Teen Lesbian Fights Against Deportation

An 18-year-old lesbian living in Wales said she fears being deported back to her home in Egypt because of the harsh conditions gay people face there.

Shrouk El-Attar fled Egypt with her mother and brother when she was 15, according to Wales Online. They reside in Cardiff, where she has since come out as a lesbian and embraced Christianity over Islam.

However, her mother's request for asylum was rejected, which means El-Attar will also have to leave the country unless her own application for asylum as an individual is approved. She said in her application, she does not want to return to Egypt because of the antigay persecution she faces if she returns. She wants to stay in Wales to go to school, but she said if she returns to Egypt, she will be forced to change her appearance and marry a man.

While homosexuality is not illegal in Egypt, some gay and lesbian people have been charged with and convicted of breaching public decency. The government has also been pressured to alleviate its antigay stances.