Crushing on Aladdin and Nigella Lawson — how Daniel learnt to love himself

Writer and journalist Daniel Nour on the pressures of his vivacious Egyptian-Australian family, and 'inviting people in' instead of 'coming out'.

Daniel grew up in Sydney's Sutherland Shire, the only son of Egyptian migrants.

He dearly loved his parents, who taught him how to stand up to bullies, drove him to Tournament of the Minds competitions, and helped him buy his first car, but he could never be his whole, true self around them.

For most of his life, Daniel was in denial about being gay, despite his raging crushes on handsome film characters like cartoon Aladdin and the Scorpion King, played by Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson. 

Daniel even very briefly contemplated life as a priest in order to escape the familial pressure to marry a woman and give his parents grandchildren.

But after a confidence-boosting trip to Egypt, and then an embarrassing, dishonest appearance on national television, Daniel was finally honest with himself.

Further information

How to Dodge Flying Sandals and Other Advice for Life: An unreliable ethnic memoir is published by Simon and Schuster.

Daniel is a member of Sweatshop Literacy Movement, you can keep up to date with his work at his website.

This episode of Conversations was produced by Meggie Morris, executive producer is Nicola Harrison.

It explores migrant stories, multiculturalism, coming out, Coptic Orthodoxy, protestant church, faith, religion, homosexuality, Arab-Australians, racism, first generation Australians, growing up in Sydney, Cairo, writing, books, family dynamics, body image, male body image, masculinity, gym culture, diet culture, memoir.

Find out more about the Conversations Live National Tour on the ABC website.