MONGOLIA-GAYS-RIGHTS

TO GO WITH AFP STORY „MONGOLIA-GAYS-RIGHTS,FEATURE” by Kitty Hamilton
Zaya, 25, who like many people in Mongolia goes by one name, wears a t-shirt with the slogan ‚Let peace begin with me’ at the LGBT (Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) centre office in Ulan Bator, Mongolia on January 11, 2011. When Zaya told her sisters five years ago that she was a lesbian, they berated her and asked her what was wrong with her. When her father found out, he reacted with brutal violence. There are no reliable data on the number of homosexuals in the country, which has a population of roughly 2.7 million, as many remain in the closet due to the social stigma associated with a gay lifestyle. AFP PHOTO/KITTY HAMILTON