What 's like to be a gay expat Dubai - NZ Herald

Contents:

• DUBAI GAY TRAVEL
• ASIE EXPAT REVEALS WHAT ’S LIKE TO BE GAY DUBAI
• GAY EXPAT REVEALS WHAT ’S LIKE TO LIVE DUBAI WHERE HOMOSEXUALY IS PUNISHABLE BY 10 YEARS PRISON
• WHAT 'S LIKE TO BE A GAY EXPAT DUBAI
• GAY DUBAI DUBAI CY GUI
• DUBAI NIGHTLIFE FOR GAY MALE TOURISTS - DUBAI FOM
• PERIL AND PRIVILEGE: GAY EXPAT NIGHTLIFE DUBAI
• WHAT HAPPENED WHEN FOUR GAY GUYS FROM TEL AVIV TOOK A VATN TO DUBAI

DUBAI GAY TRAVEL

Searchg for Dubai gay travel rmatn onle, ’s easy to unrstand why so many travelers are unsure about visg. Some webs talk about massive sweaty gay parti, while others mentn LGBT tourists gog to jail for holdg hands public.

In this gui, I’ll help you navigate all the nfg rmatn about gay travel to Dubai, ver sential safety tips, and mentn some of the bt hotels and lol thgs to do. The cy wants to further an image of beg more socially liberal and don’t exactly like beg labeled as anti-gay.

However, there is always the lgerg realy that you mt monor and censor your actns here, pecially a untry where beg gay is illegal. Knowg the Middle East is generally nservative, gay travelers might not feel pletely fortable wh the ia of visg Dubai.

ASIE EXPAT REVEALS WHAT ’S LIKE TO BE GAY DUBAI

Police are not patrollg the streets lookg for pairs of gay men, but bears to mentn that the law remas archaic disallowg any gay rights. While you won’t fd any specifilly gay hotels Dubai, choosg one of the larger ternatnal hotel chas will have a big impact on your sense of safety as an LGBT traveler.

GAY EXPAT REVEALS WHAT ’S LIKE TO LIVE DUBAI WHERE HOMOSEXUALY IS PUNISHABLE BY 10 YEARS PRISON

Both of the hotels are certa to adhere to ternatnal standards, so I’d classify them as some of Dubai’s gay-iendly hotels. While you should be credibly skeptil when browsg misleadg lists of Dubai gay bars, you n still have a fantastic time enjoyg the cy’s nightlife. Barbary Cocktail Club is another awome spot known as one of the few Dubai gay bars, remend by a iend of me who liv Dubai.

Gay men and transexual dividuals have been taed and prosecuted Dubai before over seemgly harmls gtur. Dubai’s thori will certaly not tolerate gay public displays of affectn, so remember that would be dangero to hold your partner’s hand while walkg down the street. But if you’ve ever met a male flight attendant that works for Emirat, they’ll tell you about all the Dubai gay lols livg this glzy metropolis.

WHAT 'S LIKE TO BE A GAY EXPAT DUBAI

It’s 2am and the club is packed wh a sea of sweaty, gay men gettg their groove on to a Madonna classic — and I’m one of them.

GAY DUBAI DUBAI CY GUI

Dpe beg nservative by Wtern standards, this is where alhol and sex-starved Arabs flock to drov to get their fix — and that clus the gays.

My iends back home London joked about my forthg years of celibacy and, though I lghed along wh them at the time, as the plane touched down on the tarmac of Dubai’s airport my bravado the get go, I’m unr no illns about Dubai’s official attu to homosexualy.

At my publishg pany, I’m told no uncerta terms to avoid g gay referenc wh stori which — when wrg celebry, pop culture and fashn — was particularly the surface ndns for gay Dubaiians might seem bleak, but thanks to some quickly acquired gay iends I learn quickly that, spe the legali, a vibrant gay scene flourish. Enterg via an unrground rpark on a Saturday eveng, my male iend and I enunter the uneven door polici that are rife throughout gay venu (a vague attempt to curb gay activy). Passg on that offer, I quickly meet an equally forward New Zealanr workg as crew for Emirat Airl (where a large portn of the cy’s gay ntgent work).

DUBAI NIGHTLIFE FOR GAY MALE TOURISTS - DUBAI FOM

Though I had a boyiend (an English expat) for the bulk of my time the cy, my gay iends played the field extensively and I know om their rpective tal that there was no shortage of actn. Ined, wh a meltg pot of party-lovg Asi and Brs, lubrited wh large quanti of booze, no matter if you’re gay OR straight, bedhoppg is a cert.

While Dubai has bee somethg of a gay Mec for Arabs om surroundg untri where there are even harsher views on homosexualy (you n’t get much harsher than the ath penalty, after all) gays the cy n’t afford to rt on their lrels.

PERIL AND PRIVILEGE: GAY EXPAT NIGHTLIFE DUBAI

Acrdg to the Internatnal Lbian and Gay Associatn, nsensual gay sex Dubai is punishable by up to 10 years prison. Bee the mentaly here is that gay men need to be terred om homosexual activy, police raids of clubs and private parti are mon. For a time, the thori even patrolled the plethora of Dubai malls, searchg for “obv” signs of homosexualy.

Foreigners are often put jail and then eventually ported, lols may have to endure hormone therapy to al wh their “problem” hard le taken by Dubai officials has led to var reports of jtice makg ternatnal headl, but unfortunately, there are untls s of gay persecutn that undoubtedly still rema undocumented. Although homosexualy is officially forbidn, gays and lbians n enjoy private gay life relative fort pared to other untri the regn. Ined, should you be unlucky enough to be ught engagg homosexual activy the regn, reports claim that punishment n range om 10 years prison, f, portatn and even the ath penalty.

Dpe this, Dubai is host to a thrivg unrground gay scene, wh men flockg to unofficial LGBT clubs wh ltle fear of the nsequenc, acrdg to Detaed Dubai. 4 Pl claims clubs are packed wh a sea of sweaty, gay men gettg their groove on to Madonna classicsCred: Pl Ewart.

WHAT HAPPENED WHEN FOUR GAY GUYS FROM TEL AVIV TOOK A VATN TO DUBAI

At my publishg pany, I’m told no uncerta terms to avoid g gay referenc wh stori which — when wrg celebry, pop culture and fashn — was particularly difficult. On the surface ndns for gay Dubaiians might seem bleak, but thanks to some quickly acquired gay iends I learn quickly that, spe the legali, a vibrant gay scene flourish.

Enterg via an unrground r park on a Saturday eveng, my male iend and I enunter the uneven door polici that are rife throughout gay venu (a vague attempt to curb gay activy). 4 Pl says a vibrant gay scene flourish the Arab untry, spe homosexualy beg agast the lawCred: Pl Ewart. The hard le taken by Dubai officials has led to var reports of jtice makg ternatnal headl, but unfortunately, there are untls s of gay persecutn that undoubtedly still rema undocumented.

Photo / 123RFSpeakers boom the darkly l, smoky 's 2am and the club is packed wh a sea of sweaty, gay men gettg their groove on to a Madonna classic - and I'm one of an all-day drkg ssn, followed by a spot of impromptu karaoke, durg which I ma iends wh a lovely lbian uple (we bond over our love of '80s power ballads) I've end up at this unrground hotspot. Dpe beg nservative by Wtern standards, this is where alhol and sex-starved Arabs flock to drov to get their fix - and that clus the gays.