In the wake of last week’s celebratory Pride Week in Toronto, known as one of the largest Gay Pride festivals of the world, tripatlas.com/new brought you 15 of the Best Gay & Lesbian Friendly Travel Destinations in the World.
In contrast, we now bring you 10 of the Worst Gay and Lesbian Travel Destinations in the World – notably known for their unfriendliness towards those with homosexual orientations. These places are no joke. If you make any offence regarding homosexuality and you can be punished: flogged, jailed, stoned to death, lashed or whipped, or given a death sentence.
10 Gay and Lesbian Un-Friendly Travel Destinations in the World
Mauritania, known officially as the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, is located in north-west Africa. It is a place where religious freedom is limited by the government and almost the entire population is Muslim, with a few indigenous religions and Christian churches. For cases of homosexuality, the death penalty is given and administered by public stoning.
Nigeria, located in central-west Africa is one of the oldest habitations in the world, back to 9000 BC; is the 8th most populous country in the world; and is one of the fastest growing economies, according to IMF. Today, homosexuality in Nigeria is illegal and you can be imprisoned for 14 years. In northern parts of Nigeria, “perpetrators” are stoned to death.
Iran, a country with strong Persian roots, has become a powerful country as of late due to its petroleum and natural gas resources – but it is still a place where homosexuality is forbidden and death is the consequence. For those homosexual non-Muslims who have sex with a Muslim, the penalties are harsh.
Sudan is the largest country in the Africa and also the most unstable country, especially in the past five years with the war and genocide in Darfur between Darfur’s various ethnicities and tribes which began in February 2003. In Sudan, you get three strikes. Strike one, you are flogged to receive 100 lashes and get five years in jail. Strike two, you receive another 100 lashes and another five years. Strike three, you’re out – death or life in jail.
United Arab Emirates is found on the east coast of Arabian land. Here, “sodomy,” or homosexuality is prohibited and any relations of this kind are outlawed. Here, even in modernistic Dubai, homosexuals are jailed and any kind of “questionable” homosexual behaviour, i.e. cross-dressing, is not kindly looked upon.
Saudi Arabia is another country in the world where death is the sentence for those who are openly homosexual – or have any likeness to it. In the past few years, dozens of men have been arrested because they “behaved like women.” In 2007, two men in Saudi Arabia were sentenced to 7,000 public lashes each and then sentenced to jail after being convicted of “homosexual acts.”
Yemen, a southern neighbour to Saudi Arabia and is known for its lack of human rights: violence and denial of rights for women; prejudice towards disabilities and religious minorities; censorship; and violations of refugees’ rights. In Yemen, unmarried men who are arrested for sodomy receive 100 lashes and one year in jail. Married men who are arrested for sodomy get the death sentence. And women who are caught in homosexual relations are given three years in jail.
Jamaica, a seemingly laid back place, is also a place where you get 10 years of labour under charge of debauchery and sodomy.
Russia is a country where although homosexuality is not illegal, it is definitely not looked upon lightly or happily by everyone. Openly gay men are stigmatized, denied resources and employment.
India, like Russia, is highly discriminating to homosexuals and punishable as “sodomy.”
Sources: “No refuge for gays” by Paul Terefenko, NOW Magazine, June 28, 2008.