The Lebanese elections are coming up! Will the politicians listen to the real voices of their people? Article 534 of the Lebanese Penal Code criminalizes "sexual acts against nature" and is used to target homosexuals and promote a general public hatred towards LGBTs in Lebanon. It is high time we strongly demand that the government remove this article and ensure equality for all its population without discrimination.
We are asking Lebanese people only (in Lebanon and abroad) to sign this petition so that we reach 10,000 citizens whose voices cannot be ignored in our country any longer. Gay or straight - it doesn't matter. Our cause is about human dignity and the right to protection. It is time we all stood together and recognized that none of us are free until all of us are free.
Once this petition hits 10,000 people, we will send it to all 128 members of the Lebanese parliament (hopefully right after the elections in June), as well as to the parliamentary human rights committee, the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Interior, and Ministry of Social Affairs.
The Lebanese elections are coming up! Will the politicians listen to the real voices of their people? Article 534 of the Lebanese Penal Code criminalizes "sexual acts against nature" and is used to target homosexuals and promote a general public hatred towards LGBTs in Lebanon. It is high time we strongly demand that the government remove this article and ensure equality for all its population without discrimination.
We are asking Lebanese people only (in Lebanon and abroad) to sign this petition so that we reach 10,000 citizens whose voices cannot be ignored in our country any longer. Gay or straight - it doesn't matter. Our cause is about human dignity and the right to protection. It is time we all stood together and recognized that none of us are free until all of us are free.
Once this petition hits 10,000 people, we will send it to all 128 members of the Lebanese parliament (hopefully right after the elections in June), as well as to the parliamentary human rights committee, the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Interior, and Ministry of Social Affairs.
We signed the "Abolish Article 534 of the Lebanese Penal Code" petition!
# 2,488:
9:06 am PDT, Jul 15,Gizele Ishac, Lebanon
# 2,487:
7:58 am PDT, Jul 15,Gaelle Mhanna, Lebanon
# 2,486:
6:07 am PDT, Jul 15,Name not displayed, Lebanon
# 2,485:
4:12 am PDT, Jul 14,Samir Bargachi, Morocco
# 2,484:
12:21 am PDT, Jul 11,PJ M, Lebanon
OnCe You're Stopping A Human From Loving! Don't talk About Honesty & Loyalty!!
# 2,483:
5:48 am PDT, Jul 8,Ziad Baaklini, Lebanon
It's an out-dated law... modern times demand a change in perspective towards this matter.
# 2,482:
5:03 am PDT, Jul 8,Raghida Bukhalid, Massachusetts
# 2,481:
4:08 am PDT, Jul 5,Aline Rizk, New York
Wake up Lebanon- How antiquated and ridiculous is this Law.
This is the 21st Century and there is no room for homophpbia in our lives
# 2,480:
6:49 am PDT, Jul 4,Name not displayed, New York
# 2,479:
4:49 am PDT, Jul 2,Christy Chamy, Sweden
# 2,478:
12:58 am PDT, Jul 2,Andrea Massaad, Lebanon
# 2,477:
10:15 pm PDT, Jul 1,Christina Cav, Australia
Human rights. Dignity. Respect. All love is equal.
# 2,476:
6:35 am PDT, Jul 1,Ibrahim Alameddine, North Carolina
Nature is about freedom
# 2,475:
4:20 am PDT, Jul 1,Name not displayed, Australia
# 2,474:
9:29 pm PDT, Jun 30,Name not displayed, Australia
# 2,473:
10:39 am PDT, Jun 29,Ali Hammoudeh, Lebanon
# 2,472:
6:16 am PDT, Jun 29,Christian Fleming, United Kingdom
# 2,471:
1:28 am PDT, Jun 28,Donna Mellick, Kentucky
# 2,470:
11:10 am PDT, Jun 27,Nour Matraji, Lebanon
# 2,469:
10:16 pm PDT, Jun 26,Name not displayed, Australia
# 2,468:
4:40 pm PDT, Jun 25,Christie Conners, Pennsylvania
Love is never wrong.
# 2,467:
4:04 pm PDT, Jun 25,Katherine Miller, New York
# 2,466:
2:58 pm PDT, Jun 25,Heather Scott, Florida
# 2,465:
5:17 am PDT, Jun 25,Name not displayed, Lebanon
Ex-homophobe, making amends..
