The Kgdom the Closet - The Atlantic</tle><meta name="scriptn" ntent="Sodomy is punishable by ath Sdi Arabia, but gay life flourish there. Why is &#8220;easier to be gay than straight&#8221; a society where everyone, homosexual and otherwise, liv the closet"/><meta property="kx:tle" ntent="The Kgdom the Closet - The Atlantic"/><meta property="kx:scriptn" ntent="Sodomy is punishable by ath Sdi Arabia, but gay life flourish there. Why is &#8220;easier to be gay than straight&#8221; a society where everyone, homosexual and otherwise, liv the closet"/><lk rel="nonil" href="><lk rel="image_src" href="><meta name="thor" ntent="Nadya Labi"/><lk rel="ia:markup_url" href="><meta property="article:publisher" ntent="><meta property="article:opn" ntent="false"/><meta property="article:ntent_tier" ntent="metered"/><meta property="article:tag" ntent="ternatnal"/><meta property="article:sectn" ntent="Global"/><meta property="article:published_time" ntent="2007-05-01T16:00:00Z"/><meta property="article:modified_time" ntent="2007-05-01T16:00:00Z"/><meta name="robots" ntent="x, follow, max-image-preview:large"/><meta property="og:tle" ntent="The Kgdom the Closet"/><meta property="og:scriptn" ntent="Sodomy is punishable by ath Sdi Arabia, but gay life flourish there. Why is &#8220;easier to be gay than straight&#8221; a society where everyone, homosexual and otherwise, liv the closet"/><meta property="og:url" ntent="><meta property="og:type" ntent="article"/><meta property="og:image"/><meta property="twter:rd" ntent="summary_large_image"/><lk rel="alternate" type="applitn/rss+xml" tle="The Atlantic" href="/feed/all/"/><lk rel="alternate" type="applitn/rss+xml" tle="Bt of The Atlantic" href="/feed/bt-of/"/><meta name="referrer" ntent="unsafe-url"/><meta name="apple-mobile-web-app-pable" ntent="y"/><meta name="apple-mobile-web-stat-bar-style" ntent="black"/><meta name="apple-mobile-web-app-tle" ntent="The Atlantic"/><meta name="keywords" ntent="Sdi Arabia, men, gay men, Sdi men, Jeddah, homosexual behavr, gay Sdi Amerin, Gulf Arab Love, people, gay people" emID="#keywords"/><meta name="news_keywords" ntent="Sdi Arabia, men, gay men, Sdi men, Jeddah, homosexual behavr, gay Sdi Amerin, Gulf Arab Love, people, gay people"/><meta name="" ntent="ternatnal"/><meta name="" ntent="2007-05-01T16:00:00Z"/><lk rel="preload" as="font" type="font/woff2" href=" crossorig=""/><lk rel="preload" as="font" type="font/woff2" href=" crossorig=""/><lk rel="preload" as="font" type="font/woff2" href=" crossorig=""/><lk rel="preload" as="font" type="font/woff2" href=" crossorig=""/><lk rel="preload" as="font" type="font/woff2" href=" crossorig=""/><script type="applitn/ld+json">{"@ntext":","@type":"NewsArticle","headle":"The Kgdom the Closet","alternativeHeadle":"The Kgdom the Closet","scriptn":"Sodomy is punishable by ath Sdi Arabia, but gay life flourish there. Why is &#8220;easier to be gay than straight&#8221; a society where everyone, homosexual and otherwise, liv the closet","url":","datePublished":"2007-05-01T16:00:00Z","dateModified":"2007-05-01T16:00:00Z","isAccsibleForFree":false,"hasPart":{"@type":"WebPageElement","isAccsibleForFree":false,"cssSelector":".article-ntent-body"},"publisher":{"@id":"},"maEntyOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"},"thor":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Nadya Labi","sameAs":"}],"articleSectn":"Global"}</script><meta name="next-head-unt" ntent="59"/><lk rel="preload" href=" as="style"/><lk rel="stylheet" href=" data-n-g=""/><lk rel="preload" href=" as="style"/><lk rel="stylheet" href=" data-n-p=""/><lk rel="preload" href=" as="style"/><lk rel="stylheet" href=" data-n-p=""/><lk rel="preload" href=" as="style"/><lk rel="stylheet" href=" data-n-p=""/><lk rel="preload" href=" as="style"/><lk rel="stylheet" href=" data-n-p=""/><lk rel="preload" href=" as="style"/><lk rel="stylheet" href="><lk rel="preload" href=" as="style"/><lk rel="stylheet" href="><noscript data-n-css=""></noscript><lk rel="preload" href=" as="script"/><lk rel="preload" href=" as="script"/><lk rel="preload" href=" as="script"/><lk rel="preload" href=" as="script"/><lk rel="preload" href=" as="script"/><lk rel="preload" href=" as="script"/><lk rel="preload" href=" as="script"/><lk rel="preload" href=" as="script"/><lk rel="preload" href=" as="script"/><lk rel="preload" href=" as="script"/><lk rel="preload" href=" as="script"/><lk rel="preload" href=" as="script"/><lk rel="preload" href=" as="script"/><lk rel="preload" href=" as="script"/><lk rel="preload" href=" as="script"/><lk rel="preload" href=" as="script"/><lk rel="preload" href=" as="script"/><lk rel="preload" href=" as="script"/><lk rel="preload" href=" as="script"/><lk rel="preload" href=" as="script"/><lk rel="preload" href=" as="script"/><lk rel="preload" href=" as="script"/><lk rel="preload" href=" as="script"/><lk rel="preload" href=" as="script"/><lk rel="preload" href=" as="script"/></head><body><div id="__next"><div data-tegory="story page"><div></div><nav class="Nav_root___6bX9" aria-labelledby="se-navigatn" data-tegory="Se Nav" data-event-module="se nav" id="ma-navigatn"><div class="Nav_maNav__yofcm"><a href="#ma-ntent" class="Nav_skipLk__Evjjd">Skip to ntent</a><h2 id="se-navigatn" class="Nav_visuallyHi__AbSDF">Se Navigatn</h2><div class="Nav_flexContaer__Q3LKQ"><ul class="Nav_leftContaer__cPQgJ"><li class="Nav_navListItem__cEyWT Nav_visuallyHiOnMobile__hxCGG"><a href=" class="Nav_navLk__5SUAA"><svg xmlns=" viewBox="0 0 87.83 134" class="Nav_bigA__XvGGC"><tle>The Atlantic

