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- The British Embassy in beirut. Picture via U.K. Ambassador Hugo Shorter
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- The Dutch Embassy in beirut; Pic via Proud Lebanon
Over the past week or so, I’ve had the honor to write about two major advances for the LGBTQI+ community in Lebanon. The first was them being represented in an ad for a major company, which you could check out here, and the second was to proclaim how Beirut is the first Arab city ever to celebrate Pride Week, despite Islamists threatening one of its events eventually leading to that one event’s cancellation (link).
Nevertheless, they persisted.
On those posts, be it in the comment section or on my Facebook page, the amount of vitriol homophobic – or more globally LGBTQI+ vomit although homosexuality takes the cake in aversion – was just too ignorant and insurmountable to be addressed in Facebook comments that could, sooner or later, degenerate into shouting rows and manifestations of immaturity that one can’t come back from.
So I decided to write this instead, coupled with a great documentary by HELEM about some key facts regarding the LGBTQI+ community in Lebanon, which you can watch at the end of this post. It’s worth the 22 minutes of your time.
Without further ado, here I address some of the more recurrent “opinions.”
Opinion #1: Homosexuality is against nature:
This is factually incorrect. If you’re going to use the nature argument, you can’t disregard the fact that all species on Earth exhibit homosexual behavior. From penguins to dolphins to a ton of species in between them, almost all species walking the Earth exhibit homosexuality. And yet, the only species that has homophobia is humans. Food for thought.
Opinion #2: Anal sex is the root of all STDs:
This is factually incorrect as well. I mean, if you’re going to talk medicine, you should really back up your claim with hard medical data not what your local priest or sheikh told you once upon a time.
It is statistically significant that HIV has a higher rate of transmission through anal sex compared to vaginal sex, yes, but that doesn’t mean that anal sex created HIV or other STDs for that matter or that “doing it from behind” (as one comment said) is “scientifically proven” to be the root of all sexual diseases. You see, there are more STDs than HIV, and the key to combatting all of them – regardless of the genitals you’re sleeping with – is to practice safe and clean sexual habits.
If you’re straight, bisexual, gay, trans or intersex, regardless of whoever you sleep with if that person is not a long term partner whom you are aware is healthy, safe sex is a key towards prevention of all major STDs.
Opinion #3: If homosexuality is okay, then why do they have a high prevalence of HIV?
While anal sex is proven to have a higher risk of transmissibility compared to vaginal sex, due to the type of cells in the anal mucosa and the viral load in penile secretions, that is not the full story. The reason why HIV has a higher prevalence among homosexual and bisexual men is because of the stigma that their community faced over the years, leading them not to have access to healthcare or needed awareness that is needed.
It’s almost ironic that an argument whose answer is discrimination is used to defend one’s bigoted views about that which you’re discriminating against. Instead of fostering a world of non-judgemental healthcare, you are discriminating against someone based on the disease they contracted. This is not okay in any day and age. To quote a dear friend: Epidemiology ALWAYS has social reasons. Now that is a fact.
Opinion #4: Kids brought up by same-sex parents will grow up to be gay:
No, this is incorrect. All psychologic studies to this date have not shown this to be accurate. Being gay is not a matter of upbringing. It’s a complex interaction between genetics, hormones, environmental factors, etc… Science has not even fully understood why homosexuality exists as the issue is that complex, but I’m glad you can reduce it to someone’s upbringing. It sure saves every scientist a lot of effort and future accolades into the study of human sexuality.
And yet, despite all of this, the science is clear. Not only are children brought up by same-sex parents not at an increased “risk” of not being straight, but they’re also not at a disadvantage when it comes to life (link).
Opinion #5: Same-sex couples have higher divorce rates:
Literally incorrect. The biggest study on the matter surveyed 150,000 married same-sex couples and found their divorce rate to be at 1%/year, whereas it is 2% for opposite-sex couples.
Yet again, if you’re literally telling someone they can’t love another person because of that person’s gender, I would assume it’s unfathomable for you to believe that two people who love together can stay together.
Opinion #6: If you like homosexuality, why don’t you approve of beastiality or pedophilia?
It’s actually quite simple. The whole point behind Lebanon’s Pride Week is to advance the mantra of “live and let live,” which is to say it’s none of anyone’s business who people love and why they love them.
How the hell is sex between two consenting adults, regardless of their gender, the same as when someone forces oneself on a helpless animal who doesn’t possess the agency nor the mental capacity to give consent to what they’re being forced into?
Or even worse, how is a sexual relation between two consenting adults the same as when one adult forces themselves on a child who doesn’t possess the agency or legality to give sexual consent?
The only resemblance between beastiality, pedophilia, and homosexuality is, you know, the fact that both involve sex, which – gasp – also applies to heterosexuality.
Opinion #7: It’s a Western ploy to ruin our societies:
You’d be surprised to know that Arab society was much more open to homosexuality and other manifestations of human sexuality than it is today. Abu Nawwas, the famous Arab poet whose works on love and wine and even sex are taught in schools and universities today, was an open bisexual. He was embraced by society, because his “behavior” was more accepted back then.
In fact, homosexual behavior can be traced back to earlier civilizations that existed in these parts of the world and our neighboring countries and regions. There’s literally nothing Western about it. If anything, our regions “exported” it to the West when we started emigrating from our own countries to the New World.
