TMM1982

Adam1222

The statement was that "homosexuality is discouraged." The noun homosexuality can apply to both being a homosexual and homosexual conduct.
Even if I were to buy your status v. Conduct argument (we love gay people! Just don't do anything gay!), the post by Lucky is about a romantic weekend getaway. I don't know about you, but it would kill the romance for me if I knew i could only have sex with my partner at risk of death.

If you want to defend the gay rights records of these countries, you're welcome to. But the experience of LGBT people there begs to difference.

http://m.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/world-news/darker-side-of-the-maldives-public-lashings-religious-extremists-and-a-gay-blogger-with-his-throat-slashed-29189177.html

http://gayasianews.com/2014/06/18/muslim-vigilantes-attack-gay-atheists-in-the-maldives/

http://76crimes.com/2015/09/01/maldives-lenient-no-more-island-nation-arrests-2/

GUWonder

Then you've made oliver2002's case for him, as his characterization covers both so very well then.

Have you warned OMAAT blogger that you are concerned about his personal safety in the Maldives?


That is your status vs conduct argument, not mine.

Adam1222

You don't get it. I am not worried about Lucky's safety. I never said I was. I'm troubled by his seeming endorsement of repressive regimes, his ability to travel to these places without seeming to give a thought to how others live, and his passing up of the opportunity to inform his readers of what life in this country is really like.

I think anyone who is reading my posts in good faith sees the apparent tension between a gay man posting about a romantic weekend in a country where gay people are denied basic human rights. You may disagree with me on that, but it's not a very complicated position.

txflyer77

Young people with no kids and jobs with very flexible vacation schedules? In the tech industry (Silicon Valley type tech) it's not uncommon to be able to take 5-6 weeks vacation with flexibility on trips on short notice. I work for one of the big SV companies and I know several coworkers who play this game to some degree, taking advantage of our flexibility around PTO.

(Also worth noting that most changes on AA awards are free even without status...)

GUWonder

Not only in the tech industry. In various parts of the OECD world there are plenty of rather well-paid lawyers without kids who not only can often work remotely but also who can often afford to take lots of spur of the moment vacations/"working vacations" to gallivant around the world.

Would you be as concerned about a travel blogger not telling people to avoid flying to, or on a carrier of, a country that has killed many tens of thousands of conscripts-under-duress and civilians in far off lands during just the past 2-3 decades? It seems like your position on the OMAAT blogger's talking up going on a trip to the Maldives isn't necessarily all that simple either, at least if the notion of basic human rights being more broadly applied is to involve not playing cherry-picking games built on who knows what agenda.

There's whatever tension someone wants to make of it when dealing with state authorities who have laws and/or practices with which the person doesn't necessarily take favor.

txflyer77

Exactly. I did that myself earlier this year—spent a month working remotely from Malaysia and Thailand while employed at a tech startup. Booked the flights in F with AA miles.

GUWonder

The "gay in the Maldives" type "controversy" was today's topic on OMAAT and seemed to come straight out of this thread.

FT, again, as blogger source material.

Adam1222

Agreed. Unfortunately the post strikes me as that of a privileged, rich, white person who has no idea what he's talking about, as the general themes tend to be: "It's really not that bad for gay people there!" and "I'm showing the world what gay people look like!".

Here's what I posted in response. Not sure what Ben's comment moderation practices are these days:

First, I appreciate you finally addressing this subject after several years of being criticized and ignoring it.
Now onto why I think this is, respectfully, garbage — a post which essentially argues life isn’t that bad for gay people in these countries, and that you are actually the ambassador of homosexuality to the Muslim world.:
1) There are gay people in the Maldives. You are not the hotel staff’s first exposure to gay people. They will gladly accept the money of rich gay Westerners and then treat their own differently. The same goes for the UAE, where Westerners are allowed to do a lot that would lead to the death penalty for residents.
2) To the extent you think the Maldives won’t let anything happen to gay people to protect its tourism reputation, you are correct- — with respect to gay *tourists*. A quick google search shows terrible violence happening to gay people there this year. Bloggers like you ignoring that is what allows that violence to continue.
3) Your biggest platform is your blog. The criticism of you is not about *going* to these places, but rather going to them, blogging about them, and passing up the opportunity to educate your readers. If this is something you really do think about every time you travel, considering we know what you think about room service egg orders, you’d think it would come up more than in a passing reference in a blog post about the UAE.
4) As for perception v. reality, you’re suggesting life is ACTUALLY great for gay people in these countries. No, life is great for gay tourists who can afford to live the way you do. That’s not reality.
5) The reality is that how these countries treat the LGBT people who *live there* doesn’t impact your ability to enjoy your vacation — which rarely takes you off resort anyway. If that’s your position, own it. But don’t think it’s wrong for people to have views as to your morality because of that position.

GUWonder

"The only perspective I take issue with is those who shame others for having different views."

Those are the words of OMAAT blogger who seems to be already one step ahead in addressing those who attack him for his views.

Adam1222

How dare anyone judge him based on the things he posts on his blog, which he makes his living on!

Countdown til someone suggests that criticizing someone for what they right infringes on the First Amendment.

GUWonder

The countdown began and ended with the above post.

The homonym for right is write, while write and right aren't synonyms. For a moment I thought this was reminding me of VFTW commentary posted on FT.

kokonutz

Did he at least throw a 'HT' to this thread!?

Adam1222

Thanks for contributing to the conversation so much with this insightful post. Clearly, I'm illiterate as opposed to a typo.

P.S. Technically, write and right are homophones, not homonyms.

TMM1982

You are write sir. You should consider starting your own blog so you can right down your very important thoughts.