[Foundation-l] [Wikimania-l] Wikimania 2008 will happen in Alexandria, Egypt

Wed Oct 10 19:48:38 UTC 2007

On 10/10/07, Mark Williamson <node.ue at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> I personally object to the decision of the jury and hope the location
> is changed and the decision overturned on the following basis:
>
> Safety of conference participants, namely transgendered and
> transsexual individuals. Lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals are at
> a significantly lower level of risk.
>
> The risk for T. individuals is so great that it would be totally
> unsafe for them to enter the country at all.
>
> This is not a matter of boycotting a country because we disagree with
> its politics, this is a matter of not holding a conference in a
> country because we cannot ensure the safety of ALL participants.
>
> Just because you are not transgendered or transsexual yourself does
> not mean it is not your responsibility to ensure that people who wish
> to participate who ARE are not as safe as possible.
>
> Mark

I think what you read about in the media are extreme incidents, but not the
norm.  Foreigners, including LGBT, are generally not bothered in Egypt.

I remember when I have traveled overseas, as well as when I used to live
outside the U.S., I heard on the television and in the newspapers about the
U.S.  I heard about the Virginia Tech massacre, some years ago I heard about
the Beltway sniper attacks all over the news, and other such incidents.  I
even remember during the Beltway sniper attacks, some foreign governments
issued travel advisories against travel in the U.S., like the State
Department does for some places.  And I heard a great deal about the case of
Maher Arar. - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maher_Arar

If I only listen to the media, it sounds like the U.S. is a horribly
dangerous place.   In reality, those are rare cases, and encourage people to
come and visit!

Likewise, I think people, including LGBT, will feel safe in Egypt.

-Aude