Masters Degrees (Political Studies and Governance)
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Browsing Masters Degrees (Political Studies and Governance) by Author "Bekker, Simone"
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Item Open Access An intersectional analysis of the systemic discrimination confronting LGBTQ+ individuals in the Middle East: the cases of Iran, Turkey, and Egypt(University of the Free State, 2023) Bekker, Simone; Solomon, Hussein𝑬𝒏𝒈𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒉 The road to equality is not straight, and for LGBTQ+ individuals the road holds various intersections of discrimination. Aspects such as identity and gender have directly impacted the level to which individuals are shunned by their families, communities, and social nexus. Although discrimination against LGBTI people undermines the human rights principles outlined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, discrimination and violence against people in the LGBTI community are all too common. Homophobic, biphobic, and transphobic attitudes remain deeply embedded in many cultures around the world. A significant amount of research on intersectionality concentrates primarily on African American women and other women of colour, and it seems that the research on intersectionality has not sufficiently addressed the lives of Middle Eastern LGBTQ+ individuals. Often, LGBTQ+ individuals are misrepresented by selected states from the region at international forums such as the United Nations General Assembly and Human Right Council. Using claims based on religious and cultural values, selected states undermine the rights of LGBTQ+ individuals, and Arab-speaking and Muslim majority states seem to form a homogenous entity with a uniform view on LGBTQ people. All LGBTQ+ members are assumed to be faced with the same systemic discrimination and to have the same human rights needs and experiences. For this reason, intersections of multiple systems of oppression are not recognised and the interests of some are privileged while the experiences of others are marginalised. To address this gap, this study uses an intersectional framework which notes that the LGBTQ+ community in the Middle East is not a singular entity, and even though conditions differ based on country, gender, and from individual to individual, as a whole, the LGBTQ community in the region has not been granted the “freedoms” linked to Western ideals of homosexual progress, such as open displays of romantic affection, gay marriage, and other superficial indications of acceptance in society. This study analyses differences of experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals within three separate case studies, namely Iran, Turkey, and Egypt. It does so by applying an intersectional lens to recognise the ways in which different social identities produce intersecting systems of privilege or oppression, and how these systems create different lived experiences, and/or common experiences within a social context. This dissertation is a qualitative study which utilises case study methodology to analyse the existing literature related to the topics. Discrimination and violence against LGBTQ+ individuals directly undermine the human rights principles outlined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The fact that so many instances of such violation continue to go unchallenged is testimony to the deep cultural roots of homophobia, biphobia, and transphobia. ___________________________________________________________________