT rights. Same-sex relationships are protected by law, and the only annual gay pride march in the Middle East takes place in Tel Aviv - regarded as an international gay capital. Since 1993 - well before the US and other Western countries - openly gay people have been allowed to serve in the military. Palestinians from conservative homes have also fled to Israel to avoid persecution.
more...
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-29628281