44 Responses to “Being Gay In Jabal Amman”  

1. 1 MommaBean on May 26th, 2008 said:

   Now THAT mental picture is worth about 5 years of blog posts Nas. You’re the bomb. I need to be sleeping and instead I’ve got the mental image of a guy in a long beard doing V’s like a school boy over the head of some guy wearing only a rainbow colored speedo and reeboks (yes, I actually saw that in New Orleans once) and an old guy in a dishdasha and sport coat. How awesome is that! Am I going to be counting crazy shots I can come up with instead of finding restful slumber? If so, I’m calling it your fault.

   And as for the Jebel Amman is a “Gay Village”, hunh? And here I was dreaming about finding a decent place for the Bean family to live that didn’t cost outrageous sums of money per year in the first circle area. In the words of America’s rude youth… whatEVER (and you have to imagine the head bob here).

2. 2 Simon Columbus on May 26th, 2008 said:

   Great mental image of course. But the reality… I once posted an image of Berlin’s gay mayor and an Arabic sheikh (from the UAE or so) shaking hands. Just a photo of two guys in suits. Funny, because in his home country that sheikh would never ever have touched the hand of an openly gay man (but as Brecht said, first comes chow, then morals.)

3. 3 Nas on May 26th, 2008 said:

   mommabean: sure…blame it on the blogger

   simon: did he know the mayor was gay?

4. 4 Hareega on May 26th, 2008 said:

   Books@cafe has been a favorite gay hang-out place since it opened about 13 years ago, mainly because its owner was an openly gay Jordanian. I think internet has helped Jordanian gays to come out at least on the web.

5. 5 Um Omar on May 26th, 2008 said:

   I knew that area was called Rainbow Street but I never figured that it was meant the same meaning as it could be in America. I guess I was wrong.

6. 6 Hani Bakhit on May 26th, 2008 said:

   Why did you spell Jordanians Jordians?

7. 7 Nas on May 26th, 2008 said:

   hani: i didn’t write the article obviously

8. 8 Hani Bakhit on May 26th, 2008 said:

   Well I fixed it in on Wikipedia. I don’t want the world thinking Jordanians are illiterate

9. 9 MommaBean on May 26th, 2008 said:

   Man, who should I blame? Myself for being so engaged on the internet that I can’t ever seem to get to bed on time? Teehee. And, Um Omar, definitely NOT the same connotation, haha. Hani, if you were confused, please refer to any of Nas’ posts (or other writing). His grammar, spelling, and style are much clearer and fact based than this wikipedia entry…

10. 10 Mapless on May 26th, 2008 said:

    Ironically this post is posted, on the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue & Development! Either Nas is always too informed about everything…. Or unbelievably gifted to sense, observe and criticize things in the right time…. And it could also be both

11. 11 Nas on May 26th, 2008 said:

    mapless: world day for what now?

12. 12 Samar Dudin on May 26th, 2008 said:

    Actually it is about time we move beyond the buzz of gay communities in Jordan and the Arab world to what pain and agony it must be to feel the hostility around you if you are gay or lesbian.

    I wrote myself a letter a few months ago and I called “in the closet” because I feel that so much is in the closet on the day of diversity… the wounded identities that can only heal in the sunshine remain silenced whether ideological, religious, gender driven or ethnic…

    Human rights should be respected despite mainstream culture and governance is about ensuring that individual rights are protected and people who have diverse beliefs, authenticity and cultures including sexual preferences should be protected…

    Some of my best friends and teachers were gay ..they were beautiful human beings with a wealth of knowledge energy and love to give ..

    The humane part of this diversity issue is that at its core is a commitment to difference and to transforming being “different” to a powerful force of change.. Happy world diversity day . May we all learn to embrace the multilayered identities of all humanity….

13. 13 Nas on May 26th, 2008 said:

    Samar: while i agree that there is a need to be accepting of the various differences between different people, you may perhaps be asking too much of the Jordanian society when we consider the predominantly conservative muslim and christian culture that considers homosexuality at worst, punishable, and at best deplorable.

    homosexuality in jordan is most likely to continue to be segregated and isolated to a specific pocket in western Amman for a very, very, very long time.

    that’s just the long-term reality

14. 14 mo on May 26th, 2008 said:

    ya i was just gonna say what hareega said .. books tool 3umro mashbooh haha

15. 15 The Observer on May 26th, 2008 said:

    I think that Jordanian society is progressing faster than we do realize. It is not just that Jordanian gays and lesbians are less concern about being visible, but the concept of homosexuality at large has changed from being a taboo and thus major ignorance, to a daily encounters through movies and TV series.

