A Qatar Airways flight attendant has been fired from his job, deported, and permanently banned from Qatar after being accused of being a gay prostitute. He claims he was deported for wearing tinted moisturizer and did nothing wrong. As the days pass, my disdain for the Qatar government grows. This is a government that supports Iran, supports Hamas, and even offers a safe haven for Hamas leaders who openly gloat on state-run TV that the ultimate goal is the annihilation of the state of Israel and the death of every Jewish person.
So it comes as no surprise that a regime that shelters and supports terrorism also has little respect for the human rights of homosexuals. But as much as I disdain the government and leave open the possibility that the events unfolded exactly as Gilbert claims, I wonder if there might be more to the story.
Is it possible that undercover police officers were simply on the hunt for gay men and when they noticed Gilbert and his friend had what appeared to be make-up on, they detained them?
But what if there was more? The group was in a celebratory mood and went to a bar. Were they exhibiting signs of public drunkenness? Were the two men who were detained engaged in any public display of affection?
Those two things are totally off-limits in Qatar, including for straight people. If I am in Qatar, there is no way I am going to kiss my wife or hold her hand in public. And as for the prostitution charges, might the officers have found Gilbert and his friend on Grindr or another gay dating app?
