Dangerous Living: Coming Out in the Developing World

Dangerous Living: Coming Out in the Developing World is a 2003 documentary film directed by American filmmaker John Scagliotti about the issues experienced by gay, lesbian and transgender people in developing countries.[1] It was the first documentary film to explore these issues in non-Western countries.[2][3] It is narrated by actress and comedian Janeane Garofalo. It was produced by Janet Baus and Dan Hunt, both of whom had worked with Scagliotti on his previous film, After Stonewall.[4] The film focuses in particular on Cairo 52, a group of 52 Egyptian men who were arrested on board a floating gay nightclub in 2001. It features interviews with gay-rights activists from countries around the world including Honduras, Namibia, Pakistan, the Philippines and Vietnam.[5]

The film opens with the Cairo 52. In 2001, 52 Egyptian men were arrested on board the Queen Boat on the Nile, which was a gay disco.[1] With no specific law against homosexuality in Egypt, the men were arrested for debauchery.[6] They were tried and sentenced to between one and five years imprisonment.[3] Scagliotti interviews one of the men, Ashraf Zanati.[6]

Dangerous Living was screened at several international film festivals and was an official selection at the International Film Festival on Human Rights in Geneva.[7] It won Audience Awards at the Barcelona GLBT International Festival and the Hartford Alternatives Festival.[7] It was also shown at the 2003 San Francisco International Lesbian & Gay Film Festival (Frameline) and the 2005 Boston Gay & Lesbian Film Festival.[5][8] The film had its US broadcast premiere on May 11, 2005 on the here! network, with an introduction by former US ambassador James Hormel.[3] This coincided with the fourth anniversary of Cairo 52. It was released on DVD by First Run Features on May 24, 2005, as part of their "Human Rights Watch Collection".[3][7] Dennis Harvey reviewed the film for Variety; he called it "workmanlike and at times [...] cluttered" but "fascinating and educational."[9]