Regardless of what politicians want to tell you or what your own “we’re better than the West” mantra, human behavior is very similar across the Earth. This is why we can find common ground between two individuals who are worlds apart. And yet, it sure is telling that anything that Arabs find to be at odds with what they know gets attributed to the “West.” It’s a major shortcoming of our own societies, if anything.
Opinion #8: I don’t know any gay people:
Yes, you do. 10% of the population falls among the LGBTQI+ spectrum at the most conservative of estimates. Your class of 20 people in Brevet had at least 2 people among your classmates, and maybe even your friends, are LGBTQI+. That 300+ biology course you took in university has around 30 LGBTQI+ people, maybe even that person sitting next to you. Your family and extended family has a couple people or more who are too afraid to be who they are because of you.
Don’t live in denial. Embrace others and be open to the people you love for them to find a beacon of safety in you.
Opinion #9: Medicine says it’s an illness:
This is not true at all. Psychiatry has declassified homosexuality as a disease for over 50 years now. The Lebanese Psychiatric Association declared it not an illness more than 4 years ago. The Lebanese Order of Physicians has restricted its physicians from practicing any anti-LGBT medical practices and, if a physician was found doing such illegal practices, their license could be revoked.
So if you find a “doctor” who’s giving a “lecture” about why homosexuality is bad, know that that doctor is a fraud who is not practicing medicine. Hocus pocus would apply more in that case.
Opinion #10: When will we have straight pride week?
Straight people in Lebanon are not being persecuted, discriminated against, put in jails, and subjected to all kinds of human rights violations against their bodies just because they happened to have that particular sexual orientation.
No one’s walking around the street telling people they like vagina or penis or whatever other body part you seem to have a problem with people liking. The point is them asking you not to point your finger at them and judge them and call for them to be shamed and persecuted because they like to sleep with people who have that body part.
Bonus opinion We have other issues to worry about:
Yes, we do. Electricity, internet, water, ISIS, Hezbollah, elections… We can name them for months. But that doesn’t mean we can’t focus on other things, too.
Bonus opinion 2.o: Fuck you, faggot lovers.
It may be hard to fathom, but there are people in this world – such as me – who will always stand with human decency, and support a person’s right to be who they are, love whoever they love and be comfortable in their own skin without worrying about simply existing.
I leave you with Helem’s documentary:
A Separate State of Mind | A Blog by Elie Fares 
dear faggot lover
Opinion #1: Homosexuality is against nature:
humans have evolved passed the brainless intellect of mere animals. you are welcome to put yourself with the same intelligence as an animal (it would suit you) but the human race has gone far past fucking whatever moves by creating something called morals and ethics (something animals lack). animals fuck their mothers, their sisters, their brothers, their fathers because its ”nature”. animals eat their offspring because its ” nature” yet all of those are deemed wrong with humans. but an animal that fucks the same sex is deemed ok because its ”nature”. i suppose since animals can fuck the same sex then why not allow humans eat their offspring since animals do it.
Opinion #3: If homosexuality is okay, then why do they have a high prevalence of HIV?
for you to say ;”the reason why HIV has a higher prevalence among homosexual and bisexual men is because of the stigma that their community faced over the years, leading them not to have access to healthcare or needed awareness that is needed.” is complete bullshit and you are accomplishing nothing by lying. the reason they have it more is because 1) they can ONLY perform anal sex and 2) gays are an interconnected community passing to one another because they are close to each other. in other words its just one big disgusting HIV positive shit fest. don’t try and use social reason for it since many gays were allowed treatment for HIV but HIV has no cure once you have it’s for life the only difference is that you can keep it from getting worse but that doesn’t mean it will disappear.
Opinion #6: If you like homosexuality, why don’t you approve of bestiality or paedophilia?
i wonder why you did not mention incest or polygamy. rather you went for the most obvious ones that you can argue. (fear perhaps?)
Opinion #7: It’s a Western ploy to ruin our societies:
i will not say it is a western play but it is definitely influenced by the west. but if you are going to use the argument that homosexuality was ok in the ancient world so it should be ok in the modern world then you should be ok with pederasty, polygamy, incest, zoophilia, all of which was deemed acceptable in many ancient culture. you seem to forget that cultures mature and laws are made to prevent such disgusting acts from happening. homosexuals is just one out of a many grotesque things the ancient world would do as part of their culture it does not mean it should be done today unless you want society to move backwards in life.
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Lol dumbass
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prove me wrong, dumbass,
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What exactly gives you the right to say who someone should or should not love?
That doesn’t sound like morality to me.
Since homosexuality never hurt anybody, I don’t even see why there should be a debate about this.
Dumbass.
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homosexuality never hurt anyone yet homosexuality is the biggest cause of HIV spreading. homosexuality never hurt anyone yet homosexuals were the ones supporting nambla ( the paedophile organisation). what give me the right is the fact that when a same sex gets to ”love” each other than people can love whatever the hell they want because its their ”right” to ”love”. there is a huge debate in this you idiot. learn the facts than argue.
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There is no need to call anyone idiots or faggots. I know there is a debate, I’m just saying that in my opinion there shouldn’t even be one in the first place. I know the facts, and I am arguing.
