Irakisch-Kurdistan: LGBT Straßenkampagne

Midde East Eye berichtet über eine Aktion von Rasan:

The human rights organisation Rasan is set to cover the walls of their city in new murals, designed to raise awareness of the rights of LGBT people and encourage dialogue within their mainly Sunni Kurdish society.

The plan, said Rasan's deputy director Ayaz Shalal, was to strategically place the murals near the entrance of the city so "everyone who comes to the city and leaves the city will see these murals". The group also plans to release online educational animations to coincide with the campaign, which will launch at the beginning of April.

It is not the first action of this nature they have engaged in, but it is the largest in scale so far, an indication, said Shalal, that attitudes are changing for the better.

[Rasan] currently has two imams who are involved with us and they are working on releasing fatwas in support of LGBT

-  Ayaz Shalal, Rasan deputy director

"With these kinds of murals we are saying to people: 'This is not wrong and if you want to know more, we will tell you'," he told Middle East Eye.

"We are spreading ideas in the community. We don't go on the streets and scream; we don't just go on the TV and have random shows on LGBT [issues], because that's not how you raise awareness.

"If the advice comes from someone close to you, you will receive it better ... than if it comes from a public figure."

Originally founded in 2004 as an organisation focusing primarily on women's rights, Rasan eventually adopted LGBTQI (adding queer and intersex) rights under its remit.

Previously, Rasan painted the walls of schools in Sulaymaniyah with pro-LGBT murals, hoping to spread ideas to the younger generation.