    We do value human rights more and more everyday, and even if some do contradict with certain believes, people are aware that we are all sinners. Most live by ‘live and let live’ motto.

16. 16 Moey on May 27th, 2008 said:

    So what! at least gays smile… find people who smile in this **** ****.

    I’m glad the jordanian LGBT is taking a breath out.. it is hard for anyone to be locked! imagine yourself in their position.

17. 17 Ahmad Al-Sholi on May 27th, 2008 said:

    om omar, a bit off topic but rainbow street was named after the theatre located there.

18. 18 Markus on May 27th, 2008 said:

    Gays and Lesbians eh? Maybe when we learn how to crawl we can think about joining a marathon dont you think?
    what about the rights of the average joe and jane, or should i say the average hazza3 and wath7a?
    I just get a mental block when i think about the “educated” intellectual” cool young Ammanis when i listen to their concerns and their issues, i just cant help but worry about the future of this nation, just because gay and lesbian rights is an issue in western culture doesnt make it an issue in our culture, i guess it is a trendy and cool cause to take up. Sorry to say this but the issues many jordanian youth are taking up compromise their credibility and their viability to the society they live in.
    For all of you who are suggesting that it is ok to be gay in jordan how many people are you talking about? Are you talking about the 13% of society that is unemployed? are we talking about the frequent honor crime victims? are we talking about the vast majority who are struggeling to make ends meet? how many gays and lesbians are out there? and what rights do they want? do they want to fornicate on the 1st circle roundabout? do they want to desmonstrate their love in the cafe’s in tafeeleh while smoking sheesha? you say that they are visible these days, fine ,so no one is chasing them down and chopping their heads of, dont you feel this is enough tolerance that is being shown towards them from a conservative society? Dont you think that the arab world is facing real hard hitting issues that require your efforts and your voices?
    I go back to my first comment, crawling before running, Taking American societyas an example, when it intially developed, was concerned with its immediate pressing issue of the time , religious freedom, went into transformations and shakedowns until finally it emereged with new ideals morals and structure. Through its history it faced more transformations (womens rights, civil rights, workers rights …..) and at the end of a very long list and after the nation was built and the economy has flourished other issues that are considered secondary in the grand scheme of things emerged, granted they have merit and should be addressed, but we have to learn to prioritze. You will lose your cause in Jordan, today, people just dont care either because they are totally against the concept, or because they are too pre-occupied to care, so please join your society in a relevant cause.
    BTW I have nothing against gays and lesbians, im a longtime LA and SF resident and i have some gay and lesbian friends.

19. 19 suhail on May 27th, 2008 said:

    Just found this forum and it was like a nostalgic trip down memory lane…
    i remember when we were first building Books@Cafe… i don’t think any of us thought that that little quaint street (khirfan street) with it’s local culture, little liquor stores and corner shops, this small “traditional” community over looking wast el-balad and el-ashrafayyeh would be the host for amman’s first aspiring “village”.
    it didn’t all go down without challenges and resistance, it was an exciting time where we witnessed astonishing stories of “tolerance” and acceptance as well as the expected harsh homophobia and hate. The cafe became the sign of an era of change in the city and i promise you all that one day when the history of the queer movement in the middle east will be written and documented, Books (booksaat, as people fondly call it) will be marked as one of this movement;s most important landmarks.

20. 20 Madian on May 27th, 2008 said:

    This blog has gone from Jordan to the west coast of the USA, canada(Suhail) and back to Books@cafe itself…on the back terrace as i type.
    Yes…Books@cafe was and is “mashbooh”…but mostly to the homophobes that exist in our community…like any community. Since our opening, we have been bashed, smashed, and abused for our alternative attitudes. It wasnt for being gay…although I have always been gay.
    we were the first to innocently fight for equality…classicism in our community whereby only the elite could afford to buy foreign books(a 12 dollar book sold for 30 dinars) and for the right to enter an establishment regardless of gender…(the infamous “CUBBLES only”)
    We fought for child abuse..and were the first to talk about young boys that are being sexually abused, since only girls were an issue….
    that is what made us alternative..and led to some exposing my sexuality to destroy books@cafe…which led to “mashbooh”……
    With our survival, other “rebels” decided to venture to our side of town….those who couldnt afford to start up in abdoun, and didnt want to…in rebellion to what certain attitudes there represented in elitism..classicism…and sometimes racism. Dont get me wrong, i aint against abdoun, but just as the liberals tend to flock to the Rainbow village, the classists tend to flock to Abdoun…just a matter of fact.
    Rainbow village is a the new reflection of a liberal art scene and liberal thought stage…is how I see it.

