#in a time where queer people are being more and more hated by govts at large

[reikunrei]

bro just for shits i was like lemme check out this stranger con thing i saw noah tweet out bc it’s like a 45 minute drive from my house maybe it’ll be a fun weekend excursion. and that shit is so expensive. oh my god. like i get that these fuckers are like Big Celebs but oh my god. $100 for an autograph?? ON TOP of the general admission fee??? bye omg

[merrysithmas]

The good thing abt Steve and smth ppl are missing in the current discourse is he really did say Fuck America literally every chance he got and criticized the US govt every second he wore the suit and the govt absolutely hated him for it.

Even in the 40s he didnt want to kill anyone "for America", but as a disabled man couldn't fathom not standing up to the eugenicist Nazis. He wasn't politically motivated by nationalism but instead by human compassion. In fact, it is extremely likely he was highly critical of the US govt as a young man preserum given his impoverished life circumstances and constantly failing health. Living in NYC, seeing the shanty towns in Central Park, unable to afford life-saving medicine, watching Bucky and his mother kill themselves to make a nickle, surrounded by the radical leftist art scene in NY as an art student - Steve saw and lived injustice every day. And empathized with people who suffered different social misfortunes than he did (the woman crying in the movie theatre, "I don't like bullies", Peggy suffering sexism) although his personal list was extensive itself.

To him, the shield was always more of a philosophy and never attached to a specific country, which is what made it so easy for him to blow off 117 countries for Bucky, or tear the star from his chest yet defend the world in the vestiges of his armor against Thanos - he was fighting for what was right and not what was dictated by any country or political ideology (which is the main issue in Civil War with him being against the Accords, and one he was extremely well-positioned to understand having been used as a symbol and propaganda against his will many times, and having witnessed the dangers of state-sanctioned violence in WWII and CATWS. Even if Steve's argument was also faulty to an extent, you can absolutely see why he would argue for that perspective).

Steve was as FDR leftist artist in the Great Depression post Crash 1930s, disabled and chronically ill, diminutive and likely targeted by US eugenicits in NYC who vocally campaigned against disabled people being alive in the 30s (saying they should be sterilized or killed), son of an Irish immigrant single mother, lived in historically queer neighborhood of Brooklyn, an artist, and in the MCU coded as bi. He fights for whoever needs him, not for whoever tells him to. He was always highly critical and tongue-in-cheek/tired of the costume, drawing himself as the dancing monkey in CATFA ("Ready to follow 'Captain America' into the jaws of death?" he confides his mockery in Bucky, who heartwarmingly assures him that no, he is following Steve.) Steve continued to question, dog, and make trouble for the US continually after that until he wholeheartedly said Fuck You in CATWS and just dropped the shield (and never picked it up again until he handed it off to Sam, who he was confident could do something meaningful with it that he was not positioned to as a white man).

Steve visibly appears as a bygone era's "perfect man" and outright REJECTS both this supremacist definition and the shield's gatekeeping/the shield itself. Sam visibly appears as an "outsider" to exclusivist and systemically racist systems and yet EMBRACES the shield's potential. They are both radically standing up for the same cause in different ways and this comparison depicts why they are so closely aligned and best friends.

The irony of Steve Rogers as Captain America is hugely important to his character. In many ways, Steve is depicted as a reluctant hero who struggles with the strength of his own moral ideals versus the highly imperfect symbol he dons. This is different from other superheroes who usually self-create their alter egos as symbols of their more perfect, empowered selves.

In contrast, it is Steve's natural hardiness, independence, and righteous outrage in the face of wrongdoing which represents America's best ideals, but distinctly is opposed to its government which directs that he act as its image. As Steve holds the shield we see the image of a person who is critical of the govt for falling short of its principles and simultaneously embodies the ideal qualities that a equitable and free US is supposed to hold. Importantly, and definitively for his character, Steve as Cap shows how wanting the US really is for the goodness it robotically claims to have. And that is why he is important and impactful as Cap, essentially because he is uncomfortable with and critical of the costume.

