Quote from: Sebby Michelango on March 17, 2016, 02:30:09 PM
Depends which Arabs or Persian countries you're talking about. In Iran being transsexual are legal and you can get treatment, where the government would support you a bit. (Not only to help transsexuals, also to create something homosexuals can "abuse" and use to avoid visible homosexuality in the country. You're allowed to change your own gender and have a relationship with they you likes. But it's not legal to be gay in Iran without gender change) In Saudi-Arabia, Syria, Yemen, Afghanistan etc. being homosexual and transsexual are strictly forbidden.

Fact: In Iran it's legal to be trans, but homosexuality get punished by death.

Except if one is a passable European transwoman then she would better wear hijab in Iran or else she would run into trouble with Iranian Revolutionary Guards...

Quote from: Emily.P on March 17, 2016, 03:01:38 PM
Except if one is a passable European transwoman then she would better wear hijab in Iran or else she would run into trouble with Iranian Revolutionary Guards...

True that. But did you read my comment? I wrote "In Iran being transsexual are legal and you can get treatment, where the government would support you a bit." and I wrote "In Saudi-Arabia, Syria, Yemen, Afghanistan etc. being (...) transsexual are strictly forbidden."

Quote from: Emily.P on March 17, 2016, 02:15:00 PM
.... I have read that turks dont have much respect for transgender people and Turkey is not even "really" Muslim country - or at least it is the most European one.

Very true. A trans girl I know from Turkey came to New York 5 years ago to transition and go to school. She was telling me that you can't get into a university if your trans and getting a job being trans is next to impossible. She feels she doesn't blend enough to go back and visit, but in NYC, she blends just fine.

Oh people are talking about my country maybe I can give some info too. 
Turkey is a constituonally secular country (although majority of people and the ruling party are conservative). So there are no dress codes and trans people are allowed to change their legal gender since 1988. But it is a difficult process, trans people have to get SRS to be recognized as their true gender and even for that they have to get permission from court, and court requires you to get some reports from certain state hospitals. Insurance is supposed to cover SRS but it is almost impossible to find a surgeon willing to do it (who works in a state hospital) so trans people have to get it done in a private hospital. I am not sure how they rule if one gets surgery abroad without court permission. 

There are currently no laws to protect LGBT people against discrimination at work or other areas, it has been proposed but ruling party was against it. It is a huge problem, a lot of young people who are rejected by their family have to do sex work because of this. I am not sure why would it be a problem to get into a university though.

Public opinion varies, it is probably better in big cities like Istanbul and western cities where more secular people live. We had big LGBT pride marches in recent years in Istanbul. Regardless, if the parliament were to improve LGBT rights few people would object or talk about it more than a few days, because even conservative people are used to seeing LGBT people, especially singers etc. Overall it is not the best or the worst country for trans people to live, but it should be ok to visit. That being said a lot of terrorist attacks occur nowadays so no one is completely safe trans or not. 

Quote from: Sebby Michelango on March 17, 2016, 02:30:09 PM
Depends which Arabs or Persian countries you're talking about. In Iran being transsexual are legal and you can get treatment, where the government would support you a bit. (Not only to help transsexuals, also to create something homosexuals can "abuse" and use to avoid visible homosexuality in the country. You're allowed to change your own gender and have a relationship with they you likes. But it's not legal to be gay in Iran without gender change) In Saudi-Arabia, Syria, Yemen, Afghanistan etc. being homosexual and transsexual are strictly forbidden.

Fact: In Iran it's legal to be trans, but homosexuality get punished by death.

I read a few times that Iran has more GRS vagina surgeries than any other country in the world except Thailand. I haven't independently verified that, but it sounds plausible to me since Iran wants trans girls there to "cure the homosexuality" by getting GRS surgery and then finding a husband. Yes this is plausible that the government there helps with financing but I don't know how much and as to funding I haven't independently verified this.

Quote from: Sydney_NYC on March 18, 2016, 11:20:19 PM
Very true. A trans girl I know from Turkey came to New York 5 years ago to transition and go to school. She was telling me that you can't get into a university if your trans and getting a job being trans is next to impossible. She feels she doesn't blend enough to go back and visit, but in NYC, she blends just fine.

Here in Morocco, the Arab country where I am currently working and yes I am typing this while in an Arab country, the only person here who knows I am trans -- says NOT to tell anyone else.

Quote from: Emily.P on March 17, 2016, 03:01:38 PM
Except if one is a passable European transwoman then she would better wear hijab in Iran or else she would run into trouble with Iranian Revolutionary Guards...

Here in the part of Morocco I currently am, on the streets I would say about 50% of the women wear Hijab (head scar covering the head) but I see only about 10% of the women wearing burka (total face covering).

