Better Off in Iraq, Too
More on the growth of child prostitution in Iraq, which I posted about earlier.
A United Nations report has revealed that an alarming number of young teenage boys in Iraq are being forced into prostitution by street gangs or poverty due to the ongoing conflict in their country.
In some cases, families have hired out their sons as a result of economic pressure. The boys, some as young as 13, must keep the activity secret as they face execution if convicted under the Islamic codes of Iraq. This increases the risk of disease and violence. One 16-year-old boy who identifies as gay, says he was blackmailed into commercial sex work by a man who took pictures of him in bed after they’d had sex.
In response to the UN report, the Iraqi government says it is aware of the problem, but lacks the resources to address it.
Via Gay News Blog.