United Arab Emerites jails "Gay" men

Eleven men who were accused of being gay by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have been jailed.

The men, who were arrested last year after apparently attending a gay wedding party, were given five year sentences for homosexuality and one year sentence for obscenity, according to reports.

A twelfth man was given a one year jail sentence for obscenity, the Agence France Presse (AFP) says. However, he was acquitted of homosexuality along with another 14 other men.

An official told AFP that the 14 were found not guilty.

The men were arrested in November last year, with some reports suggesting that they were wearing women’s clothes and reportedly celebrating relationships with each other.

In November, the UAE’s Interior Ministry said it would be giving the arrested men hormone treatments to “cure” them of their homosexuality.

The treatments are used in the country, where homosexuality is illegal, in an attempt to cure gay men and turn them straight.

According to the Associated Press, the UAE government has used the arrested men to urge for vigilance amongst parents against “deviance” amongst their children.

This is not the first time police have raided parties and arrested men in countries where homosexuality is illegal.

Egypt famously arrested more than a dozen gay men attending a boat party, a move that led to international condemnation and criticism from the European Union.

Last year, Saudi Arabia arrested more than 30 men for taking part in a gay wedding party.

Additionally, the hard-line tactics used in a number of countries have led to the banning of gay news websites and online chat rooms. Link to Story

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With Valentines Day near I just wanted to point out how lucky we are to NOT live in these countries.

Do you think male hormone injections can "cure" homosexuality? Do you think the Gay culture thrives underground in these countries even though it's illegal and punishable by prison and/or death?