The status of the suit often does not coincide with his personal beliefs. Yet he wears it to attempt to level up the system he is, for a while, mired in. Steve is not a patriot, not in the common sense of the world, he is instead a patriot of the humanist cause. This puts him on-site for many enemies, including those domestic to him and thus defines him as a hero.

Though his physical appearance suggests that he might wear the suit with a blind nationalist fervor a la John Walker (depicted as a perfect automaton soldier), Steve could not be further from that mindset (a good individualist man). As a now "perfect specimen" poised to be accepted and revered, Steve has the ability to choose an easy life where he is free of the hardships and ostracization he endured preserum. Yet instead, post CACW, Steve chose to continue to stand on the side of progress, the "little guy", to abandon the shield and now finally proudly embrace his pariah status and fight for those pushed aside or deemed unsalvagable or scapegoated (symbolized by Bucky) as he recognizes that while America's rule may benefit some, it still causes other to suffer and struggle (as he once did).

Not to mention, as a meta point, he was crafted as the "perfect man" from a sick, disenfranchised disabled boy who absolutely loathed Nazis by Jewish comic artists to mock the Nazi Aryan ideal - inverting their eugenicist visual image of perfection by empowering someone Nazis would view as worthless to burn their entire evil regime to ash.

He still, today, stands staunchly at odds with far right extremists and fascists in the US today and worldwide. He's the furthest thing from them and he'd have no problem in showing it. Choosing Sam as his successor, proudly, confidently, lovingly, and as a brother in arms who steps back so others can speak for themselves and tell their own stories, Steve shows his cultural and political understanding and his good heart once again - this time as an ally, friend, and a champion of the heroics of others.

[100percentshipper]

Oh dear fucking lord New Zealand now has a fascist Trump supporter as the leader of the National Party

This will be a long one, ranty but I gotta lay the land for non Kiwis. You ready?

So New Zealand seems to be doing pretty darn well in international news due to the absolute bae we have as a prime minister, Jacinda Ardern.  Through not just covid (and through her actions that have almost eliminated the virus from NZ) but through a mass shooting at the Mosque in Christchurch last year (which saw sweeping gun control laws instituted within 2 weeks), an earthquake in Wellington and having a baby while in power, Jacinda has proven herself to be a fearless, clear headed, compassionate leader that has, quite honestly, been a revelation.  Finally a person in power who actually cares and it isn’t just a political stance.  Finally someone who can take action and take it in the best interest of the people and not just in the interest of deep pockets .  Finally someone who represents my values of kindness and caring and getting shit done.  While having a baby.  Okay. So I love Jacinda and I’m actually proud to be a kiwi with someone like her at the helm.

Talking to my mum (I don’t live in NZ) and she casually mentions that the leader of the National party changed 3 days ago on May 21st.  Jacinda is Labour (Democrate) and now we have Todd Muller for National (Republican).  He replaced former leader Simon Bridges who became unpopular due - well many things but the final nail in the coffin was due to being unable to read the room - and by that I mean he decided, during Jacinda’s exemplary work with Covid, to nitpick at her leadership when in fact she’s super popular right now because she’s amazing.  I’m biased, sue me, but so is most of NZ.  So a few days ago they replaced him because you can’t win with that tactic against the queen that Jacinda is.  In enters Todd Muller.  At first he seems a possible improvement but the red flags are flying high right now. 

I’d like to preface this by saying his background is in PR (or ‘Relations Manager if you will) which means nothing he is doing in his first days is unplanned or random.  He understands manipulation.  I’d also like to preface this by saying you may have already heard of this guy when, last year he heckled a young Green party member in NZ parliament to which she responded ‘Okay, boomer.’  Oh yeah, he’s the okay boomer guy.

So here are the red flags

First; he makes a point to mention his religion (catholic) saying it won’t impact his politics as it regrads to lgbtq+ (aparently he’s ‘relaxed’ on that point because he’s not a perfect catholic). Hmmm.  Jacinda is a former Mormon and never felt the need to mention that (it was only ever mentioned by others) so that certainly doesn’t bode well.  He’s obviously pretty darn religious to feel the need to address that issue and upon research ... he is.  That then raises all manners of questions around his belief in human rights especially for queer, non-white and women. As if I needed further confirmation, he believes in ‘family values’.  A scan of his wikipedia shows he holds a ‘conservative position’ on abortion, voting no on pro-choice policies in parliment. Oh boy.