homeland gay saudi

A gay Sdi diplomat has applied for asylum the Uned Stat bee he says he will be killed for his sexual orientatn if he returns home.

Contents:

“HOMELAND”'S SURPRISG DOWN LOW SDI {FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.2 "D BOLD",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NORMAL;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#89308A;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}{FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.2 "D BOLD",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NORMAL;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#89308A;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}TVBY ART REKERDECEMBER 8, 2011/10:16 AMBY ART REKERDECEMBER 8, 2011 / 10:16 AM{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"NEWSARTICLE","HEADLE":"“HOMELAND”'S SURPRISG DOWN LOW SDI REVEAL","DATEPUBLISHED":"2011-12-08T15:16:20.000+0000","DATEMODIFIED":"2011-12-08T15:16:20.000+0000","IMAGE":{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT","WIDTH":1920,"HEIGHT":1080},"URL":","THOR":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","NAME":"LOGO TV"},"MAENTYOFPAGE":{"@TYPE":"WEBPAGE","@ID":"},"PUBLISHER":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","@ID":","NAME":"LOGO TV","URL":","LOGO":{"@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT"}},"CREATOR":"ART REKER","KEYWORDS":"THE BACKLOT","ARTICLESECTN":"TV"}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}APPARENTLY THE CIA HAS SPY MERAS DC {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}THERE ARE TWO BIG REASONS TO BE AN AVID VIEWER OF THE FIRST SEASON OF SHOWTIME’S RECENTLY RENEWED HOMELAND. ONE IS THE GREAT CLAIRE DAN AS THE WONRFULLY LOOPY CARRIE, A CIA TELLIGENCE OFFICER WH A PERSONALY DISORR. ANOTHER IS GGER DAMIAN LEWIS’ TWCHY BRODY, WHO MAY OR MAY NOT BE A ONE-MAN TERRORIST {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}THIS WEEK'S EPISO FEATURED SOMETHG A LTLE EXTRA THAT MIGHT BE OF TERT TO AFTERELTON REARS: A LTLE MAN-ON-MAN ACTN. NOW BEFORE YOU GET TOO PERKED UP, I SHOULD MENTN THAT THGS END BADLY FOR THE GAY, WHICH IS HOW UALLY WORKS ON DRAMATIC TV. STILL, THE WEEK'S GAY STORYLE WASN'T ENTIRELY A CLICHE AND HAD AN TERTG {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}ACTG ON RMATN OF A TERRORIST PLOT, CARRIE’S BOSS SL (PLAYED BY MANDY PATK) RMS HIS FELLOW SPI THAT THE AGENCY HAS BEEN TRACKG SDI DIPLOMAT AL SAHRANI, A MAN WH THREE WIV AND TEN CHILDREN AND HE’S A VOUT MLIM. 24/7 SURVELLIANCE HAS UNVERED THAT HE’S HEAVILY BT. AND HE’S {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}UNRVER VIO SHOWS AL SAHRANI ENTERG A WASHGTON, DC BATHHOE OFF DUPONT CIRCLE, THEN FOLLOWS HIM SI TO SHOW SOME SEMI-EXPLIC HANKY PANKY. THE GATHERED SPI VIEW THE FOOTAGE AND SL REMARKS, “AS YOU N SEE, HE’S A NGHTY BOY.”{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}SO IS CID TO EXTRACT RMATN ABOUT THE TERRORIST PLOT BY BLACKMAILG HIM FOR BEG GAY. “BEG GAY SDI ARABIA IS LIKE BEG THE ANTICHRIST HERE,” SL {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}BLACKMAILG GAYS? REALLY?