Kev Maxen be first male ach a US men’s pro sports league to publicly e out as gay | CNN

Contents:

• KEV MAXEN BE FIRST MALE ACH A US MEN’S PROFSNAL SPORTS LEAGUE TO PUBLICLY E OUT AS GAY
• THIS IS WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE GAY BNEI, WHERE HOMOSEXUALY IS NOW PUNISHABLE BY BEG STONED TO DEATH
• JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS ASSISTANT STRENGTH ACH KEV MAXEN OUT PUBLICLY AS GAY
• JAGUARS STRENGTH COACH KEV MAXEN COM OUT AS GAY
• BNEI TO PUNISH GAY SEX AND ADULTERY WH ATH BY STONG
• PRCE AZIM, THE BILLNAIRE GAY SON OF BNEI’S TERRIFYGLY HOMOPHOBIC SULTAN, DI AGED 38
• THIS IS WHAT IT’S LIKE TO BE GAY BNEI, WHERE LGBT PEOPLE CAN NOW GET STONED TO DEATHLIFE AND DEATHPHOTO ILLTRATN BY SARAH ROGERS/THE DAILY BEAST/PHOTO COURTY SHAHIRAN SHAHRANIWEDNDAY, SPE WORLD OUTRAGE, BNEI LEGALIZ THE STONG TO ATH OF LGBT PEOPLE. A GAY ASYLUM SEEKER OM THE UNTRY SCRIB A SRED LGBT POPULATN ‘GOG UNRGROUND.’TIM TEEMANSENR EDOR AND WRERUPDATED APR. 03, 2019 10:40AM EDT / PUBLISHED APR. 03, 2019 4:58AM EDT SHAHIRANSHERIFFUDD B SHAHRANI MUHAMMAD, A GAY ASYLUM SEEKER OM BNEI NOW LIVG VANUVER, HAS BEEN TALKG TO IENDS BNEI ABOUT THE LAW TO STONE GAYS TO ATH, WHICH TO EFFECT WEDNDAY, APRIL 3.“SHAH” (AS HIS IENDS KNOW HIM) TOLD THE DAILY BEAST HIS GAY IENDS WERE NERVO, AAID, AND BEG MORE AND MORE ISOLATED AS THE IMPACT OF THE NEW LAW HS HOME. HE WANTED TO E HIS FULL NAME, HE SAID. IT MAK HIM FEEL SAFER TO BE OPEN.THE LAW THE SOUTHEAST ASIAN UNTRY, LED BY THE SULTAN OF BNEI AS AN ABSOLUTE MONARCHY, WILL IMPOSE ATH BY STONG OR WHIPPG FOR SODOMY, ADULTERY OR RAPE, AND AMPUTATN OF A HAND OR FOOT FOR THEFT.FOLLOWG TERNATNAL OUTRAGE, THE BNEI PRIME MISTER’S OFFICE CLAIMED AN UNAPOLOGETIC, DOUBLG-DOWN STATEMENT THAT THE NEW ANTI-GAY STONG LAW WAS TEND “TO TE, RPECT AND PROTECT THE LEGIMATE RIGHTS OF ALL DIVIDUALS, SOCIETY OR NATNALY OF ANY FAHS AND RACE.” GEE CLOONEY AND ELTON JOHN HAVE LLED FOR BOYTTS OF THE SULTAN’S TERNATNAL HOTELS, WHILE—AFTER NEARLY 24 HOURS OF IGNORG DAILY BEAST REQUTS FOR MENT LAST WEEK—THE U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT TOLD EXCLIVELY THAT THE TMP ADMISTRATN WAS “NCERNED” ABOUT THE NEW STONG LAW, BUT WOULD NOT NMN BNEI FOR TRODUCG . BRA, THE EUROPEAN UNN, AND THE U.N. HAVE ALL NMNED THE LAW. FOR GAY PEOPLE THE UNTRY, THE PRACTIL IMPLITNS OF THE NEW LAW ARE SKG . IN A UNTRY WHERE HOMOSEXUALY IS ILLEGAL, LGBT PEOPLE ARE ALREADY UT AND PRIVATE; THIS NEW LAW, SAID SHAH, HAS MA THEM EVEN MORE FEARFULLY SO.“I THK WE ALL THK THE SAME THG: THE BURN OF PROOF IS HIGH,” SAID SHAH. “FOUR PEOPLE HAVE TO HAVE SEEN YOU HAVE GAY SEX. IMAGE THAT, UNLS ’S AN Y, AND YOU ALL TTIFY AGAST EACH OTHER. PEOPLE MAKE JOK LIKE THAT, BUT THERE IS NOTHG TO LGH AT.”“PEOPLE ARE BEG PARANOID,” SAID SHAH. “THEY ARE NERVO ABOUT TALKG TO EACH OTHER. THGS WILL GO UNRGROUND.” AND THIS A UNTRY ALREADY WHOUT LGBT MEETG PLAC OR GROUPS. GAY MEN MEET EACH OTHER G SOCIAL WORKG APPS.A FACEBOOK POST SHAH WROTE CRIL OF THE ERNMENT’S THEN-NEW GUIL ABOUT HALAL CERTIFITN LED TO SHAH BEG CHARGED WH SEDN 2017. “PEOPLE WOULDN’T TALK TO ME, IENDS WOULDN’T TALK TO ME. EVENTUALLY, I TOOK AN ILLEGAL TAXI ACROSS THE BORR TO MALAYSIA. I MA SURE NO ONE WAS FOLLOWG ME,” HE SAID. HE ARRIVED CANADA SEPTEMBER 2018. ADVERTISEMENT SHAH REMDS HIS IENDS THAT EVEN IF A BURN OF PROOF ISN’T REACHED, HOMOSEXUALY IS STILL ILLEGAL BNEI AND GAYS N STILL BE THROWN JAIL FOR UP TO 10 YEARS OR FACE A SIZABLE FE. “OR ALL OF THAT ALL AT ONCE. THEN THERE’S THE SHAME AND GUILT OF ALL, YOU WILL BE NSTANTLY REMD OF BY YOUR FAY.” “ANOTHER IEND HAS HAD A PARTNER OF 10 YEARS. THEY JT CID NOT TO SEE EACH OTHER SO MUCH. THEY ARE AAID OF BEG DISVERED. AND THEY HAVE BEEN TOGETHER FOR 10 YEARS! THIS IS WHAT THIS LAW DO; MAK GAY PEOPLE PARANOID, NERVO, MISTSTFUL.” “MY BT IEND AND I SPOKE,” SHAH SAID. “HE TOLD ME, HE AND OTHER LGBT PEOPLE ARE STOPPG TALKG TO EACH OTHER, BEE THEY ARE WORRIED ABOUT PEOPLE FDG OUT ABOUT THEM. ANOTHER IEND HAS HAD A PARTNER OF 10 YEARS. THEY JT CID NOT TO SEE EACH OTHER SO MUCH. THEY ARE AAID OF BEG DISVERED. AND THEY HAVE BEEN TOGETHER FOR 10 YEARS! THIS IS WHAT THIS LAW DO; MAK GAY PEOPLE PARANOID, NERVO, MISTSTFUL. A LOT OF GAY PEOPLE WILL TRY AND ISOLATE THEMSELV OM OTHER PEOPLE TO BE PLETELY SAFE,” SAID SHAH. “I’M NOT SURE HOW LONG WILL GO ON FOR. A LOT OF PEOPLE WILL SEE PSYCHIATRISTS AND PSYCHOLOGISTS.”SHAH’S IENDS HOPE THEY WON’T FALL FOUL OF THE NEW LAW OR BE AFFECTED BY , BUT SHAH HAS REMD THEM HAS HAPPENED TO HIM. HE NNOT LIVE HIS HOMELAND, HE IS TRANGED OM HIS FAY. HE HAS HAD TO START A NEW LIFE. A 40-YEAR-OLD OUT-GAY CRIC OF THE SULTAN OF BNEI’S REGIME, HE FEARS FOR HIS LIFE IF HE IS MA TO RETURN TO THE UNTRY, PECIALLY GIVEN THE NEW LAW.