Egypt: TV Host Sentenced To One Year Hard Labor For Interviewing Gay Man

Mohamed al-Ghiety

A television host in Egypt has been fined $167 and sentenced to a year of hard labor for the crime of interviewing a gay man.

According to the BBC, Mohamed al-Ghiety interviewed a gay man in 2018 about his life as a sex worker. In the interview, the man (who was not identified) says he has regrets about being gay and working as a prostitute.

A lawyer, Samir Sabry, sued the TV host for appearing to promote possible monetary gains from “practicing” homosexuality. Sabry apparently has a history of targeting celebrities via lawsuits.

Ghiety, who ironically has history of homophobic comments, will also be under police surveillance for a year after his prison sentence.

Homosexuality is not specifically illegal in Egypt, but police often arrest folks suspected of being LGBTQ by using a 1961 law banning prostitution which criminalizes ‘habitual debauchery.’

At the time of the interview, the top governing organization for media - the Supreme Council for Media Regulation - banned the channel from airing for two weeks due to ‘professional violations.’

The media council has prohibited LGBTQs from being shown on television in the conservative country since an incident at a Cairo rock concert in 2017, where a rainbow Pride flag was waved in a rare exhibition of gay pride.

(image via Facebook/Egypt Rainbow)

At the time, the BBC wrote, “The raising of rainbow flags at the concert by the Lebanese band Mashrou' Leila - whose lead singer is openly gay - on 22 September was a rare public show of support for the LGBT community in the conservative Muslim country.”

As a result of the images going viral, 32 men and a woman were detained by authorities. The BBC reported that five of those men had anal examination carried out on them.

For a bail bond of 1,000 Egyptian pounds ($58US), Ghiety could appeal his verdict and remain free while he awaits the outcome of the appeal.

(h/t BBC)

News Round-Up: October 31, 2017

(via Instagram)

Some news items you might have missed:

• Steve Pena (above) plans to "walk like an Egyptian" this Halloween. I'd follow his Pharaoh...

• Both chambers of Congress have now unanimously condemned Chechnya for anti-LGBTQ violence as President Trump and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson remain silent.

• In related news, Russia and Egypt are fighting to remove language in Principal 6 of the Olympic Charter which calls for banning discrimination based on sexual orientation. Both countries have been involved in anti-LGBTQ actions in past months.

• Marques Brownlee unboxes the new iPhone X - check out his thoughts below. Hubby Michael and I have both ordered the X as we haven't upgraded our iPhones in years.

• While the majority of news outlets were covering yesterday's indictments of three Trump campaign officials, several Fox News employees were embarrassed by their network's obvious lack of coverage. At one point on Monday morning, Fox News was actually taking time to report on a hamburger emoji - "Look, the cheese is under the burger!!!"

• A new study indicates gay men (and straight women) are twice as likely to be attracted to guys with the same eye color as their father due to "sexual imprinting." I do not fall into that category as my father had stunning ice blue eyes, but my hunky hubby Michael has beautiful brown eyes.

• No trick, total treat from 7-time Grammy Award winner Toni Braxton as she drops her new single, "Deadwood," from her forthcoming album, Sex and Cigarettes, scheduled for a January release.

• One more Halloween post: "Super" Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada arrived at work today dressed as "Clark Kent." #WinnerWinnerWinner

Justin Trudeau arrived for House duties today dressed as Clark Kent for Halloween. (via CBC News) pic.twitter.com/iCjUxVov73

— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) October 31, 2017

Podcast: Egypt Lawmakers Propose Criminalizing LGBTs; Ryan Murphy's New Series Casts Record Number Of Trans Actors; Colton Haynes Gets Married

In this week's podcast:

• Lawmakers in Egypt have drafted legislation which would criminalize homosexuality, making being gay punishable with prison time

• The Trump administration now wants to argue against LGBTQ protections at the U.S. Supreme Court

• Ryan Murphy’s new series Pose has cast a record number of transgender actors

• Arrow/Teen Wolf/American Horror Story star Colton Haynes got married in Palm Springs with lots of famous friends in attendance

• plus, my suggestions for some Halloween movies with a queer slant

All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report

(btw - how do you like the new logo for the podcast?)

News Round-Up: October 27, 2017

#FurryFriday

Some news items you might have missed:

• I wish I knew who this guy is - total Furry Friday material :)

• The CW's Riverdale puts the topic of gay cruising in a rural town front and center in this week's episode.

• Deep Dish blog is asking which is sexier: this guy's furry face or furry bum?

