I would suggest taking away the references to the "Muslim world;" its just too broad a category to say anything accurate about in one or two sentences. I would also suggest to avoid making it into a West vs. Muslim dichotomy for similar reasons and because it can easily become neo-Orientalist. Since its about a woman…

I'm a little uncomfortable with this article constant references to the "Muslim world." The Muslim world is not a monolith nor is it homogeneous; its incredibly diverse and has all sorts of tolerated gender and sexuality variations in its borders. There are the hijras in Pakistan and India, who often hold special…

I only know this information because for several years in the early 2000's, I used that quote extensively when talking about my life because I felt like none of my friends knew the real sizor_sister.

"You think you know, but you have no idea" is from MTV's Diary, not Cribs.

Didn't the last person to become famous for having his penis removed, John Bobbit appear in a porno?

I think you misunderstood me. I'm just talking about how some societies are socially arranged (and not even on a state level), not anything specific in regards to applications of human rights. Human rights and collectivity aren't mutually exclusive.

Some cultures are much more collective and community oriented in terms of what they see as important. You don't relate to society so much as in individual, but instead as to whatever "group" you belong to. You see this in countries where family is much more important than it is in the US. You aren't really an…

Here we go again....

Except for the kittens that were stuffed in a bag in the video

"Being consistent and true to your preferences and personality" is a little bit of a naive way of looking at it. That really isn't the issue; the issue is that women become more or less socialized into doing things that aren't true to their preferences or personalities. That's where social coercion comes in. When…

I appreciate the effort you've put into your links and of your interest in Islam. Like I said random news articles or reports from Western NGOs aren't the most accurate and come with their own biases that seek to overstate the situation for women in Saudi Arabia for political purposes (see Said's discussion of…

I'm not going to go through all the links you've provided, but the ones I did were only tangentially related to the issues you originally raised. For example the one you provided about covering was from Muslim site and had nothing to do with Saudi Arabia and the article you provided about executing gays said that they…

Did you even check their "data?" Many of the links weren't even related to Saudi Arabia, or weren't related to what they claimed them to be.

Wasn't trying to say it was great, just that Americans usually overestimate the harassment and threats.

It depends on the situation. While I was living there we had a neighbor get raped by one of their houseworkers and she faced no punishment while the person who raped her was jailed, threatened with execution and ultimately deported. Judges have discretion (too much usually) in determining exactly who is at fault, so…

You're gonna take the word of someone who used google over someone who has actually lived in Saudi Arabia and still has many friends there?

Yes! Jasbir Paur was really the one who defined "homonationalism" and I highly recommend reading it. It really changed my perspective about the queer world outside of the US and how uncomfortable we should be about the US's sudden interest in "gay rights."

How is saying that certain US actions might make the situation for gays/lesbians in Uganda MORE DIFFICULT, or calling out someone for inaccurately describing a place saying "women/gay people don't need rights?"

I always look through things like this through the lens of "homonationalism," which is very much related to pinkwashing. I think how we use gay rights as an excuse for something will depend on our relationship with Uganda in the future. Its really all about the US getting to Uganda to what the US wants, beyond just…

Yes, I've lived in Jeddah and probably moving back there soon.