Second; he passes a few compliments to Jacinda but the goes on to say that coming out of covid, New Zealand needs to support small businesses that have been affected and then shit on their financial response to covid when an independent reviewer gave them a tripe A rating.  Apparently he disagrees although National has yet to offer an alternative approach.  This might seem like an inocuous point - obvs as the oposition he’ll look to shit on something and sure, of course we should support small business, but he subtly positions it in such a way as to suggest that Jacinda isn’t making that a priority which... um dude, she’s labour.  Meaning she cares more about it than a national govt typically would.  But notice how he’s trying to sow little seeds there? The next years are going to be a bitch economically, not just for New Zealand but the world.  No one will come out unscathed but he’s lining up his ducks to capitalize on the shortfalls that will undoubtedly happen - not because the government (but lets be honest Jacinda will prob do a better job than anyone else could) but because we exist within a system that is maimed and broken and limping along. 

Third; now perhaps neither of these points seem that much of a deal, I mean don’t most conservative, old, rich, white male politicians have ‘family values’ and so what about wanting to support small business and sowing seeds of malcontent, it’s kinda his job.  Well, well, well, let me tell you...

So he is interviewed in his office back in September 2019.  He has some political ‘paraphernalia’ on his shelf.  There is a cap in the photo taken, on his shelf.  This cap comes from America.  It has a certain set of words that sends shivers down my spine.  Can you see it?

“Make America Great Again.”

Oh dear fucking lord.  Are you serious? He’s asked about it and he claims that he also has paraphenalia from Hillary Clinton, a badge which is probably also in the shot but it’s hard to tell.  Asked if the cap will go into his new office he says yes.  He even doubles down, saying that he is comfortable with that decision... he says that he’s long been a fan of the American system (I’m sorry Americans but honestly that is not something I want to hear out of a party leader from NZ where we have MMP which has been a boon to our country) and that’s fine but to display a MAGA cap and then say he will keep it in his office given what that cap represents and what ideologies that represents is not tone deaf, it is dangerous.  It says something about who he is and what he believes.  It is a sign to all the facists of New Zealand to rise up.  When asked if he supports Bernie or Trump ... he hesitates, lightfoots around the question and says that in a debate he watched between Bernie and Trump ‘Bernie gave the better speech’.  That wasn’t the question.  Who do you support?  Reminds me of the tactics my all American boss who carries around guns at all times and I’m 99% sure is a Trump supporter talks.

Now I don’t think he stands a chance to win the elections coming up in October because it’s Jacinda with 60% approval rating and his party has 30%.  But it’s also worrying because hate and fear mixed with covid is a potent brew and the signal he sends out will be seen and received by all the sleeper fascist agents across NZ and the world and like the covid virus itself, will awake and spread like wildfire.  And even if he back tracks and decides not to display it, it’s too late. You’ve shown where you stand and where you stand is fascist.  I hope to god he doesn’t stay the leader long and by the next election may he be a forgotten blip on the political landscape of New Zealand, but man.  I knew the other shoe had to drop in some way with regards to NZ politics and it wasn’t Jacinda dropping the shoe as might be expected because how is this woman even real, it was this Trump inspired alt-right dude.

[thepringlesofblood]

thoughts on stranger things three  (spoilers. so many.)

this is just me yellin into the void as usual, but I like recording my opinions on things even if no one will read them 

good:

- every single scene w/ the robin, steve, erica, dustin gang, especially!!! the coming out scene. scoops?? iconic. steve and dustin’s secret handshake? transcendent. the drugged out back to the future scene? perfect. 

- eleven and max say fuck the patriarchy. love el’s new look 

- more competent women is always a win

- funhouse fight!!! carnival fight!!!FIREWORKS??!??!

