Canadian trans model Gigi Gorgeous, a close friend of Kylie Jenner, was denied entry to the United Arab Emirates.
According to Gorgeous, she was detained at the Dubai airport for more than five hours.
"After being detained and held at the Dubai airport for over 5 hours, this was the moment my baby came to rescue me. 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. This further proves the need for CHANGE. I am now on my way to somewhere much more accepting. Safe and sound and happy. I love you guys," the model posted on Instagram.
"I was told you are transgender. You cannot come into the country," an immigration officer told Gorgeous, according to TMZ .
Airport police said that the issue was with the model's passport, which they claim identifies her as a male and shows her as a male. However, Gorgeous told TMZ that this is not true and that her passport was updated since her transition with her legal name, Gigi Loren.
On Tuesday, Gorgeous had tweeted her excitement for her upcoming trip...
Unfortunately, Dubai didn't turn out to be quite as dope as Gorgeous had hoped.
Although there is a growing international consensus that gender dysmorphia – a mismatch between an individual's biological sex and gender identity – is a medical condition that individuals should be able to treat by transitioning to the gender they identify with, the Arab world has lagged behind in recognizing transgender rights.
In 2013, Egypt legalized sex reassignment surgery and allowed transgender individuals to change their identification documents, joining Iran and Pakistan among Muslim states that recognize transgender rights.