“LGBT+ PEOPLE BNEI DON'T OFTEN TALK OPENLY ABOUT THGS LIKE THIS AND THIS IS NO EXCEPTN,” SAID MATTHEW WOOLFE, FOUNR OF HUMAN RIGHTS GROUP THE BNEI PROJECT. “FOR THE MOST PART, THEY TEND TO TRY TO LAY LOW AND GET THROUGH . FROM THOSE LGBT+ WH WHOM I HAVE NNECTED WH, THERE IS A REAL FEAR ABOUT THE LAWS AND WHAT IS GOG TO HAPPEN TO THEM. I KNOW OF ONE PERSON WHO IS NSIRG LEAVG THE UNTRY AND AM AWARE OF ANOTHER WHO HAS ALREADY DONE SO OUT OF FEAR ABOUT WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS.”THERE IS LTLE CHANCE OF PERSUADG THE ERNMENT OF BNEI TO REVERSE S CISN. ADVERTISEMENT “THE MENCEMENT ORR (FOR THE NEW LAW) IS AN OFFICIAL ERNMENT ORR THAT WAS POSTED ON THE WEBSE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S CHAMBERS SO THERE IS EVERY REASON TO BELIEVE THAT THE GOVERNMENT IS SER ABOUT IMPLEMENTG THE FAL PHAS (OF THE SYARIAH PENAL CO),” WOOLFE TOLD THE DAILY BEAST. “AFTER YEARS OF REPEATEDLY LAYG IMPLEMENTATN, THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME THE GOVERNMENT GAVE AN ACTUAL DATE FOR THE LAWS TO E TO EFFECT. TO NOW NOT PROCEED WH IMPLEMENTATN AFTER MTG TO A DATE WOULD UNRME THE GOVERNMENT’S CREDIBILY.”“WHAT WE WANT TO SEE MOST OF ALL IS DIPLOMATIC PRSURE PLACED ON BNEI,” SAID WOOLFE. “I THK THAT IS THE BT CHANCE WE HAVE OF SEEG THE LAWS REVOKED SO I ENURAGE PEOPLE TO LOBBY THEIR ERNMENTS TO TAKE ACTN. GOVERNMENTS SHOULD BE TAKG EVERY OPPORTUNY TO PLACE WHATEVER PRSURE THEY N ON BNEI TO REVOKE THE LAWS. THEY NEED TO STOP BEG SO PASSIVE THEIR APPROACH AND REALLY APPLY PRSURE. THEY NEED TO MAKE THE VLATORS OF HUMAN RIGHTS BELIEVE THAT IS THEIR BT TERTS TO STOP THE VLATNS.”“I THK THAT IS VERY UNLIKELY THAT THE LAWS BEG TRODUCED WILL BE REVERSED OR REVOKED ONCE IMPLEMENTED,” SAID WOOLFE. “I THK THAT ALL WE N HOPE FOR AT BT IS THAT THEY ARE NEVER RRIED OUT AND THERE IS A GOOD CHANCE THAT THEY WON'T BE.” ON TUDAY, WHEN ASKED BY THE DAILY BEAST, SECRETARY OF STATE MIKE POMPEO AND THE STATE DEPARTMENT AGA WOULD NOT DIRECTLY NMN THE NEW LAW. ON TUDAY EVENG, ROBERT PALLADO, THE PARTMENT'S PUTY SPOKPERSON, REISSUED STATEMENTS ALREADY SENT TO THE DAILY BEAST LAST FRIDAY. ADVERTISEMENT “BNEI’S CISN TO IMPLEMENT PHAS TWO AND THREE OF THE SHARIA PENAL CO AND ASSOCIATED PENALTI NS UNTER TO S TERNATNAL HUMAN RIGHTS OBLIGATNS, CLUDG WH RPECT TO TORTURE OR OTHER CEL, HUMAN OR GRADG TREATMENT OR PUNISHMENT.“ALL ERNMENTS HAVE AN OBLIGATN TO ENSURE THAT ALL PEOPLE N EELY ENJOY THE UNIVERSAL HUMAN RIGHTS AND FUNDAMENTAL EEDOMS TO WHICH THEY ARE ENTLED. THE UNED STAT STRONGLY OPPOS VLENCE, CRIMALIZATN AND DISCRIMATN TARGETG VULNERABLE GROUPS, CLUDG WOMEN AT RISK OF VLENCE, RELIG AND ETHNIC MORI, AND LBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, TRANSGENR AND TERSEX (LGBTI) PERSONS.“WE NTUE TO ENURAGE BNEI TO RATIFY AND IMPLEMENT THE UNED NATNS CONVENTN AGAST TORTURE, WHICH SIGNED 2015, AND TO SIGN, RATIFY, AND IMPLEMENT THE INTERNATNAL COVENANT ON CIVIL AND POLIL RIGHTS.”AS WELL AS CLG TO NMN BNEI, THE STATE DEPARTMENT DID NOT RPOND TO QUTNS OM THE DAILY BEAST ON THE EXISTENCE OR NATURE OF ANY DISCSNS SECRETARY OF STATE POMPEO OR OFFICIALS HAD HAD WH THE BNEI ERNMENT ABOUT THE NEW LAW. SHAH WAS BORN AND BOUGHT UP BNEI, THOUGH HE ATTEND BOARDG SCHOOL BRA. HE SPENT 11 YEARS THE U.K. OM 17 TO 28, WHERE HE LIVED A MORE OPEN GAY LIFE AND HAD BOYIENDS, THEN RETURNED TO BNEI AND WORKED HEALTH PROMOTN. IT “BEME MORE AND MORE TRATG” OM GOG OM LIVG AN OUT LIFE TO A CLOSETED ONE. ADVERTISEMENT “BNEI IS A VERY NSERVATIVE UNTRY, POLICS, RELIGN AND SOCIAL VIEWS,” SAID WOOLFE. “IT IS VERY HARD FOR PEOPLE TO TLY EXPRS THEMSELV AND THIS GO FOR NOT ONLY LGBT+ BUT EVERYONE REALLY. IT IS HARR FOR LGBT+ THOUGH BEE THEY ARE EXPECTED TO NFORM TO CERTA IAS AND VIEWS ABOUT HOW THEY SHOULD ACT, LOOK AND LIVE THEIR LIV. “THERE ARE ALSO NO MUNY-FOCED SERVIC AVAILABLE WH THE UNTRY THAT N PROVI LGBT+ PEOPLE WH RMATN AND SUPPORT, SO LGBT+ OFTEN HAVE TO RELY ON THEIR OWN PRIVATE WORKS FOR THAT SUPPORT AND IF THEY DON'T HAVE A STRONG WORK OF PEOPLE THEY N TST, N BE VERY LONELY.  “PL, THERE IS ALSO THE FACT THAT HOMOSEXUAL ACTS HAVE A LONG HISTORY OF CRIMALIZATN BNEI, WHICH EXTENDS BACK TO THE TIME OF BRISH LONIAL LE, AND THIS HELPS ADD TO THE STIGMA SURROUNDG LGBT+.” “I THK LGBT PEOPLE, LGBT MLIMS, ARE A TT OF THE TABLISHED RELIGN. I WAS BORN THIS WAY, WHAT ARE THEY GOG TO DO ABOUT THAT? THEY NMN , BUT GOD MA THIS WAY. BY CRIMALIZG , KILLG , THEY ARE FAILG GOD’S TT, THEY ARE SAYG THAT GOD IS WRONG.” SHAH’S MLIM FAH NTU TO MEAN A LOT TO HIM. HE GREW UP KNOWG THAT BEG LGBT WAS WRONG HIS RELIGN. “BUT THIS IS MY FAH. I STILL PRAY FIVE TIM A DAY, OBSERVE RAMADAN. MY FAH IS VERY STRONG. I STILL NSIR MYSELF A MLIM. I THK LGBT PEOPLE, LGBT MLIMS, ARE A TT OF THE TABLISHED RELIGN. I WAS BORN THIS WAY, WHAT ARE THEY GOG TO DO ABOUT THAT? THEY NMN , BUT GOD MA THIS WAY. BY CRIMALIZG , KILLG , THEY ARE FAILG GOD’S TT, THEY ARE SAYG THAT GOD IS WRONG.”ASKED WHAT BEG GAY BNEI WAS LIKE, SHAH SAID, “QUIET. IT’S EASY ENOUGH TO FD PEOPLE IF YOU HAVE THE APP. AND THE APP IS A GREAT METAPHOR TO SCRIBE THE LGBT