Without any formal backing from his country, Hailu that year became one of the first two black African men to take part in the competition, alongside Wendelinus Hamutenya from Namibia. A third delegate from Zimbabwe had to withdraw due to fears for his safety.

Hailu is also acknowledged as the first person to have publicly spoken about being gay in Ethiopia. He was, however, disowned by his family after coming out, and was forced to flee his country.

He sought refuge in South Africa, where he lived for a number of years and studied for his Masters in IT. He is now in the US and hoping to be granted asylum there.

To mark World Refugee Day on Wednesday, Hailu appeared in a powerful video for the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation, the educational arm of America’s largest LGBTQ civil rights organisation.

In the clip, an emotional Hailu explains that it is illegal in his country to be LGBTIQ and those found ‘guilty’ face between 7 to 15 years in prison. Read more via Mamba