{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}AL SAHRANI HAS A MEMORABLE REPLY TO {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}WHEN ULTIMATELY CARRIE NONTS AL SAHRANI AND THREATENS TO EXPOSE THE BATHHOE PICTUR, THE PREDICTABLE STORY IS UPEND WHEN HE SPS BACK, “GO AHEAD. TELL EVERYONE YOU WANT. TELL THEM ALL, I DON’T RE. I SUCK C—K! AND I LOVE ! YUMMY, YUMMY, YUMMY, YUMMY!”{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}OKAY, I DID NOT SEE THAT G. AL SAHRANI GO ON TO SAY HIS WIV ALREADY KNOW. “PUT ME ON CNN. I’LL ADM TO EVERYTHG.”{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}SRE ONE FOR THE STRONG GAY {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}IN THE END, THE GAY MT BE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}OF URSE, THEN THEY HAD TO GO AND SPOIL ALL BY HAVG AL SAHRANI AD BEFORE THE END OF THE EPISO, A VICTIM OF A BOMBG FLICTED BY THE TERRORIST HE WAS AIDG AND ABETTG. ONE OF THE DAYS, GAY BAD CHARACTERS WILL LIVE TO WREAK HAVOC ANOTHER {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}HOMELAND AIRS SUNDAYS AT 10PM ET/{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;CLEAR:BOTH;}THE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;MARG:0 TO;WIDTH:90%;M-WIDTH:288PX;MAX-WIDTH:1440PX;M-HEIGHT:194PX;}LATT NEWS

Sodomy is punishable by ath Sdi Arabia, but gay life flourish there. Why is &#8220;easier to be gay than straight&#8221; a society where everyone, homosexual and otherwise, liv the closet * homeland gay saudi *

Now before you get too perked up, I should mentn that thgs end badly for the gay, which is how ually works on dramatic TV. Still, the week's gay storyle wasn't entirely a cliche and had an tertg on rmatn of a terrorist plot, Carrie’s boss Sl (played by Mandy Patk) rms his fellow spi that the agency has been trackg Sdi diplomat Al Sahrani, a man wh three wiv and ten children and he’s a vout Mlim. ”Sre one for the strong gay the end, the gay mt be vaporizedOf urse, then they had to go and spoil all by havg Al Sahrani ad before the end of the episo, a victim of a bombg flicted by the terrorist he was aidg and abettg.

The movie tells the story of an Algerian-French heterosexual young man begng a soclogy study of gay islamic homosexuali and disverg gay love wh a young French steward.

The batn of beg back his hometown, this prsure om his mother and his homosexualy him to have equent panic attacks.

SDI ARABIA CELEBRAT PRI MONTH BY HANGG GAYS WH RABOW NOOSE

A Sdi prce has been jailed for life for murrg his manservant, who was found a bed at a plh London hotel where he had been beaten to ath. The fendant spent most of the trial tryg to prove he was not gay. Why? * homeland gay saudi *

Out Loud is the first film om Lebanon wh a gay theme that sets a new standard for cema om the Middle East the midst of the Arab Sprg.

Abllah, a young gay man, is tryg to fd his way through the difficult sexual, polil and racial climate of Moroc. A documentary by Peter Barbosa and Garrett Lenoir, I Exist giv a voice to gay and lbian Amerins om the Middle East, who often rema silent out of shame and fear. Filmed 12 untri and 9 languag, this documentary, directed by gay Mlim filmmaker Parvez Sharma, tells the lorful and varied stori of gay and lbian Mlims om all over the world.

