Woman Accused Of Embarrassing Her Friend For Telling About A Law She Didn’t Know About

Recently, Reddit user Ok-Tower7381 and her wife were invited to join their friend on a trip to the Middle East. One problem, though: the destination country says women have no right to be together and has developed a legal system to punish everyone who disagrees. Naturally, the couple said no. However, the friend didn’t get why they would refuse and interrogate them until she got a straight answer, which, the woman claimed, was delivered in a disrespectful manner. Thus, an exchange that should’ve been only a few messages had blown up completely out of proportion.

Some people seem totally oblivious to how the world works

Woman looking stressed and thoughtful, wearing a gray turtleneck and white sweater in an indoor setting.

Image credits: Keira Burton/Pexels (not the actual photo)

And when you have a friend like that, every once in a while, you have to bring them back to reality

Screenshot of a forum post where a woman is blunt about the reason she can’t travel with a friend.

Text discussing a woman being blunt about why she can’t travel with a friend and facing accusations of embarrassment.

Text excerpt explaining a woman is blunt about not traveling with a friend due to safety concerns and being accused of embarrassing her.

Text discussing a woman blunt about traveling concerns with a friend, facing accusations of embarrassing her.

Heart-shaped rainbow pin on an orange sweater, symbolizing bluntness and emotions around travel with a friend conflict.

Image credits: Monstera Production/Pexels (not the actual photo)

Text from a woman explaining why she can’t travel with a friend, facing accusations of embarrassment.

Text excerpt showing a woman bluntly explaining why she can’t travel with a friend, with accusations of embarrassment.

Text message explaining woman is blunt about reason she can’t travel with friend and is accused of embarrassing her.

Text showing a woman expressing frustration and confusion about not traveling with a friend, feeling accused of embarrassment.

Text discussing a woman being blunt about why she can’t travel with a friend and facing accusations of embarrassment.

Image credits: Ok-Tower7381

The consequences of such a trip going wrong could be extremely severe

Broken heart painted with rainbow colors on red background, symbolizing woman blunt about travel with friend conflict.

Image credits: Freepik (not the actual photo)

According to the Human Rights Watch, at least 67 countries have national laws criminalizing same-sex relations between consenting adults.

Legal sanctions against same-sex conduct vary in scope and application. In some countries, only specific sexual acts are punished, while in others, the laws are more general, vague, and open to interpretation.

Sentences range from fines to life imprisonment and even the death penalty. In some countries, the laws are rarely enforced (but nonetheless have severe consequences for LGBT people, serving to justify discriminatory treatment and impeding LGBT people’s access to employment, health services, and police protection), but in others, law enforcement agencies aggressively pursue and prosecute people suspected of being lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender.

As the author of the post mentioned, many countries only criminalize same-sex relations between men. However, at least 38 criminalize same-sex conduct regardless of sex or expressly criminalize sexual conduct between women.

At least 10 countries have, since 1986, explicitly enacted laws that criminalize sex between women as well as men, sometimes perversely portraying this as a gesture toward equality.

Now, the couple probably could join their friend on her trip, but they would not be able to show any public signs of affection or do anything that would suggest they’re in a relationship.

There might be some value in such a journey. Rajiv Desai, a gay Berlin-based diversity, equity, and inclusion practitioner, who has lived in India, the USA, and the UAE, admits that traveling for LGBT people is challenging but says it also helps to better understand how queer people navigate and survive in places that are against them.

“There is something to be said about visiting those countries and seeing the communities that live there (and) getting to know them,” he explains. But of course, if the Redditor and her partner don’t want to do that, they shouldn’t have to justify themselves.

Most of the people who read the woman’s story believe she did nothing wrong

Screenshot of an online comment discussing a woman being blunt about why she can’t travel with a friend and the resulting accusations.

Text comment discussing a woman being blunt about why she can’t travel with a friend and facing accusations of embarrassment.

Reddit comment explaining a blunt woman’s reason for not traveling with friend, discussing safety and accusations.

Comment about woman being blunt on travel issues with friend, facing accusations of embarrassing her in a social discussion.

Screenshot of a forum comment discussing a woman being blunt about why she can’t travel with a friend and the resulting accusation.

Reddit comment discussing a woman blunt about why she can’t travel with a friend, sparking accusations of embarrassment.

Comment from user WittyAndWeird discussing embarrassment and blunt communication about travel with friend concerns.

Text post discussing a woman being blunt about why she can't travel with a friend and facing accusations of embarrassment.

Screenshot of an online comment discussing a blunt woman's reason for not traveling with a friend and related embarrassment.

Screenshot of an online comment defending a woman who is blunt about why she can’t travel with her friend.

Comment discussing woman being blunt about travel reasons and facing accusations of embarrassing her friend online.

Reddit comment discussing a woman being blunt about why she can’t travel with her friend and causing embarrassment.

But a few think she could’ve handled the situation better

Reddit comment discussing blunt reasons for not traveling with friend and resulting accusations of embarrassing her.

Screenshot of an online comment discussing bluntness and its impact on a woman unable to travel with friend.

Reddit comment discussing a woman blunt about why she can’t travel with friend and accusations of embarrassment.

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