MUNY BNEI: YOU WON’T SEE ANY FACE ON UNLS IS A FOREIGNER’S. EVEN WHEN YOU MEET SOMEONE EHER ONE OF YOU N BE SO NERVO INTIFYG THE OTHER PUBLIC THAT YOU SOMETIM DON’T MEET. THAT’S HOW REFUL PEOPLE ARE. YOU DON’T GIVE REAL NAM, OR WHERE YOU WORK. PEOPLE HI, AND PUTS GREAT STRA ON YOUR RELATNSHIPS IF YOU FALL LOVE.” ADVERTISEMENT SHAH FELL LOVE WH ONLY ONE BNEIAN MAN. THEY WERE TOGETHER FOR FIVE YEARS, BUT EVENTUALLY THE BOYIEND’S FAY TOLD HIM THAT HE SHOULDN’T SEE SHAH ANY MORE. THEY WERE WORRIED THAT THEIR NEIGHBORS HAD NOTICED SHAH G TO VIS TOO MUCH. “WE TRIED TO KEEP ON GOG, BUT GOT TOO DIFFICULT. WE HAD NORMAL RELATNSHIP ISSU, AND ALL OF THE OTHER STUFF OF BEG GAY BNEI ON TOP OF THAT. IT WAS TOO MUCH.”A BNEI-BASED PSYCHIATRIST HE SAW HAD BEEN HELPFUL AND POSIVE. SOME, HE SAID, TELL LGBT CLIENTS “TO ACT STRAIGHT SO THEY N FLY UNR THE RADAR. THEY ARE NOT SAYG BEG GAY IS WRONG—I HAVE NEVER HEARD ANY PSYCHIATRIST SAY THAT—BUT THIS UNTRY IS MORE ADVICE TO BE SAFE. GROWG UP, I TRIED TO BE ‘STRAIGHT ACTG.’ THOSE WHO ACTED ‘GAY' WERE SEEN AS GAY OR TRANS. BNEIANS DON’T MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO. IT’S SO SCREWED UP, AND THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE TRANS HAVE THE WORST OF THE HASSLE AND BAD ATTUS BEE THEY ARE THE MOST VISIBLE.”AS A BOY, SHAH HAD BEEN ATTRACTED TO OTHER BOYS, BUT “NEVER ADMTED” TO HIMSELF. “I HAD GIRLIENDS, BUT PREFERRED LOOKG AT THEIR EX-BOYIENDS,” HE SAID. “BOARDG SCHOOL ENGLAND WAS AS HOMOPHOBIC AS BNEI SOMETIM.” HE ME OUT THE U.K. AT UNIVERSY.HIS MOTHER WOULD “THROW SPICNS” HIS FACE ABOUT THE IENDS HE BOUGHT HOME TO PLAY GAM WH—“BUT MOSTLY THEY WERE STRAIGHT AND WE WERE PLAYG WORLD OF WARCRAFT.”HIS SISTER WOULD NEVER STOP MATCHMAKG. HIS CHE FATHER WOULD TRY TO PAIR HIM WH “NICE CHE GIRLS.” TO PE, SHAH WOULD GO TO GAY BARS “KK,” KOTA KABALU, MALAYSIA.“NONE OF MY FAY ACCEPT THE FACT I AM GAY. WHEN I ME OUT TO MY SISTER OVER THE PHONE OM HERE, I SAID, ‘YOU DO KNOW I’M GAY.’ SHE SAID FOR THE LNTH TIME THAT SHE HOPED I WOULD FD ‘THE RIGHT GIRL.’ IN HER OWN WAY SHE’S TRYG TO UNRSTAND.” ADVERTISEMENT HE ME OUT BY TEXT TO HIS PARENTS. “I TOLD THEM BEE I’M BEG OPEN, AND TELLG THE MEDIA ABOUT WHAT IS LIKE TO BE GAY BNEI. THAT’S WHY MY FAY ISN’T TALKG TO ME. I LOVE THEM VERY MUCH, AND A WAY I’M GLAD THEY’RE NOT TALKG TO ME. I DIDN’T FEEL SAFE, BUT I HAVE FELT MORE SAFE NAMG MYSELF AND SHARG MY STORY. I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW THAT I AM HERE, WHO I AM, AND WHAT MY STORY IS. “I FEAR FOR MY LIFE IF I EVER GO BACK. I HAVE NEVER ENUNTERED ANYONE LIKE ME BEFORE: SOMEBODY OPENLY GAY OM BNEI. I KNOW I’VE PISSED OFF THE THORI.” “IN BNEI I AM SEEN AS A TRAOR, SO THIS WAY MY FAY N CLAIM NO KNOWLEDGE OF ME AND BE SAFE OM THE THORI. DISTANT FAY MEMBERS KEEP AN EYE ON THEM FOR ME. I LIKE TO THK WE N REPAIR OUR RELATNSHIP TIME.”HE DON’T KNOW WHEN HE WILL SEE HIS FAY AGA. “I FEAR FOR MY LIFE IF I EVER GO BACK. I HAVE NEVER ENUNTERED ANYONE LIKE ME BEFORE: SOMEBODY OPENLY GAY OM BNEI. I KNOW I’VE PISSED OFF THE THORI. PEOPLE WHO WORK THE CIVIL SERVICE HAVE TOLD ME TO BE REFUL IF I GO BACK. THEY WON’T LET WHAT I’VE SAID GO. I DON’T THK THEY’D EXECUTE ME STRAIGHT OFF. THERE WOULD BE A SHOW TRIAL.”AS WELL AS THE THORI, SHAH IS ALSO NERVO ABOUT THE POSSIBILY OF MOB VLENCE AGAST LGBT PEOPLE BNEI. HE IS ALSO NCERNED WH THE NEW SHARIA LAWS AFFECT WOMEN. A FEMALE IEND HAS A NON-MLIM MALE PARTNER, WHO HE IS NCERNED FOR—"ANYONE WHO THEIR PRIVATE LIV GO AGAST WHAT THE LAW SAYS.”CLOONEY AND JOHN’S HOTEL BOYTT WOULD HAVE NO MATERIAL EFFECT, HE SAID, BUT WAS STILL A EFUL TERNATNAL AWARENS-RAISG EXERCISE. “THERE IS ALSO THE ASIAN NCEPT OF ‘HAVG FACE’ AND TRYG TO PRERVE THAT—AND BNEIANS BEG AWARE OF THE TRIMENTAL WAY THE WORLD SE THEM.” ADVERTISEMENT EVEN IF THE ANTI-LGBT LAWS WERE CHANGED, SHAH SAID, “THE CULTURE WOULD HAVE TO CHANGE TOO. IT WOULD TAKE A LOT, A REVOLUTN POLIL AND PUBLIC ATTUS TO MAKE BNEIANS OK WH PEOPLE BEG LGBT.” “IF YOU NNOT GET OUT, I WOULD SAY TO GO TO SEE A PSYCHIATRIST OR PSYCHOLOGIST WHO N HELP YOU FD THE HEALTHIT WAY TO SURVIVE THIS, AND FEEL OK ABOUT YOURSELF.” IN VANUVER, SHAH IS PLANNG ON GETTG A WORK PERM AND THEN A JOB, MAYBE HEALTH PROMOTN AS HE WAS BNEI, OR DO SOMETHG TO ‘GIVE BACK TO THE MUNY,’ LIKE VOLUNTEERG. AND “FD SOMEBODY TO SETTLE DOWN TO LIVE WH.”VANUVER IS A BIG CY, SHAH SAID, BUT HAS QUE A SMALL GAY SCENE. “I WAS OUT SHOPPG AND SAW TWO MEN HOLDG HANDS. FIRST, I THOUGHT, ‘WHY N’T I HAVE THAT? WHEN N I HAVE THAT?’ AND THEN I THOUGHT, ‘THERE AREN’T SO MANY GAY BARS HERE BEE PEOPLE LERALLY DON’T NEED THEM.’”TO LGBT PEOPLE BNEI, SHAH SAYS, “STAY SAFE, TRY TO GET OUT.” “I HAVE NO HOPE REALLY,” HE ADD. “IF YOU NNOT GET OUT, I WOULD SAY TO GO TO SEE A PSYCHIATRIST OR PSYCHOLOGIST WHO N HELP YOU FD THE HEALTHIT WAY TO SURVIVE THIS, AND FEEL OK ABOUT YOURSELF. HELP STRENGTHEN YOUR MENTAL FENS—ANYTHG TO GET THROUGH .” TIM TEEMAN