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you say there shouldn’t even be one because you refuse to see the wrong in it. rather you just put yourself as an accepting person. well sorry to say this but acceptance comes with a price. you being bothered by people feeling hurt makes you forget the logic and reason behind why gays should not have the same rights as straight. and if you are gay yourself than sorry but your lifestyle makes no sense and don’t expect everyone to be accepting of it and not just in lebanon but all over the globe.
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I am not gay, but if I was, yes, I would hope that people would accept me for who I am.
I think that homosexuality doesn’t hurt anyone (you talk about STDs, but if gay people have a higher chance of catching diseases, why do straight people like you care? It is their responsibility and their problem), but I think that homophobia does hurt a lot of people. And that’s where my problem is with your arguments.
Whether it’s environmental, genetic or both, homosexuals do not have a choice. They are the way they are, and if they could change it, I think some of them might, because of the lack of acceptance in certain societies. After all, they don’t WANT to be persecuted and unhappy. Many homosexuals get into depression or kill themselves because they do not see a way out, and that’s why I asked for your solution in one of my comments. Because if there was one, it would save some people a lifetime of unhappiness and bullying by people like you.
I am not saying that homosexuality is something that we need to find a cure for, on the contrary, I would like everyone to be able to love who they love without people like you judging them. I am for homosexual rights, homosexual marriage and homosexual adoption. Yes. And what I am saying is that they are the way they are, and you hating them will not make them become straight. All it will do is hurt people who cannot change who they are, not matter how many people think the way they are is wrong.
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gays are the highest percentages of carrying HIV and the reason is because they have no choice but to do anal. bisexuals who have sex with gays have a higher chance of spreading hiv to women who in turn become carriers who in turn spreads it to the straight people do you see the pattern there? don’t tell me that homosexual isn’t hurting anyone. homosexual are the way the are true but that does not mean you grant them the exact same equal rights as normal people (straight). no one is saying to persecute them but the gays want to be seen 100% equal to straight that is not possible . gay communities will have to understand that no one should hurt you for being gay but that doesn’t mean that you should enforce something that you cannot get you cannot make everyone happy. equal rights is different to giving gays their own rights. is it dividing them from straights? yes it is and the reason is to make sure you do no enforce more rights to people who have a different view of what loving someone is i.e polygamy and incest if you give the gays equal rights then what is preventing you from giving those two their equal rights? islam already has polygamy and i am against it because it makes no sense (especially that only men can do polygamy in islam) it dehumanises women. you said ” I would like everyone to be able to love who they love without people like you judging them” so i assume you agree seeing siblings loving each other and have sex because everyone should love? i go back to the incest subject because it is a very important point since it is two consenting adults who say they love each other, and they will demand their equal rights just like the gays did, is this what you call progress? give me a break that’s a joke. people will always get hurt especially in today’s over sensitive Politically Correct world (which is rather pathetic) you cannot remove reason just for the sake of people emotions it prevents progress and creates more complex situations. you want a solution? there are many countries willing to open their doors to them and treat them like equals let them go there, Lebanon doesn’t and will never need them. and don’t tell me i am sayign to kick them out of lebanon, i am not, i am saying accept the fact that lebanon will not grant you the same equal rights as straight people and move on if they want to express their dirty lifestyle in public they can do it somewhere else. my cousin is gay and comes for holiday with his partner to lebanon but lives in the US he accepts that lebanon is this way. as for a world solution? i do not give a shit as a lebanese i talk about lebanon.
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Please stop comparing homosexuality with polygamy, rape, bestiality, pedophilia and incest for starters. Legal sex requires two consenting adults and you know it. Considering this, most of these are off the table. Polygamy is legal in some cultures and illegal in others, and that is matter of tradition, as long as no party is in it against their will (which they usually are, and that is why it is frowned upon). As for incest, forbidding a woman from having sex with someone within her family circle is not the same as forbidding a homosexual woman from having sex with another homosexual woman. The first woman has a choice to go out there and get into another relationship (one that won’t lead to the destruction of her family), whereas the second woman is denied a love and sexual life for as long as she lives.
And yes, homosexuals can decide to live outside of Lebanon for their peace of mind. But I have hope, and I’m sure a lot of people do too, that one day Lebanon will evolve enough for them to be able to live peacefully here. And that will be a good thing. A society that accepts ways of life that differ from their own is a tolerant and mature society, and the fact that Lebanon isn’t there yet is the reason for most problems in this country. And we can only hope that this will get better.
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@babaorom how are you telling me to stop comparing homosexuals to polygamy or incest when it is the same thing? you said yourself legal sex requires two consenting adults so why is it that siblings who are both consenting adults that want to have sex with each other because they love each other is wrong? where is the difference in that? they are both adults they are both consenting and they are two people. are you going to use the messed up child argument? condoms exist they he wont have to get her pregnant what about two sisters or two brothers? they cant even have kids they both love each other and want to have sex what is the difference between that and two gays who are not related and what to have sex? sure the incest couple has a choice to go out there and love another person but they refuse they want their siblings because they are madly in love with them so are you going to frown upon it and call them gross and sick? if you are than you are only contradicting yourself. as for polygamy again you said it yourself ” Polygamy is legal in some cultures and illegal in others, and that is matter of tradition,” well Lebanese tradition states that homosexuality is wrong and should not be legal are you going to fight this tradition but not do anything about the polygamy tradition? again contradicting yourself. sure you can say society that accepts ways of life that differ from their own is a tolerant and mature society, when that difference is not related to something as grotesque and perverted as homosexuals which can lead to other grotesque and perverted difference that can screw up that said society. you are not very good at this but then again most pro-gay supporters are bad at arguing.
