When I read the article on gay rights in Iran, I was reminded of a book I read a number of years ago on Saudi Arabia. It was written by John Bradley, who lived in Saudi Arabia as an expat reporter for a number of years. It featured one chapter that dealt with homosexuality in Saudi Arabia, the gist of which was that because Saudi society keeps such a tight lid on male-female interactions, young men and women are want to turn to members of the same sex instead.
What stood out in this chapter was the apparently casual attitude that people have toward GUM (gay until marriage) behavior. Although technically disallowed by Sharia, Bradley would have it that people are more often than not content to watch through their fingers. In the same vein, it's interesting to me that Iranian society views post-operation transsexuals in a more lenient light than "regular" gay people. To my Western sensibilities, it seems easier to flee the country than arrange for your secretary to have a sex change in order to marry them, but I suppose that just goes to underscore the cultural gap.
No comments:
Post a Comment