We’ve done it! First British Muslim in same-sex marriage
A MUSLIM man who was bullied for being gay is the first person of his faith in Britain to reveal he has had a samesex marriage.
Jahed Choudhury, 24, was ostracised by some in his community who believe homosexuality is a sin, and even tried to take his own life after he was physically attacked.
He met his partner Sean Rogan, 19, when he was at his lowest ebb, after Mr Rogan came to comfort him while he was crying on a bench.
They moved in together in 2015, going on to marry at a register office ceremony last month that saw them both don traditional Bangladeshi dress.
Mr Choudhury, from Walsall in the West Midlands, is the first openly gay Muslim man in the UK to speak about having a same-sex marriage.
Some members of the faith believe being gay is un-Islamic but Imaan, a leading Muslim LGBT charity, says the Koran actually says little about homosexuality.
Mr Choudhury, who posted photos of his wedding on Instagram, said he was proud to ‘show the whole world that you can be gay and Muslim’.
Not all of his family attended, but his mother, sister, older brother and cousin did join him for his special day.
He 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 ... I want to say to all people going through the same thing that it’s OK – we’re going to show the whole world that you can be gay and Muslim.’
Mr Rogan added that he would stand by his husband ‘every step of the way’.
Mr Choudhury, who grew up in a traditional Muslim household, said he always felt like the ‘black sheep’ of the family. As a child he was ‘viciously attacked’ by other Muslim boys and the word ‘fag’ was sprayed on his front door.
The mosque he had been attend- ing for 15 years also stopped allowing him in.
Mr Choudhury said he tried to change his sexual orientation by having a girlfriend, taking medication and even going on a pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia and Bangla- desh. But he was left feeling so isolated he attempted to commit suicide. It was not long after this that he met Mr Rogan.
He recalled: ‘I’d not long overdosed and 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.’ Mr Choudhury said Mr Rogan is now considering converting to Islam, but he believes the couple would struggle to find a mosque to attend.