Since I came into my queerness about three years ago, I’ve come out to only six people: my two siblings and four of my closest friends. But my coming outs took different forms.
With my sister and three of my aforementioned friends, we’d already established a circle of trust and openness, so talking about my [...]

أصدرت مجموعة “أصوات” – نساء فلسطينيات مثليات كتابا جديدا بعنوان “وقفة بنات“، هو الكتاب الثالث الذي تنشره المجموعة منذ تأسيسها. وعلى غرار كتاب “بريد مستعجل” الذي أصدرته مجموعة “ميم” العام الماضي، يقوم “وقفة بنات” على سَردٍ صادق ل24 حكاية وقصة شخصيّة صاحباتُها نساءٌ فلسطينيّات مثليّات، مزدوجات الجنس، مغيرات الجنس، كويريات ومزدوجيات الجنس (LBTQI). وهو متوفر [...]

When I looked at myself in the mirror that Saturday morning, all I saw was one big mess. Tired was written all over my face: puffy eyes, with brown bags underneath, bed sheet wrinkles, scruffy hair. And then, there it was: A white hair stood out from the middle of the askew part in my [...]

This year too, our friends at the Beirut-based Arab feminist collective Nasawiya have decided to take their International Women’s Day (IWD) actions to the streets to interact with people and raise awareness about women’s issues.
After weeks of rehearsals, two groups performed over the weekend of March 6-7, 2010 “Invisible Theater” actions in several locations around [...]

Lebanon-based LGBT organization Helem launched on Monday, February 8, 2010 in Beirut a report on institutional discrimination against LGBTs in Lebanon, consisting of two studies. Funded by the Ford Foundation, the report concluded a series of thematic researches that address the effect of Article 534 on the political, civil, economical, social, and cultural rights of people of non-conforming gender identities and sexual orientations.

Lebanon-based LGBT organization Helem launched on Monday, December 21, 2009 in Beirut a groundbreaking report on the legal situation of homosexuals in Arab countries.

Funded by the Ford Foundation, the publication, titled “Homosexual Relations in Penal Codes: General Study on Laws in Arab Countries with Reports on Lebanon and Tunisia”, is part of a series of thematic researches that address the effect of Article 534 on the political, civil, economical, social [...]

Activists are strengthening gay-straight ties in Lebanon, starting with the youth.
Shaniqua and Anthony are two twenty-something gay activists who have created a Facebook group called Youth Gay-Straight Alliance in Lebanon (GSAIL). Its mission is simple: “Help and support the young individuals of the LGBTIQ community of Lebanon in ‘coming out’ to their friends and family, [...]

A while ago, I received this attachment entitled “Dictionary for Women’s Personal Ads”. It was supposed to be funny. It wasn’t, not because my sense of humor was impaired that day. But rather because the email was offensive, plain and simple.
To me, this Dictionary perpetuates a patriarchal or even matriarchal view that ridicules, delegitimizes and [...]

Advertisements have this unmissable talent of irritating the feminist in me. So when I received this message through an email marketing company, I decided to share my indignation and frustration, rather than let it eat me up until the next more infuriating one comes along. It feels so good to be an Adbuster.

Beirut-based LGBTQ groups Meem and Helem are holding on Monday, November 9, 2009 at the American University of Beirut (AUB) a seminar on sexuality entitled “One Day One Struggle”.
The event takes place between 5:00 PM and 7:00 PM at AUB’s West Hall.
Heading the panel are experts and activists who will address the challenges facing sexual [...]