Homosexuality is prohibited by Qatari law, and can lead to seven years in prison.

It is taboo in the country, and coming out in public is unthinkable for the vast majority.

But doctor Nas Mohammed earlier this year took the completely unique decision to come out to the media and publicly say that he is gay, to show the world that there are indeed gay people in Qatar, and to raise awareness of the situation now that the world's spotlight is on the country ahead of the football World Cup in the country later this year.

- It's scary for me to see the oppression we live under back home, said Mohammed when SVT Sport, in collaboration with Norwegian NRK and Danish DR, met him in the US this summer, where he now lives.

The name is based on the national team

Mohammed has since continued to work to draw attention to the situation of LGBTQ people in Qatar, and has now helped to form the country's first Qatari football supporters club for LGBTQ people: "The Proud Maroons".

The name comes from the nickname for Qatar's national team, which is called "The Maroons".

- The persecution and suffering of the LGBTQ+ people in Qatar risks being forgotten in connection with the sports washing.

"The Proud Maroons" will help highlight how different it is for LGBTQ people in large parts of the rest of the world compared to how it is in Qatar, says Mohammed in a press release.

Hope to contribute to development

Nas Mohammed himself has not been to Qatar since coming out as gay, and in the press release the group describes how unique it is that they are a supporter's club that cannot have any members in their country.

But they write that they hope that in this way they can help with development in the country.

"The Proud Maroons" was created to shed light on the persecution of LGBTQ people in Qatar, and highlight what is happening beyond the temporary PR message that says "gay fans are welcome," they write.

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