TMZ Absolutely terrible. Just another reminder that LGBT acceptance is not universal and how lucky I am to be living in the US. The comments under this article are atrocious. It's not until big media outlets cover transgender stories that these kind of people present themselves. Honestly that comment section is digusting and inhumane and at some points. Until I see it physically I sometimes forget that people like that exist. What's even more terrifying is just how many hateful and transphobic comments there actually are. You really just get this mentality that things are really looking up for our community. THEN you see things like that. I tend to just avoid reading those kinds of comments. But sometimes you just come across it. And it really gets to you /: I just wish this world could be one big place full of love and acceptance. I hope we get there one day. For now I'll just stay in my little gay bubble full of supportive people, love, and rainbow sparkles ):
Yeah, those comments....bigots show their true colours when they're hiding behind a screen. I go through Dubai when I've been to Britain cos I went on Emirates and didn't have much of a problem, but I can't imagine how scary it would of been for her
What a fool, I mean, its Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in the Middle East, who practices shariah law and doesn't even let unmarried couples stay in the same hotel room. She is lucky she got let go.
I agree actually. Being a transgender woman she needs to be cautious of her safety. Definitely should of done her research before deciding to enter that country. Still love Gigi though!
I'm so glad that they let her go. But seriously, this was incredibly stupid of her. Why would she ever go to Dubai? People need to read up on the laws of a country before visiting. In the United Arab Emirates it is a crime to be homosexual or transgender., and can lead to the death penalty or 14 years imprisonment. From wiki "Sexual relations outside a traditional, heterosexual marriage are a crime. The death penalty applies for LGBT. Punishments range from jail time, fines, deportation, and the death penalty." I'm really glad she is safe though after her ordeal.
This happened a few days after my friend who is a trans guy had a layover in Dubai and had to go about telling the TSA agents (or the UAE equivalent) he's actually a guy and they seemed pretty chill about it. This story however is very disheartening.
PSA: Don't give the UAE any of your money. That country, although modern, regularly uses slave labor from poor Asian countries. In fact, Dubai perhaps would not be what it is without slave labor. On top of that, people shouldn't enrich a country that criminalizes LGBT people.
I keep getting more reasons to dislike and avoid the general area, when I first heard of it, it seemed awfully suspicious looking that generally clean in an area so largely uncivilized. I suppose that bridges the gaps between what I know. Slave labor, criminalization of LGBT, and considering it's in the middle east it wouldn't surprise me if women were treated as second-class citizens. It's puzzling that the architecture looks like something of the future, yet the minds are that of the dark ages.
Technology and being 'modern' doesn't make old, out-dated ideals go away. Just look at America's conservatives and the constant ruckus they cause. Dubai is just an example of that idealogy when it runs the government and gets into the hearts and minds of people. Still though... Slave Labour is utterly, utterly sickening. (Not to mention criminalisation of being LGBT...) I'm glad Gigi got out of there and is safe.
Let's be honest - and I really don't give a damn if I offend anyone here, but Dubai and literally all of the Arab countries have always been backward when it comes to issues like this.
^^^I like this approach best. Whatever happened to Jimmy Carter's focus on human rights? Another thing we must not do is assume the rest of the world has a western spin on every issue. We should be more forceful in criticizing social media (i.e., facebook and the others), for monetizing peoples' private lives, and lulling people in some of these countries to take incredible risks with their personal safety. Sometimes (even on here), residents of some of these countries appear to forget that their governments are using U.S.-supplied tools to monitor internet traffic. This would be tinfoil hat stuff, were it not a death penalty offense in some of these places to even be homosexual.
It was written on her passport showing she was formerly male, and it listed her former name that she went by and then below that it listed female and her new name. It basically was written on her passport she was transgender.
Well that's terrible, I'm still surprised tourist agencies portray Dubai as more liberal than it actually is.
Well the (presumably) man who made that law has CLEARLY never sucked a dick. (N.B. I appreciate it's a law originating from literally-taken, orthodox religious law, not a single person, but shhh..."comedy")