[blhblah12345]

Meanwhile, Turkish men are the most metrosexual in the world, and let's just say it 's easier to get laid in Taksim than it is in the Castro. I feel that Istanbul is actually a far gayer city than San Francisco, but everybody stays in the closet in order to survive.

You have a funny concept of free.

If I am not free to be exactly who I am, then I am not free.

If I am forced to follow a religion under penalty of death, I am not free.

If I am forced to not leave that religion under penalty of death, I am not free.

If I am forced to be straight, I am not free.

A free nation allows everybody to be free, not just the mainstream.

[alephnerd]

I've heard that from a couple Gay friends actually. They've had a better time in Istanbul's GLBT scene than in the US (though they are Latino in origin and I've heard American Gay culture has a bit of a race problem)

[jacooper]

Then don't.

The entire point of democracy is it allows commoners to decide regulation, and you bet that if there was ever a true democracy in the Arab world, gays won't be welcome in it either.