...born with the gift of laughter and a sense that the world was mad

A cautionary tale for Toronto’s “Pride” crowd: Homophobia—a genuine, pernicious phobia as opposed to a faux-phobia alluded to in order to end a discussion—is on the rise in Germany. Der Spiegel takes a crack at explaining why:

…Violence against gay men has been rising here for years, said Zinn. "Especially among teenagers, we've noticed there's more homophobia, mainly because of demographic changes in Germany," he said. "We have a growing immigrant population from many countries where homosexuals are taboo."

The most obvious group is Bushido's -- Muslim kids raised in Germany, who feel sidelined, who soak up hip-hop and who might have been raised to hate homosexuals.

Last autumn, Germany's Lesbian and Gay Association conducted a poll financed by the federal government that showed stark levels of homophobia among Turkish teenagers. Two-thirds of high school students in Berlin with Turkish backgrounds, the poll found, had homophobic views of gays and lesbians. The study also found a direct link between levels of integration and homophobia. Teens who were more deeply religious or felt discriminated against in their own lives had a tendency to have more homophobic views.

After the report's release last fall, Eren Ünsal, a spokesperson for Germany's Association of Secular Turks, expressed her concern about the findings. "We began our first effort to combat homophobia in our community," she told SPIEGEL ONLINE. "But it is also important that we not back people who are opposed to homosexuals into the corner." Ünsal said she hoped that an open debate within the community would contribute to a slow shift in mentality. But she also warned against making generalizations about Turks, noting that, "not every Turk is homophobic."

Nico Hartong, a musician and Berlin social worker who helps kids write and record their own rap songs, believes the core of the problem is simple machismo rather than Islam.

"I think it's that Islamic kids (in Germany) have a problem with manhood," he said. "And homosexuality just doesn't fit into that image at all."…

Yeah, I’m sure it’s about “image” and has nothing to do with that sharia stuff about gays being an abomination who must be executed forthwith.

Posted by: scaramouche at 17:08 | link | comments

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