• Washington Blade reporter Chris Johnson asked White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders about proposed legislation in Egypt that would criminalize being gay. Sanders said she "wasn't aware of specifics" about the news but would be happy to check into it.

• Amid reports former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is growing restless on the sidelines comes the news that Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch may retire at the end of his current term next year stepping aside for Romney to take the seat. A recent poll showed Romney would garner 64% of the vote were that to happen.

• Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke, who hails from the small town of Whitefish, Montana, says he had "absolutely nothing to do" with 2-man company Whitefish Energy Holdings being awarded the $300 million contract to rebuild Puerto Rico's electric grid. I'm sure it's pure coincidence...

• I swear to you the first thing I saw in the pic below of dancer/aerialist Davide Zongoli was his feet.

A post shared by Davide Zongoli (@acrodave) on Apr 26, 2017 at 7:55am PDT

Egypt: Lawmakers Prepare To Criminalize Homosexuality

In response to the raising of a rainbow flag at a concert last month, lawmakers in Egypt have drafted new legislation that would make being gay a crime punishable with prison time.

On September 22 in Cairo, at a concert performed by Lebanese band Mashrou’ Leila, the rainbow flag was raised.

Nearly 70 people were arrested, and more than 20 have been sentenced to time in prison ranging from six months to six years.

The new legislation would make homosexual behavior punishable by a prison sentence of one to three years. A repeat offense could mean an additional five years in prison.

Anyone identified as an LGBT ally or "supporter" could be imprisoned for one to three years.

Media coverage of events like LGBT Pride, as well as the organizers, could also suffer prison time.

And anyone who displays a "symbol of homosexuality" would be risking one to three years in prison as well.

This is dangerous stuff. I just had friends visiting Egypt on a vacation.

I can definitely tell you where you won't be finding me anytime soon.

(source)

News Round-Up: September 26, 2017

(via Instagram)

Some news items you might have missed:

• I'm calling for #TouchTuesdays. Do you ever think about how much you touch (or don't touch) your spouse/significant other/family/friends? If not, give that a ponder. Human contact literally connects us. I was holding hot hubby Michael's hand through the streets of NYC this week and remembered how much I like it :)

• Have you heard the one about the gay Republican who has spent time on Twitter asking why he should pay for health insurance since he's young and in perfect shape? The same guy who was in a car accident and realized his hospital bill could be enormous? The same guy who, opposing "free healthcare" set up a GoFundMe campaign so others could pay his bills? I kid you not. #Karma

• Frances Abbott, daughter of former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, has made a video for the "Vote Yes" campaign regarding the current vote-by-mail survey on same-sex marriage down under. Her father has famously opposed legalizing marriage equality even though his own sister is openly lesbian.

• Virulently anti-gay Alabama state Rep. Micky Hammon pleads guilty to mail fraud after cashing campaign donation checks and then moving the money into his personal account to pay his bills.

• In Cairo, Egyptian police arrested 7 people for waving an LGBT rainbow flag during a concert by Lebanese indie rock band Mashrou’ Leila, whose lead singer is openly gay.

• Trump voters share why they began to have doubts about voting for Donald Trump:

From cabinet picks to the debate over inaugural crowd size, Trump voters share when they started having regrets https://t.co/qtWJZnqZ6n

— New Day (@NewDay) September 26, 2017

Egypt: 26 Men Accused of "Debauchery" in Bath House Raid Found Innocent

A Cairo court acquitted 26 men on Monday who had been accused of "debauchery" in a rare victory for Egypt's gay community that has of late faced an increasingly oppressive police crackdown.


The defendants had faced between 1-9 years in prison on varying degrees of "debauchery" -- the most common Egyptian legal term used in cases against men accused of homosexuality.

Though homosexuality is not technically illegal in Egypt, the police and courts have a history of persecuting the gay community in this socially-conservative country. That Monday's ruling went they way it did surprised many observers.

"It's unprecedented," said longtime human rights activist Scott Long. "This just doesn't happen."

The session lasted barely a minute -- just enough time for the judge to do a roll-call of the defendants' names before uttering a single word: "innocent."

The court immediately erupted into raucous celebration as the men inside the courtroom cage shouted and waved their shackled hands and attending relatives yelled and sobbed in relief.

(from CBS News)

Egypt: Eight Men Sentenced To Three Years In Prison Due To One Minute Wedding Video

Although determined "not gay" via forensic inspection (think about that one), eight men in Egypt have been sentenced to three years in prison for "debauchery" in relation to a video depicting what authorities say represent a "gay wedding."

From CNN:

By the big smiles, warm hugs and loud cries of ululation, the video seems to show a joyous celebration.