KEV MAXEN BE FIRST MALE ACH A US MEN’S PROFSNAL SPORTS LEAGUE TO PUBLICLY E OUT AS GAY

In a sea of nned cktails, Gay Water wants to stand out. In other words, where Bud Light has buckled unr prsure as bigotry grows agast the LGBTQ+ muny, Gay Water’s creator Spencer Hodson wants his new boozy brand to be the anthis of that. “The key issue that Bud Light tapped to was the fact that they didn’t unrstand their re dience and know enough about them,” Hodson, a gay man, told CNN about the ntroversy that began when the Anhser-Bch beer brand sent fluencer Dylan Mulvaney a n of beer.

Gay Water, however, is out and proud.

The nned cktail is named after a lloquialism given to the popular mixed drk (vodka and soda) orred at bars by the gay muny. “Puttg a product wh the word gay the tle is reprentatn self,” which he hop reclaims the word om the negativy ’s sometim associated wh.

THIS IS WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE GAY BNEI, WHERE HOMOSEXUALY IS NOW PUNISHABLE BY BEG STONED TO DEATH

He thought of creatg Gay Water about a year ago while on a vatn wh his iend that had got a job wh the beverage dtry. The two chatted about the limed amount of gay people wh , and wh Hodson burnt out om his tradnal day job tech, started the nned cktail. Hodson built up a strong social media followg on TikTok and Instagram durg Covid-19 and is g some of the money om that (as well as om iends and fay) to help fund Gay Water.

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS ASSISTANT STRENGTH ACH KEV MAXEN OUT PUBLICLY AS GAY

“Gay is an umbrella term and the ia behd the brand is to be as clive as possible, which means we want alli, we want straight people to be part of this muny we’re buildg.”.

For now, Gay Water is sold largely onle (wh a few retailers) and four sugar-ee flavors — watermelon, lime, peach and grapeu — at lnch. Gay Water might not have the ep pockets pared to s petors, like Whe Claw, but “even at small sle, pani of many siz are havg succs makg spir-based seltzers and premixed cktails,” Bryan Roth, an analyst for Feel Goods Company and edor of the alhol beverage newsletter, Sightl+, told CNN. “There’s lots of space the spir-based seltzer tegory which Gay Water n play, pecially if the brand n offer a cultural or emotnal nnectn that will feel more excg than the prospect of another peapple-flavored vodka seltzer om natnal or ternatnal rporatns,” Roth said.

