Same-gender people living together as roommates is not marked as gay/lesbian. You will see men doing this and it means nothing. Very subtle and specific behaviors that are caricatured gay stereotypes in the West like lifting the pinky when drinking from a cup is not marked in the Arab World at all.Men kissing men on the cheeks (typically 3-4 times alternating) is not marked at all and in some cases it is rude not to kiss back.Men holding hands is not marked as gay among Arabs, but rather as indicator of close friendship.This goes beyond gender being a social construct, to it being constructed differently in different cultures.Įxamples abound in the UAE of behaviors that may be marked differently in different cultures: Also, perhaps more subtly, the cultural diversity in the UAE leads to more tolerance of diversity of gender expression what some in the West would consider gay or queer may be a straight or unmarked behavior in other cultures. However, in practice, accepting cultural diversity indirectly includes accepting some sexual and gender diversity since mutual tolerance covers opinions held by people from different cultural backgrounds. To date, this concept has not been explicitly expanded to include sexual orientation or gender identity. The UAE even has a dedicated Ministry of Tolerance. The UAE’s attitude about the diversity of its residents is that of “Mutual Tolerance,” the Arabic concept of تسامح tasāmuh, which comes from the root smh associated with concepts like forgiveness, permission, tolerance, magnanimity, and the pattern ta-ā-u- of mutuality. The diverse backgrounds have created a regional norm around different cultures coexisting. The UAE is very diverse in terms of the countries of origin of its residents – with close to 90% non-Emiratis and 30% non-Muslims. But no one will check what happens in the room. In in-between public-private spaces, such as hotels, the expectation for all unmarried couples (gay or straight) is to have separate beds. Beyond that, privacy is highly respected: what one does in their own home is their business. In Abu Dhabi, regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation, public displays of affection are generally frowned upon, especially prolonged intimate actions.There is no dress code but general modesty for both men and women is the expected norm. The Public and The PrivateĮmirati culture values a separation between public and private lives in a way that’s different from some Western nations. Many thanks to all the community members (LGBTQ+ and allies) who helped with reviewing and editing different versions of this document. This document is not intended to provide official legal advice. The intended audience of this document are LGBTQ+ conference attendees of EMNLP 2022. The author’s advice and observations are based on his experience of living in the UAE, and his awareness of issues faced by other members of the LGBTQ+ community there. They both have academic jobs, and love living in the UAE. He has lived in the UAE with his cisgender gay European-American partner for almost a decade. The primary author of this document is a cisgender gay Arab-American man. This blog post provides some insights and advice for LGBTQ+ visitors by LGBTQ+ people living in Abu Dhabi.
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