I wear normal makeup as I wear when I have been in London, Barcelona, or most other Western places, as do many women here. Though a Moroccan female friend here told me she doesn't as a Muslim wear makeup, because it shows better modesty not to wear makeup.

My makeup in public gives me zero problems. If you met me on the streets of London where I was in 2015, you would see me wearing the same makeup I am wearing on the street here in Morocco.

She and a male Muslim friend here, as well as an online friend in Saudi Arabia, has confirmed to me that if I or any other woman were to go to Saudi Arabia, wearing a hijab and burka (complete hair and face covering) would be a total necessity to avoid truly drastic problems. I sure believe them -- they are in a position to know.

And this aspect of Saudi Arabia has nothing to do with being trans -- it is about being a woman.

In some ways, it is nice to confirm that I do well enough at going "stealth" here -- since I sure the heck cannot reveal that I am trans. This confirms to me that others here are simply regarding me as female -- never mind the trans part.

That is actually quite nice.

Quote from: xFreya on March 19, 2016, 06:14:58 AM
Oh people are talking about my country maybe I can give some info too. 
Turkey is a constituonally secular country (although majority of people and the ruling party are conservative). So there are no dress codes and trans people are allowed to change their legal gender since 1988. But it is a difficult process, trans people have to get SRS to be recognized as their true gender and even for that they have to get permission from court, and court requires you to get some reports from certain state hospitals. Insurance is supposed to cover SRS but it is almost impossible to find a surgeon willing to do it (who works in a state hospital) so trans people have to get it done in a private hospital. I am not sure how they rule if one gets surgery abroad without court permission. 

There are currently no laws to protect LGBT people against discrimination at work or other areas, it has been proposed but ruling party was against it. It is a huge problem, a lot of young people who are rejected by their family have to do sex work because of this. I am not sure why would it be a problem to get into a university though.

Public opinion varies, it is probably better in big cities like Istanbul and western cities where more secular people live. We had big LGBT pride marches in recent years in Istanbul. Regardless, if the parliament were to improve LGBT rights few people would object or talk about it more than a few days, because even conservative people are used to seeing LGBT people, especially singers etc. Overall it is not the best or the worst country for trans people to live, but it should be ok to visit. That being said a lot of terrorist attacks occur nowadays so no one is completely safe trans or not. 

Thank you honey for sharing this detailed information. I have never been to Turkey. I agree that right now the bombing risk is more of the risk than risk against me because I am trans. Probably I would stay in major cities though. My passport is female gender -- so this helps me a lot at international border crossing. xx

Quote from: amoeba on March 15, 2016, 04:11:26 AM
I'm not from an Arab country, but my former homeland has, almost entirely, a highly conservative Muslim society. I was strictly closeted whilst still there and could not even remotely dream of transitioning, much less even being able to honestly speak to anybody about my dysphoria. Transgender people are relegated to the fringes of society and get virtually zero respect. In fact, it's pretty much downright hostility most of the time. I believe the legal situation has improved recently, however the complete social ostracization is enough to relegate one to a life of poverty and misery.

I remember an incident ages ago when I was 14 or 15 years old, travelling through the city in a car with two of my uncles. These were, relatively speaking, highly educated and progressive people. While stopped at a set of lights, there was a transwoman begging for money. The slurs my uncles used, their whole demeanour and attitude, their needlessly vicious reaction, was all a massive shock and disappointment for me. I knew then that I had to keep a tight wrap on everything and basically never mention it to anyone ever. Super glad I'm not there anymore.

Some light reading if you're interested.

BTW, you're incredibly brave to present as a woman in an Arab country. Please be super careful though.

Thank you honey. Yes it would be very difficult to START a MTF transition in Morocco. Trans girls are in the fringes o society here.

Only because I have decided to "take the plunge" and in my day-to-day in-person life "go stealth" meaning telling no one I am trans face to face except one person who absolutely needed to know ---

The gender marker on my passport is female so crossing international borders I am fine -- no issues at all.

When I arrived 2 weeks ago I used the woman's public toilet restroom as I obviously always do. No issues at all. Not a second glance, just smiles. No ID required. The 2 female attendants simply smiled at me as I wished them hello in Arabic. This was at the airport when arriving in the country. xx

Quote from: DAWN MID GIRL on March 15, 2016, 08:49:12 AM
I unfortunately know how things are in the Arab world it's despicable to put it nicely.
I hope your very careful over there!!!

BY FOR NOW

Thanks honey for saying that about my safety.

I can't really understand why you'd go there. There's so many interesting places in the world to go, and interesting things to do, why pick that one?