Slog - Comments on The Gay Old Taliban? http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/10/the_gay_old_taliban Slate has a terrific video on a secret stash of strange and beautiful photographs of Taliban members discovered by a photojournalist in 2002, after the fall of the regime. The men are covered in flowers, holding hands, wearing black eyeliner, and clutching their guns.... Copyright 2008 Mon, 15 Oct 2007 10:48:28 -0800 Tue, 16 Oct 2007 08:54:40 -0800 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.34 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Comment by Mr. Poe That was stupid.

]]> Mr. Poe http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/10/the_gay_old_taliban#c825419 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/10/the_gay_old_taliban#c825419 Arts Mon, 15 Oct 2007 10:56:38 -0800 Comment by I am Is anybody else sick of Mr. Poe?

]]> I am http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/10/the_gay_old_taliban#c825426 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/10/the_gay_old_taliban#c825426 Arts Mon, 15 Oct 2007 11:01:20 -0800 Comment by Bauhaus Depressing. As bad as life in the 21st Century can be, it's inconceivable for me that someone would be more comfortable in the 11th.

]]> Bauhaus http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/10/the_gay_old_taliban#c825443 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/10/the_gay_old_taliban#c825443 Arts Mon, 15 Oct 2007 11:18:46 -0800 Comment by Fnarf There's nowt so qware as folk.

]]> Fnarf http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/10/the_gay_old_taliban#c825455 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/10/the_gay_old_taliban#c825455 Arts Mon, 15 Oct 2007 11:28:41 -0800 Comment by I am too @2: Yes, totally sick of Mr. Poe. Not funny, not interesting, not worth the pixels he gobbles up all day long.

]]> I am too http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/10/the_gay_old_taliban#c825456 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/10/the_gay_old_taliban#c825456 Arts Mon, 15 Oct 2007 11:28:53 -0800 Comment by Issur Islamo-fascists are followers of a religion of hatred, ignorance and anti-semitism.

In Judaism even Orthodox Jews can wear eyeliner and hold hands in public. Only Christianity and Islam are homophobic. Israel is a gay paradise.

]]> Issur http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/10/the_gay_old_taliban#c825462 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/10/the_gay_old_taliban#c825462 Arts Mon, 15 Oct 2007 11:35:01 -0800 Comment by erin i thought it was a cultural norm kind of thing for men to hold hands in afghanistan. it's one of those things the US military dudes were freaked out by when they got there and tried to make them stop.

]]> erin http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/10/the_gay_old_taliban#c825470 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/10/the_gay_old_taliban#c825470 Arts Mon, 15 Oct 2007 11:44:14 -0800 Comment by parsonbrown I may have missed it, but I can't see the gayness either SLOG or Slate sees in this video. Some people see gay stuff everywhere, like that Abraham Lincoln was gay because he slept in the same bed every night with another man. Fact is, different cultures see things like men sleeping together as innocent. In our strange culture men can only be close if they're linked sexually. Same for this Taliban stuff. It's just a bunch of young guys, some of them young enough to still look boyish not manly. The fact that some want to see them as gay says more about us than about them.

]]> parsonbrown http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/10/the_gay_old_taliban#c825472 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/10/the_gay_old_taliban#c825472 Arts Mon, 15 Oct 2007 11:45:37 -0800 Comment by Rye In many middle eastern cultures the men are very affectionate. They walk down the streets arm in arm and sometimes hand in hand. It's the same in Argentina-- where the men even kiss hello-- and Italy. There is nothing gay about it. It's just their culture.

]]> Rye http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/10/the_gay_old_taliban#c825473 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/10/the_gay_old_taliban#c825473 Arts Mon, 15 Oct 2007 11:45:46 -0800 Comment by mongo like slog Issur- what then of the "Jews for Jesus" ministry? Since they reject the core fundamental beliefs of Judaism are they not considered one of your fold? Then, if they gay, are they also banished by Christians, who so soundly accepted them in the first place?

]]> mongo like slog http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/10/the_gay_old_taliban#c825474 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/10/the_gay_old_taliban#c825474 Arts Mon, 15 Oct 2007 11:46:40 -0800 Comment by maxsolomon even the strictest moral police since the puritans can't control their own footsoldiers from indulging vanity.

to consider the taliban & al queda a serious threat to Murka is laughable.

]]> maxsolomon http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/10/the_gay_old_taliban#c825475 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/10/the_gay_old_taliban#c825475 Arts Mon, 15 Oct 2007 11:48:54 -0800 Comment by I heart crackpots Oh, come on now. Mr. Poe is the Andy Rooney of Slog. Every one loves the wry curmudgeonly wisdom of Andy Rooney, right?

