MovieChat Forums > Banged Up Abroad (2007) Discussion > Gay guy in Sadi

Gay guy in Sadi

posted 13 years ago by BrandiStarBright
7 replies | jump to latest

I understood why he wanted to go, even after reading the laws. And he ultimately accomplished his goals: get out of debt and support his family.

But once I would have gotten there and saw where they were putting me, I would have been on my phone and said NO WAY! This is not what the brochure explained. There was not pool, there were cockroaches. Disgusting. I couldnt do it. Then the hospital HOLDS your passport? OMG, forget it. He never really got "locked up" he was in a holding cell, however, I did enjoy the story. I am glad it all worked out for him and he was able to go home.

I wonder what happened to his friend?

[–] sunshinejy 13 years ago

I mean, really! What was that goop he stepped in in the living room? It was so nauseating. I don't know how he went to sleep the first night. I wouldn't have put my head down on any pillow in that place. What I'd like to know is how did Tom, the flamboyant nurse, get away with being so effeminate in a country that has such draconian laws about homosexuality?

Also, I was surprised when I read that he returned home in 2011. I thought he'd gone to Saudi Arabia before Google wasn invented! Why didn't he do more research about their laws before he signed up to work there? I would have thought that reading that being gay was punishable by means of execution would have changed his mind, but when you're in debt, you have to make some tough decisions.

[–] Northerner335 13 years ago

Regarding Tom, "the flamboyant nurse", I'm pretty sure that he explained to the British nurse that the golden rule regarding gay relationships for foreigners in Saudi was to stay away from Saudis, that is, do not date the locals. I assume that this is why Tom was never in any toruble. He knew how to "play the game", as it were. I assume that the authorities essentially tolerate sam-sex activity between foreigners, but when foreigners start messing around with locals, it's a different story. The fact that the British nurse was SPECIFICALLY warned against dating the locals, then did it anyway, makes him ... not so sharp. Basically, he wasn't thinking with the head on his shoulders.

[–] bron-tay 12 years ago

Actually, there is a lot of homosexual activity in Saudi Arabia, and they dig foreigners -- from Filipino houseboys to college English teachers. You just can't PO the wrong people or get caught by someone with no sense of humor.

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[–] Northerner335 13 years ago

I think that all foreign workers in Saudi Arabia have to surrender their passports to their employer or a government agency; I think that it's a government requirement. (Someone can correct me on this point if I'm wrong). I looked into a job there and they make it VERY clear that you are a GUEST in THEIR country, and you better not forget that. And frankly, I don't think there is anything wrong with that! (Human rights are another issue, mind you).

As for his friend, I don't know ... I'm not convinced that he wasn't working for the authorities. This is yet another reason why getting involved with locals is a bad idea - as the other nurse warned him - because you just don't know who you can trust. Actually, this applies to any illegal activity anywhere, really.

[–] 13 years ago

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[–] bron-tay 12 years ago

Yes, it is true that the Saudis lift your passport if you get a job there. They then give you another thing called an "iqama" which you must carry at all times. It includes your approved length of stay, your employer, your RELIGION I kid you not (although Muslims and non-Muslims have different-colored covers I kid you not), and other identifying details as well as your photo. Any kind of cop can demand to see your iqama at any time.

People who think the U.S. is a bigoted mess because we debate whether to give illegal aliens driver's licenses, let them own property and businesses and go to American schools for free should visit Saudi sometime. China's also a fun one.

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[–] Nikon11 12 years ago

I didn't see this one - but if I understand it correctly, a gay guy goes to Saudi Arabia, for work, goes out, attempts to live his life-style, and gets arrested because of it. Is that it?

I have absolutely nothing against gays, but just like everyone else on this show who gets busted for something, people have to understand that they're in a foreign country, and have to live by those laws when there.

As crazy as a law forbidding homosexuality might seem to all of us in the US or UK, if it's the law somewhere else, and you're gay, then you have no gripe if you go there, do what you do, and get busted.