Tag: Saudi Arabia

Nicki Minaj has cancelled her headline appearance at a Saudi Arabian music festival, Jeddah World Fest, citing the country’s longstanding violations of human rights for her decision. “While I want nothing more than to bring my show to fans in Saudi Arabia, after better educating myself on the issues, I believe it is important for me to make clear my support for the rights of women, the LGBTQ community and freedom of expression,” Minaj said in a statement to the...

Nicki Minaj has canceled a scheduled performance in Saudi Arabia, citing the nation’s abysmal treatment of LGBTQ people. Minaj previously announced the appearance as part of the Jeddah World Fest alongside fellow performers like Liam Payne. The decision to perform in Saudi Arabia, which has a poor record on human rights and a history of funding terrorist groups, drew immediate fire from watchdog groups like the Human Rights Campaign. Now Minaj has reconsidered her decision. She told the Associated Press: “After...

His father promised to kill him if he returned home A Saudi Arabia teen has killed himself after his family threatened to kill him after he came out as gay. Roshan, who lived in Riyadh, had tried to leave the country for Dubai. However, his father stole his passport. Feeling like there was no options left, he decided to take his own life. He was just 15. Saudi Arabia teen posted on Reddit asking for help In January, Roshan posted on Reddit asking for help. ‘I...

Earlier this year, Saudi Arabian prosecutors made a serious push to make demonstrating homosexuality in public or on social media punishable by death. To this day, those found guilty of sodomy run the risk of being sentenced to years of imprisonment, stiff fines, corporal punishment in the form of beatings, floggings, and lashings, and, in the most extreme cases, public execution. A man was arrested in March simply for raising a rainbow flag outside his home. There have been roughly “50 cases of...