Saudi Arabia to Promote LGBTQ+ in the Heart of the Islamic World

In a move that has astonished many, the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has been quietly supporting the LGBTQ+ community, allowing their presence to permeate the heart of the Islamic world, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This unexpected approval for LGBTQ+ visibility has taken many by surprise, especially given the clear Islamic values.

During the World Electronic Sports Cup, many were taken aback as the so-called LGBTQ+ pride flag was prominently displayed in Saudi Arabia, a clear and direct challenge to the nation’s deeply rooted Arab and Islamic traditions. This surprising move was not an accident but a carefully coordinated effort orchestrated by the Saudi regime.

The CEO of the tournament alleviated any concerns the LGBTQ+ community might have had about their acceptance in Saudi Arabia by openly welcoming participants. This message of inclusivity aligns with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s broader campaign to reform the kingdom’s image and align it more closely with Western standards in such matters that contradict the Arab and Islamic communities, values, and teachings.

Since ascending to power, partly through what many consider a palace coup with his father’s complicity, Crown Prince Mohammed has aggressively pursued social reforms aimed at dismantling the kingdom’s conservative fabric. He has marginalized religious scholars, established the General Entertainment Authority, and sanctioned public concerts and the hosting of celebrities known for their decadent lifestyles.

However, the extent to which support for the LGBTQ+ community has been integrated into the kingdom’s social fabric is shocking. The conservative Saudi society, proud of its values, now faces the unprecedented reality of seeing so-called LGBTQ+ rights openly endorsed.

The Saudi regime has employed various indirect methods to promote LGBTQ+ values, ranging from tacit approval of their activities within the Islamic community. Notably, Prince Mohammed bin Salman has removed references to criminalizing homosexuality from educational curricula, a move celebrated by the Tel Aviv-based Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance (IMPACT) and praised by Time magazine as a step towards “greater moderation and tolerance” as they claim.

Prince Mohammed bin Salman has personally hosted known LGBTQ+ individuals in his private meetings, reflecting the depth of his engagement with their values and acts. Many such figures have been welcomed under the guise of participating in entertainment events or film festivals like the Red Sea International Film Festival.

In a striking example, during the holy month of Ramadan, the General Entertainment Authority hosted the openly gay adult film actor Koldo Goran and the LGBTQ+ advocate Viktor Rom Venus, who proudly shared images of their time in Saudi Arabia during this sacred period.

The Red Sea International Film Festival has featured several LGBTQ+ participants, including the Spanish actress and dancer María Pedraza, known for her role in the series “Elite,” which promotes LGBTQ+ themes, and Lebanese actress and director Nadine Labaki, who has directed films with LGBTQ+ narratives.

Recent festival editions have openly screened LGBTQ+-themed films such as “The Blue Caftan,” which depicts a homosexual relationship between a tailor and his apprentice, and “Kamila,” which tells the story of a single doctor who develops a relationship with a female patient involved in prostitution.

In the previous year’s festival, the film “Fay’s Palette,” directed by Saudi filmmaker Anas Batahif, addressed themes of lesbian relationships, a groundbreaking achievement described by the site Dirty Moves as “a near-miracle” due to its challenge to the deeply conservative Saudi society.

The official Saudi media and its affiliates, closely tied to Prince Mohammed bin Salman, have made clear efforts to promote LGBTQ+ themes. The MBC group, known for pushing boundaries in content for adults, has also promoted the LGBTQ+ flag through its children’s channels, prompting a public outcry and the trending hashtag #MBC_promotes_LGBTQ+.

Among the most notable instances of media infiltration in Saudi Arabia is the work of Saudi director Haifaa Al-Mansour, who directed an episode of the series “The L Word: Generation Q,” featuring explicit LGBTQ+ relationships.

Thus, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has disregarded all laws and religious edicts that criminalize and condemn homosexuality, allowing the open promotion of LGBTQ+ themes in the heart of the Islamic world. Moreover, he has silenced the country’s religious authorities, preventing them from issuing statements or fatwas on this matter, effectively ruling in contradiction to Islamic teachings.

While raising any other flag, including that of Palestine, is strictly prohibited in Saudi Arabia, with individuals being arrested for such acts, the open display of the LGBTQ+ flag, which contradicts both Islamic values and basic human nature, is permitted without consequence.

These actions reveal the Saudi regime’s complicity in spreading LGBTQ+ acceptance in the kingdom, despite public statements claiming otherwise. The American magazine “The Atlantic” has confirmed that LGBTQ+ events in Saudi Arabia are organized with the full knowledge and approval of local authorities, who extend formal invitations for such gatherings.

We must also not overlook the fertile environment provided by the Riyadh Season and other entertainment events, which have fostered the emergence of publicly displayed, morally questionable, and embarrassing behaviour among young people, made possible only by the assurance of impunity from legal consequences.