United Arab Emirates' 'Be Yourself' Video Shows Gay Man Being 'Cured' Of Homosexuality

Global lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) activists have slammed a YouTube video produced in the United Arab Emirates which allegedly depicts how gay men can be cured of their sexuality.

Ironically titled "Be Yourself," the video itself is unfortunately not subtitled, but appears to show a long-haired, effeminate-acting gay man being given a "straight" makeover by two men in traditional Emirati garb. The two men trim the gay man's fingernails, cut his hair and scrub his face with soap.

In the final scene, the men re-group, with the now "butch"-looking man less distinguishable among the crowd. As Pink News notes, his friends seem happy and proud of what they did and finish by thanking Allah, who helped bring about the "change."

The publication also spoke with several UAE-based LGBT rights advocates, who universally slammed the video's message. "It angers me no end, but it also saddens me," Abdullah, the 24-year-old founder of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Rights UAE, noted. "This video would have been devastating if my 16-year-old self had watched it...I can still hear echoes in my mind of mom yelling at me no to flail my hand too much when I speak, which only lead to me being robotic and stiff, feeling I must keep both hands down when I speak, something that took a long time to get over."

Comments

[ObservingEgo]

04:08 PM on 02/05/2012

Homosexual tendencies are a psychological problem which require a psychological treatment.

The homosexual has to re-examine his childhood in order to figure out why he developed homosexual attraction.

"Reparative Therapy" is currently the best cure for homosexuality. And it's highly ethical.
Unfortunately, this therapy has been attacked by gay activists and politically correct people because it represents a threat to their gay identity. Simple as that.

[Singedrac]

06:11 PM on 02/05/2012

It doesn't exist, friend.

[mogeorge]

10:27 PM on 02/05/2012

That simple, huh? Good to know someone has all the answers. And yet, there has been a bit of research that disputes what you so confidently put forth. Hmmm. Who to believe, who to believe.

[ObservingEgo]

06:43 AM on 02/06/2012

"And yet, there has been a bit of research that disputes what you so confidentl­y put forth"

I'd like to see which of the following you disagree with:

1- The APA is a politically correct organization. So when it says that Reparative Therapy is harmful and doesn't work, why exactly should we believe it? We shouldn't.

Former president of the APA, Robert Perloff admit this: "The APA is too goddamn politically correct...and too goddamn obeisant to special interests!"

2- As long as you have ONE person who successfully shifted from "gay" to "happily married heterosexual" after undergoing Reparative Therapy, then that suggests that Therapy works.

Is it possible that they're still secretively gay, and living a lie?
Yes, it's possible. But isn't it weird how we only hear the "still secretly gay" comment from homosexuals and gay activists? I believe that they perpetuated this comment in order to make themselves feel better.

[tvLestat]

03:55 PM on 02/03/2012

arab people hate homosexuals. they always have, its their nature or culture. who are we to tell them they are wrong? we should not be trying to force people to think or act like us. if they want to beat their women and kill gay people that is not our business. we do not need anymore bush types bombing countries into submission, didnt work in iraq.

[Gereiam]

08:32 AM on 02/05/2012

No silly silly human being, Arab people sont hate them for no reason, Islam, along with christianity and other faiths believe homosexuality to be a sin. So they deny it. We may beat our women but you rape yours my friend, and i really dont like the sarcastic tone of your voice, god forbid if your american because then your response to this post should be a bunch of swear words followed by god bless america, if your british, im sorry for you. See how it feels to be dissed on? now go home stop surfing the net and go make something of your life!

[tvLestat]

06:54 PM on 02/05/2012

lmao, you would be so lucky to have a life like mine. what is that even supposed to mean? "We may beat our women but you rape yours my friend" i dont beat or rape anyone. i treat other humans the way they should be treated. and you say homosexual­ity to be a sin, well i believe this to be true but that does not mean i discriminate against them or want them dead like muslims do.

[liquidwallpaper]

08:09 PM on 02/01/2012

In countries where religion is the law, you will find many repressed people. They hide their proclivities so as not to be shamed. I knew one wealthy family that sent their son to the states because he wan't ashamed of his sexual preferences. But the family had a reputation to uphold and banished their flesh and blood. I have seen the hypocrisy of arab businessmen change into western clothes and enter strip bars and drink alcohol. But the image they try to keep at home is more important than changing to more moderate thinking. They live in the past. Any country that doesn't allow a woman to drive is backward, and that's the least offensive of the many laws against women.

[tvLestat]

03:56 PM on 02/03/2012

that is none of our business, they have their culture and it is not for us to change!

[Singedrac]

06:13 PM on 02/05/2012

"that is none of our business, they have their culture and it is not for us to change! "

We all live on the same planet. It is all our business.

[VelenoSangue]

03:57 AM on 02/06/2012

Even the parts where they execute people who don't deserve to die?

[liquidwallpaper]

08:00 PM on 02/01/2012

That has got to be the most moronic thing I have ever seen!

[hammfam1]

01:36 PM on 02/01/2012

WOW, they washed the gay right out of that guy.