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Alright listen dude, I have not personally attacked you in my comments, I gave my arguments fairly and in a constructive manner. And I would love to continue having this debate with you, because you sound like you have thought this through and your arguments aren’t half bad. But if you’re here to insult me and everyone else who disagrees with you in every one of your comments, I am out. I wish you and negativity well in all your future endeavours.
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Truth_teller you are right about these points.There are many other points that can be argued.Everyone defending gays rights i have no quarrel with.I’m not against any gay people.The problem is when gay people want to shove their life into your throat forcefully.Live and let live , yes.What the fuck is the purpose of a gay pride parade???? that is shoving their life forcefully.Their is absolutely no need for it if you live in a modern society yet they do it every year in the west.It does not make sense.
Homosexuality is against nature 100%.The reason is how the physical form is made to interact with another physical form.Man+ Woman=Fit=reproduction=life goes on.That is why i wouldn’t say it is unnatural, but against nature, as it is an aberration.Does not make it natural or from nature.
Another ridiculous , outrageous and statistically incorrect is that LGBT are 10% of the community.That is the most stupid claim i have ever heard yet.In the US it has been shown to be around 3.8-5 % tops.
That greatly skews the numbers you have put in this post.To top it all off, in all my school years i have only known 2 people to be gay, you sum up the math of how many people there were.Maybe you will say there are some who do not show it, yes, but stories quickly go around.
I understand your need to live and let live , yet you have lost my respect with your skewed and biased facts.
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what people fail to understand with anti-gay supporters is that they link them to violence ( sure many are) but in today society being anti-gay does not mean wanting to kill them. it simply means you cannot give them the full equal rights as straight people because it creates a chain reaction of other groups wanting equal rights in ”love”. when does it stop? gays had civil partnership that did offer them similar rights to being married , why would they force it upon everyone to want marriage as well? the answer i believe is that they so desperately want to be seen as equal. but is that possible in a world where the majority is straight and the minority is gay? doubtful. the right to love argument is flawed because it can cause dire consequences. two siblings who are consenting adults can use the love argument to be together and using the messed up child argument cannot work because gays cant even have children so nothing is stopping the incest couple from doing surrogacy.
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It’s difficult not to link your comments with violence with you calling them “faggots” every two seconds.
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using a term is different to me wanting to actually kill them.
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If you really JUST didn’t think we should “give them equal rights as straight people”, there wouldn’t be any need for language like that. Just saying.
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You’re welcome
http://m.huffpost.com/uk/entry/7816390
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The Huffington post lol those pathetic idiots are no different to all the moronic leftist idiots out there writing bias bullshit to support their views . If your going to give a link at least make it a non bias reliable one you idiot.
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Great article. I don’t understand why homophobes care so much about what 2 guys (because it’s always about the guys, never about 2 girls) do in the bedroom together. Do they have the same interest in straight peoples’ sex lives? Pretty perverted…
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homophobes are bothered the same way they are bothered about people fucking underage people, fucking their siblings, or having a polygomous relationship, it has no logic, serves no purpose, goes against morals and ethics and puts humans as the same level as brainless animal. the only reason many idiots are pro-gay is because they don’t want to upset the feelings of those faggots.
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I’m a heterosexual woman but I know I don’t want to have any kids in the future, does that make my life purposeless ? Is my sex life useless ? Do we only have sex in the sole purpose of procreating ? Your arguments are completely illogical. Plus, the earth is overpopulated and with the constant growth of the population, it’s gonna be hard to feed and shelter everyone in the future, there are just not enough ressources ! So personally I think it would be great if 10% of the world population (the 10% that are homosexual) doesn’t have any kids. Also, homosexual people can adopt little orphans, thus giving them a better chance in life and reducing the number of children in orphanages, isn’t that great ? 😀
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it does not matter what you want or not, sex is for reproduction even if people do it for pleasure. every organ in our bodies serves its purpose our reproductive organ is called that because its used for reproducing! for you to say that i am illogical for saying what our organs is used for makes you seem like a complete idiot. at least with the heterosexual couple they are using their reproductive organs for what it is meant (penis goes in vagina) but in gay couple penis has no choice gut to go into shit hole or vagina has no choice but to get a piece of plastic that’s what illogical is. please refrain from using dumb logic. 7 billion people is indeed a big number but according to the united nation population division’s numbers, population growth is slowing dramatically and it is predicted that by 2045 the population will increasing by another billion. those number don’t seem bad at all. so rather than listening to pointless leftist media why not do the research yourself and see that this overpopulation fear is greatly exaggerated. also, to continue showing your wrong facts, gays don’t want to adopt they prefer doing surrogacy so this fixing overpopulation you are talking about is flawed since they are only adding more children. hope you are not to disappointing 😉
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Dude you need some cock, and real fast too. You’ve been all over the articles trolling the shit outta people. Gays themselves don’t seem to have as much passion as you about the subject. Check the subconscious of yours who’s desperately seeking dick. Lol and the “prove me wrong” part. I think you’re doing that yourself, dumbass.
