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Meeting Gays in Egypt

Posted by GayPatriot at 11:30 am - September 20, 2005.
Filed under: General

I guess today is Middle Eastern Day at GP? Here’s an interesting posting from The Big Pharaoh’s trip to Egypt.

Meeting Egypt’s Gays

Gays in Egypt have to take maximum care because sometimes the authorities here leave the corrupt businessmen and the criminals and arrest homosexuals instead. “We try to stay close to each other, we don’t usually open up to those we don’t know” I was told.

Amazingly, the guys were well aware of what’s happening around the world. They were aware of the same sex marriage debate that’s going on in the U.S and other countries, and they unanimously expressed their disapproval towards gay marriage and gay foster parents. See, that’s the irony. Religion plays a huge role in the definition of the personality of any Egyptians no matter how observant he/she is. Even though those guys are gay, they know that as far as religion is concerned they are committing a sin, and so legal sex marriage is something that shouldn’t be even considered.

-Bruce (GayPatriot)

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18 Comments

  1. I agree that religion is affecting the gay marriage/parent debate. A good portion of those in Egypt are Christian. I’m friends with some for more than 7 years right here in NJ. They are an interesting blend of Middle Eastern, Urdu speaking, strict Christian. Being from a big, US city, they have loosened up somewhat and are pretty accepting, but caution against showing it in Egypt.

    Comment by njmm — September 20, 2005 @ 12:32 pm - September 20, 2005

  2. Another sparkling example of a Bush Administration ally and “democracy” that he touts. Members of Congress have repeatedly asked the President to broach the subject of Egypt’s treatment of gay citizens (jailing them for assembling, etc) when meeting with Mubarak, but the White House refuses.

    Comment by Gregg — September 20, 2005 @ 2:04 pm - September 20, 2005

  3. And so because of that, BUSH LIED!, and the way forward to democracy and gay rights in the Middle East is to not try to destroy any Islamo-fascists in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria or Iran. Because, after all, if the U.S. only has the resources to start with 1 or 2 countries and we can’t immediately and totally democratize every single country in the Middle East, totally and all together at once, it must just be a cynical “war for oil”.

    That’s where your argument goes, once it travels to the end of the road, right Gregg?

    Comment by joe — September 20, 2005 @ 2:31 pm - September 20, 2005

  4. Heh.

    Not to mention that when the other side cozies up to the bad guys it’s seen as sophisticated diplomacy and nuance. It’s important for dialog and progress to keep good relations with the dictators of the world… right?

    Comment by Synova — September 20, 2005 @ 5:05 pm - September 20, 2005

  5. Oh, yeah… I forgot.

    BUSH LIED!!

    Comment by Synova — September 20, 2005 @ 5:05 pm - September 20, 2005

  6. Whoa, Joe…no, you are just being dramatic. I was simply pointing out how the Bush Administration has failed to hold allies like Eqypt accountable to the ideals we seek to install in countries like Iraq. We should have a free Iraq, and we should also have a free Egypt.

    Comment by Gregg — September 20, 2005 @ 6:01 pm - September 20, 2005

  7. Rather than debate, I’m just going to dump this incredibly gay He-Man link and go back to my business.

    Comment by V the K — September 20, 2005 @ 6:30 pm - September 20, 2005

  8. Well, Gregg, isn’t it at least refreshing to see some here accept, at long last, the fact that BUSH LIED and REPEATEDLY? Perhaps the Gay Patriots are coming around after all. Keep going boys and girl, and you’ll be pulling the lever for Kucinich next time.

    Comment by Queer Patriot — September 20, 2005 @ 9:01 pm - September 20, 2005

  9. Guys, I’m in Egypt. Religion is very important but the Egyptians are also very good at keeping God and the Dick apart. That’s why a large majority of unmarried men are willing. If you’re gay, you’ve dealt with religion already, the kind of guys this blogger have been speaking to wouldn’t bother too much. But marriage and adoption are still a big No No because it’s not even possible to imagine a man and man living together as a couple in this country. It’s more about society than religion, although society is affected by religion. :) Gays are lover, that’s it. To understand it, please realize that no one leaves his family home to live as a single, it is a great taboo. Thus, the only way to get out from your dad’s place and mommy’s watching eye is to get married – and eventually divorced or just keep your hanky panky outside the flat you share with your wife.

    You should keep pressure on western governments, gays here are badly treated, they still risk prison and beatings.

