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

[Brian McNeil]

Daniel, thank you for being a voice of reason. This is perhaps the most
sensible post I've seen on this list for days.

-----Original Message-----
From: foundation-l-bounces at lists.wikimedia.org
[mailto:foundation-l-bounces at lists.wikimedia.org] On Behalf Of Daniel Mayer
Sent: 14 October 2007 07:46
To: Wikimedia Foundation Mailing List
Subject: [Foundation-l] Reboot on LGBT/Egypt issue (was Re:
[Wikimania-l]Wikimania 2008 will happen in Alexandria, Egypt)

OK folks - I think this heated back and forth has gone on long enough. While
I certainly
sympathize and agree with those people who feel that the human rights record
of Egypt is really
bad in the area of gay/LBT rights, I don't think that the selection of
Alexandria by the jury was
in any way whatsoever an endorsement of those policies or even came from an
insensitivity by the
jury in this area. Remember - let's assume good faith. 

What I would like to see, however, are some statistics, not anecdotes, on
the real risk GLBT
visitors* to Egypt will face. If those aren't forthcoming, then I don't
think further discussion
will be particularly useful. 

* I specifically mention visitors since those who are in Egypt already have
been living with the
risk. So attending Wikimania in their own nation would not, IMO, put them in
significantly
increased peril. And the risk to Wikimania attendees is the only part of
this discussion that is
relevant to this list, IMO.  

-- mav

PS - As a gay man I must be aware of my surroundings and act accordingly;
while I'm openly gay to
all my friends, family, coworkers, schoolmates and neighbors (and all of
you) I feel that walking
down the street of a small town in Alabama or Utah while holding my
partner's hand would be
needlessly asking for trouble. Yep, that's not fair. But that is how things
are. 

Advancing GLBT rights by provoking bigots is not why I travel to places. So
yeah, I compromise in
certain situations in order to reduce my chances of getting harassed or
bashed. Looks like the
same will be true for Alexandria. I'm not going to lose sleep over that or
cancel my plans to
attend Wikimania 2008 with my partner. Like traveling anywhere, certain
precautions will need to
be followed and some knowledge (dare I say respect with a small 'r') of
local social norms is
needed. 


       
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