Rallies were held in cities around the world yesterday (including Moscow, above) on the one-year anniversary of the hanging of two youths in Iran for being gay.
Phillip Kennicot published a strong piece in the Washington Post which dealt with many of the reactions the photos of the Iranian boys have had on the culture. Definitely worth a read:
“Perhaps the saddest thing about these pictures is that no major news organization outside Iran has tracked down what really happened. The final indignity of these boys' short lives was that they didn't matter enough to spark a serious investigation. And yet, even with the particular facts of the alleged crimes in dispute, the images have haunted gay people in the West and become part of a larger debate about the political alignment of gay rights groups. Should Western activists engage with gay rights issues across cultural and religious borders? And do they risk being dragged into a crude anti-Islamic fervor popular among some fundamentalist Christians (who are no friends to gay people) and right-wing political groups?”
Andrew Sullivan, who organized a vigil in Provincetown, posted the photo below from NYC's rally, and a wrap-up of various vigils around the country on his blog today. The photo is by Joe of Joe.My.God – you can see others on his website.
