Homosexuality is so taboo in Qatar that it doesn’t feature in public discourse, yet practically it very much exists. Being gay is frowned upon here, and a lot of people have this hate and anti-homosexual sentiment. But it’s complicated. I know of someone who has very homophobic views and is vocal in sharing these on social media. He is over-zealous in his views about his sexuality, even though he is gay. To deal with this, he travels – going to other countries to live out his reality. In Qatar, people who are gay can hide behind a veneer of extreme homophobic culture because it makes them safe from public scrutiny. Even those who are not very devout, practicing Muslims believe that someone like me has decided to be the way I am – they think this is not the way I have been born.