This year’s World Cup elevated conversations about the violations that LGBT people face in Qatar, the ‘Gulf countries’ and the ‘Middle East’. But these conversations, while important, stem from the wrong premise.
“What does it feel like to be gay in the Middle East?” is not the right question. Simplistic at best, it reduces people to their immutable characteristics. The term ‘Middle East’ was devised by the West to refer to a large number of countries, each with a multitude of cultures, religions, languages, and traditions. While Islam and Arabic are prevalent, the Middle East is not a homogeneous space, landscape, or people.
It also plays down people’s complex make-ups. Each individual and family makes their own decisions based on their personal agency, as informed by their life experiences, social interactions, and faith.
