Late on Tuesday, thousands of Twitter users in Saudi Arabia launched an attack on gay and gender fluid men who live in the country, via the now-viral hashtag 'arrest incomplete (gay) men.'
Soon after it was launched, the hashtag went viral and continued to trend for hours.
While thousands shared vile comments, even calling for the murder of men who are suspected of belonging to the LGBTQ community, others hit back and defended what they described as a human being's personal freedom.
Thousands attacked the LGBTQ community
"Bring back the religious police, let them punish and lash them until they repent"
"Arrest them, punish them with lashes and teach them how to become real men"
A few even called for the murder of homosexuals
"Arrest 'incomplete' (gay) men and kill them."
Not everyone joined in the social media attack though
Using the same hashtag, hundreds defended homosexuals in the country and explained that regardless of people's opinions on the matter, calling for the murder of any human being is simply unacceptable.
"It's a horrific act"
Others tweeted in support of the LGBTQ community
"I believe incomplete men are those who harass and rape women, those who think marrying a little girl is okay"
Homosexuality is illegal in Saudi Arabia
According to EqualDex, homosexuality is illegal in Saudi Arabia and can even be punishable by death.
Earlier this year, human rights activists from around the world reported the murder of two transgender Pakistanis in the country.
"Police allegedly killed 35-year-old Amna, and Meeno, 26, both Pakistanis, after raiding a house in Saudi Arabia and arresting 35 transgender people." The Independent wrote at the time.
The kingdom isn't the only Arab country where homosexuality is illegal.
Many other countries in the region, including several Gulf nations, also impose strict rules and zero-tolerance policies.
Anyone who goes against these rules often faces fines, deportations, jail sentences, and even death sentences.
The fight for LGBTQ rights in the region is growing
In the face of crackdowns and persecution, individuals from within the Arab world's LGBTQ community continue to fight for their rights.
The community's musicians, actors, and international-Arab celebrities, including Mashrou' Leila's Hamed Sinno, Egyptian-American Amin El Gamal (Prison Break,) and Iraqi-British Amrou Al-Kadhi have continuously raised awareness about their intersectional community.
And change is not just happening with people, it's happening within countries too.
In 2016, the UAE passed a federal decree introducing substantial changes to healthcare in the Gulf state, challenging prevailing cultural norms, one of which was permitting doctors to conduct sexual reassignment surgery.
With that, it became the second country in the Arabian Gulf to legalize sex reassignment surgery, after Iran.
Certain schools of Islamic jurisprudence recognize transgenderism, and the laws do not necessarily fly in the face of religious teachings.
Islam has a long and nuanced history with the subject, which, many argue, is not as straightforward as it might appear on the outset.