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Homosexuality within the Arab world may be a topic so volatile that in some countries death is the penalty. nonetheless gradually and very cautiously gay Arabs are beginning of the closet with increasing confidence. Spanning across twenty two countries with a combined population of 323 million, the Arab world is not solely connected through its language but is also linked through numerous gay Arab websites, chat rooms, and blogs.

However, for gay Arab Americans, even though they live with abundant greater personal freedoms they typically still find themselves conflicted between their sexual, religious, ethnic/cultural and national identities. Meet Issam Khoury of Washington, DC and Ramy Eletreby of l. a.. They each are gay Arab men however every with a very totally different path and background. however each men have a motivating clarity and an agreement on the crucial issues that impact them the most.

Issam Khoury

A refugee by birth and by war, Issam Khoury has seen and experienced a broad cross-section of the planet. each of his folks were born and raised in Palestine however attributable to the politics surrounding the Israeli occupation, Issam was forced to be born and raised in Kuwait till the age of 13. "I learned what it meant to be different in being in Kuwait because as a non Kuwait you're perpetually perceived different" he explains.

But when Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990, Issam's family was forced to live in Cypress where Issam finished his schooling. once more he felt the unspoken words and perception of being different in another country.

As a youth Issam began to become additional attentive to his burgeoning homosexuality. "I continually knew i was interested in men. I knew from the times when I was living in Kuwait which to me debunks the parable that several Arabs would like to have that this doesn't exist in our part of the world as a result of it does. when I moved to Cypress in 95' I found myself changing into sexually active and that's how I knew that this was here to stay" he reveals.

Issam later attended school within the US, initial graduating from Virginia Tech, then onward to Ohio State to earn a masters degree and then forward to yank University where he's currently earning a doctorate in cultural studies.

He admits that it wasn't until college that he started to become fully awake to his identity as an "outwardly gay man and not somebody who engages in sex with different men" he explains. In many ways his faculty years helped him to adopt a holistic identity that was related to his sexual orientation, however this was only the primary step.

He reveals that his journey still was "very troublesome as a result of I have no examples i don't have any James Baldwin's we do not have any Gloria Anzaldua's, we do not have any of these within the Arab community. There are gay folks out there and they are out and they are proud, but they do not write, they are doing not represent, they have not laid the inspiration for a community within the same way that yankee ethnic communities have had on varying levels."

As a result, Issam found nurturing support within the African american community adding that he was "adopted" by many black folks which "in the black community...I found my identity as a man of color.

I really found my identity as a gay man of color through reading E. Lynn Harris. I found it inspiring to read about men of color loving alternative men and color. I found my identity and what it can be to be in a relationship with another man of color and the way lovely that might be and the way celebrated that might be while not having to be ashamed of it."

In terms of his [www.ChatArabs.com chat for arabs] Arab identity, Issam says that he found his Arabic-self through his masters degree program at Ohio State where he studied Arab literature. He overtly admits that he had a "big aversion" to white people after being known as a "sand nigger, camel jockey, and towel head" throughout his faculty years. so this new academic program gave him both affirmation and confirmation of who he very was, so casting away all labels and stereotypes.

"It was in my masters program that I found myself as an Arab man" he proudly states. However, the reconciliation of being Arab, Gay and Christian was still a long, arduous and complex process. when taking off to his parents, he we tend to went back into the closet for six years.

"It took a lot of internal work for me to merge my Arabic and my gay identities. It took plenty of soul looking out, it took lots of research; delving into the problem of Arabic and gay but it is very slow. we've got plenty issues of pride in Arabic community and pride is expounded to family honor and if somebody is gay then you shame family honor and thus these issues aren't widely talked concerning but mentioned in closed circles" he shares.

Because of his journey of transformation and reconciliation Issam decided to enroll in a very cultural studies doctoral program because he recognized that he belonged to too many numerous groups to limit himself to merely one identity or concentration. "The u. s. thrives on identity politics; it's the capital of what I decision the check box on the application as a result of you always need to be one thing you usually have to be compelled to be categorized as one thing."

