new book: straightening ali...

STARbooks Press explores homosexuality in a Pakistani/British Islamic community with STRAIGHTENING ALI by AMJEED KABIL.

For Ali Mirza, a young British born Pakistani man, life takes a sudden dramatic turn when his family arranges for him to get married even though he has told them he is gay. How will he survive his wedding night when he's not even turned on by his new bride, whom he has only met once and for five minutes? Sajda, his wife, claims she is in love with him, but she does not even know him. For Ali, this is the tip of the iceberg as his boyfriend has moved to France and is hesitant to support Ali. What is Ali to do? Should he run away to join the love of his life, or should he stay and live the life that has been arranged for him by his family? If he does run, will they find him and force him to be straight? Will he ever reunite with his lover? Ali must decide what is best for him and does in a matter of days in STRAIGHTENING ALI.

STRAIGHTENING ALI is a must read for anyone who has lived in or is curious about a society where arranged marriages are the norm and gays are brutalized for who they are. A riveting story about family ties, conflicting cultures and the basic dynamics of human relationships, STRAIGHTENING ALI opens one's eyes to a world we know little about.

pic: brazilian models

danish muslim parliament woman... ?

yes, that is a muslim woman named asma abdol-hamid. she wants to become an mp in denmark. when asked about gays, she said that she is "unconcerned with whatever sexual or ethnic background people have. We have a constitution in Denmark and it will be upheld."

- read more: washingtonpost.com

news: gay writer returned to iran...

Gay Iranian Writer and Activist Seeking Refugee Status Returned to Iran by Turkish Police
04.20.07

An urgent appeal on behalf of a courageous Iranian gay activist and writer who was deported back to Iran from Turkey two weeks ago was made Wednesday night by the Canadian-based Iranian Queer Organization (IRQO).

- more: 247gay.com

pic: actress michelle yeoh

texting for love...

this is so amazing...






Dreamed up phone number leads man to a bride Mon Apr 9, 10:09 AM ET

A British man has met and married a 22-year-old woman after, by his own account, dreaming of her phone number and then sending her a text message.

David Brown, 24, says he woke up one morning after a night out with friends with a telephone number constantly running through his head. He decided to contact it, sending a message saying "Did I meet you last night?."

Random recipient Michelle Kitson was confused and wary at first but decided to reply and the two began exchanging messages. Eventually they met and fell in love.

"It was really weird but I was absolutely hooked," Kitson told the Daily Mail newspaper. "My mum and dad kept saying 'But he could be an axe murderer', but I knew there was something special about it."

After a long courtship, the oddly matched couple -- he's six foot seven inches tall and she's five foot four -- have just returned from their honeymoon in the Indian resort of Goa.

A love-struck Brown said: "I've no idea how I ended up with her number in my head -- it's only a few digits different from mine."