Yemeni activist mulls stay in Canada after coming out as gay

An internationally known youth activist who was involved in the 2011 Yemeni revolution has a new and possibly more dangerous battle on his hands.

Ala'a Jarban is in Montreal at a training program, weighing whether to stay in Canada or return to the Middle Eastern country where he faces numerous death threats and the possibility of the death penalty by stoning for coming out as gay.

On May 29, the 23-year-old recent Sana'a University graduate posted a blog entry boldly proclaiming himself as homosexual in a country where that is illegal. An online furor erupted and Jarban became known as the only openly gay person in Yemen.

Ala'a Jarban became one of the first openly gay men in Yemen when he posted a blog entry in late May. (Twitter)

The activist is currently in Montreal, where he's in the middle of a three-week training program on human rights.

"I feel lost at the moment, so confused," said Jarban. "I barely log into the internet. I deactivated my Facebook because I can't deal with it anymore, the death threats, the hate messages. It's so unbearable. I can't think properly at the moment but I have to sort this out."

Weeks before Jarban came out to his online followers and friends, he left the house where he lived with his family, knowing his typically conservative relatives would not accept the announcement. Despite knowing the intense backlash he would face, Jarban felt compelled to do it.

"For me personally, it was difficult to live a life, having to act like somebody who was not me every single day," he said on the phone from Montreal.

Revolution must tackle discrimination

Jarban took part in months-long protests in Yemen that led to the ousting of President Ali Abdullah Saleh after 33 years of rule. He witnessed the deaths of dozens of people both in person and on television as the government cracked down on anti-government demonstrators.

But Jarban is not satisfied with the achievements of the Arab Spring.

"I personally believe that it's not a revolution unless we revolutionize every aspect of the society, where human rights are truly implemented and acceptance, not discrimination exists," he said.

Even before Jarban arrived in Canada, the Yemeni diaspora community heard word of his controversial blog and his impending arrival in the country.

Toronto-based author and journalism professor Kamal al-Solaylee, who has been communicating with Jarban in recent weeks, knows all too well the dangers facing the LGBT community in the Middle East. His book, Intolerable: A Memoir of Extremes, delves into the challenges he faced as a young gay growing up in Yemen, Egypt and Lebanon.

"It's somewhere between idealist and suicidal," said al-Solaylee of Jarban's pronouncement. "But it's very brave move. It's an extremely brave decision especially since he posted it while he was still in Yemen."

Danger of returning

While al-Solaylee says Jarban faces a political threat if he returns, perhaps more harrowing is the danger from the community, who may not only shun or ostracize the young man but could pose a very serious physical threat.

"I genuinely believe he is danger physically," said al-Solaylee.

While sodomy carries the death penalty by stoning in Yemen, reports suggest the extreme punishment has not been used in recent years, according to Death Penalty Worldwide.

However, it's extremely rare for a Yemeni to come out as gay, even though a thriving underground LGBT community exists.

Al-Solaylee notes he came out from the comfort of Canada, as a Canadian — and doesn't fear repercussions when returning to the Middle East because of his status as an author and former journalist at the Globe and Mail, but that's not the case for Jarban.

The Yemeni man urged Jarban not to become a martyr, fearing the country is still not ready to accept homosexuality.

Ala'a Jarban has been in Montreal on a three-week training program on human rights. (Photo submitted)

"It's dangerous to think that just because people have been in the streets fighting for their rights that they are ready accept… that society is generally also ready to move on either sexual minority rights or even gender rights completely yet," he said.

He noted there's a large diasporic gay Arabic community living in the West that's been instrumental to helping those in the Middle East with advice, support and occasionally the immigration process.

99.9% chance of acceptance

An expert on refugee claims in Canada says that Jarban would likely win a claim, if he so chooses to stay.

"If he's concerned about whether or not he will win ... he doesn't have to worry one bit," said Chris Morrissey, co-founder of Vancouver-based grassroots group Rainbow Refugee Committee. "His chances are 99.9 per cent of winning."

Not only that, but he'd benefit from recent changes to Canada's refugee law that have drastically sped up the process, netting him a hearing almost immediately, said Morrissey.

Key to making a refugee claim in Canada would be establishing his credibility and proving he is gay, says Morrissey.

As Jarban ponders his next move while finishing the last two weeks of his human rights training course, he's also enjoying a strange and novel experience.

"It's so wonderful to be in a place where you feel accepted, like I could hold my boyfriend or a girl could hold her girlfriend and kiss and nobody would find that disgusting or they would actually find that beautiful," said Jarban.

"It's an amazing feeling that I can't describe," he said. "It's amazing to be accepted, to feel accepted as well."

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