Freedom of self, online
p2pnet news | Freedom:- "Well, I’m in the process of finding myself. I don’t know if I’ll ever get the chance to know myself."
That statement could be just about any of us but in this case, it applies to the founder of a blog in Africa who’s just gone online.
His name is Ali, he’s an engineer and he lives in a Khartoum, Sudan, any says, although he’s not much of a reader, he does read the lot of blogs.
The name of his blog? blackgayarab – Gay And Proud.
Within days of his first post, "Keep up the good work," wrote Dubai-based Weblogger ‘Gay by nature’," says Reuters and, "close behind came comments, posts and links purporting to be from almost half the countries in the Arab League, including Egypt, Algeria, Bahrain and Morocco.
Because Ali had, "plugged into a small, self-supporting network of people who have launched Web sites about their sexuality, while keeping their full identity secret," says the story.
Caution is crucial, it goes on. Homosexual acts are illegal in most countries in Africa and the Middle East, with penalties ranging from long-term imprisonment to execution.
But Ali wrote to other Sudanese bloggers. "I’m Sudanese and Proud Gay Also."
But, Ruters goes on, "That limited form of coming out has earned the bloggers abuse or criticism via their blogs’ comment pages or e-mails," adding:
"Beyond the blogging scene, the Internet’s chat rooms and community sites have also become one of the safest ways for gay Africans and Arabs to meet, away from the gaze of a hostile society. ‘That is what I did at first, I mean, I looked around for others until I found others,’ said Gug, the writer behind the blog GayUganda.
"Oh yes, I do love the Internet, and I guess it is a tool that has made us gay Ugandans and Africans get out of our villages and realize that the parish priest’s homophobia is not universal opinion.
"Surprise, surprise!"
Also See:
Reuters – Gay Africans and Arabs come out online, February 17, 2008
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