By Majd Othman

KUWAIT: A street billboard campaign launched recently in Kuwait has created a huge controversy among citizens and experts, especially those supporting individual rights. The campaign against homosexuality has resulted in a variety of opinions from supporters and opponents on social media due to Kuwait’s Islamic and Arab traditions, which rejects homosexuality.

Human rights activists in Kuwait have expressed their disapproval against the billboard campaign, considering it offensive due to its interference in people’s freedoms. Moreover, they think the way it discusses homosexuality is aggressive. On the another hand, many citizens and residents expressed their approval of this campaign due its important role in rejecting homosexuality, especially with an international campaign that is trying to force homosexuality on people, especially children.

Kuwait Times explored reactions on social media. Shaikha, a Kuwaiti who is against the campaign, said: “There is no doubt that freedom of expression, openness to the world and the mixing of cultures led to the emergence of practices that existed in secret in the past and were kept silent. However, the way to address societal problems requires wisdom and experience of specialists in psychiatry, psychology and sociology. Publishing what stimulates discrimination and hatred will inevitably harm society.”

Another citizen, Mohammad, said: “Homosexuality is unquestionably rejected — by religion, by tradition, by society and by law; but people must be treated with respect and as human beings, as long as they do not promote this and are discreet, as is the case in our Arab and Islamic societies.”

Ebtihal, a Kuwaiti, also rejected such campaigns. “Why do they open our children’s eyes on things to ask about it? And what does this ad mean? An advertisement like this is not supposed to be shown in public streets!” she exclaimed. Hanof believes otherwise. “Our children need to be aware of such things before they get involved in them. Currently, most children know everything as YouTube and social media platforms have lots of social and cultural invasions,” she argued.

Ali, a Kuwaiti, questioned the people who are saying this campaign is aggressive. “The situation in European and American series is miserable! By force they want to make homosexuality a normal relationship! And by time, when people see these things in series, it will become normal for us to see and accept it, especially after Obama’s declaration to allow same-sex marriage. All series were ruined after this unfortunate decision,” he said.

Jalil disagreed, saying such campaigns need to rely on psychological methods, also stressing freedom of speech. “Foreign series, social media, individuals and international institutions call all day and night to promote homosexuality in crude and continuous ways with pornographic images, porn clips and porn plots, while all these toxins reach our underage children,” he said, adding, “all these things they call normal. But this campaign requires psychiatric input, study, experience, wisdom and specialization.”