For people who continue to believe that sexual orientation is a choice:

Deciding to “come out” to your family is still quite an ordeal for gay youngsters in the west, but in the Middle East it can be catastrophic. Having a gay member of the family brings shame on the entire household; it can cause fathers to lose their jobs and make brothers and sisters unmarriageable.

Some families respond to a son or daughter’s coming out with physical violence or by throwing them out of the house. Others send them off to be “cured” by psychiatrists who offer ludicrous remedies and charge a fortune.

Not surprisingly, some gay and lesbian Arabs try to escape these problems by taking refuge abroad. In theory at least, the US, Britain, Australia, Canada and several other countries now provide asylum for those who are persecuted because of their sexuality – but the chances of actually getting it are slim.

Who would “choose” to be this way, given the often horrific consequences?