]]> I heart crackpots http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/10/the_gay_old_taliban#c825477 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/10/the_gay_old_taliban#c825477 Arts Mon, 15 Oct 2007 11:51:42 -0800 Comment by 60 minutes of boredom @12- rooney is only funny cuz his overgrown eyebrows make him look like a smarmy scottish terrier.

]]> 60 minutes of boredom http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/10/the_gay_old_taliban#c825479 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/10/the_gay_old_taliban#c825479 Arts Mon, 15 Oct 2007 11:54:51 -0800 Comment by Mr. Poe #2, 5, 12

You need to do a better job of hiding that you're the same person.

@7

What?

]]> Mr. Poe http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/10/the_gay_old_taliban#c825483 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/10/the_gay_old_taliban#c825483 Arts Mon, 15 Oct 2007 11:57:44 -0800 Comment by I heart crackpots I'm not 2 or 5 Mr. Rooney.

]]> I heart crackpots http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/10/the_gay_old_taliban#c825528 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/10/the_gay_old_taliban#c825528 Arts Mon, 15 Oct 2007 12:34:16 -0800 Comment by Carollani This is great!

]]> Carollani http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/10/the_gay_old_taliban#c825530 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/10/the_gay_old_taliban#c825530 Arts Mon, 15 Oct 2007 12:36:01 -0800 Comment by parsonbrown @7 Someday read the book "The Construction of Homosexuality," by David Greenberg or look at "Homoeroticism in Classical Arabic Literature" by JW Wright. Or perhaps read Rumi's poetry and consider his relationship with Shams. All include lots of examples of man-man love that is passionate and non-sexual. Very edgy stuff for our modern culture that believes true love is only between opposite sexes and that same-sex love is only sexual.

]]> parsonbrown http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/10/the_gay_old_taliban#c825538 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/10/the_gay_old_taliban#c825538 Arts Mon, 15 Oct 2007 12:38:14 -0800 Comment by Dougsf I didn't really see "the gay" in all that, nor would I confuse the customs of some Islamic countries as such.... BUT, Afghanistan is also known as a place where it is common for anyone with money or stature to "own" a boy-slave, and male prostitution is an epidemic comparable to SE Asia. Vice, of publications, did a great piece on it.

]]> Dougsf http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/10/the_gay_old_taliban#c825601 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/10/the_gay_old_taliban#c825601 Arts Mon, 15 Oct 2007 13:11:48 -0800 Comment by parsonbrown @18 Send a link if you can. Sounds like an interesting article.

]]> parsonbrown http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/10/the_gay_old_taliban#c825626 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/10/the_gay_old_taliban#c825626 Arts Mon, 15 Oct 2007 13:30:46 -0800 Comment by I am @14---I know it's hard for you to believe there's more than one person that finds you witless, annoying, and most of all...boring. But...it's true.

]]> I am http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/10/the_gay_old_taliban#c825678 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/10/the_gay_old_taliban#c825678 Arts Mon, 15 Oct 2007 14:13:15 -0800 Comment by Mr. Poe It isn't hard to believe at all. But it's obvious you're the same person. Which is funny.

]]> Mr. Poe http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/10/the_gay_old_taliban#c825680 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/10/the_gay_old_taliban#c825680 Arts Mon, 15 Oct 2007 14:15:29 -0800 Comment by Dougsf #19; I don't think Vice archives articles one their site, it was about 2 years ago in a print issue I read it. I'm sure you could Google some info, but it seemed like a pretty incredible article, since female prostitution is/was punishable by death under Taliban law.

]]> Dougsf http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/10/the_gay_old_taliban#c825685 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/10/the_gay_old_taliban#c825685 Arts Mon, 15 Oct 2007 14:18:20 -0800 Comment by keshmeshi I guess that's why the Romans thought of all Middle Easterners/North Africans as namby pamby queers. Although, the Romans certainly could've learned a lesson about stones and glass houses.

]]> keshmeshi http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/10/the_gay_old_taliban#c825696 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/10/the_gay_old_taliban#c825696 Arts Mon, 15 Oct 2007 14:26:55 -0800 Comment by I heart crackpots @20 Continual reiteration of a statement that cannot be supported by facts doesn't make it true. You are sounding less like Andy Rooney and more like Tim Eyman.

]]> I heart crackpots http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/10/the_gay_old_taliban#c825826 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/10/the_gay_old_taliban#c825826 Arts Mon, 15 Oct 2007 16:50:27 -0800 Comment by It's Mark Mitchell I found it all very romantic, but I'm a sucker for that kind of thing.

They look so sweet, holding hands, with the halo/rainbows behind them.

Sigh.

]]> It's Mark Mitchell http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/10/the_gay_old_taliban#c826119 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/10/the_gay_old_taliban#c826119 Arts Tue, 16 Oct 2007 08:54:40 -0800