Two U.K. men say they wanted “ to show the whole world that you can be gay and Muslim” by tying the knot in traditional Islamic attire.
Jahed Choudhury, 24, and Sean Rogan, 19, were married June 22 in Walsall, England. Photos of the wedding, which took place at Walsall’s registry office, have since appeared on the BBC, The Independent, Gay Star News and a host of other international publications. It’s believed to be one of the U.K.’s first Muslim same-sex weddings.
Choudhury told The Express & Star that some family members were not supportive of the marriage and chose not attend the wedding, but he was ecstatic nonetheless. “Some of my family still call it a phase,” he said. “They think [homosexuality is] a disease and can be cured ... this is about showing people I don’t care.”
Watch footage of the ceremony, courtesy of The Express & Star, below:
The two men met in 2015 after Rogan spotted Choudhury crying on a park bench and approached him. They moved in shortly thereafter and got engaged last June. “He gave me hope at one of my lowest points,” Choudhury said, “and he’s stood by me all the way.”
After the wedding, the couple left for their honeymoon in Spain, which Choudhury called “a breath of fresh air.” Married life, he added, has been going great so far. “Now I am happy,” he told HuffPost UK. “I’m out and proud.”
Congratulations, gentlemen!
Catch the latest in LGBTQ news by subscribing to the Queer Voices newsletter.
Before You Go
