While we were frolicking in the desert, people in Syria were dying. I have no idea if they are going to be sucessful in getting rid of their president – dictator, really –  Bashar al-Assad. Iran would indicate that they might not, Libya indicates that they might have a chance.

Syria is so far away and seems so alien that it is hard to relate, but there is a blogger who is there and is she is fascinating to read. The blog is A Gay Girl In Damascus. A Gay Girl In Damascus is a real person and the tagline on her blog says An out Syrian lesbian’s thoughts on life, the universe and so on …

For the last couple of months, the so on has been a front seat on the Syrian revolt. It is fascinating and horrifying day to day chronicle from a woman living in Damascus.  On some days, I think she is Wael Ghonim, the Egyptian Google manager; on other days, I think she is Ann Frank. Either way, she is smart, sophisticated, on the run, and punching back with her blog when ever she can.

Here she talks about her father standing up to some thugs. I think that was about the time that her mother and sisters left the country and she and her father went underground.

For awhile, her blog has been optimistic, then fatalistic when she has post titled We won’t be forgotten, then defiant when she says  And when we mourned our dead, they tried the only language that they know, of force and blood … and more died as martyrs for our freedom. But we will not stop until freedom.

Going out into the streets and not knowing if I am going to be killed or worse, picked up and tortured is inconceivable to me. But this blog makes it real, gives it a very human face.

Please give it a read. Gay Girl in Damascus.