A hostage’s secret

last updated 8 January 2015

Baghdad

One of the three Christian peace activists rescued last week from Iraqi insurgents is gay—a fact family members kept secret out of fear he would be killed because of his sexuality. During the four-month hostage ordeal, Canadian Jim Loney’s partner did not join the Loney family for media appearances. "It’s a sad fact that around the world gays and lesbians are more vulnerable to attack than straights," said Doug Pritchard, co-director of Christian Peacemakers Teams, the group that sent the activists to Iraq. Under Saddam Hussein, homosexuality was a crime punishable by death. It’s unclear how gays will be treated under the new Iraqi government.