My name is Georgina Nabil Salah Zaki Narouz
TW; war, discrimination, (sexual) abuse, (sexual) assault
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I was born an intersex woman in 2001 and assigned male at birth. My father was Egyptian, and my mother was Lebanese. I was born into a Christian family and have Jewish heritage through my grandfather. I was born during the 2001 war when Israel bombed Lebanon, and I also lived through the 2006 war. These conflicts created many difficulties for my family, which contributed to us eventually moving back to Egypt. From an early age, I faced profound discrimination and mistreatment due to my intersex identity.
From 2001 to 2009, I lived with my mother and aunt in Lebanon while my father was in Egypt. My mother worked with a diplomatic organization. After my parents’ divorce, my father threatened my mother, forcing her to send me and my brother to Egypt. I arrived in Egypt in 2011, when I was barely 10 years old. My father refused to care for me and sent me to a school called ‘Saint George Society for Welfare and Childhood.’ My father physically abused me, and exploited me for financial gain, forcing me into prostitution. He and his friends repeatedly raped me, leaving me with deep emotional and physical scars that continue to affect me today. He raped me regularly for at least nine years, leaving me emotionally and physically traumatized.
During my time at the school (2011 to 2018), I was also subjected to sexual assaults due to my more feminine appearance and behavior. I was bullied and targeted because I liked wearing makeup and colorful dresses, which did not align with the traditional, masculine roles society expected of me. Instead of protecting me, my father further exploited my condition. I stayed in the school until 2018, where I suffered continued neglect and abuse.
During this period in Egypt, I was also subjected to imprisonment and detention 14 times in police stations without any criminal charge or trial. Sometimes because of my appearance and my tattoos. Sometimes because my father reported me, or my support for the LGBTQ community. But the worst incident was the day I went to report my father for assaulting me while he was under the influence of drugs. I was held for varying lengths, lasting days, weeks, or even a month, where I was beaten and humiliated. My father had strong connections with the military, and because of that, my name was removed from the Ministry of Education records, which prevented me from continuing my education. I still have documents proving this.
On November 9, 2019, seeking safety, I fled to Lebanon, hoping to find some refuge. However, my aunt in Lebanon, with the help of my family, tricked me and had me kidnapped, sending me back to Egypt. Upon my return, my family forced me to conform to traditional gender roles and pressured me to join the Egyptian military. My father pressured people to force me into joining the army. I stayed in the military for about a month until I managed to obtain a temporary exemption illegally, I had to lie to get this exemption so I could escape from Egypt. While in the military, I was sexually assaulted by officers, adding to the trauma I had already endured. The people who helped me obtain this exemption included generals in the military who sympathized with my situation. The principal of the school, who was aware of my situation, used his connections at the Lebanese embassy to help me obtain a free visa, allowing me to escape Egypt a second time and return to Lebanon in 2019.
While in Lebanon, I sought asylum under the protection of the UNHCR. When I went to Lebanon, I was referred to a Rehabilitation Center for Victims of Violence and Torture due to the experiences I endured in Egyptian prisons. Between 2019 and the beginning of 2025 I continued to face severe hardships. I was evicted from my home several times due to financial difficulties and instability. I used to work for the hotline of the UNHCR in Lebanon. When I lost my job, I was forced to live on the streets for a week, unable to find any safe shelter. I was also subjected to a kidnapping incident while in Lebanon.
Because of my gender expression and non-conformity to traditional norms in Lebanon, I became a target for religious extremists. I was beaten multiple times, sexually assaulted, and raped. During one of these assaults, I contracted HIV. My involvement with the LGBTQ+ community and my public activism through live streams and social media posts made me easily recognizable, putting me in further danger from extremists.
In 2024, my home was bombed by Israel, which caused me to become homeless. In July 2024, I was physically assaulted, denied access to medications, and verbally threatened with death by religious extremists and political factions who consider my existence a challenge to their beliefs. I faced systemic discrimination, including being denied medication for my HIV and hepatitis due to my Egyptian nationality, while others of different nationalities were given preferential treatment.
