The topic of LGBT+ rights is fortunately not confined just to the West, with movements gaining strength across the world, including in the Middle East. While there are protests and demonstrations in some Islamic countries, a large part of the LGBT+ rights movement takes place online—perhaps unsurprisingly.
With the entire issue remaining very controversial, it is not surprising that a hashtag which went viral this week was met with a varied response in the Arabic-speaking and Islamic world.
#سنحترم_حقوق_المثليين, meaning “Respect Gay Rights” began trending on Twitter, with analysis suggesting that a huge portion of the Tweets came from Saudi Arabia.
While it appears that the hashtag was started in order to promote respect for LGBT+ rights in the Arabic speaking world, it was unfortunately hijacked by those who offered less-than-supportive opinions on the matter.
Take a look at the range of views on the matter, via Twitter.
Some people challenged anti-LGBT+ rhetoric by asking why people's private lives mattered to others.
Like seriously, why do y'all care about how gay ppl have sexHow does it even affect yo life!#سنحترم_حقوق_المثليين pic.twitter.com/bLrIdCAGGr
— MahraAlAhbabi* (@MahraAlAhbabi) February 6, 2016
Others were a little more blunt in their comments.
#سنحترم_حقوق_المثليين
— العُزّى ما غيرها (@TheRubyy) February 6, 2016
تحوير نظرتك كاملة عن الشخص حول ما يفعله في فراشه مع شخص اخر بالغ
توضح تفاهة و بدائية عقليتك.
Judging someone by their sexual orientation only means that you are sick and have a primitive mentality.
#سنحترم_حقوق_المثليين
— الربوبي الأخير (@Unknown3rd) February 6, 2016
كل إنسان له حقوق.
لا يهم توافق أو لا توافق صحة اختياره في حياته، عقيدته، ميوله الجنسي.
له حقوق كما لك حقوق.
Everyone has rights. It does not matter if you agree or disagree with their choice of life, faith or sexual orientation. They have rights just like you.
Some stressed the importance of freedom.
#سنحترم_حقوق_المثليين أبسط حق للجميع أنك تحترم حريته
— بيلسان (@baylasan_no) February 5, 2016
Everyone's most basic right is that you respect their freedom.
Unfortunately, not everyone was tweeting the hashtag in support of LGBT+ rights in the Arabic-speaking world.
Content warning: Due to the threatening and extreme nature of some of the following tweets, reader discretion is strongly advised.
Some were tame in their opposition to the hashtag.
I am sure that gays will respect us more if we don't respect them at all and pushed them to give up this bad habit.
— مجهول لدى الحفاظ (@Oanonymous19) February 6, 2016
#سنحترم_حقوق_المثليين
Sounding like broken records, others decided to go for more cliche arguments.
God created Adam & Eve, Not Adam & Steve.
— ༄ོ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ (@Jeriicho6) February 6, 2016
#سنحترم_حقوق_المثليين
Unfortunately, a quick search through the hashtag on Twitter finds that a huge portion are extremely violent.
#سنحترم_حقوق_المثليين
i would throw you in a pit and watch you burn thats one way to respect you
هذا الي ناقص هؤلاء يظهر لهم صوت
#سنحترم_حقوق_المثليين الى جهنم وبئس المصير
— Aysha (@AaeshaHM) February 7, 2016
To Hell and good riddance.
This is how we respect homosexuals in Saudi Arabia, and we are proud of it..
