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A few months back, I met some courageous youths who had set up Georgia's first gay rights group. They were wary about revealing their full names, and I won't repeat them here.
"Violence is an everyday thing if a person is an outright homosexual," one told me. "The response from family members when someone comes out as gay is usually negative, including being kicked out of the house, being locked up in a room or being taken to psychiatrists.
"It's only a community of maybe 150 to 200 people who are 'out,' but it's not stable. There is no regular place for homosexuals. If a place becomes known to be gay-friendly, homophobic people come in and try to stop it."
Afterward, I went out onto the street to ask people what they thought about this new organization for Georgian homosexuals. Surprisingly, most of the women I spoke to thought it was wonderful, although I quickly realized that they had no idea what I was talking about. "It's good there is an organization that will enable them to get help," said one middle-aged shopper. "Maybe they can be cured of this sickness."
Moscow Times... |