A genderqueer and non-binary trans person was allegedly subjected to a harrowing transphobic experience at the Muscat International Airport on Friday, February 24. Taking to social media to narrate the experience, Nin Kala (who uses she/her/they/them pronouns), a model, designer and activist, alleged that the immigration officer at the airport took her to an isolated room along with one of his colleagues, where she was asked to remove her shirt “for examination”, and touched inappropriately by one of them. Nin also alleges that she was asked to return back to India, despite having a valid tourist visa.
In a video posted on social media, Nin said that they landed at the Muscat International airport on the night of February 24 along with their friends on a tourist visa for 10 days. “While my friends cleared immigration, I was asked by the officer to wait and they said that they wanted to examine me. They took me to an isolated room and asked me to remove my shirt. After examining, they brought another senior officer, who asked me to remove my shirt again,” Nin said and added that the officer pinched their stomach and asked inappropriate questions.
Following this, the officers told Nin that she was not allowed to enter the country because Nin did “not look like what it is mentioned in the passport”. Speaking to TNM, Nin said she was asked to book her own ticket and return to India. “During the entire process, all they did was laugh and giggle at me as if there was some entertainment going on. The entire immigration people were seeing me as if I were a criminal and nobody was ready to help me out, except very few people. This was a really bad experience and it was humiliating because nobody was even ready to understand what I was trying to explain to them. They were completely transphobic and homophobic. For them, people like me don't exist. It is a violation of human rights,” Nin said.
Speaking to TNM, Nin said that she had to wait till 9 am the next day to get her return flight, during which time she said she was treated well by the people. “I was able to see the stark difference between the people and the authorities. There were many people who really felt bad for the way I was treated,” she said.