Al Hussain, 31, who fled Saudi Arabia in 2022 to escape a forced marriage and death threats over her sexuality, has built a new life in London as a DJ. She now regularly performs at gigs in north London and lives with her girlfriend, Eris Herbert.
Escape from Saudi Arabia
Hussain began planning her escape at age 27, secretly obtaining a passport and saving money from a remote customer service job. In 2022, she used a UK electronic visa scheme to secure permission to travel, packed a suitcase, and slipped out in the middle of the night while her family slept.
She said she lived in fear in Saudi Arabia, where same-sex relationships are illegal and can carry brutal punishments. Relatives had made it clear they would kill anyone they discovered was gay, she said.
Why she left
Hussain told the Daily Star at Croydon Pride in London on August 15 that the tipping point came when her family began arranging a marriage for her. She said arranged marriages are still common for Saudi girls and that two of her sisters, also closeted queer, had gone through with them.
Until reforms in 2019, women in Saudi Arabia could not travel without a male guardian's permission, and Hussain knew her family would never agree. She said: "People ask me why you didn't do it before. I was like, well, I couldn't. It's just, my life would have been taken if my family found out or something."
New life in the UK
After arriving in Britain, Hussain was granted asylum. Under UK immigration law, LGBTQIA+ people are recognised as a "particular social group" and can qualify for protection under the 1951 Refugee Convention if they show a "well-founded fear of persecution".
Hussain said she had to cut off her family completely for her own safety. She said: "I really cut off my family… so I'm not in touch with any. I knew from the minute I left, there was not going to be any connection with my family [anymore]."
In London, she discovered electronic music for the first time. Her girlfriend Eris, a DJ for over a decade, taught her to mix. They now perform together as the duo "We R Goddess". Hussain said: "It's always music, it saves. Music is life."
