Egyptian Police Arrt, Huiate 'Gay' Men at Cairo Bathhoe

GAY CAIRO

Captured on hidn mera, Monday’s late-night raid on downtown Cairo’s “Sea Door” bathhoe was the largt mass arrt of men spected of practicg homosexualy Egypt over a . Thirty-three men were taken to ctody on charg of “bchery” — an accatn police ed to lock up members of Egypt’s gay muny, as homosexualy is not technilly illegal here.

It’s jt the latt crackdown on gay Egyptians unr Print Abl Fattah al-Sisi’s admistratn, which, ironilly, swept to power on the promise of reversg the polici of the socially nservative Islamist ernment before .

Rights groups fear that this wch hunt will have the oppose effect: By drivg Egypt’s gay muny to jail or to hidg, will make NGOs, rights advot, and health provirs unable to accs them, which is likely to crease the spread of the vis.

GAY TRAVEL EGYPT

“It terrifi me to know that I am the target of my own police and media for mtg no crime other than beg born different, ” said Mohamed, a 28-year-old gay man. Four days after Youm7’s story on transgenr men, published a long vtigatn to the “vastatg effect on society” of homosexualy.

WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE GAY EGYPT

It labeled homosexualy a “dangero phenomenon, which has swept across Egypt after the [2011] January 25 Revolutn. The outlet has sce published stori examg the “gay problem, ” cludg a July article that warned parents agast allowg their children to watch foreign rtoons like SpongeBob SquarePants, as clud scen of male characters kissg each other.

The media’s role stigmatizg the gay muny has had a vastatg effect on the young men acced of the “crim.

BEG A GAY MAN EGYPT IS 'TERRIFYG AND THRILLG'

You've probably heard of the "Cairo 52" se om 2001, when a group of 52 men were arrted at a gay party the "Queen Boat" moored on the Nile. Dpe terventn by ternatnal human rights anizatns, the suatn for homosexuals remas que alarmg the untry, wh arrt and torture beg mon practice. Simply hang out where the trendit straight crowds do, and you'll see plenty of gay lols and expats.

EGYPT ARRTS 25 MEN GAY BATHHOE RAID

Everyone ss people-watchg om the sofas as they enjoy specialty cktails, and this is where you're most likely to fd a discreet mix of straight and gay. No hotel Cairo advertis self as gay-iendly, but the large chas do attract wealthy gay upl, pecially those lookg out to the pyramids and offerg all sorts of pamperg servic such as spa and fns center.

Homosexualy isn’t technilly illegal Egypt, but ’s still a nservative Mlim untry, and gays are discrimated agast and routely round up by the police. Who’d have thought that a young man wavg a rabow flag at a ncert Cairo 2017 would spark a major crackdown on gays?