He had been satisfying one in Dokki’s Mesaha Square, a tree-lined park only over the Nile from Cairo, for just what was actually supposed to be an enchanting rendezvous. The man have been intense, clearly inquiring Firas to take condoms the evening ahead of time. Whenever day involved fulfill, he was late – thus late that Firas about known as entire thing off. During the last second, their date pulled right up in a car and agreed to simply take Firas right to his suite.

Many obstructs into the drive, Firas saw the checkpoint, a rare event in a peaceful, residential place like Mesaha. If the vehicle stopped, the policeman functioning the checkpoint talked to Firas’ big date with deference, virtually as though the guy comprise a fellow cop. Firas launched the entranceway and went.

They’d came across using the internet, section of an increasing community of homosexual Egyptians making use of services like Grindr, Hornet, and Growler, but this was their particular first time conference physically

a€?Seven or eight men chased me,a€? the guy later on informed the Egyptian effort for Personal Rights, a local LGBT rights team. a€?They caught me personally and defeat me upwards, insulting me aided by the worst statement possible. They fastened my personal left-hand and attempted to connect my personal appropriate.