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Why plight of Iranian Gay teenager is not a religious issue

Despite Leviticus I feel a slight reluctance even  to include this story in a blog which is about religion.   This is not a religious issue.  While it is reasonable enough for biblical (or Koranic)  literalists to eschew and, in private, abominate homosexuality,  there is no scriptural or reputable moral authority whatsoever for executing the death penalty for consensual, often loving and loyal, relationships within the same sex. 

As for the Iranian sex-change industry,  it is beneath contempt to blackmail desperate young men into an operation which is neither relevant nor helpful to their particular need. This is not religion: it is cultural, political barbarity and should not be given the slightest quarter or sympathy, even by the most pious or homophobic citizen or overseas politician. The young man Kazemi's claim for asylum here is absolute and the UK government's attitude that if they are 'discreet' they are fine, is absurd.

Young, gay, and Muslim in Hamburg

This, apparently, is a nightclub for young gay Muslim (mainly Turkish) men in Germany.  Their lot is not an easy one.  This fascinating New York Times article contains their thoughts and fears, researched by a professor at Kiel university who says   "The answer is not to replace homophobia with Islamophobia,”   Young Turks tell how difficult it is   "When you’re gay, you’re immediately cut off from the family.”..."My brothers would kill me.”   Yet the tie to the culture is strong.  The same man plans to marry: "I have to have children, to do what Islam wants me to do”.

Gay times

The UK's new law on equal treatment of homosexuals has come up against another rebel: this time a Christian magistrate who has been 'forced' to resign because he could not be exempted from adoption cases involving gay couples. Meanwhile in another part of the forest, JK Rowling has outed Dumbledore as gay, to rousing fury in the blogosphere, mainly from US evangelicals who probably hated the books anyway.

And in yet another part of the forest, Taoist gays have found a suitable god. The Rabbit God. "Hu Tianbao is rather self-abased both because of the way he died and the somewhat belittling title of rabbit. So if you are willing to believe in him, he will be much more grateful and work harder than other deities," is the theory. So he will do.    Failing that, try Dumbledore.

Dying gay in Christian Dallas

Cecil Sinclair was a US Navy veteran; he came out as gay after Desert Storm, and when he died later his Christian family wanted to hold a memorial service in Church. With slides of him, and his friends.  Including some of him kissing another man. Their Dallas Church has refused, with the following argument: "The pastor said that he could imagine a similar situation involving a different sin. Perhaps a mother who is a member of the church loses a son who is a thief or murderer...The church would surely volunteer to hold a service, but I don't think the mother would submit photos of her son murdering someone," 
  Mr. Sinclair's family and friends reject any such comparison between homosexuality and criminal behavior. Well they might. But observe how the Dallas News reports both sides with admirable  (or cautious) balance.