British gay human rights group OutRage is criticizing London mayor Ken Livingstone criticism, after the mayor thanked the anti-gay Islamic StraightWay Foundation for supporting his embrace of antigay cleric Yusuf al-Qaradawi.
In addition to promoting al-Qaradawi, the Islamic exgay group defends fatwas, of “scholars” and Islamic political parties, that advocate the death penalty for public displays of homosexuality.
Google finds several U.S. exgay web sites, including Courage, NARTH, and Richard Cohen, that offer referrals and favorable reviews for StraightWay.
As a resident of London who voted for him, I’d like to say a few things in Ken Livingstone’s defence. It is true that Livingstone has shown support for London Muslims but I dispute that his agenda is a homophobic one.
On the contrary, Livingstone has done far more for gay rights than nearly any other politician I can think of. Under his direction, London became one of the first cities to offer (unofficial) civil partnerships for gay couples and has fought long and hard for equal rights for the LGBT community.
In the current climate of terrorism fear and intolerance of immigrants, London Muslims are coming under attack both from the media and the public. As an example, my boyfriend was queuing in the post office only a couple of days ago when a lady came in looking very flustered. She apologised for being so out of sorts and explained that she’d been heckled by drivers for wearing a head scarf and had been called a terrorist. She went on to state that this had become a daily occurrence.
In this case, I support Livingstone’s attempts to welcome the British Muslim community. It would seem his choice of whom to support is regrettable but I think the point here is that we shoudl attempt to get along and be accepting even if we don’t always approve. In my experience, the Muslims I have and still am friends with have always been polite and accepting of my homosexuality.