# 2,464:
4:13 am PDT, Jun 25,Mohammad D, Lebanon
*Clears throat* It's no one's business who, where, what, when or how I choose to live, love or do as long as it doesn't affect others. Even if homosexuality was a choice, which it's not, no one has the right to interfere in my personal life. Live & let live. Eradicate this backward law so we can stop priding ourselves with open-mindedness we lack, i.e, being hypocrites. LGBT people are only different because of their sexual orientation. They don't identify themselves with it; it's only PART of who they are! Thus, they have the same rights as anyone else. Lebanon has signed tens of treaties defending human right (which include LGBT people). Unfortunately, these aren't applied to ANYONE, much less the gay community. Homophobes calling for a cure are the ones who should be cured from the hatred, prejudice & stereotyping they were brought up in. Not to mention their use of scripture, which justify killing & slavery, written thousands of years ago when the world was flat & people with incurable/unknown diseases were "possessed", as backup. It's as if there aren't heterosexuals who wear tight clothes, have high-pitched voices, grow out their hair, transfer HIV (which in fact they do more than LGBT people & I'm talking proportionally here, not numerically)... Heck, most gays I know don't even look like that! Anyone who disaproves this petition is either jealous, stupid, brainwashed, or in the closet themselves (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cy-7AoxFEJA). Never lose hope: Women were once oppressed, now they've become more essential than men. African-Americans were once slaves & segregated, now they hold the most powerful position in the world. 6 million Jews were murdered in WWII, today they have one of the most powerful nations in the world. It's only a matter of time when LGBPQT (to keep everyone happy :P) gain their rights. It's a great shame that in the 21st century we still suffer from famine, crime, war, disease, pollution, poverty, illiteracy, discrimination & all we can think of is how to stop those "evil", "perverted" & "nasty" homosexuals. It's time we make a change! The only reason politicians probably won't abolish this stupid law is because security forces over here can't stop one small crime, so when they need to show off some "accomplishments" to their largely conservative supporters, they raid places where they gay community meets & mingles. Want more reasons this law is retarted? It states that only male homosexuality is an immoral act on religous basis in a religously-structured nation. The thing is, religions consider ANY type of homosexuality immoral, so why does the law prohibit male homosexuality only? People are so good at picking out anti-homosexual context from religous books, but overlook the premarital sex, lying, stealing, hating, envying, killing, retaliating parts-simply hypocritical idiots. To help make this change, support the only functional gay rights organization in Lebanon: Helem. Oh, and by the way, the fact that our existance pisses you homophobes off puts a very wide smile on our faces, especially mine :) Thank you. *Ends rant*
# 2,463:
3:47 am PDT, Jun 25,Name not displayed, New Zealand
# 2,462:
2:46 am PDT, Jun 25,Name not displayed, Singapore
Abolish article 534.
# 2,461:
9:54 pm PDT, Jun 24,Mady Kao, Indiana
# 2,460:
9:15 pm PDT, Jun 24,Jenny Leake, Canada
# 2,459:
6:03 pm PDT, Jun 24,Name not displayed, Connecticut
# 2,458:
5:36 pm PDT, Jun 24,Name not displayed, France
# 2,457:
5:05 pm PDT, Jun 24,Robyn Hansen, Canada
# 2,456:
4:41 pm PDT, Jun 24,Name not displayed, Lebanon
# 2,455:
4:34 pm PDT, Jun 24,F F, United Kingdom
I think it's shocking (and sad) that homosexuality is seen as a crime in this day and age
# 2,454:
4:28 pm PDT, Jun 24,Joanne Reeve, Pennsylvania
All were born with free will and the choice to love whomever they want. Please abolish article 534.
# 2,453:
4:24 pm PDT, Jun 24,Bethany Horrell, United Kingdom
Man is born free and everywhere he is found in chains; but it doesn't have to be that way
# 2,452:
3:51 pm PDT, Jun 24,Catherine Evans-Gist, United Kingdom
# 2,451:
3:25 pm PDT, Jun 24,Justine Cupplo, New Jersey
Please do the right thing and abolish article 534. Make a difference.