Of urse, other drks e the word “gay,” too, cludg Gay Beer and So Gay Rosé, Hodson noted, which are also tryg to reach the queer muny and offer them an alternative the straight-domated space. Kev Maxen has bee the first male ach a US men’s profsnal sports league to e out as gay. Per Outsports, as of September 2022, there have only ever been 16 players NFL history to publicly e out as gay or bisexual.

JAGUARS STRENGTH COACH KEV MAXEN COM OUT AS GAY

Carl Nassib beme the first active NFL player league history to announce that he is gay 2021. Per Outsports, Maxen is the “first publicly out male ach a major Amerin men’s pro sports league, ” wh WNBA ach Curt Miller, who publicly me out to the media as gay 2015, also a publicly out male ach an Amerin profsnal sports league. ’s sexualy was a closely guard secret even before Bnei this week enacted the fal phase of s dranian new penal , which clus ath by stong for people found guilty of gay sex or adultery.

Homosexualy has long been outlawed the ty, Mlim-majory Southeast Asian natn.

In addn to penalizg gay sex wh ath by stong, Bnei now prcrib the punishment for extramaral sex, abortn and blasphemg the Prophet Mohammed.

BNEI TO PUNISH GAY SEX AND ADULTERY WH ATH BY STONG

“I’d hate to be the first gay man to be tried unr the [new] system, ” says Shahrani, who is seekg asylum Canada after he says he was charged by the Bnei ernment for a cril Facebook post. A group of "gay furry" hackers has been releasg rmatn om US state ernments. SiegedSec, a self-scribed group of gay furry hackers, took s skills to state ernments late June, breachg agenci across five stat and releasg a wealth of data.The stat targeted on June 27 were Texas, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, and South Carola.

PRCE AZIM, THE BILLNAIRE GAY SON OF BNEI’S TERRIFYGLY HOMOPHOBIC SULTAN, DI AGED 38

"We are also actually gay furri, I've seen untls people doubt that aspect of our group.". "Uwu gay furri pwn you~ We'll be back aga soon to ntue our chaos and stctn!"Some news outlets, such as Them, raised ncerns that the group's actns uld expose random people to harm, not jt the targeted ernments.

In Augt 2016, openly gay skier G Kenworthy was attendance for one of Azim's glzy star-studd affairs. Clooney noted that Bolikah owned "nice hotels" and that the "people who work there are kd, " but argued that supportg the hotels only aids "puttg money directly to the pockets of men who choose to stone and whip to ath their own cizens for beg gay or acced of adultery. Jacksonville Jaguars assistant strength and ndng ach Kev Maxen cid on Thursday to e out publicly as gay hop of livg his life whout fear and to spire others.

Before jog Jacksonville’s achg staff, he was a strength ach for the football teams at Baylor and Febary 2022, Maxen reached out to NFL player Carl Nassib, who me out as gay 2021, to seek advice.

