UAE : Police raid gay party and arrest 26 men
Published: 25/11/2005, 07:28 (UAE)
Police raid gay party and arrest 26 men
Staff Report - taken from www.gulfnews.com
Abu Dhabi: More than two dozen young men have been arrested recently at a gay party in a chalet in Ghantout, it was revealed yesterday.
A statement issued to the press by the Abu Dhabi General Directorate of Police said agents from the Criminal Investigation Directorate (CID) arrested 26 men, some of whom were dressed as women.
The statement said the police had been tipped off by a number of UAE nationals who knew about the plans to hold the party, which is "illegal under UAE laws and against religious and social traditions", an inside source said.
"After getting permission from the relevant judicial authorities to monitor the place and raid the chalet where the party was to take place, CID agents broke into it at 1am. They arrested 26 men, including UAE nationals, Arabs and Asians," the police statement said.
"Half of these men were dressed as women and the others were dressed in Arab attire."
It said the interrogation has revealed that this group had similar parties at hotels and chalets, and those dressed as women earned money as prostitutes.
The men were transferred to the Social Support Centre at the Abu Dhabi Police Department "to study their cases individually, and take the appropriate action".
The police source said the party might have been a 'wedding' party.
He added: "To our knowledge, this is the first time that a gay wedding has been [attempted to be] held in the UAE. We have never witnessed such an incident before," the police source said.
Join now to our Yahoo Group.
