November 26, 2012 | Sex & Society

Gay men face execution in Libya

A Facebook page, allegedly created by an extremist Libyan Islamist militia, is claiming that the group has rounded up 12 gay men, who will be executed for sodomy.

The men were caught late last week at a private party in Ain Zara, a suburb of Tripoli, the country's capital. The militia group then posted news on its Facebook page saying the men were caught engaged in ‘practices of the people of Lot’ (ie gay sex) and now faced mutilation and execution.

One image, with the men up against a wall, has already received 133 likes from people on Facebook, with comments such as ‘flog them hard!' and ‘ride them like camels.’

"We never had any gay nightclubs in Libya, so it is not uncommon for Libyans - straight, bisexual and gay men to party in a private space, drink, dance, have fun and sometimes even have sex," explained  Libyan LGBT activist Khaleed. "That fact that they were captured by this extreme Salafist militia is very worrying.

"The situation for LGBT people after the revolution generally improved, people can meet each other more easily than under the Qadaffi [Gadaffi] regime, although, of course we still have to be very discreet and careful."

Twelve men to be executed by Libyan militia for allegedly being gay [Gay Star News]