LGBTQI+ & Qatar

Just curious as I know there are a number of the LGBTQI+ community on here, will your travel plans be impacted by the VA/Qatar tie up given the Qatar government will stone days for being themselves?

I don't think so. Qatar (airline) wants to expand and get bigger and Qatar is so active in getting a better reputation and be seen as a holiday destination. The usual cautiousness - behave well and if you don't do any silly things or stuff where they'll obviously have to step in (public kissing, handholding and such) nothing will happen.

I did a trip to Oman, Qatar, and UAE just 6 months ago flying with Qatar, and no issue at all and not even any suspicious looks or eyebrow raises when 2 men were showing up anywhere.

I am an openly trans woman, and such is my contempt for Qantas (my contempt is unrelated to being transgender) that Virgin Australia will be my airline of choice domestically. I will no doubt fly Qantas domestically in the future, one should never say never, but it will be the exception rather than the rule. The VA tie up with QR from a transgender perspective is not ideal, but not a deal breaker. And Qantas does have a close relationship with Emirates. I will be flying with Virgin domestically, so I will be protected by Australian values and laws. I did fly Rex a few times this year, they were a fabulous airline, and I am still saddened that they no longer fly B737 services.

Internationally, however, I simply refuse to fly on any Middle Eastern airline (Saudia, Emirates, Qatar, Etihad, Gulf Air, Egypt Air), nor will I fly on Royal Brunei. I will not be using Qantas to Europe, I fear my flight being cancelled and being rebooked onto an Emirates flight. And VA will be funneling passengers onto QR which I will be avoiding.

As a gay man and former diplomat, I would be incredibly hesitant to fly any MEA.

Things in undemocratic countries can turn on a dime, and once you’re in their airspace or on their aircraft you’re essentially in their country.

There are plenty of examples of aircraft being forced to land or turn-around and return to a hostile regime because of who is on-board.

Qatar in particular has been no friend to the LGBTQIA+ community, even with their own staff to the extent of setting up a Grindr sting so they could throw a foreign national crew member in jail on fabricated charges.

The Qatari State funds many entities this country considers hostile and the idea that profits from Virgin/Qatar Airways flow directly into the coffers of Qatar is unpalatable.

It’s got nothing to do with not doing “silly stuff” and everything to do with state/religious ideology and political relationships with other countries at any given point in time.

The overwhelming majority of trips are incident free but for the same reasons any parents on here wouldn’t like their teenage daughter subject to an involuntary gynaecological examination, members of the LGBTQIA+ community wouldn’t like to be paraded before religious courts, the local press or locked up simply for being who they are.

The risks are not worth it, IMO.

Great, please continue to do so!

I hate to knock you down a peg or two, but all these MEA care about is getting you to your destination. They don't care about who you make out with in bed, as long as it's not on their plane or in their airport concourse. This may come as as shock to some people's sexual identity egos. But it is what it is. Fly them, or don't fly them. And I say this to you as a 'not-so-straight' person myself(!)

How on earth will they know your sexuality? (Unless you make a big deal of highlighting it .....)

Dear John

They may not know your sexuality, but one must surely have principles one stands by. As a gay man that includes not giving my business to nations (or their government owned businesses) that have laws that overtly seek to restrict my liberty; the basic freedoms others might take for granted. In this instance, that includes all the ME carriers. So yes, the VA/QR tie up is concerning. As was the QF/EK iteration. But these days it seems there is no room for principle, let alone the moral high ground, in business.

Good to see someone with some self-awareness on this site!

Many countries with totalitarian regimes have secret or religious police positioned everywhere, it would surprise you.

Many of these regimes have vast data-collection operations that they ‘bank’ for future use should political circumstances change, and almost all of them play a long-game.

Hotels popular with westerners would have informants same with shopping malls, cafes and so on.

It might sound far-fetched but it’s not.

The overwhelming majority of trips through these regions occur without incident, but it’s the nefarious activities of the regimes in control that are the biggest risk.

When I flew with Qatar, they were insistent I advised an emergency contact before allowing me to board. This was done at the gate in Doha after a transfer from British Airways.

During the transfer, I simply snoozed in the lounge and text my husband a few times. The texts were bland.

I am male and my emergency contact is my husband.

The experience made me feel uneasy.

Oh man I’m sorry, you have no idea what it’s like to be gay in this world.

For example, being harassed by security during a transfer simply because me and my now husband were ticketed and travelling together. It was a very scary experience.

Been flying them for years. Every country has their own issues/rights and quite frankly it's hard to fly anywhere if I let my own personal desires or ways of thinking and/or being get in the way. Yea I'm a raging homo.

I'll keep flying them. Never had an issue.

Wow , im sure the mid east airlines are highly concerned that a few alphabet people refuse to fly with them.

John see the comment above about Qatar doing a Grindr sting. If they wish to they will find out. Too many people find out about the reach of Middle East governments too late.