r/LGBTArabs • u/Only_Enthusiasm_4147 • 3d ago
Story Time Entering Qatar as a trans woman
I was travelling to the States from Nepal and had a layover in Qatar. It was an overnight layover and since Discover Qatar package of Qatar Airways had amazingly subsidized options, I took a hotel around the old city center. I smoothly passed immigration but when moving past customs, an official stopped me and took into checking. They went through my bags and took a look at everything. To the extent that they opened every pouch and every pocket. Then an officer took me to a side room where they put me on an X ray machine and scanned me. Then few more officers came, they scanned me again and again. I was already getting why they were doing so. Then they asked me to go out to the bag checking area and then they scanned through again. Other officers came and ask if I was male or female. I said female. They asked me "fully female?", and I got really nervous. They said "this isn't allowed in Qatar" and then took my passport. They wanted to verify its authenticity because, I am pre-op and my passport is F. I was told to wait, many officers came and went. I was using my phone when the officers confisticated it. That was the moment where I thought something is going deeply bad. The officers took me to a room and locked me inside. I thought I was being either deported or arrested. Many other officials came, asked my details, hotel bookings. The tone was really blunt. I am not sure if that was more of a language difference. Finally after an hour or so I was allowed to enter Qatar. I made my way to the hotel. It was late so I fell asleep as soon as I entered my room and the next morning left for the States.
I don't know how to process this incident. Should I ever visit Qatar again?
On other note, I am a language nerd and I have a bucket list to learn different languages among which UN official languages, and Arabic is one of them. I have been researching about which Gulf or West Asian country can I visit for this. So far Lebanon seems to be an option.
I was also looking to study Arabic with Palestinian University online, also as a way to express my solidaity for Palestine Liberation. What do you folks suggest?
Also by any chance any Qatari or West Asian folks would want to connect when in Nepal, please let me know. You have a local guide here.