21. 21 Samar Dudin on May 27th, 2008 said:

    Books @cafe is an open space for all of us in Amman and you Madian have created a platform for some of the best art and cultural performances I have seen in our city. You made culture available to the young generation of many socioeconomic backgrounds. It is a space that gives a sense of freedom and difference. It is your space and it has become the favorite social & cultural venue for many in our city .
    I say our city because it is the spirit of Amman to integrate and not to separate.
    I agree with those who say that social justice and equity rights are essential and that perhaps bringing the rights of the gay community to the public debate scene is too pre mature amidst political turmoil and violence in the region ..but we all have to work hard ,each of us in our own way as we stand responsible for the daily harassments of productive citizens simply because they are gay. It is a bit scary how we can always escape responsibility when true citizenship is about the responsibility to protect individual and collective rights of the diverse and different voices and lifestyles in our city.

22. 22 Tallouza on May 28th, 2008 said:

    As long as human rights remain a subjective issue, we will always have issues that we have a problem with. Be it women’s rights, gays’ rights, minority rights, disabled rights, etc…First and foremost we need to establish what constitutes the inalienable rights of a human being in a generic sense in order for us to apply them indiscriminately. There are various closets that have become part of our conditioning. The gay one should maybe be the least of our worries. How about the closet of the culture of as long as it is a secret it is OK? How about the closet of the double standards that is not only stifling any creativity but also harboring a dangerous culture of mediocrity?. What people do in their bedroom is their business. It is about time we start paying attention to what really counts and stop pointing fingers at others in order to make ourselves feel better. How many people are having premarital sex in secret and yet they allow themselves to judge people who do? How many people have judged others simply because of a belief they held without ever challenging its merit. It is easy to hate people simply because they are different. And IT IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO GIVE ANY CONVINCING REASON BEHIND THIS HATRED.. Tolerance is a gift that only the enlightened is blessed with.

23. 23 Markus on May 28th, 2008 said:

    Ok ….lets discuss it then…..so to all the gays and lesbians in Jordan, how can I find out more about your history in Jordan, and your fight for social justice as you say, how were you on the forefront of the struggles of society? can you please educate me. No sarcasm intended here…just an honest question and an open mind willing to listen.

24. 24 The Observer on May 28th, 2008 said:

    Median, I am really impressed with cultural liberal changes happening in Jabal Amman! This village gives a soul that has been lost to the city of Amman. You are right, the books@cafe did start it all. Look at the area now after 12 years of the books opening! Something really changed down there!

25. 25 bambam on May 28th, 2008 said:

    @ markus and anyone that mentioned its not the time for it

    well … since you asked for a discussion. So just to get this out of the way having a gay or lesbian or any other minority friend and living in a place friendly to them is not a liberal/tolerant key chain you can parade around to show that u are liberal or tolerant. if anything it helps to prove otherwise. Since that attitude of having people as social accessories is starting to seep in to the west ammani “culture”

    On the other, I always like how people tend to downplay some social issues and stress others like the road to change is a narrow corridor that can only fit one issue at a time. the reality is very different from that, it is more holistic in nature, while you are taking an overview look at the rights movements in the USA you fail to notice that those are just cusps while the fights have been going-on on the day to day bases & are still fought to this day. so lets drop the argument about “it’s not time for X because Y is more important”, you can’t just put your life on hold or in a bubble in order to not offend others, that makes it really pitiful that you have to apologize for your existence on daily bases because its not the right time… and as a matter of fact if you take that attitude it will never be the right time for any social change, for certainly it’s not done in apologetic matter it is meant to offend in order to raise awareness, and social change is done on the personal level before the group level.

