India’s ‘Mr Gay World’ Representative Disappears
India’s entrant to the Mr Gay World competition has reportedly gone into hiding with his family.
28-year-old Thahir Mohammed Sayyed was set to represent the country at the Mr Gay World 2015 contest in Knysna, South Africa.
However, after news of his participation broke, he has disappeared along with his family – after allegedly being ostracised by their local community.
India’s Supreme Court put the country’s colonial-era law criminalising sodomy back into force in December 2013, and the country’s LGBT community have reported renewed anti-gay stigma.
According to DNA India, Mr. Sayyed’s family was not at their home in Kerala, and could not be reached.
Jijo Kurakose of LGBT rights group Queerala said: “We are concerned for Thahir and his family. Not only are they not reachable on the phone or their homes, neighbours say they haven’t seen the Sayyeds since the early hours on Sunday.
“All references to MGW on Thahir’s timeline on Facebook are gone. We hope this is not an indication of them being in any trouble because of community pressure.
“We are from the same hometown near Kottayam and know each other. I sent some common friends to his place too, but the residence was locked.”
Nolan Lewis, director of Mr Gay World India, said: “There were plans for him to be in Mumbai this week before he left for Knysna, South Africa for the pageant. Now we don’t even know what is going on.”
All reference to the contestant has been removed from the Mr Gay World website.
The UK’s Stuart Hatton is the reigning Mr Gay World at present, having won the title at last year’s contest.
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20 Comments
trystham
April 22, 15:48And they removed all references on the ‘Mr Gay World’ website??? Not even that he couldn’t be reached??? Hian!!!
Pete
April 22, 16:02Do we (Nigeria) have a representative? Hope the Indian rep & his family are fine?
#TeamKizito
April 22, 16:04Hmmm. India men and women most especially can like to fine ehn.. Chai.
Does Nigeria have an entrant?
Sinnex
April 22, 16:26Eeeyah…
But why dem remove im profile from the website na?
I wonder who’d be representing Nigeria!
So, South Africa is such a free country to the extent of hosting a gay pageant of such reute, yet, they are killing their fellow black man because ‘he is taking our jobs’…okay na…
I wish him safe discovery…
Absalom
April 22, 16:46Disturbing. I hope they are safe.
Lothario
April 22, 18:53This is terribly sad. I guess the details were removed on request for his safety, that should be the only reason.
Nigeria had no representative, who wants to test the waters of 14 years? I hope he’s found.
Ringlana
April 22, 20:07We have so Mach representative Here, Nigerians are wallowing in self pity ooooo,PP abeg go represent us nah.*jussaying*……
pinkpanthertb
April 22, 20:08Lmao!!! I wish
Ringlana
April 23, 07:54I know you want….laffing in swahalli
chestnut
April 22, 21:07Hian! Ringlana,why are u like dis? I hope d devil is not using u o! Pink biko don’t go anywhere o! Bad things happen to nice boys in prison.
pinkpanthertb
April 22, 21:47Lol.
Ringlana
April 23, 08:22Chestnut I wasn’t otua oooo,Na dem made like dis
Gad
April 22, 23:53This is really disturbing. A real cause for concern and…
Max
April 23, 05:16I’m sure they’re fine. Indians can like to be conservative sha. What did he expect?
Mitch
April 23, 05:43This is very disturbing. I sure hope they are safe
Khaleesi
April 23, 07:42I hope he’s safe. Nigeria does not have a rep, but i foresee that one day a Nigerian in diaspora will represent Nigeria, Nigeria will of course vigorously reject his representation, but well … it’d be a huge fuss …
chalantx
April 23, 07:57His hot, like India’s hot.
kendigin
April 23, 08:08This is not unexpected. For a country that murders women for not marrying men bethroted to them and shames women who report rape, I am not surprised that a gay man who outs himself may just be putting himself and family at risk.
When it comes to human rights, nigeria is way better than india. Nigerians may ostracise, abuse or condemn, but threatening the entire family would be going too far. Am not saying nigeria is a great place for lgbt, but disappearances and murders are not as common as in other places, including South Africa.
Theres the story of the gay club in South Africa where everyone in d club that night was slaughtered by supposed homophobes! But thats story for another time……
Chuck
April 23, 15:55What about the guy Pinky posted, that disappeared while traveling to hookup?
Ruby
April 23, 09:54So sad. Hope he and his family are safe.