Kuwait summons top US diplomat over LGBTQ friendly posts
June 3, 2022
The Gulf state said it called in the charge d'affaires after the US Embassy posted a picture of the LGBTQ flag on June 1 to mark the start of Pride Month.
The US Embassy in Kuwait City raised the ire of Kuwaiti authorities after it posted in support of LGBTQ rights on official embassy accountsImage: Asad/XinHua/picture alliance
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The Kuwaiti Foreign Ministry said Friday it had summoned the top diplomat at the US Embassy to object to social media posts on Twitter and Instagram in "support of homosexuality."
On June 1, the embassy posted a picture of an LGBTQ flag, known as the progress flag, and quoted US President Joe Biden, "All human beings should be treated with respect and dignity and should be able to live without fear no matter who they are or whom they love."
How have Kuwait and Kuwaitis reacted?
In a statement, the ministry said it had summoned US charge d'affaires James Holtsnider on Thursday over "social media references and tweets supporting homosexuality."
The ministry said Holtsnider had received a memo "confirming Kuwait's rejection of what was published and stressing the need for the embassy to respect the laws and regulations in force in Kuwait."
Kuwaitis reacted on social media to the embassy's posts with outrage, suggesting the pro-gay message was in conflict with the Muslim beliefs of the majority of the people.
Holtsnider has been the top diplomat at the US Embassy in Kuwait City following the April departure of Ambassador Alina Romanowski at the conclusion of her tenure.
In the region, the US Embassies in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates also posted messages in support of Pride Month. The holiest sites in Islam, Medina and Mecca, are located in Saudi Arabia.
In February, though, Kuwait's Supreme Court reversed a ban on imitating the opposite gender, a move hailed by Amnesty International as a breakthrough for transgender rights in the Gulf state.
Top 10 most queer-friendly travel destinations
To mark German Diversity Day, we've looked at travel destinations around the world that rank as very friendly to the LGBTQ community. Our selection is based on the 2021 Spartacus Gay Travel Index.
Image: Christoph Hardt/Geisler-Fotopres/picture alliance
Canada
Canada is considered the most queer-friendly travel destination in the world. It legalized same-sex marriage in 2005, making it one of the earliest countries to do so. Canada is also well-known for staging numerous LGBTQ events, such as Toronto Pride in June (pictured), and Fierte Montreal Pride Festival in August of each year.
Image: Nathan Denette/empics/picture alliance
Malta
This small island nation in the Mediterranean Sea is Europe's most progressive country in terms of protecting the LGBTQ community. It banned discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in 2004. Malta was the first European state to outlaw so-called gay conversion therapy in 2016.
Image: Mark Zammit Cordina/Photohot/picture alliance
Portugal
Lisbon and Porto (pictured) are among the most diverse and open-minded cities in Portugal. Same-sex marriage has been legal in the country since 2010. A few years later, same-sex couples were also granted full adoption rights. However, the country still has some way to go when it comes to protecting the transgender community and outlawing conversion therapy.
Image: Diogo Baptista/ZUMAPRESS/picture alliance
Sweden
Known as one of the most progressive countries in the world, Sweden has passed many laws strengthening its LGBTQ community. Indeed, the Scandinavian nation decriminalized sexual relationships between consenting adults of the same sex over 75 years ago! Today, use of the inclusive, gender neutral pronoun "hen" as an alternative to the gender-specific hon ("she") and han ("he") is widespread.
Image: Iulianna Est/Zoonar/picture alliance
Uruguay
As one of the most tolerant countries in Latin America, Uruguay was among the first to legalize same-sex marriage. The small nation decriminalized consensual sex between same-sex couples as early as 1934, and in 2004 passed anti-discrimination legislation to further protect the LGBTQ community.
Image: Daniel Ferreira-Leites Ciccarino/Zoonar/picture alliance
Australia
Most travelers tend to associate Australia with glorious beaches and multicultural cities. But many might not be aware that added to this, Australia is also very tolerant. It passed far-reaching anti-discrimination legislation in 1984, aiming to protect people from mistreatment based on their sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or intersex status. Same-sex marriages were made legal in 2017.
Image: Subel Bhandari/dpa/picture alliance
Germany
While Germany is making progress in bolstering intersex rights, it still has some way to go in terms of creating a truly queer-friendly society. Cologne (pictured) and the capital Berlin, however, are known as particularly open-minded and diverse cities. Germany legalized same-sex marriages in 2017, and intersex people can now legally identify themselves as such.
Image: Christoph Hardt/Geisler-Fotopress/picture alliance
Iceland
This sparely populated nation near the Arctic Circle is famed not only for rugged landscapes and hot springs but also for being incredibly friendly to the LGBTQ community. It is, after all, one of the safest and most liberal holiday destinations you could pick. The capital Reykjavik (pictured) has been hosting an annual Pride Festival since 1999, and same-sex marriages were legalized in 2010.
Image: IBL Schweden/picture alliance
Taiwan
Taiwan is touted as Asia's most progressive country when it comes to LGBTQ rights. The island state has adopted staunch anti-discrimination legislation, entrenched transgender rights and was the first Asian state to legalize same-sex marriage in 2019.
Image: Ceng Shou Yi/NurPhoto/picture alliance
Colombia
Although the Catholic faith and macho attitudes remain deeply ingrained in Colombian culture, it is regarded as one of Latin America's most progressive countries, after Uruguay, in terms of LGBTQ rights. Its top court ruled same-sex marriage legal in 2016. In 2020, Colombia was voted South America's leading LGBTQ destination at the annual World Travel Awards.
Image: Sofia Toscano/colprensa/dpa/picture alliance
