Years ago I had a friend who immigrated from Tunisia and she had never been to the US, I was one of her only American friends so we talked a lot about the differences in our culture to help her cope with culture shock. One day she tells me she met a gay man for the first time and she was excited about it. I asked her to clarify like, the first gay american man? And she told me no the first gay person she had EVER met because being gay was illegal in Tunisia. My autistic ass laughed and told her it was impossible she had definitely met gay people before and just didn’t know it - granted my laughing response was rude but it was just so, strange? Surprising? It caught me off guard. The idea that making it illegal meant no one was gay being in this brilliant woman’s head just really seemed out of the blue to my equally ignorant about her culture American mind
My Tunisian family member (my wife’s ex-husband’s estranged second wife) is still shocked by things that I take for granted. And she’s been in the US for 36 years.
The other day she was telling us about the time she found out one of her kids teachers was Jewish and was frightened about how badly they would treat her child and how bad they were in general. Only to be surprised that it was a normal interaction with another person when she finally met them. Sure it was 15 years ago, but still surprising she had clung that kind of mentality for so long… especially since she knows I’m technically Jewish though I have no real connection to it.
On a tangent, I don’t think I’ve ever met an openly gay Indian either and I work and friends with lots of Indians. There is a lady in my club who seems to be lesbian but she never explicitly said if she is.
I understand in Muslim society being gay is forbidden, but I would have thought that India would be more open on lgbt because most are Hindu and with a huge portions of other religions. I’m curious if lgbt is taboo in India despite the historical and continued presence of hijra community there.
I know 2 gay Tunisians, but they are only gay when they are inside hotels aimed at European visitors.
This seemed to be a thing for a lot of (whatever sexuality) locals. Dating and drinking in hotels, away from the judgemental eyes of religious extremists.
Your dad sounds like a dark horse, as long as your mother was consenting / out of the picture then more power to him.
I met the guys near Monastir a couple of weeks before daesh militants AK’d the beach I had been on. About ten years later I ended up working with them on a project in southern France. They’re still together and a great pair of boys to this day.
Years ago I had a friend who immigrated from Tunisia and she had never been to the US, I was one of her only American friends so we talked a lot about the differences in our culture to help her cope with culture shock. One day she tells me she met a gay man for the first time and she was excited about it. I asked her to clarify like, the first gay american man? And she told me no the first gay person she had EVER met because being gay was illegal in Tunisia. My autistic ass laughed and told her it was impossible she had definitely met gay people before and just didn’t know it - granted my laughing response was rude but it was just so, strange? Surprising? It caught me off guard. The idea that making it illegal meant no one was gay being in this brilliant woman’s head just really seemed out of the blue to my equally ignorant about her culture American mind
My Tunisian family member (my wife’s ex-husband’s estranged second wife) is still shocked by things that I take for granted. And she’s been in the US for 36 years.
The other day she was telling us about the time she found out one of her kids teachers was Jewish and was frightened about how badly they would treat her child and how bad they were in general. Only to be surprised that it was a normal interaction with another person when she finally met them. Sure it was 15 years ago, but still surprising she had clung that kind of mentality for so long… especially since she knows I’m technically Jewish though I have no real connection to it.
On a tangent, I don’t think I’ve ever met an openly gay Indian either and I work and friends with lots of Indians. There is a lady in my club who seems to be lesbian but she never explicitly said if she is.
I understand in Muslim society being gay is forbidden, but I would have thought that India would be more open on lgbt because most are Hindu and with a huge portions of other religions. I’m curious if lgbt is taboo in India despite the historical and continued presence of hijra community there.
I know 2 gay Tunisians, but they are only gay when they are inside hotels aimed at European visitors.
This seemed to be a thing for a lot of (whatever sexuality) locals. Dating and drinking in hotels, away from the judgemental eyes of religious extremists.
This comment gives me flashbacks to when my dad said he “knew a couple” where {specific sexual information} occurred.
The kind of detail you are unlikely to know if you weren’t present.
Your dad sounds like a dark horse, as long as your mother was consenting / out of the picture then more power to him.
I met the guys near Monastir a couple of weeks before daesh militants AK’d the beach I had been on. About ten years later I ended up working with them on a project in southern France. They’re still together and a great pair of boys to this day.