Bahrain / Queerty

Things are really heating up in Bahrain, where politicians are pushing a gay crackdown.

Members of the Al Menbar party are proposing new laws that will allow the government to monitor schools for lavender activity, raid salons and spas, as well as ban gay folk from visiting the Middle Eastern island:

[MPs] voted in favor of an Al Menbar bloc proposal to oblige the government to prepare a study to determine how widespread homosexuality is in Bahrain.

The proposal has been studied by the foreign affairs, defense and national security committee, which recommended it.

Well, at least some people are coming together in Bahrain.

Apr 23, 2008 · Link · 3 Responses

» Violent Flip-Flop:

Here's a queer turn around. Two Bahraini men are accused of beating and robbing a Saudi national after luring him into a sexual situation. Police claim they were going to have sex with the 37-year old, but then decided to rob him instead. [GDN]

1 Response

» Bahraini Trio Use Internet To Rob Gay

The Bahraini government plans to crackdown on queers in the near future, but perhaps they should be focusing their energies on sexually-opportunistic thugs: THREE men have admitted robbing a Bahraini at knifepoint after setting up a gay "honeytrap" over the Internet. The 21-year-old victim was lured to a rendezvous on the isolated Sitra coast, after striking up a chat room friendship with one of the assailants. He was held at knifepoint by two masked men, who also 'robbed' the other man, to disguise the fact that he was the bait." Though clever, their plot fell apart once the police got involved. [Gulf Daily News]

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» No 'Dinar' For Gays

Bahrain's fairly liberal compared to some other Islamic nations, but apparently not liberal enough to allow open homos: "A nationwide crackdown on homosexuals could be launched in Bahrain, including tougher immigration checks to stop foreign gays entering the country. It would include a study to determine how widespread homosexuality is in Bahrain… It is in response to what MPs see as Bahrain's growing gay problem and foreigners found to be gay face deportation, said committee secretary Jalal Fairooz." [Gulf Daily News]

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Bahrain Pays For Sex Change

Said Sex Change Not Gay

Bahrain continues to criminalize homosexuality, but the government gets down with gender bending. The Middle Eastern nation agreed to pay for Zainab Abdulhafed Rabie's transition from female to male. From Gulf Daily News:

The Health Ministry will pay more than BD5,000 for her operation, accommodation, plane ticket, food and drink while she is there.

She has also been provided with a court order that explains her condition, which she can produce if she is stopped by immigration officers - something that has happened often in the past.
…
"I am so happy that the ministry offered to pay for the operation," she told the GDN yesterday.

Despite their liberal operational-stance, the Bahrainian government does not guarantee Rabie will be legally recognized as a man.

CONTINUED »

Nov 27, 2007 · Link · Respond