A leading Saudi Newspaper reported that the lawmakers of the Islamic country are making laws that would enforce death penalty for those involved in homosexuality because social media is “turning people gay.”

Pinknews reported that it is often hard to predict exact statistics of gay people charged under the Saudi Arabia’s justice system, as consensual homosexual acts are often legally indistinguishable from rape or pedophilia under the country’s laws.

Okaz, a popular daily newspaper from Jeddah reported that as many as 35 cases have been brought against gay men for obscene behavior in the past six months, while the state is also pursuing a number of alleged cross-dressers.

Okaz also reported that there has been a significant increase in “abnormal behavior” due to rise in internet reach for Saudi people. People are becoming increasingly bold about their “abnormalities,” the conservative Islamic media wrote.

The prosecutors in the cases are pushing for harsher penalties, including the death penalty, for people convicted of homosexual crimes, in particular due to fears surrounding social media, The Washington Blade reported.

????HOT TAKE ALERT!???? out of Saudi Arabia: Prosecutors want death penalty b/c social media is turning people gay. https://t.co/rZzt2AjmeX — Woodford (@WoodfordOR) April 1, 2016

A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor told the Washington Blade that the department knows whats happening.

“(The Department is) aware of these reports, but cannot verify their accuracy. We continue to gather more information,” he added.

Saudi Arab has been particularly notorious for the people of LGBTQ community. Recently, a doctor from Jeddah was arrested for flying rainbow colored flag. On investigation, it turned out that he had no idea it represented the gay pride movement, and had only bought it because it amused his children.

Man arrested in Saudi Arabia after flying rainbow flag https://t.co/B9xeLWKvet pic.twitter.com/N9L0UgCJOD — Attitude (@AttitudeMag) March 28, 2016

It seems like the hatred towards those who identify as gay in Saudi Arabia is more widespread than just the government considering many Saudi citizens reportedly support the government and are vitriolic towards homosexuals. Recently, two Saudi Vloggers posted an extremely caustic homophobic video to YouTube which was removed for hate speech.

In the shocking homophobic video uploaded to YouTube, the young men launched tirades about “Deviant marriage in Riyadh,” which followed a local raid of a ceremonial gay wedding.

“We would like to thank the police for beating their a**es,” they added.

The vloggers play a clip appearing to show two “deviants” getting married – accompanied by an on-screen emoji poo, Pinknews reported.

The men kept on insisting that homosexuals are “disgusting and nasty,” even going so far as to pray that Allah send his “godly wrath” upon them.

Not just men, but animals have also been put on fire for being homosexual in Saudi Arab. World News Daily Report stated that a 4-year old horse named Al-Hadiye (the Gift), which was the property of the Saudi Prince, Alwaleed bin Talal was to be executed for being homosexual.

The stallion, worth more than 6 billion, was allegedly caught on two separate occasions by employees of the prince’s corral, while it was engaged in sexual intercourse with another male. When this was reported to the authorities, the horse was instantly isolated from the other horses.

Though this news has been claimed to be false, the rise of the story itself gives the idea of homophobic vibes from Saudi Arabia.

According to Saudi Arabian site Sabq, the Committee for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice had signed the warrant for the horse’s death on television.

“This was meant to send a clear message that homosexuality, under any form, would not be tolerated in the kingdom,” the reports claimed.

Many animal right activists openly opposed the act including PETA spokeswoman, Janet McIntyre.

“Every year, Saudi Arabia executes between 25,000 and 35,000 animals because they are suspected of homosexuality, this includes many animals like dogs, cats, horses and camels, which are either stoned to death or decapitated, almost always in front of crowds. It is both cruel and barbaric, and such practices shouldn’t exist in the 21st century,” she said.

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