Drag Queen Abducted, Beaten by Family
0A man who worked as a drag performer in Tel Aviv was kidnapped and assaulted by members of his own family, according to news accounts. Several relatives were in court in Tel Aviv District Court on Sept. 2 to face charges of kidnapping and false imprisonment.
YNetNews.com reported in a Sept. 2 story that a young man identified only as "Angel" was targeted for violence by his relatives because he not only worked as a cross-dressing performer, but he also posted photos of himself in drag on Facebook. Angel grew up in Tamra, an Arab village, YNetNews reported, but lived in Tel Aviv, where he worked at the city's clubs.
According to the article, Angel was abducted and assaulted on more than one occasion, and his relatives threatened to kill him for bringing "dishonor" onto the family. Angel was kidnapped from his home. His relatives sprayed him with tear gas, bound and blindfolded him, and transported him via car back to Tamra, where they locked him up for hours.
On a previous occasion--a wedding--male relatives chased Angel into the woods. Police had to escort Angel to safety.
And on one occasion, last May, Angel's relatives kidnapped him after telling him that his mother was ill.
But according to news accounts, including a Sept. 2 article in the Jerusalem Post, Angel's mother was no less hostile toward the young man, warning him on the phone to remove photos of himself in drag from Facebook or face the consequences. The mother reportedly warned Angel that he would be killed.
Tel Aviv is a gay-friendly and tolerant city--by far the most tolerant in the Middle East. But even in Tel Aviv, there is deep-seated hostility toward gays; a masked gunman burst into Tel Aviv's Barnoar gay and lesbian youth club on Aug. 1, 2009, and opened fire on the teens that were meeting there at the time. The attack left 26-year-old Nir Katz and 16-year old Liz Trobishi dead, and another thirteen youths injured--some so badly that a year later they remain physically incapacitated.
The attack prompted a global outcry, and the first anniversary of the shooting was commemorated during Jerusalem's Pride parade and again in Tel Aviv last month. Moreover, the German government brought several of the survivors to Germany to take part in a conference on youth issues, reported Advocate Online on Aug. 26. The two people killed in the attack were remembered in a ceremony in Berlin.
The gunman has not been apprehended.