This makes me sick, they are arresting crossdressers for no reason whatsoever. Story link and contact the Dubai Tourism Ministry - tell them you will boycott.

http://queersunited.blogspot.com/200...ce-harass.html

Hi, queerunity. The linked page says the blog's not available.

Nichole

http://queersunited.blogspot.com/2008/05/take-action-dubai-police-harass.html

What?  Even now Dubai is being run like some theocratic right wing police state?  Perhaps we should give them a good solid love bombing with freedom and democracy.  They can call Iraq and ask how it's working out for them.

Quote from: tekla on May 29, 2008, 12:28:49 PM
What?  Even now Dubai is being run like some theocratic right wing police state?  Perhaps we should give them a good solid love bombing with freedom and democracy.  They can call Iraq and ask how it's working out for them.

References? Possibly we can bomb them with love so they will quit pestering that Texan Hicks to sell his share of Liverpool FC to them!! Plus, they do have some oil and some really nice shipping infrastructure. Perhaps, Annwyn can use her influence to have Bush go there as well!!

thanks alex, not sure why it butchered my link.

"Police claim the arrests are part of a campaign aimed mostly at young people to preserve the social values of the cosmopolitan Gulf Arab trade and tourism hub, newspapers reported on Monday. "

Social Values ?.....Like they know WTF (Social Values) are....

gina

Quote from: gina on May 29, 2008, 09:08:35 PM


Social Values ?.....Like they know WTF (Social Values) are....

They do seem to have a fairly strong idea of what THEIR social values are.

N~

What disturbs me greatly is Dubai is one of the so called "modern" and "progressive" countries in the Mid-East. 

This is a very qualified statement.

"modern" and "progressive" countries in the Mid-East.  The Mid-East being seen as one of the least 'modern' and least 'progressive' (as those two words are defined in the West) places on earth.  Given what I know, having a flush toilet could put some places in that camp.  For sure Dubai is one of the richest places on earth, but that kind of wealth is often the exact opposite of progressive.

As for, Social Values ?.....Like they know WTF (Social Values) are I would have to say that after working and living in Arabia, they know exactly what their social values are, to the letter of the law.  That their social values don't synch up with yours, does not make them any better or worse, they are after all, values, and, as such, represent a value judgment.

tekla you need to take a chill pill.  i dont care if they don't have my values, there is something called dignity and human rights and to arrest crossdressers for no reason is wrong.  you don't have to like trans people, but they are human.

Quote from: queerunity on May 30, 2008, 02:22:24 PM
tekla you need to take a chill pill.  i dont care if they don't have my values, there is something called dignity and human rights and to arrest crossdressers for no reason is wrong.  you don't have to like trans people, but they are human.

Perhaps two chill pills might work even better, QU. I think all tekla was trying to get across was that like it, find it reasonable or humane, etc or not, that the social rules enforced in Dubai don't take yours or my consideration of what's humane, just or right into account.

We come from a different world, a different way of seeing the world than do they.

As a woman, I much prefer what I have here to deal with than what I would have to deal with there. I personally object to the way women are 'treated' in all sorts of cultures.

But, I don't believe I have a right to lambast those folk simply because their world-view is different. Will I work to do what I can to ameliorate their view of women, crossdressers, etc? Of course.

But in doing so I also need to understand that my way is not theirs and a blanket, loud and dismissing screed of their own social polity isn't going to help them 'hear' me.

Nichole