The issue of homosexuality in the Arab world is a touchy one, often ignored, shunned or ridiculed. There is progress, but it’s slow and painful:
The first gay book to have been ever translated into Arabic after being originally printed in English has run into problems straight off the press.… The book,… Gay Travels in the Muslim World, a compilation of stories penned by a collection of both Muslim and non-Muslim writers and edited by journalist Michael Luongo, has been translated into Arabic.
The publisher, however, chose to translate the word gay as شاذ, (shaath), a word with the literal meaning of ”˜deviant’, or ”˜pervert’;- much to the dismay of both the authors and the gay community in the Arabic speaking world.