Several gay Afghans told Insider how they live in fear of their life after the Taliban's victory.
Under the previous Taliban rule, the militant group executed gay men.
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In tears, Rameen* said that his life has felt like a "nightmare" ever since Kabul fell to the Taliban.
*The names of the people that Insider spoke to have been changed.
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Rameen once enjoyed Afghanistan's "underground" gay scene.
Although homosexuality was illegal, he said he felt safe visiting a clandestine karaoke bar with LGBTQ friends.
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But in recent days, Rameen's life has been turned upside down.
He’s now too afraid to meet up with his boyfriend of three years.
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Like Rameen, 21-year-old student Ghulam* also fears that he may not see his partner again.
The student, who has dropped out of his university studies, said he sees "no future" in Afghanistan.
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.@nematsadat, the first public figure in Afghanistan to advocate for LGBTQ rights, now lives in the US.
He told Insider that he is helping gay Afghans apply for asylum.
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Hamid Zaher, 47, one of the first Afghan men to come out publicly, told Insider that even under the US-supported government, it was "a very bad time" for gay men.
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Najib Faizi, who describes himself as the first drag queen of Afghan descent, left the country at age 10 and sought asylum in Germany.
Faizi said that he doesn't take his freedom for granted.
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.@RainbowRailroad, a Canadian charity that helps LGBTQ people escape oppression in their home countries, released a statement urging governments to take in Afghan refugees.
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The US is predicted to take in fewer than 10,000 refugees this year, the lowest number since 1975.
It has accepted fewer than 500 refugees from Afghanistan in 2021, Insider previously reported.
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Read more about the men from Afghanistan’s secret gay community on Insider.
businessinsider.com/afghanistans-s…
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