Saddam's rule 'better' for gay Iraqis

[Shana A]

Saddam's rule 'better' for gay Iraqis

Investigating reports of the murder and torture of gay men in Iraq, Ashley Byrne found that some gays found Saddam Hussein's dictatorship preferable to the threat of violence they face today.Some readers will find parts of his report disturbing.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8133639.stm

Gay men inside Iraq have been able to seek sanctuary in safe houses, thanks to the UK-based Iraqi Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) group, which manages them from London.

The documentary team were granted exclusive access to one of the homes on the outskirts of Baghdad, where we found a 31-year-old transsexual man called Qasim (not his real name).

Qasim said: "I'm scared all the time. I often think people are going to come in the night and take me because I am particularly known as gay."