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And here we go The pro gay supporter using the ” oh no he is threatening my belief therefore he must be gay” excuse simply because my argument is solid. i just dont get why gay lovers cant simply give rational argument and instead just stick to “love” and accusation its pretty pathetic really. So to answer no thank you i dont like cock i like vagina. And the prove me wrong part is for you to actually prove me wrong (though i highly doubt you can) its a shame lebanese people like you suck at giving proper facts also the only passion gays have is this subject since all they do is try to shove it down our throats.
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So what would you want homosexuals to do? I’d love to hear your “fix”. Please tell me what the solution is to you. Therapy? Prison? Spontaneously stop being gay?
Homosexuality is getting accepted all around the world because our civilisation is advancing and this is happening whether you’re okay with it or not. Sorry.
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Homosexuals should forget about getting the same rights as straight people because they are not the same. Also stop kidding yourself homosexuality will never be accepted no matter. Accepting homosexuality is going backwards not forward.
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You do know straight people can have and enjoy anal sex too ? And what about oral sex ? Is it also morally wrong because it cannot lead to procreation ? Do you condemn people who use condoms too because it’s “against nature” since it prevents pregnancies ? And what is it with your “against nature” argument ? Is a prosthetic heart valve not against nature ? Yet, if you had to get one in order to survive you will do it, right ? Sorry man, but your logic is really fucked up ! 😉 And do you have an article/study that proves that gay people tend to choose surrogacy over adoption ?
I think this discussion is useless because your mind is already set up. But unfortunately for you, things in Lebanon are changing (and we the youth are making sure they do!) and I think in the near future, gay people will be given the equal rights they deserve ! Whereas the rights and freedom of homophobic intolerant people like you will be taken away ! 😀
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Straight people do anal and oral by choice that is there decision. Gay people have no choice but to do anal ane oral because they cant have normal sex you pleb. The point is that straight people CAN have normal using their reproductive organ as it is meant to be you dense moron. Putting a prosthetic heart actually serves something putting your dick up an assholes serves nothing but put shit on your dick and creat diseas it is a dirty unhealthy habit something that you can compare. Women in same sex relationships receiving IVF up by 37% (HFEA 2010-2011) 240 parental orders granted in 2013 following international surrogacy. Dramatic increase expected for 2015. Over 1000 intended parents are going to India alone for surrogacy (Foreign Office). Need anymore? Seriously why do leftist morons have the worst arguement you guys are pathetic. You sure live in a world of imagination to believe lebanon is going we anti gays are here to stay and there is nothing anyone can do about it.
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so apparently there is three ways to have sex as this enlightened soul teaches us: oral, anal, and normal. you know, the one that goes through the normal hole. honey, sex is not just about penetration, there is so much more than that, and you’re probably gonna die not enjoying the sound of your partner’s orgasms even once. when your brain travels back to your you might understand this.”uuuh i like vaginaaas”
and, what, if people -choose- to do something like anal sex then it’s okay, but if people do it by default then it is wrong? how does that work? having the choice makes you a better person ? give me a break. also, oral sex is “normal” when done by two people of opposite gender but suddenly it’s wrong if done by people with the same gender? what part of your mouth is gendered again?
why do you have to pretend you’re such an expert on the topic? you’re just preaching hate! hate kills.
just imagine that every time you fall in love with a girl the whole world tells you it’s wrong.
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Anal is a disgusting and unhealthy habit whether with man or woman the fact gay men have no choice but to do it is what makes it worse a straight person at least has the option to do normal penetration that doesnt mean that its ok if they do anal it just means they can do normal penetration. I don’t need to do anal for her to enjoy sex maybe u like getting a dick shoved up ur ass filled with shit and that’s your disgusting nature but most girls ive been with don’t like it. Im sorry you havent been able to enjoy sex without your shit hole getting fuckee. Sad.
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Oh Elie. I’m sorry about these attacks. I grew up in Australia thinking of Beirut as this vibrant Cosmopolitan Phoenician city screwed by colonialism, and riven by various civil wars but still you know, generous and forward thinking. To be perfectly honest you help me with this impression. So well done taking a stand. And you’re right about Arab erotic writing by men – I’ll try to find the link but it has an ancient history. All the best. Love from this Christian lesbian. xxxx
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“Christian lesbian” now that’s an oxymoron
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Great article, thanks for writing! I’m not sure about all the statistics (like 10% of the population are LGBT) but I definitely agree with the gist of all your arguments. Too bad the comments section was taken over by some homophobic troll. He actually seems somewhat intelligent, but has shown his true colors especially in his last post. If only he put his brain power to something useful with his time.
@Truth_teller, if you want to come across like a rational person, keep your emotions out and simply about facts without name calling. In your last post you say that straight people do oral and anal sex by choice whereas gay people have no choice but to do it. Even if this statement is true, how does the fact that doing something by choice give you the moral high ground?
Also out of curiosity why would anyone be opposed to people having sex in the privacy of their bedrooms, any type of sex? I’m seriously just asking, is it out of religious convictions or is it something else?