- the destruction of the mall (sadly the only anticapitalist symbolism I could find)

- the scene after jonathan and nancy get fired where they’re angry about their separate marginalized identities making this loss worse. I really liked how it went into the ways it will impact both of them, and I especially liked when nancy got home and talked to her mom. 

- joyce going buckwild and getting shit done. 

- the portrayal of hypervigilance as a symptom of PTSD. All of these characters have seen some shit, and all of them pick up on the littlest things the second they present themselves because subconsciously, they’re always on edge, always aware of bad it could break. 

- most of will’s character arc. not all, but most of it. the queer experience of watching all your friends get dates and feeling like you’re missing out on something? trying to regain their interest because you feel lost and left behind? worrying that you’re not “growing up” because you don’t recognize romantic interest in yourself? not realizing you’re falling for your best friend until they get a romantic partner and suddenly you hate the partner even though they haven’t done anything wrong? a poignant, beautiful, very painful portrayal of queer teenhood. I really, really wish there was a moment that the audience realized will was in love with mike though. Like, it’s been building for a very long time. Also, a more thorough confirmation of will’s queerness would’ve been nice. I think they meant mike saying “you don’t understand bc you don’t like girls” to be that confirmation, but I want to hear it from will. Robin’s moment is so so so good though. 

- domestic fuckery 

- getting someone on the inside to help them/alexei as a character. not the symbolism or larger ramifications of his character arc, but how his knowledge and personality interacted. 

- mr clarke!!!!

- el going into someone’s memories again

- how prepared everyone is to fight because they’ve seen this shit before and robin and erica are just like ‘this might as well happen’ 

- keeping with the stranger things pattern of having a bunch of different groups of people all in different genres and then together they all meet up and go ?????

- I know every says billy didn’t get enough of a redemption arc but tbh I did not see his character development as redeeming in any way and I liked that. It didn’t excuse his abusive actions, it just explained them. There was no “oh he was secretly good all along”, no dramatic total character reversal on his death bed, just him deciding that he had enough of being controlled. Max didn’t get full closure with him, he didn’t say some big speech about being wrong or realizing the ramifications of his actions bc he hadn’t reached that point yet. he just said “I’m sorry” and died. that could mean “i’m sorry for how I’ve treated you”, “I’m sorry for how many people I’ve killed”, “I’m sorry for not being able to stop the monster”, anything. we don’t know what it means. we don’t get an explanation. It speaks to how survivors of abuse often don’t get to know why, don’t get closure, don’t get all the answers. 

- steve finally won a fight before getting the shit kicked out of him

- the whole no one knowing anything about each other bc no cell phones and/or wasnt there when It Happened. 

- Erica getting the DND set was poetic cinema 

- when joyce sees will on the firetruck and they run towards each other because finally, for once, will is completely unscathed, will isn’t the one who got hurt/possessed. I was already crying but this is the part where i had to get tissues bc I was sobbing. 

Bad:

- the red scare bullshit and glorification of capitalism. this show started out as “the US govt is doing shady shit” and now the big climatic “everything’s alright” is the army getting there?? what the fuck. There’s being accurate to the time period and then there’s sending a message. they could’ve subverted that trope in so many ways, but they just went for straight up “capitalism is great! fuck russia!” and I hated that. also, talk about one-note villainry. there weren’t even any dramatic monologues to make up for it, it just kinda sucked. 

- Hopper’s character in the beginning of the season. the scene where he gets wasted after getting stood up? shitty. not talking to el about his vaguely sexist overprotective actions? shitty. blowing up at joyce for no reason? shitty. he pulls it together in the end but it was OOC for a bit there. Plus I would kill for more “hopper and el work through their trauma together”, rather than “friend group splinters bc hopper did a yell” 

- I don’t know what to think about hopper’s death. It just hurts, and not in a satisfying, last harry potter book way. 

- why the fuck are the byers and el moving?????? did they ever give a reason???? WHY?????? WILL AND EL’S ENTIRE SUPPORT NETWORK, THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO KNOW WHAT THEY’VE BEEN THROUGH AND CAN HELP THEM, IS IN HAWKINS!!!!!

