Hidden Voices, S2: Iraq

“We cannot have peace in Iraq if we are not even talking about the injustice to LGBTQ people”

In this episode, we speak to Hazan (They/Them) a gay person from Iraq. Hazan now lives in Germany and speaks about a program that they have created to educate others on discrimination towards LGBTQ. Hazan also talks about their own personal journey from living in Iraq and moving to Germany. Read below to hear more about them:

“I am from Iraq, but I am currently living in Germany. I leave Iraq because I was arrested two times, talking about LGBTQ rights openly. I left because I could have been killed if I was going to continue. I had been imprisoned for one month it was a horrible place, and I couldn’t understand why I was in prison. Every time I asked, they told me different reasons why they arrested me. This is something that happens often in Iraq to LGBTQ often, its the government even though there are no clear laws stating being a homosexual is illegal. Since being in Germany myself and two other refugee activists decided to start a program to help educate people about discrimination towards LGBTQ”.