5<\/p>\n Toyosi Osideinde with Taliban members in Afghanistan (no pictures in this story show Toyosi’s lover)Credit: SWNS 5<\/p>\n The financial adviser likes to visit dangerous countriesCredit: SWNS 5<\/p>\n Toyosi said he was treated like a celebrity in AfghanistanCredit: SWNS<\/p>\n But after six days and almost \u00a34,000 later, Toyosi claimed his trip ended with machine guns pointed at his head and an interrogation.<\/p>\n The financial adviser from Bath, Somerset<\/a>, became hooked on “extreme travel” two years ago and has so far visited 69 countries.<\/p>\n After deciding his trips to Iraq<\/a>, Syria<\/a> and Belarus<\/a> were “not enough”, Toyosi plotted his ultimate “dangerous and thrill-seeking” holiday to Afghanistan.<\/p>\n Since US forces withdrew in 2022, Afghanistan<\/a> has been under the boot of the extremist Taliban<\/a> regime.<\/p>\n The Foreign Office warns against all travel to the nation and the heightened risk of detention.<\/p>\n Toyosi, who is planning to visit Ukraine<\/a> next, ignored the advice and flew into Islamabad in Pakistan<\/a> before driving to Peshawar, on the border of Afghanistan.<\/p>\n The danger tourist claimed he was interviewed by gun-toting Taliban terrorists and was terrified he might be killed.<\/p>\n Eventually, Toyosi was allowed to cross one of the most dangerous borders in the world.<\/p>\n He spent the following days visiting Kabul, Nangarhar, and Bamyan – all while feeling like a “celebrity”.<\/p>\n But Toyosi admitted he was always under the watchful eye of the Taliban who rule the nation with an iron fist.<\/p>\n I lived with Taliban for year secretly filming bloodthirsty terrorists\u2019 horror secrets\u2026 then orders were sent to kill me<\/p>\n He told The Sun: “Everywhere you go there\u2019s Taliban. You can\u2019t take a step without the Taliban knowing exactly where you are at every single point in time.<\/p>\n \u201cI was used to this already because it was the same in Syria but this was at a new level. <\/p>\n “At least in Syria, there is protection \u2014 in Afghanistan, there is no embassy. If something happens to me, I am on my own, there is nobody to protect me.”<\/p>\n Toyosi spent his time visiting tiny villages and sprawling markets, eating biryani – and also having a fling with a member of the Taliban, he claims.<\/p>\n The terrorist acted as a security guard in Toyosi\u2019s hotel in the capital Kabul – and he said they ended up growing close and hooking up.<\/p>\n Toyosi said: “I ordered some takeaway and he brought it up to my room. I noticed that he kept coming back every five minutes to see how I was.<\/p>\n “At a certain point, I just asked if he wanted to come in and watch a movie. We shared some food and kept on talking. Stuff happened after that and we kept seeing each other every day.”<\/p>\n Toyosi said in every country he visits he uses Grindr to find men to date – with the exceptions of Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan.<\/p>\n “I was trying to be discreet,” he added.<\/p>\n “You have to be careful. I felt safer with my security guard. We didn\u2019t talk much because he didn\u2019t speak English and I didn\u2019t speak Farsi.<\/p>\n LGBTQ+ rights in Afghanistan<\/p>\n IN Afghanistan, LGBTQ+ individuals face severe discrimination, persecution, and violence due to deeply rooted social stigma, cultural conservatism, and strict interpretations of Islamic law.<\/p>\n LGBTQ+ rights in Afghanistan are effectively non-existent, and individuals face extreme risks to their safety and well-being.\u00a0<\/p>\n Legal status<\/strong><\/p>\n Same-sex sexual activity is criminalised under Afghan law. Under the country’s interpretation of Sharia law, such acts are considered immoral and can be punishable by imprisonment, flogging, or even death.<\/p>\n There are no anti-discrimination laws or legal protections for LGBTQ+ individuals in Afghanistan. <\/p>\n They are not recognised as a distinct group requiring rights or safeguards.<\/p>\n There is no legal recognition for transgender individuals, and transitioning is not acknowledged or supported in any legal or social capacity.<\/p>\n Social attitudes<\/strong><\/p>\n Afghanistan is an extremely conservative society, where LGBTQ+ identities are considered taboo.<\/p>\n Many LGBTQ+ individuals face rejection from their families and communities, forcing them to live in secrecy or flee the country in search of safety.<\/p>\n Taliban rule<\/strong><\/p>\n Since the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in August 2021, the situation for LGBTQ+ individuals has further deteriorated.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0The Taliban’s strict enforcement of Sharia law makes it even more dangerous for LGBTQ+ people to exist openly. Reports have surfaced of individuals being targeted, arrested, or subjected to brutal punishment, including execution.<\/p>\n “In the evenings we would watch Gossip Girl. He would love showing me his guns.”<\/p>\n While Toyosi claimed his short-lived romance was “passionate” he admitted it was never going to be more than a fling.<\/p>\n “We have spoken since I came back but after some time I had to let it go,” he said.<\/p>\n “The moment I left it just didn\u2019t feel right – it was just a fling.”<\/p>\n Before the Taliban uprising, being a gay man in Afghanistan was already dangerous.<\/p>\n Since the terror group – known to enforce extreme Islamic ideals – took over, homosexuality is strictly prohibited and punishable by death.<\/p>\n During his trip, Toyosi said he did not experience any racial or homophobic crime.<\/p>\n He added: “The trip was such an eye-opening experience.<\/p>\n \u201cOne of the things that astonished me the most was when I was in a bank, I saw a woman working and wearing makeup.<\/p>\n \u201cI then started seeing more and more women in the streets and in the markets who weren\u2019t covering their faces.<\/p>\n \u201cIt turns out that whilst some things about Afghani women are true, like having to draw out of education at a certain age, women are still allowed to do things they were doing before the Taliban takeover.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re kind of like a celebrity \u2014 the locals will follow you for miles. I would have people following me for two hours just to get a photo with me. <\/p>\n “Some kids wanted me in their YouTube video. Even in the bank I\u2019d get to skip the queue.<\/p>\n \u201cI was a celebrity, I did not want to leave.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/toyosi-osideinde-i-gay-holiday-987732567.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Selfie](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/toyosi-osideinde-i-gay-holiday-987732581.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/toyosi-osideinde-i-gay-holiday-987732491.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n
![\"Man](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/toyosi-osideinde-i-gay-holiday-987732584.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Person](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/toyosi-osideinde-i-gay-holiday-987732569.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n