- the ads. omg the ads. lucas idc about your fucking coke. there’s so much goddamn product placement. christ on a goddamn bicycle. 

- previous seasons have had body horror, but it was all black goo so it was removed from reality and conveyed a psychological, otherworldly horror. and I liked that. WHY WAS THERE SO MUCH FUCJING MEAT IN THIS ONE??? THE MIND FLAYER LOOKED LIKE IT WAS MADE OF BBQ SAUCE AND I HATED IT!!! STOP!!!THE MEATS!!!!!

- can el not be injured......for oNCE?????

- also can people stop standing around staring at shit so much? theyve seen it before. it’s not like it’s a huge shock. people stand around for like 5 minutes before Doing Things and it annoys me. with the New Kids like erica and robin it makes sense but like....whenever theres a monster mike just sits there like :o cOME ON DUDE YOU’VE DONE THIS SO MANY TIMES GET A KNIFE OR SOMETHIN!!!

- WHAT. WAS. THE GREEN STUFF?????????????????? IS IT FUCKING PLUTONIUM OR SOMETHING???? WHAT THE FUCK!!! IF YOU NEED A MACGUFFIN BE LESS OBVIOUS ABOUT IT!!!

- idk about you but murray yelling at them about sex kinda rubbed me the wrong way. 

- speaking of, you caNNOT convince me that murray, 4 locks on the front door lives in a bunker murray, would take a goddamn enemy of the state to a carnival and leave him alone for any period of time. seriously????????

- look.....it was adorable.....i’ll give you that.....but.....the song dustin and suzy sang slapped me with secondhand embarrassment and genre disconnect so hard I found it impossible to enjoy. also...planck’s constant??? you could/......idk........call mr clarke????????? you’ve interrupted the man’s life for less!!!! I was also half expecting it to be joyce who remembered it from all the studying she did on the magnets. I did enjoy the whole “i met a girl at camp” story being unbelievable until it was but like I was expecting the thing she wanted him to say to be like a famous star wars love quote or something not an entire song jesus christ 

- if hopper turns out to be alive I will face god and walk backwards into hell. I suffered through supernatural, I will not be caught in a cycle of fake deaths again. 

- i get the whole “we’re growing up now” thing but aren’t they like 13? theyre still so young??? also like i dont rly care for the vague soap-opera-y vibes the core squad gave off. 

- the only people who got flayed were either a. already pretty shitty or b. completely unknown. like. it just made it less scary????

- hopper just fucking standing by the machine looking at joyce instead of running the 5 seconds up the steps into the room. seriously? was that supposed to be slow motion or was that real time??? 

- the whole thing with cerebro not working at the beginning sucked ass. 

- hey does mrs wheeler have eyes??? like??? there were exactly two (2) scenes she had with mike and nancy and both were Big Conversations like they live there right/????tbh i forgot she was their mom until those scenes bc of the whole billy thing, which i decidedly do not have an opinion on but like....do they eat breakfast there??? 

[pinkspaceclub]

Worst and Most Dangerous Gay Countries in the World

This week we are pleased to present a guest post by Talon Windwalker, a contract writer traveling the planet together with his son. Talon is an expert in longterm family travel and LGBTQ travel. His website, 1Dad1Kid, chronicles their journey, and his food blog Travels4Yum will cause you to drool.

