A PROUD gay couple who were shunned from their community because of their sexuality have been nominated for national diversity award.

Amir Dean, 30, and Aamir Hassan, 28, of Bingley, met in late 2014, became engaged in 2016 and wed in April last year, in secret, with 10 of their closest loved ones as witnesses.

In June last year, they went on to create the ‘You Don’t Love Me’ podcast.

Both Amir and Aamir have overcome many challenges in their lives. In late 2015, Amir was disowned and thrown out by his family due to his sexuality and denouncement of the Islamic faith.

They identify as ex-Muslims and due to this - and their sexuality - have been shunned by their community.

Despite this, they have found the strength and resilience to pull through and have been nominated in the National Diversity Awards.

They started the podcast as they didn’t see themselves represented - a South Asian LGBTQ+ couple who found love and made a success of their relationship.

On it, they talk about everything from serious issues like gender and race identity to pop culture and Bollywood, drawing in thousands of listeners, hundreds of messages and emails from South Asian people across the world and even fan art.

The couple said: “It’s extremely overwhelming to be nominated and we are really touched by it.

“All we want to do is entertain and represent and it’s humbling as well as surreal that people are inspired by us and our story. We hope this can lead to more South Asian LGBTQ+ diversity within the media and entertainment industry. We are here, we are queer and we exist.”

The podcast has also brought up other opportunities - the couple appeared in ‘My God I’m Queer’, a documentary created by the Naz and Matt Foundation which tackles homophobia triggered by religion.

They have also welcomed a a range of high-profile guests including Aja and

The Vixen from Ru Paul’s Drag Race, Great British Bake Off Contestant Rav Bansal, plus South Asian influencers and charity workers. At the heart of the couple’s work is the desire to spread the message of love and shine a light on their own experience of being a South Asian gay couple that have married and are openly living their lives.

A number of other individuals and organisations from the Bradford district have been nominated in the awards. They include Councillor Richard Dunbar, in the Positive Role Model (LGBT) category, Free 2B-Me in the Community Organisation (LGBT) category, Carers Resource in the Community Organisation (Disability) category, Vicky Clifton is up for the Lifetime Achiever award, while Nathan Pickles, from Keighley, has been nominated in the Positive Role Model (Age) category and Haworth Riding for the Disabled in the Community Organisation (Disability) category.