"Clinical screenings to 'detect' homosexuals" - What is actually being proposed?

I first saw the story in the Independent on Tuesday - Gulf states could have clinical screenings to 'detect' homosexuals and stop them entering the country.

The story was also reported in the Daily Mail (warning - link to Daily Mail below) - 

Gulf states to introduce medical testing on travellers to 'detect' gay people and stop them from entering the country

The key point was that Gulf Cooperation Countries (including Kuwait and Qatar) would be clinically screening expatriates and refusing entry to LGBT people.

Peter Tatchell then called on FIFA to move the 2022 World Cup from Qatar because of the tests.

My facebook and twitter feeds filled with lots of comments about how the proposal was homophobic (to say the least!). A good post summarising the objections was made by Stephen Glenn (Just what is the gay test?). 

Stephen's main points were that:

• there is no clinical test for sexual orientation, 
• that sexuality is not binary, 
• that any test would be based on stereotypes, and 
• that the presumption seems to be that there are no LGBT people in Kuwait.

As i agreed with all the points above, I wondered why such an impractical policy was being suggested. As an occasional traveller to Gulf countries, i also had a personal interest in what screening i may face in the future!

This morning a post on Fagburn (Qatar: What's (Really) Going On (In Kuwait)?) pointed me towards some more information on a blog written by Scott Long, an american human rights campaigner (Kuwait’s “medical screening for gays”: Truth, fiction, and why it’s not a “gay” issue)

Scott main points were that:

• this is a proposal from Kuwait - not an actual law in each country
• this is about employment screening - not screening visitors - and potential employees are already clinically screened
• the Gulf Cooperation Council finds it harder to agree joint policies about employment and visas than the EU does
• the screening appears to be for "third sex". This seems to correlate  to "transexuals" rather than to "homosexuals" - basically people who have genitals of one sex but present as a different one.
• that medical testing for sexual or gender deviance was a western creation (primarily by a Frenchman!)
• that Kuwait has reasons to worry about its borders - it's small, has lots of immigrants and has been invaded recently.

In summary, the proposed clinical screening is for potential employees in Kuwait rather than visitors to lots of Gulf countries. The screening would be for gender non-conformists rather than for homosexuals.

So myself (and other western visitors to the middle east) would not notice any difference. 

But this is still a ridiculous proposal, based on stereotypes, designed to discriminate against foreign workers in the middle east. It should be stopped.