Riyadh Khalaf is an Irish television presenter and content creator best known for posting entertainment content to his self-titled YouTube channel. Khalaf started his career on radio for Irish stations like Spin 103.8 and 98FM. He then moved to the UK and joined MailOnline as a video producer. Khalaf later hosted the BBC’s six-part documentary series. queer great britain.
Riyadh has amassed 378,000 followers on her YouTube channel thanks to her original content. Includes vlogs, Q&A, challenges, and celebrity interviews. His content has been featured in all major news outlets, including Cosmopolitan, BuzzFeed, and CNN.
Riyadh’s father nearly committed suicide after Riyadh confessed to him
Riyadh Khalaf started noticing that she was attracted to boys when she was around 13 or 14 years old. It was confusing for him, but she decided to embrace the true self of her. She kept it a secret from her parents for a while, but her mother, Lorraine, found out after learning that Riyadh was browsing a gay website.
After her discovery, Lorraine asked Riyadh to open up about her sexuality. Riyadh walked over to Lorraine and she hugged him. It was a victory for Riyadh, but he knew that coming out to his father would be much more difficult.
Riyadh’s Iraqi father, Sam, grew up in an environment where being gay was considered taboo. Riad had a plan in her head about how to come out to his father, but he couldn’t carry it out. This secrecy further alienated Riyadh from his father, as Khalaf would always find a way to start an argument when Sam was around.
Khalaf and his mother kept Riyadh’s sexuality a secret for nine months before she pressured him to tell Sam. “I knew the secret and Sam didn’t,” Lorraine revealed in the late show. “And then Riyadh was just ignoring Sam and criticizing everything he was saying. I was the mediator. I love you both, and I just wanted it to end. Nine months is enough, it’s about time.”
Words couldn’t get out of Riyadh’s mouth, so he passed a note to Sam telling him he was gay. Sam’s reaction was worse than Riyadh had predicted. “My head was thinking about religion and family,” Sam said in the late show. “I was just – that’s a horrible thing. Pity. What am I going to tell people? The lowest point, I tried to commit suicide.”
Riyadh’s father accepted his son’s sexuality and is now a gay rights activist
Sam’s suicide attempt turned out to be a turning point for him. Little by little he learned to accept his son’s sexuality and is now an activist for gay rights. Sam’s experience with Riyadh helped him recognize the plight of gay people who are unsure and afraid of how to talk to their loved ones.
Riad and Sam are closer than ever. Khalaf praised his father during an interview on TEN – Irish National Public Service Media. “He is the most loving, welcoming, pro-gay, pride marching, and making friends drag dad he could ever ask for,” Riyadh revealed. “My dad is my idol, my mentor, my world and without me he would be half the man I am today. He changed, not by accident, because he wanted to. Love above shame. He put me above the opinion of others and I just love him. I love him so much.”
Riyadh revealed that she refers to Josh Richards as her partner instead of her boyfriend.
Riyadh and her boyfriend, Josh Richards, started dating in early 2018 and have been together ever since. Josh is a regular on Riyadh’s Instagram page and also contributes to Riyadh’s YouTube content. Riyadh spoke to him Independent about why she refers to Josh as her partner instead of her boyfriend. He said:
“Joseph, my partner. I say partner, not boyfriend, because that’s who he is to me. We’re a team, stronger together and constantly looking for ways to help each other. He punishes me, makes me laugh, and helps me stop “. and be in the moment Can you tell I’m head over heels in love?
During the lockdown period, Josh and Riyadh holed up at their London home with their cat, Claire. The couple came up with a routine where they would work in different rooms during the day and spend quality time together in the evenings.
Despite the couple’s best efforts, Riyadh revealed that they contracted the coronavirus. On April 5, 2020, Khalaf posted a photo of the couple on Instagram and attached the caption:
“Somehow, even with our best efforts, we are now both mildly symptomatic. Josh has a fever and I’ve lost my taste/smell and have a slight headache… We’re fine though, I promise… Either way, we’re not taking any chances. Insulate now and get sunlight and fresh air through the open windows or on this flat roof.”
Fortunately, the couple recovered and are now healthy.
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn