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News & ArtsThursday, January 24, 2013
LGBTQITSLFA Al Jazeera English On Stonewall
Posted by Dan Savage on Thu, Jan 24, 2013 at 11:18 AM
The report includes footage of people dancing in the streets of Seattle after voters approved marriage equality in Washington state. Odd that Al Jazeera's reporter didn't point out that it is illegal for people to be gay in Qatar, where Al Jazeera is based, and that gay people are still routinely "killed or thrown in jail" all over the Middle East.
26
Hey - I'm with #1 and #24, and I'm also gay here in Qatar, and while I don't know if the scene is thriving, it's definitely there. I also think that any Middle Eastern agency that isn't accompanying "homosexuality is a perversion" with their reports is doing ok, even if they're also not going the "full disclosure" route. We've got a long way to go, but we'll take what we can get in the meantime.
That said, I'd love to see a column or a podcast dedicated to Middle Eastern LGBT issues - which countries are cooler and which ones not so cool, how do people justify it to themselves religiously (both Muslim and Christian, because trust me, if you think North American Christians are conservative, come to the holy lands sometime) and socially, if they do. I know a lot of my friends around here who do read your column and think you're an inspiration - Arab friends (though mostly gay), so you've got an audience and a letter pool if you wanted to make an announcement.
That said, I'd love to see a column or a podcast dedicated to Middle Eastern LGBT issues - which countries are cooler and which ones not so cool, how do people justify it to themselves religiously (both Muslim and Christian, because trust me, if you think North American Christians are conservative, come to the holy lands sometime) and socially, if they do. I know a lot of my friends around here who do read your column and think you're an inspiration - Arab friends (though mostly gay), so you've got an audience and a letter pool if you wanted to make an announcement.
25
@21: I believe Al Jazeera the station and Al Jazeera the website are two different organizations.
24
I'm sitting here in Doha, reading these comments, hoping that everyone realizes a few things:
There's an active gay scene here. Underground for the most part, yes, but it exists. AJE also has a lot of gay staff members. They're not harassed or treated any differently than their heterosexual peers.
Al Jazeera English reports on gay marriage, adoption and decriminalization issues all the time... sometimes several stories in one week. Turn on the channel and watch before jumping to conclusions.
Contrary to what you might think, there's not a culture of fear here, so don't read too much into the hype. How about you hop on a plane and visit?
There's an active gay scene here. Underground for the most part, yes, but it exists. AJE also has a lot of gay staff members. They're not harassed or treated any differently than their heterosexual peers.
Al Jazeera English reports on gay marriage, adoption and decriminalization issues all the time... sometimes several stories in one week. Turn on the channel and watch before jumping to conclusions.
Contrary to what you might think, there's not a culture of fear here, so don't read too much into the hype. How about you hop on a plane and visit?
23
You know what's really funny, Dan? The fact that whenever you discuss oppression/murder in the Middle East, you never discuss the Arabs that are attacked by Americans and their allies. So don't act like you're the fucking moral authority re: selective reporting.
I think it's a giant fucking deal that a Middle Eastern channel even acknowledged the existence of homosexuals - that's enormously subversive for Al Jazeera, and they doubtlessly came under a lot of fire for their report.
I think it's a giant fucking deal that a Middle Eastern channel even acknowledged the existence of homosexuals - that's enormously subversive for Al Jazeera, and they doubtlessly came under a lot of fire for their report.
22
This really shows how easy it is to fall into the trap of preferring news media that actively promote an agenda (other than covering the news), leading to the popularity of things like Fox News which are only to happy to provide. This is a great example of a well-executed feature story (but still not an editorial). It's also fine for news outlets to present editorials or opinion pieces of course, but only if they are clearly presented as such and aren't the primary content (it's fine to have all editorials too, as long as it isn't presented as news).
21
Come on, Dan! Have you never travelled? I know you lived in London, so your being intellectually dishonest.
This is Al Jazeera English. Just because a story runs on that channel, and just because it's owned by a company (sheikh ) in Qatar, does not mean in any way that the same story aired everywere that Al Jazeera broadcasts. I'm willing to bet it only aired where Al Jazeera English airs. If you've ever watched CNN International, or BBC America, or TV5 Monde, or RT, you know that they don't just simply do voiceover of the coverage from the "mother" station. It's all programming specific to the audience to which it'll be shown. How many times do you have to see the shots of Newsweek or Time covers from around the world for the same week, with some intense, controversial story on the cover in every region, except the US region which has something stupid on the cover (trends, shows, etc).
This is Al Jazeera English. Just because a story runs on that channel, and just because it's owned by a company (sheikh ) in Qatar, does not mean in any way that the same story aired everywere that Al Jazeera broadcasts. I'm willing to bet it only aired where Al Jazeera English airs. If you've ever watched CNN International, or BBC America, or TV5 Monde, or RT, you know that they don't just simply do voiceover of the coverage from the "mother" station. It's all programming specific to the audience to which it'll be shown. How many times do you have to see the shots of Newsweek or Time covers from around the world for the same week, with some intense, controversial story on the cover in every region, except the US region which has something stupid on the cover (trends, shows, etc).
20
I quickly did a search through Al-Jazeera's Arabic website and youtube channel and I didn't see anything on this specific issue. When I ran a search on one Arabic expression for same-sex relationships (العلاقات المثلية) it turned up some results, including one about an Egyptian film about homosexuality (the article discussed that the film was controversial in Egypt, but that more Egyptian films are starting to address the subject of homosexuality). Admittedly, I only searched for the polite expression for same-sex relationships and the results list didn't exactly explode with results (somewhere between 9-23 videos and articles popped up with that search term).
18
I gather their Arab audience is fully aware of the situation w/ LGBT laws in their culture. CNN doesn't need to bring up America's gun culture at every breath, either.
17
I see this as a positive. I think Obama is admired, if grudgingly by some, and they also recognize a leader of the people. But most of the heavy lifting, suffering and defiance will have to come from gay people in "new democracies". Gay Egyptians are very worried right now. Many of them joined the uprising thinking they could be free, only to have the Islamists take over. Now they're feeling threatened.
15
It's not really surprising because, as mentioned above, it's not a story about gay rights (or lack thereof) in the Middle East.
What would be really surprising, however, is if a similar story ran on the non-English version of Al Jazeera.
What would be really surprising, however, is if a similar story ran on the non-English version of Al Jazeera.
14
Dan Savage, The news segment is about gay rights in the U.S. and not about gay rights in the U.S. and the Middle East with emphasis on the country where Al Jazeera is headquartered. Also, with its many news bureaus around the globe ( and more to come in U.S. cities with their purchase of Current TV) a lot of their content does not come out of their Doha headquarters. Do you see CNN or BBC always cover what goes on with the same issue in their HQ countries when covering the rest of the world? Didn't think so. I think your view of Aljazeera as a pan-middle eastern or Qatari perspective is problematic and you should let them report their stories objectively as AJE usually does. Thanks.
13
They don't bring up gay rights in Qatar because they're doing a story on gay rights in the US and the inaugural speech. It's a good story. By good, proper journalists. They could probably teach you a thing or two about journalism.
12
If Fox News ran a feature about Obama's reference to Stonewall and equality, it probably would have described him as supporting violent, rioting, homosexual terrorists. The Seattle footage would have been recontextualized as an example of the fall of "American values". References to "The Radical Homosexual Agenda."
Al Jezeera is officially more open minded and objective than Fox News, and Dan Savage has a problem with this.
/also AJE is a separate wing of the AJ media group, with very different audience and mission.
Al Jezeera is officially more open minded and objective than Fox News, and Dan Savage has a problem with this.
/also AJE is a separate wing of the AJ media group, with very different audience and mission.
11
#6: I'm not trolling. I just haven't registered with the site. It's a sincere response based on stuff Dan has said in the past.
10
I admire Al Jazeera English's work tremendously, which many others have noted far outstrips the Arabic edition on gay issues. Beyond being "based" in Qatar, Al Jazeera is owned 100% by the emir of Qatar, whose father back in the 90s sentenced an American to 90 lashes for doing the gay secks thing. More recently, the current emir's #2 wife (he has three) founded a "social rehabilitation center" in Qatar that includes treatment of homosexuality disorders among its specialties. http://cornellsun.com/node/47616
The Guardian reports today that Al Jazeera English is on a hiring spree having bought Current from Al Gore. I wonder if they'll headhunt any Stranger staffers? You can bet the emir's paychecks don't bounce...
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2013/jan…
The Guardian reports today that Al Jazeera English is on a hiring spree having bought Current from Al Gore. I wonder if they'll headhunt any Stranger staffers? You can bet the emir's paychecks don't bounce...
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2013/jan…
9
When will Danny Speak Truth to Power about The Bullshit in the Koran?
Or is Danny's Bravado limited to bullying 13 year old xtian school girls?
Let Danny go before an audience of Muslim Men and proclaim what Bullshit the Koran is.
no?
Not as long as he is a Sniveling Hypocritical Coward....
Or is Danny's Bravado limited to bullying 13 year old xtian school girls?
Let Danny go before an audience of Muslim Men and proclaim what Bullshit the Koran is.
no?
Not as long as he is a Sniveling Hypocritical Coward....
8
Don't get me wrong: I like Al Jazeera, and I think they do good work. I just found the omission—or was it an implied critique?—odd. And I'm curious to know if this report, or anything like it, ran on Al Jazeera Not-English.
7
AJE is one of the few places where an American can find in-depth news and real investigative reporting about Africa and the Middle East, hardly seems like we should criticize them for expanding their much more tolerable brand of journalism to our shores. If every American owned media producer ended their articles about some foreign country with how we are hypocrites about the subject at hand you might have a point. Regardless, I'd be pretty happy if they took CNN's place on the roster of cable news outlets.
6
I find myself in reluctant agreement with the troll @2. If they are an international press agency covering a story about the US for international readers, they aren't really under any obligation to mention the domestic state of lgbt affairs in Qatar.
The troll is still a troll, though. File it under "even a stopped clock".
The troll is still a troll, though. File it under "even a stopped clock".
5
I don't really think that's fair to Al Jazeera. They're a news organization, and they report the news. And they do a better job of reporting without editorializing than most news organizations. The CBC doesn't always remind Canadians what the state of marriage equality is here when they talk about marriage equality in the USA. I'm sure the BBC doesn't, either.
Let Al Jazeera report the news, and leave the news distorting to Fox.
Let Al Jazeera report the news, and leave the news distorting to Fox.
4
So by this logic the US Government is killing far more innocent children with it's drone warfare than actual terrorists or terrorists suspects. Therefore we should boycott anything The Stranger does since The Stranger is headquartered in the United States. Assuming you think killing children is morally disgusting.
3
I'd like to know about what Al Jazeera has done to protect any of it's employees who are gay or lesbian or transgendered before I make a judgement call on this one.
2
Oh, it's nice to see your creeping anti-Muslim/anti-Arab sentiment is starting to creep back Dan. Why exactly is an international news agency obligated to speak for the Arab world?
1
Seeing this on Al Jazeera should still be viewed as a positive, no? Anyone who lives in Qatar is surely aware of their policy towards gay people, so showing them that the rest of the world is making progress is a good thing, no?
I'm not condoning Qatar's policies by any stretch, but a positive story on gay rights doesn't have to include an attack on Qatar to be effective.
I'm not condoning Qatar's policies by any stretch, but a positive story on gay rights doesn't have to include an attack on Qatar to be effective.
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