    Either way thats in general, but regarding the topic at hand.
    don’t you think that gays and lesbians are aware that there are a lot more issues that are important to them along with that one. you make it seem like they are not aware of the issues that we all face and are naive about the realities we face, which is very condescending if you ask me. do you see them organizing or asking for any recognition from the public ? i don’t, all that i see is that they are existing, they are just there and you are willing to deny them even that ? then you go on to reduce it to a purely sexual argument like they are just a bunch of fornicating card board cut outs (although there is a good argument that all men can be reduced to that but i’m not gonna delve into that now since i already offended quite a few ppl with that last line :P)

    anyways, from my point of view; i think they are doing a great job, and at the end of the day they are part of my community and they are an active part. while remaining incognito or by being out they do challenge the social norms that we have in their own way, like what madian mentioned, and they did their part encouraging culture and arts. they did do their work in changing minds even by the mere fact of getting people to know that they are there and they exist in the society which offers people a chance to challenge their own stereotypes. so they shouldn’t be called “they”, for we all compromise this society and honestly we need any help that we can get in order to change things to the better. the reality is that jabal amman was dying off (almost literally) before some of the places opened there and one of the first was books@ so kudos to them for revitalizing and helping with the development of the area to.
    give credit were credit is due is what i think nas … they did contribute
    ENJOY!

26. 26 Markus on May 28th, 2008 said:

    bambam when you want to discuss something with someone you dont start by undermining them, so i will not discuss with you, i did not read beyond the first paragraph……

27. 27 Deena on May 28th, 2008 said:

    To me, standing up for diversity (including sexual orientation) has nothing to do with ‘jordanian youth following western trends’ or with our conservative society for that matter… At the end of the day, it is about creating the most inclusive society possible, a society were all citizens are encouraged to reach their full capacity and contribute to our national development and civilisation.

    Those who feel excluded, be it homosexuals, women, or any other non-recognised social group, are more likely to feel frustrated, and frustration is a very clear deterrent to productivity and development. Would the Western enlightment have happened without Da Vinci? At this point in our own enlightment (or lack, there of), we can not afford to exclude a single person or an idea. We need as much human capacity as we can muster, and that includes making everyone as comfortable and accepted as possible. Comfortable enough to feel they want to build and contribute.

    At the very least, we might have more citizens who are truly happy in Jordan, who smile, and who stop at pedestrian crossings. And we certainly need more of those.

    Oh and Markus, the very act of discussing involves reading and accepting opposing positions, even if they offend you or you don’t agree with them

28. 28 Markus on May 28th, 2008 said:

    bam bam, ok moving on,, i read on….

    you seem to be well connected witht he gay & lesbian community, yet you failed to answer my questions, i was honest when i asked about the history of their struggle, i dont know any gays or lesbians in Jordan, so i asked and i want to be educated yet all you did was to attacked me for stating realities, realities that you refuse to accept.
    if the G&L community is ready to practice their rights in this society why arent they doing so fully? Ill tell you why ..because this society will anahialte them at this point, can you accept this reality?
    Your x’s and Y’s argument is not convincing because without the x no one cares for y, another reality you refuse to accept, the x’s in jordan are mission critical i.e. related to the existance and viability of the middel class in the country, do you really believe your own words when you try to equate poverty with gay rights? come on….all im asking here is for some objectivity nothin more.
    The majority of bread winners in jordan have the “gay and lesbian rights” at the very bottom of their priority list, if at all, im talking about the potential allies to the G&L community, people who whould fight for the rights of every individual to choose their stance on any issue, even these people will not support this cause today. Dont take my word for it go out and ask people around Jordan.

29. 29 Markus on May 28th, 2008 said:

    Deena,
    Discussions do involve differing opinions however they when your very honesty and intentions are called into question its not a discussion anymore. Bambam questiond my intentions for mentioning that i live in a liberal city, even though i intentionally left this to the very end and added it as a side note to state the fact that i am after all G&L

    I think people suggesting that it is ok to be gay in Jordan is simply out of touch with reality, get out of amman, travel around and see for yourself, actually dont, you would be risking bodily harm. This is my only point here, i have nothing against gays and lesbians, and no im not trying to use “people as social accesories”. ( Its funny how people can pass judgemtn on others so easily) I mean it.

    So so far I have learned that the only people in Jordan who smile, stop at pedestrian crossings, and are artisitic are gay, very nice…..talk about stereotyping the very people you wish to “defend”.
    Indeed enjoy

30. 30 Markus on May 28th, 2008 said:

    btw im not G&L …i am G&L tolerant……

31. 31 Deena on May 28th, 2008 said:

    Markus - I never said homosexuals are the only ones who smile and stop at pedestrian crossings, I said that HAPPY people are more likely to do so, and that we need more happy people in Jordan (whether homo or hetro)!

    My argument was not about stereotyping anyone as more/less creative or polite, it was about the importance of not excluding anyone because you never know where creativity comes from!
    Hope that clears it up.