[in2much]

12:40 PM on 02/01/2012

The entire arab culture seems to be so archaic and wrought with such disgusting ignorance. how long will it take them to catch up with the enlightened world?

[Matt1964]

06:48 PM on 02/01/2012

Ironic, considering as how during the 8th-13th centuries, the Islamic world was the enlightened world, and EU was in the dark ages.

[in2much]

07:30 PM on 02/01/2012

See that? so what happened? I should also clarify my statements: I don't believe that all of the "western" ideals are great: but I believe in the equality of women and civil rights for all people. I am not proud of western culture with regard to the way people treat marriage so casually, and i feel that abortion should NOT be used as birth control and I think that while women have made great strides, the sexual revolution has not produced only helpful changes. my mother always states that while humankind has become more enlightened and tolerant, and how technology has increased life expectancy and quality, that STILL, no sins have been eradicated......

[Jane Bisernicrossposter]

10:10 AM on 02/01/2012

He wasnt gay to begin with that was a wig - totally fake and stupid

[dennisdelia]

05:01 AM on 02/01/2012

I'm sorry, but they ALL look gay to me!!

They look like a bunch of cute twinks giving their friend a makeover before they go out to the drag shows at the club!!!

[racetoinfinity]

02:05 AM on 02/01/2012

They're still in the pre-postmodern (and to some extent in the pre-modern) eras with ignorance and prejudice.

[tvLestat]

03:58 PM on 02/03/2012

i agree, to bad they are not just like us huh? it is so nice that we are up here on our high horses, easier to judge others!

[racetoinfinity]

05:55 AM on 02/05/2012

You can't deny growth and development, i.e. depth, no matter how you try to flatten it.

[Khalid R AL]

02:00 AM on 02/01/2012

Frankly, I don't like the fabricates media, because the news about BE EQUAL and the ironical here is that news say "The two men trim the gay man's fingernails, cut his hair and scrub his face with soap. " as kind of enforcing him without HIS desire, where HE himself consent to his look and behave. He said in time footage [2:18 - 2:20 Yes, but how? ], to me it shows that he used to have these thought of changes but he been waiting for the MOMENT.

[Matt1964]

06:51 PM on 02/01/2012

Everyone wants to be "normal" if you are told that what you are in not.
Why do women dye their hair blonde, and make their skin tan?
Because pale women with dark hair are not "normal".

[kimo32]

10:05 PM on 01/31/2012

Aren't these the same people who force women to marry their rapists...the same people who stone women who try go to school...who murder their sisters for dancing or holding hands with another non-related male........who ....nevermind!!!

[Lmourad]

04:57 AM on 02/01/2012

You are obviously an idiot who's never been outside his hick town.
And no these are not the same people.
- An expat living in the UAE.

[kimo32]

09:10 AM on 02/01/2012

Expat so you answered my question...you pompous ASS!

[hippie canyon]

07:55 PM on 01/31/2012

Huh, wouldn't have ever guessed the effeminate guy was wearing a wig. Nope, it looked so real.

[fredimessina]

03:18 PM on 01/31/2012

So the guys wearing the gowns had hair envy? How very "Mean Girls". And clearly the one in the pink wig was Regina George.

[SouthernQ2]

02:25 PM on 01/31/2012

Muslims are like southern baptists. As long as there is no appearance of what they consider impropriety, it does not exist. Drinking alcohol, watching porn, hooking up (with men or women), etc. is ok as long as you keep it on the DL and no one knows. As long as the guy is not "acting gay", or asserting gay identity, then, in their eyes, he is not gay. They don't really understand gay identity and want to maintain the status quo of pretending that gayness doesn't exist.

[glitterati27]

03:10 PM on 01/31/2012

As a Muslim woman who lives in the UAE, I can tell you that all of the above things are not ok in Islam, so whether they keep it on the DL or not is irrelevant here (and a lot don't, btw). As far as gay identity is concerned, there are people who don't get it and believe that it can be 'cured' like in the video, but a lot of people here (including myself) find this video ridiculous and do understand gay identity. But it's more than just religion that affects this understanding; education and culture also have an influence, and the new generations are exposed to the world a lot more than previous ones, so these factors shift perspectives over time. So don't go around making assumptions about how people think in this part of the world until you've actually interacted with them.

[SouthernQ2]

03:30 PM on 01/31/2012

I've lived in Kuwait. Of course, those things are prohibited in Islam, however, like in all cultures where religious fundamentalism has strong influence, there is lots of hypocrisy. In practice, many people who supposedly strictly follow the tenets of Islam are, in fact, drinking alcohol and watching western TV and porn via satellite link in their walled homes, going to Thailand for sexual tourism, cruising for men, etc. A feature of Arab culture that, I think, stems from religious fundamentalism is the idea that as long as you and your family appear to be virtuous to your neighbors and associates, then you are virtuous. In spite of your assertions to the contrary, most Arabs don't have a conception of gayness as a sexual identity apart from engaging in a forbidden illicit sexual activity.

[kkehoe5]

10:30 AM on 01/31/2012

These viral marketing videos are getting out of hand, this is for the new show "Straight eye for the Queer guy"