Anna Blackshaw, Indy Week
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But for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered Tunisians such as Ben Issa, their place in the new society remains unclear. A year and a half after the revolution, gays remain marginalized and excluded from discussions about human rights in the new democratic Tunisia. While Tunisians are free from strict political ideologies and are creating new ways of engaging the state and civil society, this has not included any public discussions about gay rights. “We were not allowed to live openly under the old regime, and we are not allowed to live openly under this one,” Ben Issa says. “We hoped that the new government would have more respect for our human rights, but I fear that things may be worse for LGBT people.”