32. 32 The Observer on May 28th, 2008 said:

    Markus, Deena didn’t say that it is only gays and lesbians who smile, stop at pedestrian crossing and are artistisc! You are not reading well. She is trying to say that we have to accept everybody in our society in order for those people to give the best they can. It is what we need at this stage of our development, to concentrate on our people and their ability to give to this country regardless of their sexual orientation, race, sex, color…

    I don’t think sexuality in jordan is only a gay/lesbian problem. A lot of straight people as well are having sex in secret because people don’t acknowledge their needs. A lot of women are deprived from enjoying their bodies even after they get marry. Sexuality is a major concern for most of Jordanians, and I would say it would match or even overcome the poverty issue.

    Bambam is right, we should not left anything on hold. We have nearly 6 million jordanians. Each has his own hardship and concerns. Some form groups and specilize in different issues. We can’t all work on one issue at a time, can we? But even then, it isn’t a done/undone task. What we have is social issues that need to keep on progressing. Every enhancement in human rights and social development will benefit the society at large.

    Let do what we can instead of kicking our problems to the backseat waiting the time that would never come.

33. 33 bambam on May 28th, 2008 said:

    Well thanks for reading on i guess, and i’ll try to hold back a bit this time.

    The thing is that you missed my point, I didn’t answer your questions because it was either already answered (how they were involved in social struggles, mostly by madian and samar) or is not related to what i would talk about (a history, or lack thereof, never demerits a moral rights struggle).
    The point is simply, there is no harm in adopting a lot of causes at the same time since they all go hand in hand… and they are aware of that since they are not removed from the struggles of the rest of society and are not exclusive to the upper class west ammanis like the impression i get from people commenting here.
    They are just more visible and not really bothered about many rights, everything does start somewhere so i guess we can start with the right to exist and the space to exist. does it clearly cramp your style so much as to deny them that till you achieve universal equality for the rest of humanity? as for the annihilation point it is well taken, but like i said you can’t have a rights struggle by shrugging away and that could only happen if we, as jordanians, allow it to happen. So it is worth the risk, to change minds and establish better understanding.

    As for the X & Y, I’m not equating the two. contrary to that I don’t prioritize rights, they are called rights for a reason, if you call them privileges then you can prioritize them thats the difference.
    Rights are just supposed to be there, so whatever can be done to further the prevalence of rights on our society on any topic is a cause worth adopting. You will always have problems and challenges in every society and its a perpetual struggle to maintain your rights not just earn them. so you do what you can on anything that you is the responsibility of anyone in my viewpoint. again i repeat, you earn your rights not in phases but in a holistic(whole and interdependent) fashion.
    As for the rest of society you can’t expect to change their minds overnight regarding any issue, on the other hand you can be surprised on how quick things are changing. 10 years ago it was such a taboo topic and filled with myth that no one dared to talk about it and if they did they were describe as aliens to this culture… nowadays even the negative reporting of the issue is different. That is mainly because reality dispels myth so just by acknowledging that they are part of society and are there opens up the doors for change and discussion like whats going on right now.
    ENJOY!

34. 34 Markus on May 28th, 2008 said:

    So let me get this straight( no pun intended), and please take my comment fo what it is:
    It seems that there is a strong, vibrant Gay and Lesbian community in Jordan that contributes to society and is supported by the majority of people, or lets just say the majority of the young people in jordan today? I mean at least three people disagreed with me and i dont think anyone really agreed ….so its safe to say that in about 10 years we will find Gays and Lesbians in key positions in society? thats pretty progressive ……and very very shocking if you ask me, knowing what i know about Jordanian society, i guess im a victim of my own stereotypes…..but then again life is all about learning and tolerance isnt it?…..I gotta visit Jebel Amman next time in the JO….i gotta see it to believe it….thanks for the enlightenment

35. 35 bambam on May 28th, 2008 said:

    lol not to the extent thats a bit of a stretch, and yeah my comment about the social accessory wasn’t meant to be taken personally just a general observation that is applicable in the states and am starting to notice it here.
    the community is mostly incognito but still there, and the picture that i was painting is that things are changing. in no way the blog and especially an english only one is representative of Jordanian society … its just a microcosmic cross-section of a small segment.
    the main difference is that the topic nowadays gets talked about and is tolerated/accepted by more people now than before thats all. so while a full blown movements are hardly an interest, there is no need to just put things on hold till other issues to be corrected since its a mesh one thing is dependent on the other and you can just work on them all. so i think the ones that disagreed with you is mainly on that last point … that we just need to work on all fronts to further social rights in jordan whether its in terms of abuse, women’s right, honor crimes, and any injustices that any member of the society might face. its a community as a whole not just fragments and individuals but it starts from and individual effort to ascribe to such an idea.
    ENJOY

36. 36 Nizo on May 30th, 2008 said:

    The beauty of the homo experience in the Arab world prior to the imported “gay” label was that “straight” men were open to experimenting with you as long as they weren’t actually mounted. Now that there’s a label and a stigma, there’s less fluidity.

