Brokeback desert

Brokeback desert

It is a pity Brokeback Mountain isn't showing in the Arab world, because it resembles current reality there.

Brian Whitaker

Western audiences who see the film can view it as a portrayal of gay life in the bad old days of the 50s and 60s. For Arabs, on the other hand, it's a portrayal of the reality now.

While researching a book on gay and lesbian Arabs, which will be published shortly, I came across many in the Middle East who face the same predicament as Jack and Ennis. Marriage is more or less obligatory in the Arab countries and parents often take it upon themselves to choose a partner for their sons and daughters.

Youngsters who are gay or lesbian find ways to delay this as much as possible - for example, by prolonging their studies - but eventually the crunch comes and they have to decide whether the play along with their family's wishes and get married or to reveal the secret of their sexuality.

Deciding to "come out" to your family is still quite an ordeal for gay youngsters in the west, but in the Middle East it can be catastrophic. Having a gay member of the family brings shame on the entire household; it can cause fathers to lose their jobs and make brothers and sisters unmarriageable.

Some families respond to a son or daughter's coming out with physical violence or by throwing them out of the house. Others send them off to be "cured" by psychiatrists who offer ludicrous remedies and charge a fortune.

http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/brian_whitaker/2006/03/brokeback_desert.html

Thanks for the article, IG.