Excerpt:
Shawn Shirazi is angry about cultural relativism and the growing unwillingness of people here to criticize radical Islam for fear of being labelled racist or Islamophobic.
Born in Iran, Shirazi immigrated to Vancouver where he became a founding member of Cirque de So Gay, an activist group of gay and transgender Middle Eastern men. For several years, the group marched in the Pride Parade and even won an award for their originality. But this year, its application was rejected as "culturally insensitive."
The rejection is a microcosm of what Shirazi calls "hypocrisy" when it comes to global human rights, but what others argue is showing respect for other cultures and religious traditions.