    Allah yir7am ayam zaman….

37. 37 A Man on May 31st, 2008 said:

    Daamn
    Ar7mna ya rab

38. 38 sohaib on Jun 3rd, 2008 said:

    we r shy
    deep inside large number of us like bisexuality
    why deny it

39. 39 nader on Jun 4th, 2008 said:

    Not sure that deep inside we like it, it might cross out minds, but that does not mean we act on it, there is a difference between thinking it and acting on it because that is where you would cross the line of actually being called gay.

    I heard the argument that if you are doing the pitching you are not necessary gay, well I completely disagree, if you are welling to engage in such act with someone other than a female, then you are definitely gay with no doubt, you are just denying it.

    Being an Arab and gay, I must agree, it is becoming more mainstream than it has ever been before, at least now when I visit Amman, I tend to see them roaming the streets, just visit Cheese Hilda in Swaifieh, you will be convinced, they are more mainstream than you might think.

40. 40 jamai on Jun 6th, 2008 said:

    ” Frenchman Frederic Minvielle has been a productive, happy resident of the Netherlands for the past six years, and even married a Dutch national in 2003. But his placid existence took on Kafkaesque twist earlier this year, when French authorities informed Minvielle that his expatriate idyll had cost him his French citizenship. The main reason, according to Minvielle and his supporters: because his spouse was another man.”
    this was published on May. 02, 2008 TIME

    If France the country of human rights and freedom did this, no one has the right to judge Jordan.

41. 41 Maha on Jul 21st, 2008 said:

    Just a quick note, a large number of married Jordanian men, mostly uper class r gays ( they might admit and say BI) after 10 years of their happily marriages their veil is lift over and many others b4, do we women ask for divorce ? trust me nop , we go on in our lives.

    by teh way am a highly educated, have my own carrer etc. so its nota matter of fainancial situation or so.

    as well its much much hard than fininding ur husband with another woman.

    so if i respect people in life, i respect those who r singles because they r gay, specially our famous politicians an dcelibreites as they dont act on them selves or other woman. as in such case no one has business to do in other bedrooms.

42. 42 sohaib on Jul 24th, 2008 said:

    I agree with maha
    Am 43 male married to wonderful wife..she is 35
    Now I feel I would like to try gay life..I dont know why?

43. 43 Jordanian on Jul 24th, 2008 said:

    I think Maha summed it up pretty good.

    The cold, hard truth is that 1 in 5 men is fully homosexual across all cultures, biological profiles, and geographic areas of the world. Proven fact shared by hundreds of texts.

    Also a fact is that the least homosexual a human being can be is 13%. I worked on a paper on homosexuality for my psychology class and these numbers are real and current as of 2008 research.

    Now, because men cannot be gay in Jordan, they do what they are supposed to do. Get married, have kids, and try to mask it and ride it out.

    That causes pain to your wife when you can’t take it anymore. Pain to your family for hiding it longer and involving their grandchildren in your story. Pain to your kids who get to see that painful separation OR even more painful denial.

    Like Maha, this drama is too complicated for most women to go into. They just continue with their lives and hide their secret.

    Maha, do not take this personally. He did not “turn” because of you. This has been the way he is since birth.

    I had a girlfriend for 2 years and a boyfriend for 2 years.
    I am Jordanian. I am a Muslim. I believe in Allah. I make an honest living. I don’t do drugs. I have a legitimate career, high-end education, a home, a pet, a loving family.

    I have no rape in my history, no “abuse”, no “absent father figure”. I do not act like a woman or dress weird. I hate leather.

    The PROOF that men have this tendency is wives like Maha. Sure looked normal to you, didn’t he?

    Perfect proof that gay men ARE EVERYWHERE. ONE IN FIVE. List 5 names of men in yor life, one of them is most likely gay.

    I want to line up all of Jordan and say: A FIFTH OF YOU ARE GAY PEOPLE. DEAL WITH IT!

44. 44 gabi on Aug 16th, 2008 said:

    im proud to be gay and gays are the lucky ones in jordan

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