US targets Middle East rights record

A new United States government report takes aim at the poor gay rights record of key Middle Eastern allies, but activists say the document is meaningless unless the US backs it up with action.The State Department human rights report criticises the United Arab Emirates for its arrest of about 20 men at a gay wedding last year, Advocate.com reported. The men were reportedly threatened with male hormone injections.The report also highlights anti-gay practices in Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Iran.Jamaica, Zimbabwe and Poland are among other nations with a poor record on gay and lesbian rights, according to the report.But US gay group Human Rights Campaign said the US government needed to take action against anti-gay nations.We should be demanding accountability for human rights violations, not simply turning a blind eye toward the problem, Human Rights Campaign president Joe Solmonese said.