Saudi Gov Bans Gay Websites

SAUDI ARABIA – The Saudi Government continued its censorship identity crisis this week by finally deciding to ban all international gay and lesbian websites, including a local website called gaymiddleeast.com (GME), a supplier of news and information for the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender community of the middle east

The government's decision comes on the heels of a period of indecision over whether to allow its citizens access to information on gay and lesbian lifestyles.

Considered one of the most repressive governments still in existence, in a surprise move last year, the Saudi government let up on its tight censorship grip and allowed access to gay and lesbian sites, including GME.

But in a similarly unpredictable move, the government has resorted to previous censorship tactics this week and once again GME has been blocked from Saudi access, along with gaydar.com, 365gay.com and gay.com.

The owners of GME are not sure exactly when the ban occurred, and attempts so far to persuade the Saudi Government to enable access to the sites have proven ineffective.

"We are lodging an official complaint via these organizations to the Saudi authorities," GME's owners stated on the site, which can be accessed by other countries. "We will do all in our power to have the blockage removed from our website so that our readers in Saudi Arabia can once again access the site."

Copyright © 2026 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

Segpay Partners With Corey Silverstein for Legal Services

Segpay has partnered with adult industry attorney Corey D. Silverstein for specialized legal compliance and policy support for its merchant network.

AEBN Reveals Kasey Kei as Top Trans Star for Q2 of 2026

AEBN has named its top trans stars for the second quarter of 2026, with Kasey Kei landing atop the leaderboard.

Missouri Governor Signs Bill Making AV Regulations State Law

Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe signed a bill into law on Thursday requiring adult websites to age-verify users in the state, finalizing a legislative “stamp of approval” for AV rules after Missouri’s attorney general unilaterally imposed similar regulations last year.

Utherverse Launches 'Adult Game Fest' Virtual Convention

Virtual reality and metaverse technology company Utherverse is launching its inaugural Adult Game Fest convention and trade show, taking place Sept. 24-26.

Ofcom Fines Fapello $845,000 for AV Noncompliance

U.K. media regulator Ofcom on Thursday imposed a fine of 630,000 pounds (about $845,000) against adult website fapello.com for failing to comply with provisions of the Online Safety Act.

KiwiSourcing Joins Pineapple Support as Sponsor

Outsourcing and consulting firm KiwiSourcing has joined the ranks of over 70 adult businesses and organizations committing funds and resources to Pineapple Support.

AdultHTML Introduces AI-First Development Services

AdultHTML has introduced an AI-first development service, giving clients access to experienced software developers who use AI to streamline software development.

Texas Court Orders Adult Site Domain Locked for AV Violations

A district court in Texas has issued a writ requiring domain registry Verisign to “lock” an adult website’s domain over noncompliance with the state’s age verification law.

Adult Web Hosting Service 'QloudHost' Launches

QloudHost, a new web hosting service for adult websites, has launched.

Peter Hooke Launches New Paysite

Peter Hooke has launched an official website through PAYSITE.

Show More