Suhail al-Jameel, a gay social media star in Saudi Arabia, could be facing up to three years in prison for posting a photo to Twitter in which he's shirtless in a pair of leopard print short shorts.
Business Insider reports: “Suhail al-Jameel, 23, posted a statement to his Snapchat on Sunday saying authorities had charged him with sharing nudity online, after initially detaining him for wearing shorts at the beach on October 6. … al-Jameel did not specify how long he thought he could be detained for. Fans of his on Twitter posting under the #freesuhail hashtag said it was three years.”
Wrote al-Jameel: “In 2019 LGBTQ are not welcome in Saudi Arabia, you must live in secret and can't live in peace. You want tourism but you won't give us freedoms. I take a photo of myself wearing shorts at the beach and I go to jail for wearing shorts. Then the police change my charges to electronic crimes for sharing photos of nudity. How am I nude if I am wearing shorts on a hot beach?”
Homosexuality is illegal in Saudi Arabia, however, al-Jameel is out publicly on social media where he posts make-up tutorials, dance videos, and fashion tips. Abu Dhabi media outlets have reported that al-Jameel has been arrested before, BI adds.
