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Gigi Gorgeous Was Held In A Dubai Airport For Being Transgender

She says it was ‘one of the scariest moments’ of her life

On Monday (August 8), Gigi Gorgeous posted a photo of herself lounging in a bikini to Instagram, with the caption: “Where’s somewhere you dream of traveling? I’ll be on a plane somewhere DOPE soon.” That “somewhere” was Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, where Gigi ended up being detained at the airport for five hours because she’s transgender.

Tuesday night, Gigi posted another photo of her hugging her friend Nats Getty, saying, “Yesterday was one of the scariest moments of my entire life and I wouldn’t wish it upon anyone. How you can be denied entry somewhere just because of who you are is seriously disgusting and also very scary.”

According to TMZ, Gigi said that her passport has been updated since her transition and now reads “Gigi Loren Lazzarato,” while airport police claim that it says she is male and includes a photo of her pre-transition. TMZ also notes that “imitation of women by men” is illegal in Dubai and those convicted can face up to a year of jail time.

Fortunately, Gigi is now on her way “to somewhere much more accepting” and celebrities like Miley Cyrus are sharing her story to raise awareness. Hopefully the incident can be a lesson for the world and incite movement for trans equality.

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