    I did a night out on the town some weeks ago, there are always a lot of people cruising in the central areas. I don’t even look Egyptian but I was still asked for ID twice by different plain clothes police. That is the situation. The police even arrange dates in chat rooms and arrest the guys when they meet up.

    But as a foreigner you won’t have any problems. To the contrary. Even forget about showing your ID if you get caught, just tell them you’re off – in English which they won’t understand. And unless you’ve done something really naughty in front of their eyes they’ll never dare drag you to the police station or insist on seeing your passport. Outside the cruisy areas at night you’ll have a great time, all levels, lets not forget the monuments! I’m saying this b/c some gay people stay away b/c of Egypt’s anti-gay reputation. It is wrong, the guys here need to meet you. You will have a great time and there are no risks included. Trust me! It’s seven years since I arrived and I don’t want to leave.

    Comment by Pepy — September 20, 2005 @ 9:13 pm - September 20, 2005

  10. Should have mentioned, if you want a HR and sometimes camp eye on Egypt, this is my favorite site:
    http://missmabrouk.blogspot.com

    Comment by Pepy — September 20, 2005 @ 9:16 pm - September 20, 2005

  11. Thank you for that report Pepy. Sounds very dangerous, and thus I’d expect exciting in that respect. But, on the whole, what a miserable existence to be afraid to be who you are. Closet life in the extreme.

    Comment by Queer Patriot — September 20, 2005 @ 9:46 pm - September 20, 2005

  12. #6 – OK – Sorry if I got carried away.

    I do think we should pressure Saudi Arabia, Egypt, etc. to be more democratic. And we will, and we are.

    I just don’t understand certain people I have argued with here, who fail to understand that we can’t do it all at once. And that it actually did make more sense for the U.S. to invade an active enemy (Iraq) than an ally or a passive enemy.

    Comment by joe — September 20, 2005 @ 10:35 pm - September 20, 2005

  13. As for #2 – who exactly were these esteemed members of Congress who pressed the Bush Administration regarding Egypt’s treatment of gay citizens? I certainly never knew there were any demands for this stuff…not even the DNC house organ (otherwise known as CNN) reported it.

    Of course, CNN was also the network that looked the other way when Saddam Hussein was busy torturing people and hiding WMD in Syria, and Christianne Amanpour was busy hiding her Jewish in-laws. But I digress.

    I hate to say it, but the vast majority Congress has no more interest in what is going on in terms of gay people’s safety in the Middle East than Michael Moore has in watching “The O’Reilly Factor” on a daily basis.

    And as far as being gay in a global war on terror, let me leave you with this humble thought: Al Qaeda doesn’t care who you voted for. Just ask anyone who survived 9/11 in NYC. Do you actually think that if you were in a similar situation and some radical Islamofascist was threatening to send you to Kingdom Come, you’d whip out your voting card and say “I didn’t vote for the bastard!” ??

    His response – “Allah akbar” and a blinding flash of light. Good bye.

    Sometimes you have to consider the big picture. Methinks the ladies on these responses doth protest too much.

    Regards,
    Peter Hughes

    Comment by Peter Hughes — September 20, 2005 @ 11:56 pm - September 20, 2005

  14. #8

    I’d vote for Hitlery first. Heck, I’d sleep with Hitlery before I voted for…whatever Kucinich is. Whatever he’s smokin’ scares me.

    Comment by ThatGayConservative — September 21, 2005 @ 1:17 am - September 21, 2005

  15. Here are a few phrases to sprinkle lightly in conversation.

    Nek ni f’tizi?

    Edini tizak?

    Zibi mapsoot.

    They are sure to be conversation starters.

    Comment by chandler in hollywood — September 21, 2005 @ 3:36 am - September 21, 2005

  16. Thanks Joe. As for Peter, Representative Barney Frank, Tammy Baldwin and Tom Lantos (who himself lived through persecution under the Nazi’s and survived time in consentration camps), were the first members of Congress. They have since organized many more members around this matter.

    Comment by Gregg — September 21, 2005 @ 10:09 am - September 21, 2005

  17. Reminds me of that negro spiritual:

    “Go down, Moses. Way down in Egypt land…….” :)

    Comment by GOParrot — September 24, 2005 @ 11:13 am - September 24, 2005

  18. Just read this.

    LOL.

    Not bad. :)

    Comment by monty — September 27, 2005 @ 10:35 pm - September 27, 2005

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