Matt Mahmood-Ogston says homophobia triggered by religious or culturally conservative families is widespread

MAHMOOD-Ogston, who founded the Naz & Matt Foundation in 2015 after his husband-to-be, Dr Naz Mahmood committed suicide, has unveiled the finding of a survey recently conducted by his foundation.

The filmmaker and public speaker said:

We commissioned this new survey to better understand the challenges LGBTQI+ people face and the sometimes devastating impact it has on their mental health.

The survey shows that LGBT+ people with religious or “conservative” parents are 2.5 times more likely to face rejection when they come out.

Moreover, 70 percent of people whose parents react negatively suffer from anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts.

Mahmood-Ogston said:

Homophobia triggered by religious or culturally conservative families is widespread.

After the death of Naz Magmood Matt Mahmood-Ogston told The Guardian:

I blame a community that is so closed minded to allow these bigoted views that make families believe that their honour is more important than loving their children.The respect and honour of the family is more important than the happiness of the children they gave birth to. How sick is that?

Last year he spoke out against mainly Muslim fanatics who were objecting to gay-inclusive school lessons:

The researchers found that LGBT+ people from a religious or culturally conservative background are 30 percent less likely to be out to their parents or families compared to other LGBT+ people in the UK.

Indeed, 27 percent said they didn’t come out because they feared disappointing their parents. Moreover 23 percent feared anger and aggression and 19 percent worried their parents would disown them.

These fears appear to be well-founded. Of those who did come out and had a negative reaction, 43 percent faced anger and 13 percent received abuse.

Meanwhile COVID-19 had taken a toll on many LGBT+ people’s mental health. And this survey again confirms that trend.

It found that LGBT+ people from religious or culturally conservative families in lockdown with those families are more likely to have hidden their true identity.

There were some positive findings however. The survey does show that most people’s parents do accept their sexuality.

Indeed, only 25 percent of people from a religious or conservative background said their parents were negative when they came out. Moreover, that falls to just 10 percent of people whose parents aren’t religious or ‘conservative’. Others parents may have been positive, neutral or not responded.

The Naz and Matt Foundation’s mission is:

Never let religion, any religion, come in the way of the unconditional love between parents and their children.

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