Dr. Nasser Mohamed, the first openly gay Qatari to seek asylum, appears at San Francisco’s Qatar match alongside Senator Scott Wiener to declare that love is not a crime

Today, as Qatar was welcomed back onto the world stage for its World Cup match against Switzerland, Dr. Nasser Mohamed walked in to face it. He is the first openly gay Qatari to seek asylum after fleeing state persecution, and he returned to stand a few feet from the team of the country he fled. He wore a custom bisht and stood with California State Senator Scott Wiener to make one statement clear. Love is not a crime.

Dr. Nas and Senator Wiener issued the following joint statement.

Joint statement from Dr. Nasser Mohamed and Senator Scott Wiener

“As the United States hosts the 2026 World Cup, people from around the world will come together because they love the game. That love belongs to every fan, every player and everyone who has ever felt it.

We stand together today because that is what this moment is supposed to represent. Belonging. Equality. People coming together as peers. But that is not the reality for everyone.

Dr. Nasser Mohamed, the first openly gay Qatari to seek asylum after fleeing state persecution, knows what it feels like to be excluded. He knows what it costs to be yourself in a place that does not let you be fully human. His story is not an exception. In more than 60 countries, same-sex relationships remain illegal. LGBTQ+ people are imprisoned, exiled and erased for being who they are.

The World Cup does not exist separately from that reality. It sits squarely in the middle of it.

When the world’s eyes are on our country, we have a responsibility to use that platform. Not to divide, but to declare that love is not a crime. Not here. Not anywhere.

We stand with the LGBTQ+ community, with athletes, with fans and with all people who believe that dignity is something you have, not something you earn. We call on FIFA, host cities, sponsors and leaders to stop looking away, to call out the injustice and to stand against it.

Football represents teamwork, camaraderie and trust. Let us apply that same mindset off the field.”

The bisht

The bisht Dr. Nas wore, designed by Professor Leon Wiebers, is the ceremonial robe of Gulf authority and tradition. He reclaimed it as a garment of LGBTQ+ pride and wore it back into a stadium hosting the nation he escaped.

Part of a global movement

The appearance is part of Love is the Goal, a global campaign about the universal right to love and be loved. The campaign is anchored by Dr. Nas and brings together artists, activists, and community leaders in cities around the world during Pride Month and the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Beginning today, supporters can buy a limited campaign tee featuring the look Dr. Nas wore into the stadium, available on Instagram at @dr._nass. Proceeds support the Alwan Foundation, which advocates for LGBTQ+ rights in the Gulf region.

High-resolution photographs of Dr. Nas in the bisht at the stadium are available to media on request.

About Love is the Goal

Love is the Goal is a global campaign about the universal right to love and be loved. LGBTQ+ people exist everywhere, and they deserve to be seen, celebrated, and embraced for who they are. The campaign is anchored by Dr. Nasser Mohamed, the first openly gay Qatari to come out publicly after fleeing state persecution, and brings together artists, activists, and community leaders in cities around the world during Pride Month and the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

About the Alwan Foundation

The Alwan Foundation, founded by Dr. Nasser Mohamed in 2022, is the first LGBTQ+ organization dedicated to speaking untold truths about LGBTQ+ communities in the Gulf states. The foundation advocates for LGBTQ+ rights, supports refugees and asylum seekers, and reports on country conditions across the region.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260613018476/en/

When the world’s eyes are on our country, we have a responsibility to use that platform. Not to divide, but to declare that love is not a crime. Not here. Not anywhere.