Hey, Faggot:

These locals also claimed some women have been kidnapped from their own countries, such as France and Italy. I figured someone on your staff, or maybe you, might be knowledgeable in this area. Are these stories true? –Fox Valley

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According to someone on my staff, your letter–with references to white slavers and rapacious sheikhs–smacks of pernicious anti-Arab stereotypes. “Her sister’s friend ‘disappeared in one of those Arab countries’?” remarked Kevin, the sole member of my staff. “I’m not one to throw around the word ‘racist,’ but this question seems like a racist fantasy to me.” Kevin has a hard time being objective about Arab issues, however, as he is of North African descent; Kevin’s mother and father are Bedouins who emigrated to North America in the early 60s from Morocco, an “Arab country.”

“While incidents of violence are rare, purse snatching, pick-pocketing and petty theft are not uncommon. Unescorted women are vulnerable to sexual harassment.” The State Department suggests travelers to Egypt “check with local authorities before embarking on off-road travel….

Speaking of exciting travel experiences, you were probably wondering who won the Savage Love trivia contest and the trip to Las Vegas. Frankly, so was I. I had intended to announce the winner in last week’s column but due to personal problems was unable to do so. Kevin, in an old Bedouin good-luck ritual, buried all the contest entries under a bush in a park and then, in an another old Bedouin ritual, smoked some hash and forgot which park. Finally, with the help of an aromatherapist, Kevin was able to remember where the 500 contest entries were, and now, without further ado, the winner of the Savage Love trivia contest:

So why don’t you join us? If all goes well, we’ll win some money and–who knows?–we might hook up with some of them “Arab tourists” and implode Circus Circus ourselves!