THIS IS WHAT IT’S LIKE TO BE GAY BNEI, WHERE LGBT PEOPLE CAN NOW GET STONED TO DEATHLIFE AND DEATHPHOTO ILLTRATN BY SARAH ROGERS/THE DAILY BEAST/PHOTO COURTY SHAHIRAN SHAHRANIWEDNDAY, SPE WORLD OUTRAGE, BNEI LEGALIZ THE STONG TO ATH OF LGBT PEOPLE. A GAY ASYLUM SEEKER OM THE UNTRY SCRIB A SRED LGBT POPULATN ‘GOG UNRGROUND.’TIM TEEMANSENR EDOR AND WRERUPDATED APR. 03, 2019 10:40AM EDT / PUBLISHED APR. 03, 2019 4:58AM EDT SHAHIRANSHERIFFUDD B SHAHRANI MUHAMMAD, A GAY ASYLUM SEEKER OM BNEI NOW LIVG VANUVER, HAS BEEN TALKG TO IENDS BNEI ABOUT THE LAW TO STONE GAYS TO ATH, WHICH TO EFFECT WEDNDAY, APRIL 3.“SHAH” (AS HIS IENDS KNOW HIM) TOLD THE DAILY BEAST HIS GAY IENDS WERE NERVO, AAID, AND BEG MORE AND MORE ISOLATED AS THE IMPACT OF THE NEW LAW HS HOME. HE WANTED TO E HIS FULL NAME, HE SAID. IT MAK HIM FEEL SAFER TO BE OPEN.THE LAW THE SOUTHEAST ASIAN UNTRY, LED BY THE SULTAN OF BNEI AS AN ABSOLUTE MONARCHY, WILL IMPOSE ATH BY STONG OR WHIPPG FOR SODOMY, ADULTERY OR RAPE, AND AMPUTATN OF A HAND OR FOOT FOR THEFT.FOLLOWG TERNATNAL OUTRAGE, THE BNEI PRIME MISTER’S OFFICE CLAIMED AN UNAPOLOGETIC, DOUBLG-DOWN STATEMENT THAT THE NEW ANTI-GAY STONG LAW WAS TEND “TO TE, RPECT AND PROTECT THE LEGIMATE RIGHTS OF ALL DIVIDUALS, SOCIETY OR NATNALY OF ANY FAHS AND RACE.” GEE CLOONEY AND ELTON JOHN HAVE LLED FOR BOYTTS OF THE SULTAN’S TERNATNAL HOTELS, WHILE—AFTER NEARLY 24 HOURS OF IGNORG DAILY BEAST REQUTS FOR MENT LAST WEEK—THE U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT TOLD EXCLIVELY THAT THE TMP ADMISTRATN WAS “NCERNED” ABOUT THE NEW STONG LAW, BUT WOULD NOT NMN BNEI FOR TRODUCG . BRA, THE EUROPEAN UNN, AND THE U.N. HAVE ALL NMNED THE LAW. FOR GAY PEOPLE THE UNTRY, THE PRACTIL IMPLITNS OF THE NEW LAW ARE SKG . IN A UNTRY WHERE HOMOSEXUALY IS ILLEGAL, LGBT PEOPLE ARE ALREADY UT AND PRIVATE; THIS NEW LAW, SAID SHAH, HAS MA THEM EVEN MORE FEARFULLY SO.“I THK WE ALL THK THE SAME THG: THE BURN OF PROOF IS HIGH,” SAID SHAH. “FOUR PEOPLE HAVE TO HAVE SEEN YOU HAVE GAY SEX. IMAGE THAT, UNLS ’S AN Y, AND YOU ALL TTIFY AGAST EACH OTHER. PEOPLE MAKE JOK LIKE THAT, BUT THERE IS NOTHG TO LGH AT.”“PEOPLE ARE BEG PARANOID,” SAID SHAH. “THEY ARE NERVO ABOUT TALKG TO EACH OTHER. THGS WILL GO UNRGROUND.” AND THIS A UNTRY ALREADY WHOUT LGBT MEETG PLAC OR GROUPS. GAY MEN MEET EACH OTHER G SOCIAL WORKG APPS.A FACEBOOK POST SHAH WROTE CRIL OF THE ERNMENT’S THEN-NEW GUIL ABOUT HALAL CERTIFITN LED TO SHAH BEG CHARGED WH SEDN 2017. “PEOPLE WOULDN’T TALK TO ME, IENDS WOULDN’T TALK TO ME. EVENTUALLY, I TOOK AN ILLEGAL TAXI ACROSS THE BORR TO MALAYSIA. I MA SURE NO ONE WAS FOLLOWG ME,” HE SAID. HE ARRIVED CANADA SEPTEMBER 2018. ADVERTISEMENT SHAH REMDS HIS IENDS THAT EVEN IF A BURN OF PROOF ISN’T REACHED, HOMOSEXUALY IS STILL ILLEGAL BNEI AND GAYS N STILL BE THROWN JAIL FOR UP TO 10 YEARS OR FACE A SIZABLE FE. “OR ALL OF THAT ALL AT ONCE. THEN THERE’S THE SHAME AND GUILT OF ALL, YOU WILL BE NSTANTLY REMD OF BY YOUR FAY.” “ANOTHER IEND HAS HAD A PARTNER OF 10 YEARS. THEY JT CID NOT TO SEE EACH OTHER SO MUCH. THEY ARE AAID OF BEG DISVERED. AND THEY HAVE BEEN TOGETHER FOR 10 YEARS! THIS IS WHAT THIS LAW DO; MAK GAY PEOPLE PARANOID, NERVO, MISTSTFUL.” “MY BT IEND AND I SPOKE,” SHAH SAID. “HE TOLD ME, HE AND OTHER LGBT PEOPLE ARE STOPPG TALKG TO EACH OTHER, BEE THEY ARE WORRIED ABOUT PEOPLE FDG OUT ABOUT THEM. ANOTHER IEND HAS HAD A PARTNER OF 10 YEARS. THEY JT CID NOT TO SEE EACH OTHER SO MUCH. THEY ARE AAID OF BEG DISVERED. AND THEY HAVE BEEN TOGETHER FOR 10 YEARS! THIS IS WHAT THIS LAW DO; MAK GAY PEOPLE PARANOID, NERVO, MISTSTFUL. A LOT OF GAY PEOPLE WILL TRY AND ISOLATE THEMSELV OM OTHER PEOPLE TO BE PLETELY SAFE,” SAID SHAH. “I’M NOT SURE HOW LONG WILL GO ON FOR. A LOT OF PEOPLE WILL SEE PSYCHIATRISTS AND PSYCHOLOGISTS.”SHAH’S IENDS HOPE THEY WON’T FALL FOUL OF THE NEW LAW OR BE AFFECTED BY , BUT SHAH HAS REMD THEM HAS HAPPENED TO HIM. HE NNOT LIVE HIS HOMELAND, HE IS TRANGED OM HIS FAY. HE HAS HAD TO START A NEW LIFE. A 40-YEAR-OLD OUT-GAY CRIC OF THE SULTAN OF BNEI’S REGIME, HE FEARS FOR HIS LIFE IF HE IS MA TO RETURN TO THE UNTRY, PECIALLY GIVEN THE NEW LAW.“LGBT+ PEOPLE BNEI DON'T OFTEN TALK OPENLY ABOUT THGS LIKE THIS AND THIS IS NO EXCEPTN,” SAID MATTHEW WOOLFE, FOUNR OF HUMAN RIGHTS GROUP THE BNEI PROJECT. “FOR THE MOST PART, THEY TEND TO TRY TO LAY LOW AND GET THROUGH . FROM THOSE LGBT+ WH WHOM I HAVE NNECTED WH, THERE IS A REAL FEAR ABOUT THE LAWS AND WHAT IS GOG TO HAPPEN TO THEM. I KNOW OF ONE PERSON WHO IS NSIRG LEAVG THE UNTRY AND AM AWARE OF ANOTHER WHO HAS ALREADY DONE SO OUT OF FEAR ABOUT WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS.”THERE IS LTLE CHANCE OF PERSUADG THE ERNMENT OF BNEI TO REVERSE S CISN. ADVERTISEMENT “THE MENCEMENT ORR (FOR THE NEW LAW) IS AN OFFICIAL ERNMENT ORR THAT WAS POSTED ON THE WEBSE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S CHAMBERS SO THERE IS EVERY REASON TO BELIEVE THAT THE GOVERNMENT IS SER ABOUT IMPLEMENTG THE FAL PHAS (OF THE SYARIAH PENAL CO),” WOOLFE TOLD THE DAILY BEAST. “AFTER YEARS OF REPEATEDLY LAYG IMPLEMENTATN, THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME THE GOVERNMENT GAVE AN ACTUAL DATE FOR THE LAWS TO E TO EFFECT. TO NOW NOT PROCEED WH IMPLEMENTATN AFTER MTG TO A DATE WOULD UNRME THE GOVERNMENT’S CREDIBILY.”