In another post you said, “homophobes are bothered the same way they are bothered about people fucking underage people, fucking their siblings, or having a polygomous relationship, it has no logic, serves no purpose”
I think the article provided a succinct rebuttal to likening homosexual sex with having sex with underage kids; that being in the former we have two consenting adults and in the latter a kids with underdeveloped sex organs is practically getting raped by an adult. For the incest thing, well i simply don’t see how it relates to homosexuals. First I don’t think by any means there is a significant portion of the population who lobby for this as biologically speaking you are sexually repelled by people with very similar DNA (very interesting study). In addition yes, you get a higher chance of babies with both recessive genetic mutations. Another thing, homosexuality is biological, neuroscience shows us there are structural differences between the brains of straight and gay men, as well as straight and gay women. So it’s not like they have a choice, whereas I would assume people incestuous relationships have a choice. As for polygamous relationships, well they are personally not for me. I never really looked into the pros and cons of it because it never interested me (interesting that you researched so deeply the pros and cons of gay sex though) but do not have enough knowledge to argue about its morality. But i do know that islam which is not a western influence on society allows for men to marry 4 women. Are you opposed to the predominant religion in your region (if you are from the middle east)? If so do you argue as passionately about that or are you being selective?
Also, i can assure you have someone close in your close circles, whether it’s a family member or a friend you are hurting by spewing homophobic propaganda. Just think about it.
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doing anal by choice or not does not make a difference it is still a disgusting habit either way. the point is that gays have no choice but to do it. anal can cause serious anal fissure, infection, increase risk of anal cancer and is a higher risk of getting HIV. it has nothing to do with religion it is bat enough that STDs can be spread with normal penetration but when a sexual act increases the risk of a specific type of STD (which can easily be prevented) then it is always best to not do it this goes for both male and female i am against anal either way, people are going to do it and that’s their choice, and its not like i am going to barge inside a bedroom and stop them but that does not mean that it is the correct choice. you can say it is only repressing people from being able to enjoy other ways of having sex but i am only stating the facts that people should be aware of since they are going to to do it either way. but when it comes to homosexual they have to do it whereas straight people don’t have to do it which is where the difference is. paedophiles considered their lust for underage a sexual orientation (its not) but when one minority group gets its rights the next minority group will be after the same thing. paedophiles are people who have sex with anyone under the age of consent, which varies in different countries, paedophile would argue that they are into 13-14 year old but nothing younger are you going to tell me that its ok for the laws to reduce the age of consent to 13-14 simply because it is the paedophiles sexual orientation right? you can research and see how giving equal rights to gays creates this chain reaction. you can argue that the reason that paedophiles cant have this right is because they are targeting young people who don’t know better yet there have been cases where the young victim married by choice their paedophile oppressor this was the case with a school teacher in the US who married her 12 year old victim (when he was of age) because he wanted it. it should be considered sexual abuse even with consent when targeting an underage person, but how long till the voice of this young person who does not know any better becomes heard and is given the right to be with the adult? i will not do the research for you but its something you should think about. when it comes to incest, DNA being close does not prevent siblings or parents wanting each other sexually or fall in ”love” those people who are attracted to their next of kin are mostly in hiding because of the taboo. the gay rights is giving those people the hope that they will be able to be more open about it in the future after all they are two consenting adults so who are we to prevent them from loving each other ? for you to say that you don’t think by any means that there is a significant portion of the population who lobby for this shows that you are pretty misinformed and you are in need of more research (the results with shock you) for you to say they have a choice therefore its wrong makes no sense because the entire point of gay rights is love is love and love is for everyone. polygamy makes no sense because a group of people loving each other at the same time is impossible i am not a Muslim and i don’t agree with their polygamy marriage. and no there is no one close to me that’s making me say all this i am simply basing it on logic and reason, there is no logic and reason to give gays the rights they want because it only leads to other groups wanting those same rights. you can it homophobic propaganda if you want but eventually you people are going to have to wake up and see the wrong of allowing gays the same rights as straight.
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You’re a troll. You have 0 logic and reason and allllll these so-called arguments you present aren’t worth anything. In fact, you’re empowering the community that you hate most. Thanks again bitch.
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oh yeah? i fail to see your counter argument to prove me wrong all you say is i am wrong well if i am wrong then please prove wrong. or are you to much of a coward to do it?
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There IS no argument. And the coward is YOU, hiding behind your derogatory rhetoric. Why would anyone reason with that? So back to cowards, why don’t you show your face at the events and come out and say what you wanna say to the faces of the people you fear? Dumbass
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who says i don’t? you don’t know me to know what i do in public. and there is a strong well acknowledged argument against giving homosexuals equal rights which i have stated. you however, refuse to even consider these facts because in your head emotion is what counts most. well sorry to say this but emotion is meaningless when facts exists. you have failed to provide me with any counter argument instead resorting to just saying i am a troll or i am a dumbass. show me your argument or are you afraid of someone challenging your one sided belief?
