Last weekend, the world woke up to the tragic news that Egyptian LGBTQI+ rights activist Sarah Hegazi had taken her life in Ontario, Canada, where she sought asylum after suffering sexual violence, torture and false imprisonment in Egypt. She died at the age of 30. The news sent shockwaves across Egypt and drew outrage from the country’s LGBTQI+ and human rights communities who blame her death on the current regime. The activist, who was openly gay, was arrested in 2017 for waving the rainbow flag during a Mashrou Leila concert in Cairo. In prison, Hegazi was allegedly tortured and sexually assaulted. Following the three-month ordeal, Hegazi fled to Canada, but she never did manage to recover from the trauma. The activist reportedly suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder that many believe led to her suicide, saying she felt as though she was still stuck in prison during a 2018 interview with CBC. The leftist political activist is also said to have suffered loneliness and estrangement in exile. These feelings were exacerbated following her mother’s passing a month after her arrival in Canada. “Home is not land and borders. It’s about people…