“WHAT WE WANT TO SEE MOST OF ALL IS DIPLOMATIC PRSURE PLACED ON BNEI,” SAID WOOLFE. “I THK THAT IS THE BT CHANCE WE HAVE OF SEEG THE LAWS REVOKED SO I ENURAGE PEOPLE TO LOBBY THEIR ERNMENTS TO TAKE ACTN. GOVERNMENTS SHOULD BE TAKG EVERY OPPORTUNY TO PLACE WHATEVER PRSURE THEY N ON BNEI TO REVOKE THE LAWS. THEY NEED TO STOP BEG SO PASSIVE THEIR APPROACH AND REALLY APPLY PRSURE. THEY NEED TO MAKE THE VLATORS OF HUMAN RIGHTS BELIEVE THAT IS THEIR BT TERTS TO STOP THE VLATNS.”“I THK THAT IS VERY UNLIKELY THAT THE LAWS BEG TRODUCED WILL BE REVERSED OR REVOKED ONCE IMPLEMENTED,” SAID WOOLFE. “I THK THAT ALL WE N HOPE FOR AT BT IS THAT THEY ARE NEVER RRIED OUT AND THERE IS A GOOD CHANCE THAT THEY WON'T BE.” ON TUDAY, WHEN ASKED BY THE DAILY BEAST, SECRETARY OF STATE MIKE POMPEO AND THE STATE DEPARTMENT AGA WOULD NOT DIRECTLY NMN THE NEW LAW. ON TUDAY EVENG, ROBERT PALLADO, THE PARTMENT'S PUTY SPOKPERSON, REISSUED STATEMENTS ALREADY SENT TO THE DAILY BEAST LAST FRIDAY. ADVERTISEMENT “BNEI’S CISN TO IMPLEMENT PHAS TWO AND THREE OF THE SHARIA PENAL CO AND ASSOCIATED PENALTI NS UNTER TO S TERNATNAL HUMAN RIGHTS OBLIGATNS, CLUDG WH RPECT TO TORTURE OR OTHER CEL, HUMAN OR GRADG TREATMENT OR PUNISHMENT.“ALL ERNMENTS HAVE AN OBLIGATN TO ENSURE THAT ALL PEOPLE N EELY ENJOY THE UNIVERSAL HUMAN RIGHTS AND FUNDAMENTAL EEDOMS TO WHICH THEY ARE ENTLED. THE UNED STAT STRONGLY OPPOS VLENCE, CRIMALIZATN AND DISCRIMATN TARGETG VULNERABLE GROUPS, CLUDG WOMEN AT RISK OF VLENCE, RELIG AND ETHNIC MORI, AND LBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, TRANSGENR AND TERSEX (LGBTI) PERSONS.“WE NTUE TO ENURAGE BNEI TO RATIFY AND IMPLEMENT THE UNED NATNS CONVENTN AGAST TORTURE, WHICH SIGNED 2015, AND TO SIGN, RATIFY, AND IMPLEMENT THE INTERNATNAL COVENANT ON CIVIL AND POLIL RIGHTS.”AS WELL AS CLG TO NMN BNEI, THE STATE DEPARTMENT DID NOT RPOND TO QUTNS OM THE DAILY BEAST ON THE EXISTENCE OR NATURE OF ANY DISCSNS SECRETARY OF STATE POMPEO OR OFFICIALS HAD HAD WH THE BNEI ERNMENT ABOUT THE NEW LAW. SHAH WAS BORN AND BOUGHT UP BNEI, THOUGH HE ATTEND BOARDG SCHOOL BRA. HE SPENT 11 YEARS THE U.K. OM 17 TO 28, WHERE HE LIVED A MORE OPEN GAY LIFE AND HAD BOYIENDS, THEN RETURNED TO BNEI AND WORKED HEALTH PROMOTN. IT “BEME MORE AND MORE TRATG” OM GOG OM LIVG AN OUT LIFE TO A CLOSETED ONE. ADVERTISEMENT “BNEI IS A VERY NSERVATIVE UNTRY, POLICS, RELIGN AND SOCIAL VIEWS,” SAID WOOLFE. “IT IS VERY HARD FOR PEOPLE TO TLY EXPRS THEMSELV AND THIS GO FOR NOT ONLY LGBT+ BUT EVERYONE REALLY. IT IS HARR FOR LGBT+ THOUGH BEE THEY ARE EXPECTED TO NFORM TO CERTA IAS AND VIEWS ABOUT HOW THEY SHOULD ACT, LOOK AND LIVE THEIR LIV. “THERE ARE ALSO NO MUNY-FOCED SERVIC AVAILABLE WH THE UNTRY THAT N PROVI LGBT+ PEOPLE WH RMATN AND SUPPORT, SO LGBT+ OFTEN HAVE TO RELY ON THEIR OWN PRIVATE WORKS FOR THAT SUPPORT AND IF THEY DON'T HAVE A STRONG WORK OF PEOPLE THEY N TST, N BE VERY LONELY.  “PL, THERE IS ALSO THE FACT THAT HOMOSEXUAL ACTS HAVE A LONG HISTORY OF CRIMALIZATN BNEI, WHICH EXTENDS BACK TO THE TIME OF BRISH LONIAL LE, AND THIS HELPS ADD TO THE STIGMA SURROUNDG LGBT+.” “I THK LGBT PEOPLE, LGBT MLIMS, ARE A TT OF THE TABLISHED RELIGN. I WAS BORN THIS WAY, WHAT ARE THEY GOG TO DO ABOUT THAT? THEY NMN , BUT GOD MA THIS WAY. BY CRIMALIZG , KILLG , THEY ARE FAILG GOD’S TT, THEY ARE SAYG THAT GOD IS WRONG.” SHAH’S MLIM FAH NTU TO MEAN A LOT TO HIM. HE GREW UP KNOWG THAT BEG LGBT WAS WRONG HIS RELIGN. “BUT THIS IS MY FAH. I STILL PRAY FIVE TIM A DAY, OBSERVE RAMADAN. MY FAH IS VERY STRONG. I STILL NSIR MYSELF A MLIM. I THK LGBT PEOPLE, LGBT MLIMS, ARE A TT OF THE TABLISHED RELIGN. I WAS BORN THIS WAY, WHAT ARE THEY GOG TO DO ABOUT THAT? THEY NMN , BUT GOD MA THIS WAY. BY CRIMALIZG , KILLG , THEY ARE FAILG GOD’S TT, THEY ARE SAYG THAT GOD IS WRONG.”ASKED WHAT BEG GAY BNEI WAS LIKE, SHAH SAID, “QUIET. IT’S EASY ENOUGH TO FD PEOPLE IF YOU HAVE THE APP. AND THE APP IS A GREAT METAPHOR TO SCRIBE THE LGBT MUNY BNEI: YOU WON’T SEE ANY FACE ON UNLS IS A FOREIGNER’S. EVEN WHEN YOU MEET SOMEONE EHER ONE OF YOU N BE SO NERVO INTIFYG THE OTHER PUBLIC THAT YOU SOMETIM DON’T MEET. THAT’S HOW REFUL PEOPLE ARE. YOU DON’T GIVE REAL NAM, OR WHERE YOU WORK. PEOPLE HI, AND PUTS GREAT STRA ON YOUR RELATNSHIPS IF YOU FALL LOVE.” ADVERTISEMENT SHAH FELL LOVE WH ONLY ONE BNEIAN MAN. THEY WERE TOGETHER FOR FIVE YEARS, BUT EVENTUALLY THE BOYIEND’S FAY TOLD HIM THAT HE SHOULDN’T SEE SHAH ANY MORE. THEY WERE WORRIED THAT THEIR NEIGHBORS HAD NOTICED SHAH G TO VIS TOO MUCH. “WE TRIED TO KEEP ON GOG, BUT GOT TOO DIFFICULT. WE HAD NORMAL RELATNSHIP ISSU, AND ALL OF THE OTHER STUFF OF BEG GAY BNEI ON TOP OF THAT. IT WAS TOO MUCH.”A BNEI-BASED PSYCHIATRIST HE SAW HAD BEEN HELPFUL AND POSIVE. SOME, HE SAID, TELL LGBT CLIENTS “TO ACT STRAIGHT SO THEY N FLY UNR THE RADAR. THEY ARE NOT SAYG BEG GAY IS WRONG—I HAVE NEVER HEARD ANY PSYCHIATRIST SAY THAT—BUT THIS UNTRY IS MORE ADVICE TO BE SAFE. GROWG UP, I TRIED TO BE ‘STRAIGHT ACTG.’ THOSE WHO ACTED ‘GAY' WERE SEEN AS GAY OR TRANS. BNEIANS DON’T MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO. IT’S SO SCREWED UP, AND THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE TRANS HAVE THE WORST OF THE HASSLE AND BAD ATTUS BEE THEY ARE THE MOST VISIBLE.”AS A BOY, SHAH HAD BEEN ATTRACTED TO OTHER BOYS, BUT “NEVER ADMTED” TO HIMSELF. “I HAD GIRLIENDS, BUT PREFERRED LOOKG AT THEIR EX-BOYIENDS,” HE SAID. “BOARDG SCHOOL ENGLAND WAS AS HOMOPHOBIC AS BNEI SOMETIM.” HE ME OUT THE U.K. AT UNIVERSY.HIS MOTHER WOULD “THROW SPICNS” HIS FACE ABOUT THE IENDS HE BOUGHT HOME TO PLAY GAM WH—“BUT MOSTLY THEY WERE STRAIGHT AND WE WERE PLAYG WORLD OF WARCRAFT.”HIS SISTER WOULD NEVER STOP MATCHMAKG. HIS CHE FATHER WOULD TRY TO PAIR HIM WH “NICE CHE GIRLS.” TO PE, SHAH WOULD GO TO GAY BARS “KK,” KOTA KABALU, MALAYSIA.“NONE OF MY FAY ACCEPT THE FACT I AM GAY. WHEN I ME OUT TO MY SISTER OVER THE PHONE OM HERE, I SAID, ‘YOU DO KNOW I’M GAY.’ SHE SAID FOR THE LNTH TIME THAT SHE HOPED I WOULD FD ‘THE RIGHT GIRL.’ IN HER OWN WAY SHE’S TRYG TO UNRSTAND.” ADVERTISEMENT HE ME OUT BY TEXT TO HIS PARENTS. “I TOLD THEM BEE I’M BEG OPEN, AND TELLG THE MEDIA ABOUT WHAT IS LIKE TO BE GAY BNEI. THAT’S WHY MY FAY ISN’T TALKG TO ME. I LOVE THEM VERY MUCH, AND A WAY I’M GLAD THEY’RE NOT TALKG TO ME. I DIDN’T FEEL SAFE, BUT I HAVE FELT MORE SAFE NAMG MYSELF AND SHARG MY STORY. I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW THAT I AM HERE, WHO I AM, AND WHAT MY STORY IS. “I FEAR FOR MY LIFE IF I EVER GO BACK. I HAVE NEVER ENUNTERED ANYONE LIKE ME BEFORE: SOMEBODY OPENLY GAY OM BNEI. I KNOW I’VE PISSED OFF THE THORI.” “IN BNEI I AM SEEN AS A TRAOR, SO THIS WAY MY FAY N CLAIM NO KNOWLEDGE OF ME AND BE SAFE OM THE THORI. DISTANT FAY MEMBERS KEEP AN EYE ON THEM FOR ME. I LIKE TO THK WE N REPAIR OUR RELATNSHIP TIME.”HE DON’T KNOW WHEN HE WILL SEE HIS FAY AGA. “I FEAR FOR MY LIFE IF I EVER GO BACK. I HAVE NEVER ENUNTERED ANYONE LIKE ME BEFORE: SOMEBODY OPENLY GAY OM BNEI. I KNOW I’VE PISSED OFF THE THORI. PEOPLE WHO WORK THE CIVIL SERVICE HAVE TOLD ME TO BE REFUL IF I GO BACK. THEY WON’T LET WHAT I’VE SAID GO. I DON’T THK THEY’D EXECUTE ME STRAIGHT OFF. THERE WOULD BE A SHOW TRIAL.”AS WELL AS THE THORI, SHAH IS ALSO NERVO ABOUT THE POSSIBILY OF MOB VLENCE AGAST LGBT PEOPLE BNEI. HE IS ALSO NCERNED WH THE NEW SHARIA LAWS AFFECT WOMEN. A FEMALE IEND HAS A NON-MLIM MALE PARTNER, WHO HE IS NCERNED FOR—"ANYONE WHO THEIR PRIVATE LIV GO AGAST WHAT THE LAW SAYS.”CLOONEY AND JOHN’S HOTEL BOYTT WOULD HAVE NO MATERIAL EFFECT, HE SAID, BUT WAS STILL A EFUL TERNATNAL AWARENS-RAISG EXERCISE. “THERE IS ALSO THE ASIAN NCEPT OF ‘HAVG FACE’ AND TRYG TO PRERVE THAT—AND BNEIANS BEG AWARE OF THE TRIMENTAL WAY THE WORLD SE THEM.” ADVERTISEMENT EVEN IF THE ANTI-LGBT LAWS WERE CHANGED, SHAH SAID, “THE CULTURE WOULD HAVE TO CHANGE TOO. IT WOULD TAKE A LOT, A REVOLUTN POLIL AND PUBLIC ATTUS TO MAKE BNEIANS OK WH PEOPLE BEG LGBT.” “IF YOU NNOT GET OUT, I WOULD SAY TO GO TO SEE A PSYCHIATRIST OR PSYCHOLOGIST WHO N HELP YOU FD THE HEALTHIT WAY TO SURVIVE THIS, AND FEEL OK ABOUT YOURSELF.” IN VANUVER, SHAH IS PLANNG ON GETTG A WORK PERM AND THEN A JOB, MAYBE HEALTH PROMOTN AS HE WAS BNEI, OR DO SOMETHG TO ‘GIVE BACK TO THE MUNY,’ LIKE VOLUNTEERG. AND “FD SOMEBODY TO SETTLE DOWN TO LIVE WH.”VANUVER IS A BIG CY, SHAH SAID, BUT HAS QUE A SMALL GAY SCENE. “I WAS OUT SHOPPG AND SAW TWO MEN HOLDG HANDS. FIRST, I THOUGHT, ‘WHY N’T I HAVE THAT? WHEN N I HAVE THAT?’ AND THEN I THOUGHT, ‘THERE AREN’T SO MANY GAY BARS HERE BEE PEOPLE LERALLY DON’T NEED THEM.’”TO LGBT PEOPLE BNEI, SHAH SAYS, “STAY SAFE, TRY TO GET OUT.” “I HAVE NO HOPE REALLY,” HE ADD. “IF YOU NNOT GET OUT, I WOULD SAY TO GO TO SEE A PSYCHIATRIST OR PSYCHOLOGIST WHO N HELP YOU FD THE HEALTHIT WAY TO SURVIVE THIS, AND FEEL OK ABOUT YOURSELF. HELP STRENGTHEN YOUR MENTAL FENS—ANYTHG TO GET THROUGH .” TIM TEEMAN

When the ty, oil-rich kgdom of Bnei first announced 2013 that would adopt strict Islamic laws, cludg ath by stong for gay sex, many the untry’s LGBT muny nsired fleeg. “It’s really sry, ” says Khail, a young gay man Bnei who spoke to CNN over the phone.