Samir, like many gay men in the Arab world, guards his sexual orientation with a paranoid secrecy. But I know that I'm gay and I'm living as one, so I can't see a clear vision for the future.' 'I pray to God to help me be straight, just to avoid hell.
I know it's forbidden, but I can't help it,' he tells ABC News, clearly conflicted. He lives in Mecca, the holiest city according to Islam, and is acutely aware of the stigma that surrounds his gay lifestyle.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, — - For Samir*, a 34-year-old gay man living in Saudi Arabia, each day is a denial.
