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Homosexuality within the Arab world could be a topic thus volatile that in some countries death is the penalty. nonetheless gradually and really cautiously gay Arabs are coming out of the closet with increasing confidence. Spanning across 22 countries with a combined population of 323 million, the Arab world isn't only connected through its language however is also linked through numerous gay Arab websites, chat rooms, and blogs.

However, for gay Arab Americans, although they live with a lot of greater personal freedoms they usually still notice themselves conflicted between their sexual, religious, ethnic/cultural and national identities. Meet Issam Khoury of Washington, DC and Ramy Eletreby of la. They each are gay Arab men however each with a completely totally different path and background. however both men have an interesting clarity and an agreement on the crucial issues which impact them the foremost.

Issam Khoury

A refugee by birth and by war, Issam Khoury has seen and experienced a broad cross-section of the world. both of his folks were born and raised in Palestine however because of 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 are continually perceived different" he explains.

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

As a youth Issam began to become more tuned in to his burgeoning homosexuality. "I invariably knew i was attracted to men. I knew from the times once I was living in Kuwait which to me debunks the myth that a lot of Arabs would like to own that this does not exist in our part of the globe as a result of it does. after I moved to Cypress in 95' I found myself becoming sexually active and that's how I knew that this was here to stay" he reveals.

Issam later attended college 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 till college that he began to become fully attentive to his identity as an "outwardly gay man and not someone who engages in sex with different men" he explains. In many ways his college years helped him to adopt a holistic identity that was related to his sexual orientation, but this was only the first step.

He reveals that his chat for arabs journey still was "very difficult 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 in the Arab community. There are gay people out there and they are out and they're proud, but they are doing not write, they are doing not represent, they have not laid the muse for a community within the same method that american ethnic communities have had on varying levels."

As a result, Issam found nurturing support at intervals the African yankee community adding that he was "adopted" by many black people which "in the black community...I found my identity as a person of color.

I really found my identity as a gay man of color through reading E. Lynn Harris. I found it inspiring to examine men of color loving other men and color. I found my identity and what it may be to be in a very relationship with another man of color and how stunning that would be and the way celebrated that could be while not having to be ashamed of it."

In terms of his Arab identity, Issam says that he found his Arabic-self through his masters degree program at Ohio State where he studied Arab literature. He brazenly 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. therefore this new educational program gave him both affirmation and confirmation of who he very was, thus 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 an extended, arduous and sophisticated method. after initiating to his parents, he we went back into the closet for six years.

"It took lots of internal work for me to merge my Arabic and my gay identities. It took plenty of soul searching, it took a lot of research; delving into the difficulty of Arabic and gay however it's extremely slow. we've got a lot problems with pride in Arabic community and pride is expounded to family honor and if someone is gay then you shame family honor and therefore these problems aren't widely talked regarding but discussed in closed circles" he shares.

Because of his journey of transformation and reconciliation Issam decided to enroll in a cultural studies doctoral program as a result of he recognized that he belonged to too many diverse teams to limit himself to only one identity or concentration. "The u. s. thrives on identity politics; it is the capital of what I decision the check box on the application as a result of you usually need to be one thing you mostly got to be categorized as one thing."

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

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 youngsters. while both of his folks were born and raised in Egypt, Ramy's perspective includes a distinct yank aptitude. He says that he was raised "conservative and Muslim" and that his upbringing has helped shaped him to where he is today.

Ramy's gay awakening truly began round the age of fifteen. He remembers attending a play in la that centered around boxing. throughout a locker space scene, one in all the boxers actually showered on stage. it had been Ramy's initial time seeing a naked man.

"I was flustered and blushing and all that stuff and that i simply knew that if I had a reaction like that it should mean one thing. I never had such a strong reaction of anybody like that. I couldn't avert my eyes but deep down I knew I mustn't be enjoying it."

Interestingly enough, Ramy did not act out sexually on his urges. Instead he went through a personal journey seeking to reconcile his sexuality together with his Muslim beliefs. "I went through a lot of self exploration, lots questions, and plenty of confusion" he explains.

Similar to the path of many other gays, Ramy eventually mustered up enough courage to begin kicking off to his friends. after an eight year period he had commence to simply concerning everybody in his life with the exception of his family, but that was near to amendment in an exceedingly very public method within the summer of 2005.

A budding actor, Ramy Arabic chat determined to simply accept a role at a Hollywood theater portraying a gay Arab. however bound Arab community groups acknowledged of the play and its gay content and started to protest. Meanwhile the LA Times bloodhounds sniffed out the story and surrounded down playhouse to try to to what eventually became a major news story about the play, its gay content, the controversy, and therefore the incontrovertible fact that its lead actor, Ramy was a gay man.

When the story hit, Ramy estimates it took four people reading it before the news was promptly delivered to his folks. further attention came when Advocate Magazine conjointly did a selection on him. it was a very stressful and an emotionally raw time for him, but these days he is out to everybody and living his life authentically.

And when many years of wrestling with both his spirituality and his sexuality, Ramy has finally found the peace that he's been checking out since he was 15. "I've just return to the conclusion that not everything is perfect. This religion that i used to be raised in isn't perfect" he explains. He adds that people who subscribe to a spiritual belief system must "apply but a lot of you'll be able to apply to your life and since i do know I cannot modification bound facts regarding who i'm....if i choose to have a religion like Islam it has to be the maximum amount as I will take of it."

Today Ramy works for a gay publication in l. a.   where he says it has 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 simply part of my daily reality. i am an Arab yank who happens to be raised Muslim who considers himself for the most half Muslim however i'm an yankee who is of Arab descent."

He adds Arab chat that "your identity is who you are at any given moment. there is never a day where i am not Muslim or don't not view myself as a product of Muslims. i'm able to undergo every day and realize that components of my establish are speaking up and the way I will filter those to come back to a focused stop process through any given state of affairs."

Advice to Young Gay Arabs

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

Issam offers this piece of recommendation to gay Arab youth. "You aren't alone, you're not the sole gay Arab person out there. you are not the sole young man or young woman who's scuffling with this. find where the parable is; find the very fact and where the 2 separate. Do your analysis. Dispel the myths for yourself."

Ramy agrees adding that "the solely person who you really got to hear is yourself. you cannot enable people that have taught you as a baby, or your oldsters, or relations, spiritual students, siblings, friends. you can not permit people to make decisions concerning your life and what's right concerning you while not you concerned. thus don't act outside of your best interest."