Possible move to UAE - some sensitive advice please
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I'm currently talking to someone about a possible move to UAE, outside Dubai. I'm very tempted even though it will mean leaving my partner behind for a couple of years. I have no experience of the UAE (apart from a five day visit to Dubai six years ago) or of living away from home.
My question is this - how big a deal would the fact that I am an 'out' gay man be, within the local community, and within the expat community. By 'out' I don't mean I'm a flag waving, protesting, all-I-ever-talk-about type but that I refuse to deny who I am and, more importantly, lie about my home set up or my partner. So, if you, or someone at work asked me if I was married, I wouldn't lie.
Would that be an issue?
My question is this - how big a deal would the fact that I am an 'out' gay man be, within the local community, and within the expat community. By 'out' I don't mean I'm a flag waving, protesting, all-I-ever-talk-about type but that I refuse to deny who I am and, more importantly, lie about my home set up or my partner. So, if you, or someone at work asked me if I was married, I wouldn't lie.
Would that be an issue?
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I'm currently talking to someone about a possible move to UAE, outside Dubai. I'm very tempted even though it will mean leaving my partner behind for a couple of years. I have no experience of the UAE (apart from a five day visit to Dubai six years ago) or of living away from home.
My question is this - how big a deal would the fact that I am an 'out' gay man be, within the local community, and within the expat community. By 'out' I don't mean I'm a flag waving, protesting, all-I-ever-talk-about type but that I refuse to deny who I am and, more importantly, lie about my home set up or my partner. So, if you, or someone at work asked me if I was married, I wouldn't lie.
Would that be an issue?
My question is this - how big a deal would the fact that I am an 'out' gay man be, within the local community, and within the expat community. By 'out' I don't mean I'm a flag waving, protesting, all-I-ever-talk-about type but that I refuse to deny who I am and, more importantly, lie about my home set up or my partner. So, if you, or someone at work asked me if I was married, I wouldn't lie.
Would that be an issue?
Having said that I also know gay single guys here who have a great time..but declaring you are gay to work collegues etc..NO! xx
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If you are going to be out of Dubai its probably going to be even tougher as its alot less liberal in the other Emirates and dont even think about Sharja.
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Errrrr Yes..it is illegal to be gay here. Although there are gays here they keep it very quiet. A couple of gay friends of mine who live together keep some clothes and toiletries in the spare room to "show" that they only share an apartment NOT a bedroom.
Having said that I also know gay single guys here who have a great time..but declaring you are gay to work collegues etc..NO! xx
Having said that I also know gay single guys here who have a great time..but declaring you are gay to work collegues etc..NO! xx
You can, and many gay people do, have a top time here, but I'd say err on the side of caution with too much disclosure...
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pretty much what Patsy says is 100% spot on - in Dubai you'll be fine as long as reasonably under the radar. Outside of Dubai - where on earth are you considering? Sharjah - suburb of Riyadh effectively. Abu Dhabi?
You can, and many gay people do, have a top time here, but I'd say err on the side of caution with too much disclosure...
You can, and many gay people do, have a top time here, but I'd say err on the side of caution with too much disclosure...
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I'm currently talking to someone about a possible move to UAE, outside Dubai. I'm very tempted even though it will mean leaving my partner behind for a couple of years. I have no experience of the UAE (apart from a five day visit to Dubai six years ago) or of living away from home.
My question is this - how big a deal would the fact that I am an 'out' gay man be, within the local community, and within the expat community. By 'out' I don't mean I'm a flag waving, protesting, all-I-ever-talk-about type but that I refuse to deny who I am and, more importantly, lie about my home set up or my partner. So, if you, or someone at work asked me if I was married, I wouldn't lie.
Would that be an issue?
My question is this - how big a deal would the fact that I am an 'out' gay man be, within the local community, and within the expat community. By 'out' I don't mean I'm a flag waving, protesting, all-I-ever-talk-about type but that I refuse to deny who I am and, more importantly, lie about my home set up or my partner. So, if you, or someone at work asked me if I was married, I wouldn't lie.
Would that be an issue?
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don't even think about it.
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pretty much what Patsy says is 100% spot on - in Dubai you'll be fine as long as reasonably under the radar. Outside of Dubai - where on earth are you considering? Sharjah - suburb of Riyadh effectively. Abu Dhabi?
You can, and many gay people do, have a top time here, but I'd say err on the side of caution with too much disclosure...
You can, and many gay people do, have a top time here, but I'd say err on the side of caution with too much disclosure...
Did you consider he may be the 'bottom' half of the relationship????
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I know one western gay guy here; he keeps things low key, and so far so good. However, he works for a western company and there's a fair amount of tolerance. Not sure what it would be like if he worked for locals, or with them--might be different.
There are some outrageously camp gay filiipinos, who flaunt it in a couple of the filipino bars but I haven't seem them mincing down Electra St on a Friday afternoon.
So long as you don't shout it from the rooftops you should be ok.
There are some outrageously camp gay filiipinos, who flaunt it in a couple of the filipino bars but I haven't seem them mincing down Electra St on a Friday afternoon.
So long as you don't shout it from the rooftops you should be ok.
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I know one western gay guy; he keeps things low key, and so far so good.
There are some outrageously camp gay filiipinos, who flaunt it in a couple of the filipino bars but I haven't seem them mincing down Electra St on a Friday afternoon.
So long as you don't shout it from the rooftops you should be ok.
There are some outrageously camp gay filiipinos, who flaunt it in a couple of the filipino bars but I haven't seem them mincing down Electra St on a Friday afternoon.
So long as you don't shout it from the rooftops you should be ok.
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Being gay in the UAE is completely fine as long as you follow these rules:
So basically you're going to be living a lie to certain extent...
N.
- Don't tell anyone unless you can trust them completely.
- Really avoid even hinting you are gay to any Muslims and/or Arabs.
- Officially you are a single straight man working hard and perhaps looking to find a nice girl to marry one day.
- Oh and if you're coming from the UK be prepared to adopt religion based on your ethnic identity and/or family name.
- And don't tell anyone unless you can trust them...can't stress that enough. There's a number of localised expats here as well who are more than happy to use the local system to rat on their own - I've seen it happen with straight people reporting marital affairs in the past...charming.
So basically you're going to be living a lie to certain extent...
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