LGBT flag sparks controversy in Gulf
This is not the first time the LGBT pride flag has proven controversial in the Middle East.
The rainbow flag representing pride for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people has recently been the center of controversy in two Gulf states.
On June 14, the Saudi state-owned television station Al Ekhbariya ran a report on rainbow-colored toys and their supposed connection to homosexuality. In the video, the presenter interviewed a Ministry of Commerce official in a children’s toy store in Riyadh. Speaking before a pile of toys featuring rainbow colors, the official said the toys “promote homosexuality in an indirect way.”
The report then read, “Gay people flood global markets with toys carrying their colors and slogans.”
A similar development occurred in Kuwait soon thereafter. Yesterday, the Kuwaiti Ministry of Commerce and Industry published an image of the rainbow flag, saying it “violates morals.” They asked the public to report any uses of the flag.