I’ve been traveling full time, as a queer single dad, with my son for five years thus far . I’m often asked: “Where’s his mom?” I usually just respond with the safest explanation that there's no mom. However, that, understandably, generally results in some confusion and more questions. So many times I’m tempted to only respond “I’m gay.” Unfortunately, that isn’t always the safest thing to announce. People within the LGBTQ travel community have some unique challenges the typical person doesn’t need to consider. While there has been a surprising increase in rights for the community over the last decade, that's only the reality during a relatively small a part of the planet . One country removes the last legal vestiges of inequality and another promotes a bill to “kill the gays.” A queer couple, especially a gay one, has got to wonder if posing for a bedroom with one bed will get them into trouble. Can they walk down the road while holding hands without worrying of being subsequent headline? Do they desire they have to “act more straight” during a locale? If something happens to a part of a marriage , will that relationship be legally recognized? The recent case of the married British gay couple who were on their honeymoon in Australia reaffirmed this as a legitimate concern. one among them, tragically, died, and since Australia doesn't recognize couple the death certificate listed his husband as “never married.” Imagine the nightmare of not only losing your spouse, especially as a newlywed, but not having the ability to navigate the varied legal obstacles because your marriage isn't recognized. In order to list the simplest and worst places for LGBTQ travel, I considered various factors including: Existing laws and up to date court decisions Experiences of fellow queer travelers Reliable travel alerts specifically focused on the LGTBQ community Results of social experiments Travel resources indicating “welcoming” countries. It is important to notice that even in queer-friendly regions, there could also be areas that are less welcoming and open-minded. for instance , large cities tend to be more accepting of diversity than small rural communities. additionally , some cities have “gay villages” which are LGBTQ-majority neighborhoods that are much safer than other areas of the town . Gay males tend to experience more problems than lesbians. Some laws explicitly target males while saying nothing about lesbian-related acts. In many cultures, it isn’t considered odd for 2 women to share a bed or to be affectionate publicly . Generally speaking, women will have fewer concerns as a same-sex couple. Of course, they will produce other issues to affect . Best Places for LGBTQ Travel gay travel Spain This was, at first, a touch of a surprise for me; considering how heavily Catholic the country is. However, equality may be a big concern for Spaniards, and in 2005 the govt legalized couple against the strong protestations of the Vatican. This move was supported by a minimum of 66% of the population. Spain is home to some well-known queer hotspots like Sitges and Ibiza. However, Barcelona and Madrid even have thriving LGBTQ communities and activities. In 2012, the ecu Union conducted a survey across all of its member states regarding attitudes toward LGBTQ issues. Spain ranked alright . Last year, a social experiment was conducted in Madrid with encouraging results. Queer couples should feel comfortable being like all other couple while visiting most of Spain. Iceland This country is usually rated because the most egalitarian nation on the earth . The capital’s annual Pride events are attended by an outsized number of the straight community. In a minimum of one year, the mayor (who is heterosexual) even wearing drag to open the festival. At least one prime minister was an “out” lesbian who married her partner shortly after the law changing the definition of marriage to gender neutral went into effect. Violent crime may be a rarity in Iceland, and hate crimes are even more rare. South Africa Once an area known for horrendous racism and intolerance, South Africa has adopted a really liberal constitution and was the 5th country within the world to legalize couple (and the 2nd country outside of Europe). LGBTQ travelers routinely speak of feeling safe within the country, and Cape Town has become a well-liked destination for same-sex weddings. Mexico City and Oaxaca, Mexico The Mexican culture features a strong “live and let live” attitude; however, Mexico City and Oaxaca are known for being welcoming cities. Recently, the Mexican Supreme Court ruled that couple may be a constitutionally protected right which helps to point out that things are changing during this wonderful country. While smaller cities/less-known destinations might not offer many legal protections, generally speaking LGBQT people are pretty safe. Public displays of affection (PDA) are often frowned upon, but that applies to heterosexuals also . Hate crimes toward members of the queer community are quite unusual. Canada This North American country was among the primary within the world to legalize couple . While there are some areas that are more conservative, generally speaking LGBTQ people can feel safe traveling throughout this massive nation. Many large cities have gay villages, and Canadians are famous for being kind and welcoming. Toronto and Vancouver especially are noted as being extremely queer friendly. New Zealand Kiwis are a number