Gays in Bahrain
Suffer Through Internet Crackdown

The government of Bahrain -- a Middle Eastern constitutional monarchy -- has cracked down a number of social networking sites, which has hit the nation's gay and lesbian population hard, reports the Gulf Daily News.

The Islamic state is more liberal than neighbors like Saudi Arabia, but it still does not embrace gay people. The ban on social networking sites -- which includes a site known as Gaydar.com -- has forced Bahrain's gays to meet in public, which places them at risk for harm from family, friends, and strangers.

One gay Bahraini man told the Gulf Daily News that the crackdown on sites would lead to pornography being sold on the black market. "I also think a lot of expats will end up leaving now," the man, who chose to remain anonymous, told the newspaper. "They live here mainly because Bahrain is more liberal." (Neal Broverman, Advocate.com)