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Investigating reports of the murder and torture of gay men in Iraq, Ashley Byrne found that some gays found Saddam Hussein's dictatorship preferable to the threat of violence they face today. Some readers will find parts of his report disturbing.

There has been so much news of death and destruction from Iraq that the position of sexual minorities is rarely touched on in the mainstream media.

But stories of torture and murder of gay Iraqis, particularly men, have been emerging in the gay press for several years.
Investigating these stories for a BBC Radio 5 Live documentary, Gay Life After Saddam, I've heard a range of views about the deteriorating conditions for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) people.

Some say the violence has intensified in the past few months. Others say killings run into the hundreds and have been going on since 2003.

What is clear, and confirmed by separate evidence from various human rights groups, is that some gay men have been subjected to appalling violent abuse.

One young Iraqi, Amil (not his real name) recalled the death of a friend: "They found out he was gay and they killed him and they chopped him like a lamb, it was awful."

Another man (who wished to remain anonymous) revealed to Scott Long from the New York-based Human Rights Watch, how his partner was kidnapped and killed.

"It was late one night when four armed men came to take my boyfriend from his parents' house.

They found out he was gay and they killed him and they chopped him like a lamb

Amil, a gay Iraqi
"They were masked and dressed in black.

"We found his body the next day dumped in the garbage, his throat cut out, his genitals cut off."

Of all the shocking testimony we heard, a form of torture involving glue has to be the most awful revelation to emerge from our investigations.

Human Rights Watch researcher Rasha Moumneh told us: "We've heard stories of gay-specific torture where men have glue in their anuses and they force-feed them laxatives."

Gay men inside Iraq have been able to seek sanctuary in safe houses, thanks to the UK-based Iraqi Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) group, which manages them from London.

The documentary team were granted exclusive access to one of the homes on the outskirts of Baghdad, where we found a 31-year-old transsexual man called Qasim (not his real name).
source: bbc.com

Will Michael Jackson stop the world?
Thousands are expected to swamp Los Angeles, California, to mourn him Tuesday at the Staples Center, and the accompanying media crush will be enormous.

The tribute to the King of Pop at Harlem's Apollo Theater earlier this week drew coverage from all over the world, along with a public turnout in the thousands.

Given the feverish interest in all things Jackson, the Los Angeles memorial could be one of the most-viewed events of all time.

"This will obviously be a huge media event, and with Web streams of the funeral, it may be impossible to say for sure how many people watched once all is said and done, because there's still no comprehensive way to measure Web viewing," said Toni Fitzgerald, of Media Life, in an e-mail interview.
source:cnn.com

Michael Jackson Last
As Michael Jackson fans and the media pour into Los Angeles, California, for what could be the most widely watched memorial of all time, an obvious question remains: Where will he be laid to rest?

Bette Davis is among the notables buried at the Hollywood Hills Forest Lawn park.
1 of 2 Although the Jackson family hasn't made an official statement, all signs seem to point toward Forest Lawn Memorial Parks and Mortuaries, the not-for-profit organization that has buried a vast number of Hollywood's notables.

Forest Lawn officials were working with the Jackson family on their plans, which were part of "a package" of events Tuesday, said Jim McDonnell, assistant chief of staff of the Los Angeles Police Department on Sunday.

His comments, however, did not answer questions about where or when Jackson would be buried.
There is speculation that the burial will be at Forest Lawn's Glendale location, but the media are swarming around the Hollywood Hills memorial park, located right off the freeway behind Disney Studios. Tito Jackson's ex-wife, Delores
source:cnn.com