of the friendliest and most welcoming people within the world, but they were a touch slow to hitch the opposite nations recognizing couple . When their parliament passed the law, though, they collectively began singing a Maori love song to commemorate the instant . As if people needed more reasons to like New Zealand! It is one among the safest countries to go to for everybody , including LGBTQ people. A queer couple walking while holding hands might encounter some people congratulating them but generally won’t need to affect homophobia. Portugal This wonderful country doesn’t often receive the eye it deserves, which is particularly true for LGBTQ travelers. The Portuguese people are fairly friendly and welcoming, and it warmed my heart to ascertain people actually encouraging a gay couple during another recent social experiment. Personally, i might like to see more people include Portugal in their travels. Worst Places for LGBTQ Travel gay travel2 This list might be really long, unfortunately. rather than listing all the countries that would pose potential problems for the queer traveler, I’ve focused on the foremost unsafe ones. Russia This country has taken homophobia to extremes. After enacting a law labeled as an “antipropaganda” measure against promoting homosexualty as a “normal” lifestyle, the Russian LGBTQ community experienced a drastic upswing in violent hate crimes. For the foremost part, police have appeared to be supportive of those crimes, rarely intervening even during attacks. Not satisfied with their level of overt hatred, the legislature recently tried to pass laws against same-sex couples showing any public displays of affection and/or “coming out” publicly. Surprisingly, those attempts (which specifically excluded females) failed, but it might be almost stunning if the law isn’t revisited at a later date. People have also been attacked for merely “appearing gay.” Uganda This African country is excessively homophobic. an effort to pass a law calling for members of the LGBTQ community to be executed was changed from “kill the gays” to “jail the gays.” Fortunately, that was annulled by the courts; however, lawmakers haven’t given up trying to pass legislation that might provide punishments for “unnatural acts” which might include homosexuality. Nigeria Nigeria seems to be in an unspoken battle with Uganda on which country are often more homophobic. There are multiple news stories covering mob attacks on suspected queers, even pulling them from their homes and beating them within the streets. On many of those occasions, the police have joined in on the attacks. Jamaica This island is documented for being laid back and enjoying a celebration lifestyle. However, when it involves LGBTQ people, all bets are off; particularly if you’re male. Sex between men is against the law during this country, and therefore the laws are often firmly enforced. The government is understood for supporting violence against gays, so if you’re a victim of a violent hate crime don’t expect to receive any assistance from local officials. Lithuania As a part of their European Union membership, this Baltic nation had to entrench some protections in their laws. However, the overall attitude toward LGTBQ people remains poor. Any sort of public event, like Pride, is usually amid violent protests. Legal protections here shouldn’t be considered as encouraging to queer travelers. While those protections could also be “on the books,” it doesn’t mean they're enforced, and police are generally known for being very lackadaisical and uncaring in their response to victims. Egypt Gay sex isn't specifically outlawed in Egypt; however, people are often arrested and convicted under morality laws which give for up to 17 years of imprisonment (with, or without, hard labor and fines). It is not uncommon for people of an equivalent gender to carry hands or walk arm-in-arm, numerous same-sex couples find these sorts of PDA to be relatively safe. However, as a foreigner you would possibly draw unwanted attention, so caution would be advised. Arrests at suspected gay gatherings aren't uncommon. While Muslim males are more likely to receive harsher treatment, all visitors are often subjected to an equivalent laws and punishments. Should I Avoid These Countries? This is a standard question with no, solid, one-size-fits-all answer. It really comes right down to individual choice. One has got to consider the potential risk factors, also as personal ethics. a number of us feel that giving our mighty tourist dollar to a rustic that encourages violence towards us may be a rather foolish, or unethical, decision. However, there's also a legitimate argument to be made that, by visiting and spending time in these places, we help “normalize” being LGBTQ. The best advice I can give is to be informed about the place you’re considering for travel and to honestly evaluate the risks versus benefits. Also consider the mood you would like for your trip. for instance , is that this a romantic getaway? Well, perhaps specialise in one among the simplest places to go to where you'll relax and be yourselves. TL;DR When it involves travel, like many things in life, only you recognize what works best for you. When considering LGBTQ travel, the subsequent countries stand out: Safest & most welcoming: Spain Iceland South Africa Mexico Canada New Zealand Portugal Most dangerous & unwelcoming: Russia Uganda Nigeria Jamaica Lithuania Egypt

Iran

Morocco