Disturbing homophobia in Queensland and Iraq...

In one of those curious coincidences, social media today has delivered a gross and disappointing example of homophobia in the name of cheap politicking from Bob Katter in his Queensland election campaign, followed by even more disturbing news from the other side of the world.

First the man in the stupid hat. We put up with a lot of shenanigans from Bob Katter, and we are sure glad he isn't the only person in the current Federal Government balance of power situation, and that the other independents have far more rational heads. If there was any doubt, this campaign ad comprehensively removes it. (Just linking - not embedding that trash on my site.)


What is that they are pixellating out there? I've read that the photo used was a stock photo from France...
(UPDATE: here is the original picture, used without permission too.)

Putting aside the base politics involved, there is a more disturbing angle to this. It helps to - in the minds of some disturbed people - legitimise more extreme actions.

Which leads us to Iraq... Completely escaping Western media attention is a wave of homophobic killings happening there. Almost 100 youths, some emos but mostly gay males, have been brutally murdered in the last few weeks in Baghdad and Basra. The weapons of choice? Concrete blocks or long drops from buildings! There are details on this Iraqi blog, but some aspects/pictures are graphic. (Via Hassan Al Shouli on Google+ - well worth following.)

What is almost as disgusting is the position of the Iraqi Ministry of the Interior, with an official media release talking about these youths and how to "eliminate them".

It's like something out of Nazi Germany. Really don't know what one can say to that...