Product Description

Gay Travels in the Muslim World journeys where other gay travel books fear to tread—Muslim countries. This thought-provoking book tells both Muslim and non-Muslim gay men's stories of traveling in the Middle East during these difficult political times. The true, very personal tales reveal how gay men celebrate their lives and meetings with local men, including a gay soldier's story of his tour of duty in Iraq. Insightful and at times sexy, this intelligent book goes beyond 9-11 and the present political and cultural divides to illustrate the real experiences of gay men in trouble zones—in an effort to seek peace for all.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #146895 in Books
• Published on: 2007-06-13
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 200 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781560233404
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Review
PROVIDES A USEFUL AND CHALLENGING BRIDGE between the diverse worlds of being a man drawn to other men within the rubric of Islam and the institutions based upon it, both from the perspective of members of the culture and foreigners who have either encountered them on holiday or chosen to live their sexuality in an Islamic country. . . . This COLORFUL, HIGHLY READABLE AND THOUGHT-PROVOKING volume should be on the shelves of every library wishing to provide its patrons with information on the full range of the Muslim world's cultural complexities. -- Robert B. Ridinger, MA,MLS, Northern Illinois University, Editor of Speaking For Our Lives: Historic Speeches and Rhetoric for Gay and Lesbian Rights ( 1892-2000 )

About the Author
Michael Luongo, MCRP, is Senior Editor of The Haworth Press' "Out in the World" Gay Travel Literature series. A New York-based travel writer and photographer with experience in 75 countries and all seven continents, he has written for The New York Times, the Chicago Tribune, Conde Nast Traveler, National Geographic Traveler, the Advocate, Out Traveler, Passport, and many other publications. Mr. Luongo has written or edited several travel books, including Frommer's 2005 Buenos Aires, Gay Tourism: Culture, Identity and Sex, and Haworth's Between the Palms, a collection of gay travel erotica.

Customer Reviews

Broader prospective than the Middle East
The book description mentions "traveling in the Middle East." Readers should understand that the Muslim world far exceeds this limited geographic region and that many of the stories in this book were written by people whose travels were in other areas.

I write this as the author of one of the stories in the book. My experiences were in Africa.

I want to get going again!
Apart from the 'foreword', preface and acknowledgements, I found this book to be compelling. I guess I would have to class myself as a closet gay traveller so I found the stories exciting and sometimes a little unbelievable. I really liked the stories about encounters that occurred in places to which I have been, but alas, none of the excitement happened to me. Perhaps I should return? I've walked along the corniche in Cairo at night, along the corniche in Muscat at night etc but never noticed anything that remotely looked like men / boys looking to be picked up.
For me, there is something almost mystical about the Arab world and many of the stories have made me think about going to those places. Some of the writers are very adept at telling their stories which made them a pleasure to read. This is the first gay book that I have ever bought and it inspired me to order another.
There were just a couple of chapters that did nothing for me, but other than them, I thoroughly recommend the book.

Thoughtful Reading of The Muslim World
"Gay Travels in the Muslim World" is quick interesting reading. Luongo's perface to the book is most note worthy. He presents the issue of homosexuality in a framework of identity versus practices which is thoughtful. I would recommend this book for students of sociology and African American studies who are focused on learning more about ascribed and achieved life roles within society.

John Barfield
Evanston, IL