During the week of September 18 – September 21, 2024, I experienced multiple life-threatening incidents. On September 18, 2024, I was physically assaulted by a building owner due to financial instability and my gender identity. Additionally, I narrowly escaped a kidnapping attempt that left burns on my leg. Before this period, I had already faced several kidnapping attempts, which were escalating. One time I was working, and in the late afternoon, a small bus with two people inside forced me into the vehicle. They beat me, took me to an isolated area, assaulted me, and kidnapped me for an entire day. Afterwards, they threw my body in a trash container after breaking my nose and my shoulder. In addition, these people knew my name, and although I had money with me, they didn’t steal anything. The only thing they wanted was my phone, because at that time it contained videos and evidence proving that my father had assaulted me, both audio and video. These materials were later taken by the United Nations in Lebanon.
On September 21, 2024, I received the most recent direct death threat from a family member who views my gender identity and LGBTQ+ activism as bringing shame. Some members of my family traveled to Lebanon specifically to find and kill me, and they continue to hunt me down. Because of the war and the ongoing conflict and problems in Lebanon, coupled with the numerous threats from my family and other people, I became completely vulnerable and faced many hardships. Initially, I had to enter Syria illegally to undergo a nasal surgery for an injury sustained during a previous kidnapping, which caused breathing difficulties. I stayed in Syria for about a week, then returned to Lebanon illegally, as the situation in Syria was extremely dangerous, this was less than a week before the Syrian regime fell.
Upon returning to Lebanon, the war was still ongoing. I tried to travel to another country during a temporary ceasefire. On December 30th 2024, I attempted to go to Jordan because it was easier, the costs were lower, tickets were cheaper, and no visa was required. Unfortunately, upon arriving at the Jordanian airport , I was detained for a full day for security reasons and threatened with deportation to Egypt. After negotiations, I was deported back to Lebanon instead of Egypt. I have proof on my passport showing that I was returned to Lebanon.
Due to the increased family threats, I needed to leave Lebanon. I was afraid when they found me, it would end my life. I was helped to get a ticket to Thailand and departed on Sunday, January 19th, 2025. I arrived in Thailand on Monday, January 20th, 2025, on a tourist visa. I expected life to be better, but I faced many difficulties. The Thai government is not a signatory to the 1950 and 1951 UN Refugee Conventions, which means they do not provide any legal residency to refugees. Even though I already had an official refugee recognition document from Lebanon, and I registered with the UN in Thailand again, the UN here did not help me with food, water, clothing, medicine, or anything at all, citing a lack of resources.
Furthermore, I received threats from some Egyptian individuals living in Thailand, and the UN was unable to protect me. I also faced many problems with the local police because of my visa, and was told that if I did not leave before it expired, I would be subject to detention or deportation if I overstayed or could not renew my current tourist visa. Because of this situation, I have been forced into a cycle of leaving Thailand every three months to renew my visa. This cycle began when I left for Malaysia on April 17th, 2025, and returned to Bangkok on May 1st, 2025. I then flew to Vietnam (via Bangkok) on May 12th, 2025, and flew back to Bangkok on July 24th, 2025. I applied for a visa for South Africa in July 2025, which was refused without any reason given. I came back to Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) on October 20th, 2025. I currently have no stability, legal residency, or access to continued education or proper medical care.
The Egyptian embassy recently has refused to renew my passport, which expires on
September 14, 2026. Usually 6 months before expiration, I won’t be able to get a tourist visa anywhere. So I risk the chance to or become an illegal immigrant, be deported back to Egypt or become a stateless person. If I can not get relocated by the UNHCR, the only other option would be to undergo gender confirmation surgery, something I cannot afford at the moment. My Egyptian passport designates me as male, obliging me to serve in the military if I return to Egypt, and refusal or inability to do so could lead to prosecution or other legal repercussions.
Without updated documents, I remain vulnerable to potential forced return to Egypt.
I live with HIV, hepatitis, and anemia, conditions requiring consistent treatment that I struggle to afford. My intersex condition and desired transition to an officially recognized female identity necessitate specialized medical care (hormone therapy and possible surgical interventions). In Thailand, I lack stable insurance coverage and the financial means to pursue medically necessary procedures. My Jewish ancestry potentially provides a pathway to assistance from faith-based organizations or a claim to Israeli citizenship, but these options are currently hindered by complex geopolitical and social barriers in the Middle East.
Trans magazine does NOT support the genocidal apartheid state of Israel and antisemitism.