[Foundation-l] Reboot on LGBT/Egypt issue (was Re: [Wikimania-l] Wikimania 2008 will happen in Alexandria, Egypt)

[Daniel Mayer]

--- MeMo <moamen at gmail.com> wrote:
> as renting a hotel room with you partner or holding his hand is no problem
> at all simply because those acts are common in Egypt ..
> men do hold each others hand and friends do rent rooms together without
> being considered gay or harassing them in any mean .

I've heard about the how American businessman are often shocked by being kissed by and being
pressured to hold hands with full grown Arab men business contacts while traveling in the Mid East
(all done w/o any sexual context or intent as far as the Arab man is concerned). There is also a
different sense of personal space, with conversations often occurring at what would be very
uncomfortably close range for American men. 

That said, the interactions I've heard about are either between locals or a local and a foreigner.
Would the same behavior between two foreigners go unnoticed in the street? I'm inclined to think
that many Egyptians know enough about western culture to spot that as something more than friendly
behavior. 

-- mav


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