Qatari doctor becomes first man in the country to come out as gay
gcn.ieThe Independent, the Qatari gay doctor said he was done remaining “anonymous” and that it was time for him to share his journey to accepting his sexuality, which was not an easy one.Homosexuality in Qatar is illegal and punishable by fines, jail time and, in regions where the Sharia law is applied more severely, queer people could actually face a death sentence.Moreover, growing up in a place where being queer is rejected so strongly has a profound impact on Qatari LGBTQ+ people, who have to face marginalisation, ostracisation from friends and family, and threats of violence.
As Mohamed explained, growing up in Qatar means growing up in a country where “male, macho, righteous and misogynistic culture” is the norm.A post shared by Nas Mohamed (@dr._nass)During the interview, Mohamed spoke about growing up in Qatar and how he feared he would be killed if anyone found out about his LGBTQ+ identity.
In all the years he spent living in the country, he wasn’t able to confide in anyone, as he grew up in an “extremely religious” household.He was only able to embrace his identity when he got out of the country and went on a trip to Las Vegas when he was in medical school in his 20s. “I walked into a gay club and I knew I was 100 percent gay,” he said “I went home and cried – I thought my life is in crisis.”Now, his outlook has changed and he fully embraces his identity as a queer man.
He is also aware of the need for the LGBTQ+ community to become more visible in his home country. “For us to change things for LGBTQ+ Qataris, we need more people to come out,” he said.A post shared by Nas Mohamed (@dr._nass)He also added: “I would like to share my views with my name, as a physician and as a Qatari citizen that still has parents and.
