Please Help Me Escape - A Lesbian Trapped in Saudi Arabia

I can not disclose my real name, but you may call me Selma; I’m a 20-year-old lesbian woman living in Saudi Arabia.

Every word I write here is filled with fear—because in my country, being LGBT isn’t just illegal - It’s punishable by death. If anyone here finds out who I really am, I could be arrested, tortured, even publicly beheaded. That’s the reality of life for people like me.

Since I was a small child, I’ve been forced to live under extreme, soul-crushing control: I was covered from head to toe in black—Abaya, Hijab, Niqab—before I even understood what freedom meant. Women here are treated like property - like slaves. We were banned from driving until very recently, and it's only allowed if your family permits. We still need permission from male guardians to make major decisions, and many are made for us without our input. We are silenced. Watched. Caged.

I’ve never had a chance to live freely. I’ve never had a taste of what it’s like to just exist—to be myself—without fear. I have spent every day of my life hiding who I am to stay alive. I am not safe at home, I am not safe outside. My family is poor and deeply against me gaining any independence or freedom. They would rather see me suffer in silence than let me escape. I cannot count on them for help—in fact, they are part of what I’m trying to survive.

For years, I thought there was no way out. I genuinely believed I was doomed to a life of pain, silence, and hiding. I have struggled with suicidal thoughts for a long time. I have attempted to end my life more than once. It’s all too much—the fear, the hopelessness, the constant pressure to pretend. I cry myself to sleep almost every night, and often wake up with tears already on my face. That’s how heavy this pain is. That’s how desperate I’ve become.

But recently, I found out something that gave me the tiniest flicker of hope: Australia has an LGBT protection visa. They recognize that people like me are in real danger, and they offer safety. But to apply for it, I have to get to Australia first. That means applying for a tourist visa, getting there legally, and then submitting my application for asylum once I arrive. That’s the only path I have to freedom.

But I’m poor. I have no money. No job. No support. And the system I live in is designed to keep women like me trapped and powerless. Jobs for women are limited and hard to access, and I’ve been financially dependent my whole life. That’s why I’m asking—begging—for help.

This GoFundMe is my lifeline. It’s my one chance to escape. The money raised will go toward the visa, travel expenses, basic needs to survive once I land, and legal fees for my protection application. I cannot do this alone. I need your help to live.

Please, if you’ve ever believed that love is love - if you’ve ever believed in freedom, in safety, in human dignity, PLEASE help me get out. Help me survive. Help me begin a life where I can finally exist without fear. A life where I don’t have to keep hiding, crying, or wishing I were dead just to escape this pain.

I am a human being. I deserve to live. I just want to be free.

While I can not disclose my real name or face on the wider internet in fear for my life, the woman helping to arrange this fundraiser from the United States has verified my identity.