Thursday, Mar 28, 2024 | Last Update : 10:42 PM IST

  Life   More Features  16 Aug 2018  Austria rejects gay Afghan man because he doesn't 'walk, talk or dress' like one

Austria rejects gay Afghan man because he doesn't 'walk, talk or dress' like one

THE ASIAN AGE
Published : Aug 16, 2018, 1:15 pm IST
Updated : Aug 16, 2018, 1:15 pm IST

An official in Lower Austria state found no grounds for fear of persecution based on the sexual orientation of the 18-year-old.

The official also found 'potential for aggression' which 'wouldn't be expected from a homosexual', because the man fought with others in the charity accommodation where he was staying. (Photo: AP/Representational)
 The official also found 'potential for aggression' which 'wouldn't be expected from a homosexual', because the man fought with others in the charity accommodation where he was staying. (Photo: AP/Representational)

In what can only be termed bizarre, Austria has rejected the asylum application of an Afghan claiming to be gay because he did not 'act' or 'dress' like a homosexual.

Media reports say that an official in Lower Austria state found no grounds for fear of persecution based on the sexual orientation of the 18-year-old, the Falter weekly newspaper reported.

'The way you walk, act or dress does not show even in the slightest that you could be homosexual,' the official reportedly wrote in his assessment rejecting the claim.

The official also found 'potential for aggression' which 'wouldn't be expected from a homosexual', because the man fought with others in the charity accommodation that houses them.

According to a study published in MailOnline, the Afghan reportedly had few friends and liked spending time alone or in small groups, leading the official to question in his report: 'Aren't homosexuals rather social?'

The official rejected the statement that the Afghan had kissed straight men, saying he would have been beaten if he had done so, the Falter reported.

Reports say that the man said he became aware of his sexuality when he was 12 years old, but the official found that was 'rather early' and so not likely, particularly in a society like Afghanistan 'where there is no public sexual stimulation through fashion and advertisement'.

 

Tags: austria, austria rejects asylum for gay man, gay, homosexual, afghan gay man, health and well being, straight men, afghan man kissed straight men, viral and trending, lgbtq