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HUMANS, UNLIKE ANIMALS, HAVE INTELLECT AND MORALS. ANIMALS KILL AND RAPE EACH OTHER, SO WHAT “NATURE” ARE YOU REFFERING TO THAT YOU WANT TO IMMITATE??? IMMITATING ANIMALS IS YOUR LOGIC??? HUMANS ARE ABOVE LIVING LIKE ANIMALS. HUMAN NATURE IS A MAN AND A WOMAN. IF SOMEBODY HAS IMMORAL (GAY) TENDENCIES THEN THEY SHOULD STOP THEM AND IF THEY ARE A LOST CASE AND DONT WANT TO STOP THEM THEN YHEY SHOULD KEEP THEM AWAY FROM SOCIETY AND AWAY FROM OUR CHILDREN.
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there is no argument for two people consenting to physical and romantic interactions XD the fact are that they exist and they will fight and strive regardless of you close minded people. the argument is that we will continue empowering each other and loving each other, and that is a fact, science or logical thinking has nothing to do with it. we will grow stronger and more beautiful , that is the way the world works, and people’s who’s only reason to live is to hate on other people, who’s only reason to validate themselves is to hate on others that are different, now that’s backwards thinking…
and if your only argument against the acceptance of gay people in society is that pedophiles will start fighting for their rights too, that’s acceptable, but i mean, then spend your energy on trying to prevent that when it comes? why stop lgbt rights only by fear of what’s to come from a portion of the population that’s a COMPLETELY different one, and has different drives? i don’t understand this. if your concern is that pedophiles are next as you say, then we stop them when they’re next, i’m with you 100 percent, but fighting against gay people because pedophilia sucks has no logic. next argument, STD and HIV. im with you 100 percent,they’re tragic,cost lifes, make people suffer. then the answer is to raise awareness about those diseases, to fund medical research, to stop stigma and help the people that are the most vulnerable to it, don’t you think? since we have a conscience, and are so much more important and intelligent than animals, surely we can understand such things.
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you said and i quote ”there is no argument for two people consenting to physical and romantic interactions ” does this rule apply to a bother and a sister? or a brother and brother? or sister and sister? since they are two consenting adults who know what they are doing and are actually in love with one another, will you oppose that? my argument is not only paedophiles but also incest, but when it comes to paedophilia any adult who goes with a person under the age of consent is a paedophile so that would mean that if the age of consent is 16 and that adult is in love with a 15 year old that would count as paedophilia, those people will defend their rights to love. if you are not willing to accept this but accept homosexuality than you are only being a hypocrite same for if you accept homosexuality but not incest. you stop LGBT rights because if you don’t you cannot stop the next group since they will ask for the same rights lgbt asks for. other people will rise to support them the same way the people like you support the LGBT rights under the banner of love and empowerment. those people will also support incest. empowering each other and loving each other does not work, the only that that works is logic and reason, if you are going to base human advancement on love and empowerment you will accomplish nothing that is just how the reality of the world is. people like you cannot accept that and want to live in some weird love fairy tale. as for HIV the one way you can reduce the spread (not end it) is to stop anal sex which is something gay men will never do so that’s not going anywhere.
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no, what i’m saying is that you have to take thing case by case, because different attractions raise different stigma and different issues that are not comparable with each other.
and in science, nothing is wrong until proven otherwise, so you saying that hiv has a one and only way of stop spreading which is to stop people from doing anal sex, is actually unscientific, since people are still researching it.
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I never said stopping anal sex mean stopping hiv i said it helps reduce spread science is very clear that hiv is risker with anal sex. Also if you take things case by case you are only going to make other stigmas look normal which is wrong.
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Well, same, i don’t think you have the authority to argue that the one way to reduce the spread of HIV is to stop anal sex, for example, protected sex with a condom is another way, and regular blood test, and science and medicine is still researching yet other ways ^^
and love, this is hilarious, you don’t even know what stigma means and literally the sentence you wrote means “you are going to make other prejudices (stigmas) look normal which is wrong” . indeed , prejudices are wrong you said it yourself XD
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Lol stigma is not prejudice you seriously cant be this stupid. Stigma means something thats a disgrace not something that prejudice i just had a good laugh. HIV cannot be cured as of yet and you are just arguing im support anal sex (probably because its something you do) people dont like using condoms because they want to feel pleasure, people cant have regular check ups because of other matters to attend seriously stop supporting such a disgusting thing your ass exists for shitting not shoving a dick in it.
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“Social stigma refers to extreme disapproval of (or discontent with) a person or group on socially characteristic grounds that are perceived, and serve to distinguish them, from other members of a society. Stigma may then be affixed to such a person, by the greater society, who differs from their cultural norms.”
yer welcome.
also, excuse me, but condoms are the answer to reducing sex spread diseases so get off your phallocentric view of the world cause yer making a fool of yourself… now you’re arguing in favor of unprotected sex and on top of that your saying that people shouldn’t just not use condoms but also they shouldn’t be encouraged to see a doctor regularly…all of this just because you cant bear the thought of gay people. get a grip ^-^
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http://www.youareanidiot.org
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Hey “truth_teller”, http://www.youareanidiot.org. Thanks, bye.
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Rather than call me an idiot prove me wrong otherwise dont talk.
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Reblogged this on drkhraish.
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Reblogged this on Eliane Fersan and commented:
When Lebanon’s Government agencies are too coward to uphold the constitution and protect the LGBTQ community, brave voices stand up for equal rights! Thank you Elie Fares!
