The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), a political and economic union of Arab states bordering the Persian Gulf, including Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, is proposing some pretty ridiculous entry “security screening requirements” in an attempt to “detect” homosexuals.
As per The Independent, Yousouf Mindkar, a senior official with GCC said routine clinical screenings of expatriates entering the GCC would be introduced under new proposals. Persons who are identified as LGBT through the tests would then be refused entry into the country. A central committee tasked with the status of expatriates will view the proposal on November 11. Speaking to local daily paper Al Rai, the director of public health at the Kuwaiti health ministry said that whilst medical centres already conduct tests to assess the health of those entering Kuwait, they will “take stricter measures that will help us detect gays who will be then barred from entering Kuwait or any of the GCC member states.” He did not detail exactly what procedures these screenings would involve.
I wonder what Emirates, Etihad, and Qatar think of the proposal and its impact on their lofty global expansion ambitions.
The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
8 comments
Seriously? A gay test? They mention health. Are they going to test for HIV? Perhaps they should test seniors, African Americans, and also single straight women, as all those groups are also infected at high rates.
US airlines do just fine despite the US Government’s draconian entry procedures (which breach all sorts of international norms on basic protections). So I shouldn’t imagine Emirates is quaking in its boots. This is just the Independent doing what it does best – stirring the boot to try to cause outrage.
I guess they do not want my money. Ill go to Amsterdam or some place else that likes gays and our money.
Saudi Arabia and Kuwait are more conservative and strict than other four Gulf States. They do not allow tourists and unmarried straight couples into the country. Even the current French president was denied entry visa to Saudi Arabia, after the last national election, because he and his lady were not married.Men do hold hands and kiss each other on the cheek. But they also are among the worst hypocrites I can think of. Liquor and pork are banned but you can find them underground. Fasting during Ramadan is also violated. But living and working in one of these countries for short-term will enable you save oodles of $$ because there are no taxes; medical & dental & prescriptions costs are included in the salary plus nominal rent fee inclusive for around 2500 square feet apartment. For a family of up to six, free annual round trip home and private school tuition at an American/ British school. You also enjoy time off for both Western and Arab Eid holidays. We enjoyed these perks two decades ago and I don’t know how much has changed since. We used our residence there to travel to neighboring countries as well as Europe and SE Asia. Why does Dubai ban gays but allows the increasing demands for Eastern European women prostitutes?
What about LGBT employees of ME carriers? Will they screen them and refuse them entry too? Something is not quite right here. Whoever made this stupid rule. Homosexuality is rampant in ME they are just trying to cover it up. Dumb!
Like theflyingsikh said, homosexuality is quite prevalent in ME society. This is above and beyond the effeminate hand-holding and kissing (in the eyes of Westerners, that is) seen regularly between non-familial men. Anyone who’s ever been in the military and served in Iraq or Afghanistan can likely tell you about Man-Love Thursdays. Just ask.
Additionally, it’s very common for ME men from more conservative countries to travel abroad to engage in their latent homosexuality because outside the Gulf countries “Allah can’t see you”. They’ll also engage in other Koran-forbidden activities such as imbibing alcohol and eating pork.
All the above being true, I have no doubt they’ll try to enforce this. They’ll fail miserably, though, when the international community – not just the US/Britain and other “infidels” – is quite vocal about it.
These are the same disgusting countries that imprisoned a Norwegian woman when she reported her rape to the police. They claimed that she was practicing sex outside of marriage and sent her to prison. But hey, it is OK for disgusting older men to marry 11 year old girls and rape them over and over. What a sick mentality!
Let’s see what they decide but this is an area of the world that I avoid like the plague.
[…] – Gulf States Propose Airport Gay Screenings Prior to Entry The Intense Emirates Crew Interview […]