Gulf state Oman will take legal action against a newspaper that published a queer-positive story, despite its front-page apology for doing so, Gay Star News reports.
According to Gulf Business, the Aug 29 story in the tabloid TheWeek, under the headline “The Outsiders,” noted that gay people in Oman were “finding new ways to live life the way they want to.”
The piece included interviews with Omanis and expatriates, with one interviewee saying it wasn’t difficult to be gay in Oman compared to other conservative Gulf states, Gulf Business says.
In a statement, Oman’s information ministry said it did not tolerate “harming society, its principles, religion, values, the dignity of its people or public manners through publishing what goes against media laws and regulations.”
TheWeek’s publisher, Saleh Zakwani, says “no harm was intended by the story.”
The paper has issued an apology: “TheWeek places on record that there was never any intention to knowingly or unknowingly cause harm, offend or hurt the sentiments of the people with our article last week, and we deeply and sincerely regret the article.”
Despite the apology, the paper has been suspended from publication, Gay Star News reports.
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