President Biden is held in high regard in the LGBTQ community, largely for his “Meet the Press” interview in 2012, when as vice president he endorsed same-sex marriage ahead of President Obama. Even in the height of the U.S. presence in Afghanistan, LGBTQ Afghans did not live in safety. That such punishment was possible — even after the overthrow of the Taliban — shows the extent of persecution queer Afghans have suffered. Young Afghans felt comfortable enough to come out to friends and begin dating quietly through chat groups and dating apps. Of the Taliban, Sadat said: “They are going to do what the Nazis did to LGBT people.

Source: Los Angeles Times August 18, 2021 22:30 UTC