This timate documentary follows a number of young Morocn gay men their exploratn of their relig and sexual inty. For a gay filmmaker, filmg Sdi Arabia prents two ser challeng: filmg is forbidn the untry and homosexualy is punishable by ath. Enuraged by Sandra, Ama lnch a blog lled “A Gay Girl Damasc, ” reprentg a margalized voice the Middle East on polics, relign, and sexualy.

GAY SDI DIPLOMAT SEEKS ASYLUM IN U.S., SAYS HIS LIFE IS IN DANGER

* homeland gay saudi *

In 2015, he me out as gay on Facebook, makg him the first openly gay man om Sudan, this a massive outrage the Sudane muny.

In this portra that is multi-layered both terms of form and ntent, a gay man nonts the ghosts of his past and explor hidn longgs, unrequed love and tormentg feelgs of guilt. In post-Fran Madrid where he lived an openly gay existence, his life rembled one long Almodóvarian y, full of excs and sexual taboo-breakg. After beg tranged om his fay for his homosexualy, we observe a young Arab man over four seasons and om far away as he navigat his solu – all the while attemptg to rennect wh his mother.

A short documentary that tells the stori of Mashrou’ Leila, a Lebane rock band wh an outspoken gay sger, and Sarah Hegazy, an Egyptian activist. Between realy and animatn, the story of Nidhal is told, a young homosexual Tunisian who fend dividual eedoms Tunisia through his work rad. Why is “easier to be gay than straight” a society where everyone, homosexual and otherwise, liv the closetYasser, a 26-year-old artist, was takg me on an impromptu tour of his hometown of Jeddah, Sdi Arabia, on a swelterg September afternoon.

SDI GAYS FLNT NEW EEDOMS: 'STRAIGHTS N'T KISS PUBLIC OR HOLD HANDS LIKE '

Gay Sdi diplomat seekg asylum says 'they will kill me openly' * homeland gay saudi *

As long as gays and lbians mata a public ont of obeisance to Wahhabist norms, they are left to do what they want private. “You n be cised anywhere Sdi Arabia, any time of the day, ” said Radwan, a 42-year-old gay Sdi Amerin who grew up var Wtern ci and now liv Jeddah.

But what seems more startlg, at least om a Wtern perspective, is that some of the men havg sex wh other men don’t nsir themselv gay. But as a more Wternized notn of gayns—a notn that strs orientatn over acts—tak hold the untry, will this lite balance survive? There’s an overwhelmg number of people who turn to lbianism, ” Yasm said, addg that the number of men the kgdom who turn to gay sex is even greater.

GAY SDI DIPLOMAT SEEKG ASYLUM SAYS ‘THEY WILL KILL ME OPENLY’

Francis, a 34-year-old bety queen om the Philipp ( 2003 he won a gay bety pageant held a private hoe Jeddah by a group of Filipos), reported that he’s had sex wh Sdi men whose wiv were pregnant or menstatg; when those circumstanc changed, most of the men stopped llg. ” John Bradley, the thor of Sdi Arabia Exposed: Insi a Kgdom Crisis (2005), says that most male Wtern expatriat here, gay or not, have been proposned by Sdi men drivg by “at any time of the day or night, que openly and ually very, very persistently. Jason, a South Ain tor who has lived Jeddah sce 2002, not that although South Ai allows gay marriage, “’s as though there are more gays here.

IS GAY FORMER SDI DIPLOMAT VICTIM OF POLICS?

JED-TO-HEART: I lie my work JED-TO-HEART: wh my fay JED-TO-HEART: but I’m gay JED-TO-HEART: I n’t say I’m gay jedbut: is that hard? “I’m worried the mutawwa' might e, ” Anajedtop said, and shed off to tch the eveng The History of Sexualy, a multivolume work published the 1970s and ’80s, Michel Fouult proposed his famo this that Wtern amic, medil, and polil disurse of the 18th and 19th centuri had produced the ia of the homosexual as a viant type: In Wtern society, homosexualy changed om beg a behavr (what you do) to an inty (who you are).

“‘Sexualy’ is distguished not between ‘homosexual’ and ‘heterosexual’ but between takg pleasure and submtg to someone (beg ed for pleasure), ” the soclogist Stephen O. The Sdis jt look at this as, ‘He don’t like football, ’” Dave, a gay Amerin teacher who first moved to Sdi Arabia 1978, told me.

*BEAR-MAGAZINE.COM* HOMELAND GAY SAUDI

Sdi Arabia Celebrat Pri Month by Hangg Gays wh Rabow Noose - The Miast Beast .

TOP