An Egyptian prosecutor looked at the same footage and saw something very different: a "satanic ceremony" with images that are "shameful, regrettable and anger God."

However it is characterized, the event has landed eight men in jail for three years, an Egyptian court ruled Saturday. The men will face three years of probation upon their release, according to Egypt's state-run Ahram Online.

It's all because of a roughly 1-minute video set upon a Nile riverboat. It shows several well-dressed men, one of which pulls out a ring and slips it on another man's finger. The two had a brief kiss, then hug -- all as others on the boat cry out happily around them. There's a cake with two men's picture on it.

"May your night be filled with pomp and ceremony," one man says.

The video went viral after posting online.

(h/t JMG)

Egypt sentences four men to prison for "gay acts"

BBC is reporting that four men have been convicted and sentenced to time in prison for up to eight years.


Egypt does not have specific laws banning homosexuality, but prosecutors use laws on the books that criminalize "debauchery" as a work around.

One man received three years and hard labor in prison, while the other three men received sentences of eight years.  They were apparently accused of holding "deviant parties" and wearing makeup.

From BBC:

US-based Human Rights First group said it was "alarmed and disappointed" at the verdicts.

"Egypt is a bellwether state in the Arab region; what happens in Egypt sets a trend for developments throughout the Arab world," it said in a statement.

The group said that since the ousting of President Mohammed Morsi in July 2013 there has been a rise in the number of arrests of people based on their sexual orientation.

Egypt: President Morsi ousted, Cairo celebrates

The Egyptian military grabs power and President Mohammed Morsi's whereabouts are unknown:

Armored vehicles, tanks and troops deployed throughout the Egyptian capital, including near the presidential palace. The army seized the headquarters of the state television and the state-run newspaper, which reported that Morsi had been told he was no longer president.

The whereabouts of the president himself, an Islamist backed by the Muslim Brotherhood, were unknown.

Security forces raided the Cairo offices of Al Jazeera's Egyptian television channel and detained at least five staff members, a journalist at the station told Reuters.

Karim El-Assiuti told Reuters his colleagues at the Al Jazeera Mubasher Misr channel were arrested while working in the studio. The station was prevented from broadcasting from a pro-Morsi rally and its crew there was also detained, he said.

The State Department, meanwhile, warned U.S. citizens to defer travel to Egypt and told Americans already living in Egypt to depart "because of the continuing political and social unrest."

President Obama issued a statement that said in part, “The United States is monitoring the very fluid situation in Egypt, and we believe that ultimately the future of Egypt can only be determined by the Egyptian people.” He called on the Egyptian military “to move quickly and responsibly to return full authority back to a democratically elected civilian government as soon as possible through an inclusive and transparent process.”

Read more at NBC News.

Mubarak Steps Down in Egypt

The streets of Egypt are filled with it's citizens celebrating at the news that President Mubarak has stepped down after 18 days of mass protests and pressure by the people of Egypt.

From the AP: Vice President Suleiman — who appears to have lost his post as well in the military takeover — appeared grim as he delivered the short announcement.

"In these grave circumstances that the country is passing through, President Hosni Mubarak has decided to leave his position as president of the republic," he said. "He has mandated the Armed Forces Supreme Council to run the state. God is our protector and succor."

Nobel Peace laureate Mohammed ElBaradei, whose young suporters were among the organizers of the protest movement, told The Associated Press, "This is the greatest day of my life."

The military, now in charge of the country, has vowed to move the country to great democracy.

This is serious history kids. All because people wanted freedom, democracy and a better life and risked their lives to get here. No fear kids.

Unrest and turmoil in Egypt

From CNN: crowds took to the streets today to protest President Mubarak and the present government.  The army had to be deployed to try to settle unrest that began Tuesday. Mubarak has promised to dismantle the current government but resists calls to step down as President of the country.

Although he has been pro-United States, Mubarak is considered a dictator in many circles. President Obama has called on the government in Egypt to refrain from violence and undo the limitations on internet restrictions put in place during the unrest.

Obama said he spoke to the Egyptian president after he announced plans to dissolve his government and take steps with a new cabinet to implement reforms that will revitalize the economy and create more jobs.

"I told him he has a responsibility to give meaning to those words, to take concrete steps and actions that deliver on that promise."

A protester holds an Egyptian flag as he stands in front of water canons

during clashes in Cairo.

Stay tuned to see how this affects not only Egypt but relations with that country both here in the U.S. and abroad.  U.S. stocks ended lower Friday as investors grew nervous about the political situation in Egypt.