UK's first Muslim gay couple ties the knot: The Independent

Lifestyle

Published: 2017-07-11 16:59

Last Updated: 2024-03-28 14:33


UK's first Muslim gay couple ties the knot: The Independent
UK's first Muslim gay couple ties the knot: The Independent

Young lovebirds Jahed Choudhury, 24, and Sean Rogan, 19, have become the UK’s first Muslim and gay couple, reported The Independent.

The two men tied the knot in a traditional Bangladeshi ceremony in Walsall on June 22.

“We're going to show the whole world that you can be gay and Muslim,” the happy couple said in hopes of inspiring other gay Muslims and encouraging them to come out to their family and friends.

Choudhury said that growing up, he was heavily bullied, and even attacked, by his community and school. He was even told that his sexual orientation was “just a phase.”

After failing to change his sexuality by going on religious pilgrimages in Saudi Arabia and Bangladesh, he became suicidal and attempted to take his own life before meeting his now husband.

“I was crying on a bench and Sean came over and asked if I was okay. He gave me hope at one of my lowest points and he’s stood by me all the way,” Choudhury told the Express and Star.

The couple moved in together in 2015 and Choudhury proposed to Rogan on his birthday last year.

Choudhury said: “This is about showing people I don't care, my family doesn't want to come on the day, they just don't want to see it, it's too embarrassing for them.

“They think it's a disease and can be cured, some of my family still call it a phase.

“I want to say to all people going through the same thing that's it's okay – we're going to show the whole world that you can be gay and Muslim.”

Meanwhile, Choudhury’s doting husband said:

“Being gay is not wrong, it’s not ‘a phase’,” he added. “People just need a bit of support.”

The couple spent their honeymoon in Spain and are feeling very much in love and refreshed after returning home.

“The honeymoon was a breath of fresh air. Being somewhere where nobody knew me, I felt free,” Choudhury told HuffPost UK.