Awhile back a misguided PR suggested that we take our family to Dubai on a holiday. The country is renowned for its luxury shopping and architecture, but there are some amazing human rights bargains to be had, too. Homosexuality is technically punishable by death, although in practice foreigners only get a prison sentence followed by deportation. The precedents suggest we might be jailed for a year for ‘public displays of affection’ (otherwise known as living). On the various travel websites there is discussion about whether it’s wise for gay and lesbian couples travelling to Dubai to book twin beds, in case the hotel staff shop you to the authorities.
We laughed, without any humour, as we tried to get our minds around how we would negotiate all of this as a family of four with two dads. Really, it isn’t practical to squeeze a whole family into a closet, even a very expensive one at that. On the other hand, if we were busted for ‘sodomy’ we couldbe sure to find the kids some nice outfits to wear to our trial and/or execution. And what an unforgettable holiday memory they could be taking home (to their orphanage). Ah, nothing like taking a break from civilisation.