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This Iraqi Couple's Beautiful Story On Ellen's Show Will Give You Hope
Nayyef and Btoo fell in love during the Iraq war but were forced to keep their love a secret. Now they're on Ellen, and of course, she has a surprise for them.
You may have seen the moving documentary Out of Iraq, which aired this summer on Logo, about the love story between Nayyef (a translator) and Btoo (a soldier) who met 12 years ago during the Iraq war. As Iraqi citizens, their love was forbidden, and they struggled for years, including a four-year separation, to be together. Now, they’re happily together and living in Seattle. And if that’s not enough, Ellen DeGeneres had them on her show to prove that love wins.
The men first met in Ramadi when Nayyef saw Btoo and wondered silently who “this beautiful guy,” he told Ellen. Six months later the pair were on the same dangerous mission to clear terrorists out of an area and that’s when they became close.
Curious about how they revealed their mutual attraction, or how they knew they would be safe with each other Btoo gave a good old-fashioned answer that made Ellen laugh. “Gaydar,” was how they knew, he said.
Nayyef, who’s safety was at risk as a translator, sought asylum and left Iraq, also leaving behind the love of his life. But after four years of Skyping every day, they're now married and helping LGBT youth in Seattle.
“People helped us. Now it’s our time to pay them back,” Nayyef told Ellen.
It wouldn't be Ellen's show if there weren't some kind of surprise for the couple.
Watch the full segment below.
Tracy E. Gilchrist is the VP, Executive Producer of Entertainment for the Advocate Channel. A media veteran, she writes about the intersections of LGBTQ+ equality and pop culture. Previously, she was the editor-in-chief of The Advocate and the first feminism editor for the 55-year-old brand. In 2017, she launched the company's first podcast, The Advocates. She is an experienced broadcast interviewer, panel moderator, and public speaker who has delivered her talk, "Pandora's Box to Pose: Game-changing Visibility in Film and TV," at universities throughout the country.
Tracy E. Gilchrist is the VP, Executive Producer of Entertainment for the Advocate Channel. A media veteran, she writes about the intersections of LGBTQ+ equality and pop culture. Previously, she was the editor-in-chief of The Advocate and the first feminism editor for the 55-year-old brand. In 2017, she launched the company's first podcast, The Advocates. She is an experienced broadcast interviewer, panel moderator, and public speaker who has delivered her talk, "Pandora's Box to Pose: Game-changing Visibility in Film and TV," at universities throughout the country.
