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World Wide Wave

1 Jul 2013

Algeria: Visibility just the tip of the iceberg

Africa and the Middle East

“The fact I’ve moved to Belgium is a benefit to LGBT communities in Algeria and the region,” says Yahia Zaidi, an Algerian LGBT activist and refugee living in Belgium.

Forced out of his country due to his work to protect homosexuals of all backgrounds, Yahia talks to World Wide Wave (W3Joy) from the safety of his adoptive home.

He says some communities will accept you but they are in the minority. Most LGBT members are forced to hide to save themselves from prosecution and discrimination.

“Straight in the day but gay in the dark.”

Yahia also talks about a hierarchy of safety: “Lesbians are more hidden. The most visible part of the iceberg is the most feminine person and the transgender. The fem guys are facing the strongest discrimination.”

In Algeria, discrimination is so strong that his organisation cannot legally register for fear of prosecution. They cannot even have a bank account. It is under these tough conditions that Yahir is working with friends from his homeland to illuminate what’s going on.

Find out more about Algeria on W3Joy’s Algeria webpage.

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