Proud: Amazon restricts LGBT goods in the United Arab Emirates
Written byTimes Magazine
Online retail giant Amazon has restricted search results to LGBT people and issues on its United Arab Emirates (UAE) website.
The company took the step after allegedly being pressured by Gulf state authorities.
Homosexuality is illegal in the United Arab Emirates - one of 69 countries in the world where gays are criminalized.
The news comes as Pride Month, dedicated to celebrating LGBT people around the world, is coming to an end.
"As a company, we remain committed to diversity, equality, and inclusion and believe that the rights of LGBTQ+ people should be protected," an Amazon spokesperson told the BBC.
"With Amazon's businesses worldwide, we also have to comply with local laws and regulations in the countries where we operate," they added. Earlier this month, Kuwait's foreign ministry said it had summoned a senior US diplomat to protest the US embassy tweet in support of LGBT rights.
Kuwaiti officials have criticized the embassy for "supporting homosexuality" and demanded that this not happen again.
The rights of LGBT people are severely restricted in Kuwait, and it is illegal for men to be gay there.
Also, this month in Saudi Arabia, authorities confiscated rainbow-colored toys and children's clothing they said promoted homosexuality, state television reported.
A report by Al-Ekhbariya showed that Ministry of Commerce officials removed several goods from shops in the capital, Riyadh.
This includes hair clips, pop-ups, t-shirts, hats, and pins.
Trending News
