{"id":5238,"date":"2026-06-24T19:04:03","date_gmt":"2026-06-24T19:04:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=5238"},"modified":"2026-06-24T19:04:03","modified_gmt":"2026-06-24T19:04:03","slug":"in-a-rainbow-trimmed-robe-at-the-world-cup-a-gay-qatari-doctor-advocates-for-equal-rights","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=5238","title":{"rendered":"In a rainbow-trimmed robe at the World Cup, a gay Qatari doctor advocates for equal rights"},"content":{"rendered":"
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By JANIE McCAULEY, AP Sports Writer<\/strong><\/p>\n

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) \u2014 Formally dressed in a traditional Qatari bisht, Dr. Nasser Mohamed strolled past a crowd of several hundred people outside Chase Center as the England-Croatia World Cup match was shown high above on the big screen. His gold-and-black robe featured a flourish: rainbow piping down each sleeve and the words \u201clove\u201d and \u201cfreedom\u201d written in Arabic.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThat\u2019s why the World Cup is really powerful, because people don\u2019t need to hear about who I am \u2014 I can just walk, be seen, and that\u2019s it,\u201d he said. \u201cWe don\u2019t have to say a word.\u201d<\/p>\n

Four years ago, when the World Cup was played in his home country and Mohamed was already living across the world in San Francisco, he came out and became an exceptionally rare openly gay man from Qatar, where gay sex is prohibited and he can\u2019t dress how he\u2019d like.<\/p>\n

Mohamed is speaking up again for those without a voice. The 39-year-old now feels secure enough to walk around with confidence, and without fear of harm, while wearing chunky heeled boots, mascara and 2-inch dangly earrings. He still gets regular backlash and hate, but he has also found support and kindness from around the globe that helps drown out the death threats and divisiveness.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am so loved in San Francisco, really, truly,\u201d Mohamed said of the city he moved to more than a decade ago. \u201cI have not worn this since I was a kid in Qatar, and San Francisco put it back on my shoulders, with rainbows.\u201d<\/p>\n

For him, donning the bisht for everyone to see is important: \u201cThe emir of Qatar put it on (Lionel) Messi at the last World Cup to celebrate Messi. We should be celebrated too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mohamed campaigns for love at the World Cup<\/h4>\n

An LGBTQ+ activist and family doctor who treats HIV, \u201cDr. Nas\u201d \u2014 as he is known \u2014 launched his \u201cLove is the Goal\u201d campaign ahead of the World Cup and Pride Month, hoping to humanize all people taking part. For a video, he combined soccer lingo with references to love, such as him reading \u201clove is kickoff, the very first touch,\u201d and someone else offering \u201clove is the assist, finding you exactly where you are.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cSaving a life like mine is very expensive, and I know that, and this is the hard truth,\u201d Mohamed said. \u201cSo that\u2019s why I had to pave my own path and get out. I lost everything. I\u2019m disowned completely. I had to build myself from scratch, the ground up, all of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

On Wednesday, Qatar plays its final group-stage match, against Bosnia-Herzegovina in Seattle. Mohamed won\u2019t be there, but he was at the team\u2019s first game, on June 13 in Santa Clara, California. He had clear and visible security, and was escorted by California state Sen. Scott Wiener to the 1-1 draw with Switzerland. A photo from the day has more than 12 million views on social media.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs I was passing, everybody was taking pictures of me with the senator,\u201d he recalled. \u201cIt was so dramatic.\u201d<\/p>\n

And emotional.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the stadium I couldn\u2019t speak because if I started talking I\u2019m not going to stop crying, because when am I going to see Qatar again in my life?\u201d Mohamed said through tears. \u201cWhen is it ever going to happen again? I don\u2019t know. When am I going to see home? I can\u2019t see Mom and Dad, even when they were getting hit by missiles.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Even in exile, Mohamed still cheers for Qatar<\/h4>\n

After the game, he hosted a dance party at the San Francisco Mint highlighted by a performance \u201cLet Your Love Shine,\u201d written by close friend Simon Tam and sung by Debby Holiday.<\/p>\n

\u201cNas\u2019 journey moves me because it is rooted in extraordinary courage and an enormous heart,\u201d Tam said. \u201cHe\u2019s taken his own truth and turned it into a way to help others feel seen, worthy, and less alone.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tam believes Mohamed can change the world \u2014 and that\u2019s the doctor\u2019s hope, too.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe first step to heal is to witness things the way they are,\u201d Mohamed said. \u201cMy endgame is for every child to belong with their own family and their own society.\u201d<\/p>\n

Still, it breaks his heart knowing he can\u2019t go back to Qatar, he says. Mohamed says he has been ostracized by his own family because of his sexuality and for standing up to power to help others. He has aided moves out of Qatar for others, including a transgender woman who told The Associated Press she had been imprisoned and tortured. The woman spoke on condition of anonymity, citing fear for her safety.<\/p>\n

An emailed request seeking comment was sent to the government of Qatar on Wednesday.<\/p>\n

Mohamed is thankful for this new existence, embracing the obstacles that come with his work, even as he believes his safety could be at stake.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe all fled persecution and took political asylum in the U.S., and now we invited all of them to come here to play soccer,\u201d he said. \u201cI didn\u2019t feel safe leaving my apartment.\u201d<\/p>\n

Still, after everything, he roots for Qatar \u2014 and the Americans. He plans to watch the U.S. during the round of 32 next week in Santa Clara.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am cheering for both the United States and for Qatar with love,\u201d he said. \u201cThey both had homes for me and, when I challenge either of them, it is out of love, and I mean it.\u201d<\/p>\n

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AP World Cup: https:\/\/apnews.com\/fifa-world-cup<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Four years after coming out as a gay Qatari man with the World Cup in his home country, Nasser Mohamed is speaking up for equal rights.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5237,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37,6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5238","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-soccer","category-sports"],"yoast_head":"\nIn a rainbow-trimmed robe at the World Cup, a gay Qatari doctor advocates for equal rights - Orlando Relocation Report<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=5238\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"In a rainbow-trimmed robe at the World Cup, a gay Qatari doctor advocates for equal rights - 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