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36 Men Subjected to Anal Probes ‘to Prove Their Homosexuality’ by Lebanon Police

Posted by on Aug 2, 2012 in Oh Hell No! | 1 comment

Acting on a tip about a Beirut theater operating as a secret gay bathhouse (???), police in Lebanon swarmed the building and arrested the 36 patrons in attendance.

Oh, and then police subjected each of the 36 men to an invasive, unscientific anal probing to incriminate them on the basis of their alleged homosexuality.

“Quickly thereafter, the cinema was raided, 36 men arrested and were subjected to anal examinations, supposedly to prove their homosexuality. MTV (Not that MTV, y’all) reported on the arrest of the 36 men with viciously homophobic language.”

Georges Azzi, a co-founder of the NGO Helem, established contact with the Hobeiche Barracks, where the 36 men were being detained, according to NOW Lebanon. He reported that the men had undergone anal examinations.

NOW Lebanon reported that Ziad Nabulsi, a spokesman for the Lebanese Association for Education and Training, accused the show of fanning the flames of hostile rhetoric by terming homosexuality an anomaly.  Human rights lawyer Nizar Saghieh told  NOW Lebanon  that a statement condemning the probes and calling for an end to the practice had been sent to the Ministry of Justice. “It is shameful that it still exists,” said Saghieh.

I just…I mean…it’s just that…what exactly are these anal probes meant to achieve? How is being violated by police – sexually or otherwise, depending on your definition – meant to prove a link to one’s sexual orientation?

According to the NOW Lebanon report, “the practice involves an egg-shaped device being inserted into the anus to find traces of sperm. It has been widely criticized by human rights organizations, which call the practice outdated, discriminatory and a violation of human dignity.”

Nope. Still don’t get it.

Though Lebanon is host to multiple gay bars and nightclubs, laws outlawing homosexuality still exist on the books.

Our condolences go out to the men forced to endure this bizarre butt-egg inspection.

(via Pink News)