Further, Issam's own diversity and his desire to be told about the variety of others led him out of his personal check box. he is a member of a black fraternity and is currently learning to speak Spanish, all in an effort to broaden his exposure and understanding of culture and diversity.

Ramy Eletreby

Born and raised in sunny Southern California behind the conservative and affluent curtain of Orange County, Ramy Eletreby, who is of Egyptian descent, grew up the youngest of three kids. whereas each of his parents were born and raised in Egypt, Ramy's perspective includes a distinct yankee aptitude. He says that he was raised "conservative and Muslim" which his upbringing has helped formed him to where he's today.

Ramy's gay awakening actually began round the age of 15. He remembers attending a play in los angeles that targeted around boxing. during a locker space scene, one of the boxers really showered on stage. it had been Ramy's initial time seeing a unadorned man.

"I was flustered and blushing and every one that stuff and that i just knew that if I had a reaction like that it must mean one thing. I never had such a robust reaction of anybody like that. I could not avert my eyes however deep down I knew I should not be enjoying it."

Interestingly enough, Ramy failed to act out sexually on his urges. Instead he went through a personal journey seeking to reconcile his sexuality along with his Muslim beliefs. "I went through a lot of self exploration, plenty queries, and plenty of confusion" he explains.

Similar to the trail of many other gays, Ramy eventually mustered up enough courage to begin kicking off to his friends. once an eight year amount he had kick off to merely about everyone in his life with the exception of his circle of relatives, however that was about to amendment in a very public means in the summer of 2005.

A budding actor,[www.ChatArabs.com Arab chat] Ramy decided to just accept a role at a Hollywood theater portraying a gay Arab. however sure Arab community groups realized of the play and its gay content and commenced to protest. Meanwhile the LA Times bloodhounds sniffed out the story and surrounded down playhouse to do what eventually became a serious news story concerning the play, its gay content, the controversy, and also the proven fact that its lead actor, Ramy was a gay man.

When the story hit, Ramy estimates it took four individuals reading it before the news was promptly delivered to his parents. further attention came when Advocate Magazine conjointly did a spread on him. it absolutely was a particularly stressful and an emotionally raw time for him, however today he is out to everybody and living his life authentically.

And when many years of wrestling with each his spirituality and his sexuality, Ramy has finally found the peace that he is been looking for since he was fifteen. "I've simply return to the conclusion that not everything is ideal. This faith that i was raised in isn't perfect" he explains. He adds that folks who subscribe to a religious belief system should "apply but abundant you'll be able to apply to your life and since i know I cannot change certain facts concerning who i'm....if i choose to have a faith like Islam it has to be the maximum amount as I can take of it."

Today Ramy works for a gay publication in los angeles where he says it's helped him to search out his gay identity. However, he sees no back and forth competing of his multiple identities of being gay, Arab, and Muslim. "I've never allowed it to be a fight; it's just part of my daily reality. i am an Arab american who happens to be raised Muslim who considers himself for the most part Muslim but i'm an yankee who is of Arab descent."

He adds that [www.ChatArabs.com Arabic chat] "your identity is who you're at any given moment. there's never every day where i'm not Muslim or do not not read myself as a product of Muslims. i am ready to go through each day and realize that components of my determine are speaking up and how I will filter those to come back to a targeted stop process through any given scenario."

Advice to Young Gay Arabs

While Issam and Ramy were able to move on top of and beyond the conflicts of their multiple identities, there are many other young gay Arabs who are still baffled by it and struggle with it daily.

Issam gives this piece of advice to gay Arab youth. "You don't seem to be alone, you are not the sole gay Arab person out there. you're not the sole young man or young girl who's combating this. notice where the parable is; find the fact and where the 2 separate. Do your analysis. Dispel the myths for yourself."