A member of the royal Al Thani family in Qatar was granted asylum in the United Kingdom due to their transgender identity, as they feared for their safety in their homeland.
Transgender Member Of The Qatari Al Thani Royal Family Granted Asylum In The UK-‘Being Gay In Qatar Is Considered Punishable By Law And Death’
According to the Sunday Times, a female member of the ruling family, a sheikha, ran away from a minder while on a shopping trip in London in 2015 and hid in the UK with their girlfriend.
Qatar’s government has taken action against supporters of LGBTQ+ rights who had attended the World Cup by prohibiting them from wearing rainbow-coloured bucket hats and any other apparel in that regard. Khalid Salman, the World Cup Ambassador, described homosexuality as being something that damages the mind.
With that being said, documents revealed that the royal Al Thani member had no option but to leave the country: “Growing up in Qatar has been the most difficult thing I have had to do. I never wanted to be put in this body.
“I am born a female but was male on the inside. Being gay in Qatar is considered punishable by law and death. Qatar is extremely strict in Sharia.” The papers revealed that the sheikha was feeling despondent due to their lack of contentment with their physical form.
In 2015, they signed a legal document with a lawyer in attendance to alter their name to a masculine English one. Those in charge of processing asylum seekers in the UK were told that the their plan was to have a sex change operation and marry their partner.
In 2015, they were given permission to stay in the country as refugees for a period of five years. But this is something that has taken its toll. They stated: “I felt as though my life had been thrown in the garbage.
“I never wanted to marry my male cousins like the rest of my family. I am terrified for what my brothers are about to unleash. I am scared.” So there you have it folks.
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