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Thank you so much for your courage to write this (and your other two articles which I loved reading as well) – it is very much needed and like a breath of fresh air. It will take a long time before LGBTQ* community is accepted and treated with respect and equality (i mean we are still fighting for human rights, children’s rights and women’s rights in the region and we still have a long long long way to go 🤦🏻♀️). Never the less, it is because of people like you, using their voice to speak up, that I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. So please, don’t let the hate talk discourage you in anyway. Continue to change the world, one blog post at a time. Sending you lots of love from London ♥️
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You forgot to mention an additional opinion those ignorant say:
The ultimate vocation for every human being is to have children and every sexual encounter should be for the sake of reproduction 😅
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The purpose of sex is reproduction thats why its called “reproductive organ” you pleb.
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wrong, the purpose of sex is pleasure. reproduction is an outcome of sex, and occurs only in humans that are fertile.
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You must be really stupid to actually say that. Its the other way around you. Sex is for reproduction and pleasure is what you feel from it. The word “reproductive” is in the name of the organ its not call the “pleasure organ” you dumbass.
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sex is not for reproduction, get your facts right…. otherwise we’d do it only cause we want bebies but the fact is that we do it for fun and pleasure and other time reproduction. i dont care about the name of the organs honey i care about how it’s used… also you’re started to tired you with your senseless insults
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started to tire me*
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An entire week of in-your-face Gay Pride in Beirut. Suck on that bitch. Try again next year dumbass.
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Oh wow a little gay pride happened in beirut and you call that a success lol how pathetic. Let those fudge packers have their parade it wont change anything. Its cute that you think gays will have a chance at equality when the hard truth is they wont so deal with it lebanon doesnt need such filth.
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Somebody here was trolled for saying they were a “Christian lesbian”. This was called an “oxymoron”.
Orthodox Christianity & Eastern Catholicism (= Orthodox belief & practise) acknowledges & accepts homosexuality to a degree — hence the existence in the Church of completely out nuns & monks etc. However gay people cannot marry due to the sacrament of marriage in Orthodoxy supporting sex for procreation only & the fact that Eastern Orthodox & Eastern Catholic Churches have only had the Seven Councils & cannot change (as the Latin rite Catholics & Protestants keep changing). (The fact that heterosexual people who are unable to procreate ARE allowed to marry in the Church is another facet of this argument which is too involved to address here).
The issue for Christian Lebanese who are gay etc. is that of marriage & NOT WETHER they are gay. You are a ‘Christian’ if you believe in the Nicene Creed (The Trinity etc.). Wether gay or not has zero bearing on wether one is a Christian.
Hence it is not an “oxymoron” for her to call herself a “Christian” & “Lesbian”. Jesus said ‘some are born eunuchs and some are made’. Every Christian wether male or female is the ‘bride’ of Christ the ‘bridegroom’. This blurs the line between strict binary sex roles for human beings who are baptised Christians & profess to believe in Jesus Christ. This was intentional. It has a profound meaning. Also Christians believe that as both men & woman are created in the image of God & God took human form — therefore He contains within Him *both* sexes. Sorry to ruin your day but this is the Orthodox theology passed down from the Church Fathers.
People confuse the teachings of the Christ & Christianity & the Church w/ their own customary prejudices including their own customary homophobia. If you believe that the Church is correct in upholding the sacrament/Holy Mystery of marriage as only being for procreation — that is one thing. (To either support or attempt to change. Perhaps someday there will be another council). But it is simply incorrect to say that one cannot be a “Christian” AND a “lesbian”. Especially when there are lesbian Orthodox nuns not in the closet.
We Lebanese have a long history of fluid sexual roles in our culture & history & even in our indigenous religion.
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I fully side with @truth teller on this subject and it’s really saddening to see the LGBTQHIV++ crowd bending and distorting science for their ideological purposes. It actually takes courage these days, to stand up to the LGBTQHIV crowd and its ‘open-minded/cooler-than-thou’ support base who use propaganda from the huffpost and from Vice and call it ‘science’. and when that fails, they can freely call the opponent ‘uneducated homophobic bigoted nazi’. truth is, the LGBTQHIV++++ ignores science, and hard scientific facts like biology and is enamored with pseudoscience like psychology. it’s a crowd moved by feels and emotions and as farthest removed as possible from actual science. the LGBTQHIV in lebanon is trying to play victim, and they have the support of influencers like elie fares and joey ayoub or joumana haddad. The truth that the general lebanese public ignores, is the actual magnitude of the LGBTQHIV lobby worldwide and its bullying practices that have forced western society to its knees. This lobby today successfully forces gender studies in public schools, publishes and sells pedophile content that is read to the children, sues with impunity any private business that has traditional values, and encourages sexual transition surgery of kids as young as 6. If this lobby has its way here in lebanon, our society will be as helpless against the LGBTQHIV lobby as in western countries, therefore, this lobby must never have any power in lebanon and all influencers who pander to the public in support of this lobby should be ignored and left to wither. examples of LGBTQHIV bullying abound, and started from way back since it cowed the APA into declassifying homosexuality from the list of mental disorders in 1974. no science was involved other than sheer political and popular pressure. This lobby is a full fledged bullying force in the west and its lebanese chapter is no different IF it gets its way in lebanon.
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