Collapsed roofs and shattered dreams
In the past few months, I interviewed several members of the LGBTQIA community in northern and north-western Syria, to shed the light on an entirely overlooked community, in a land marked by one direction and one color. My aim was to break the stigma surrounding them and highlight their existence in this area, which is […]
What is pansexuality, and how is it different from Bisexuality
Pansexuality By the beginning of the twentieth century, knowledge about human nature has developed far beyond human imagination, especially if we compare the knowledge level we have nowadays to how it was in previous centuries. On one hand, it adopted many simple pre-judgments due to lack of knowledge, and the religious ideological thoughts’ dominance and […]
An experience with “lesbian stigma”
It is 6 months since Lesbian Visibility week 2022 and we wanted to share how we hope its intentions might continue to impact social change for the LGBTQIA+ community til its 2023 return. In the spirit of this, we keep sharing Lesbian experiences from the region , creating a platform for their voices and greater […]
Opinion piece of Subhi Nahas
Opinion Article The world around us has changed drastically in the past few decades, and so have people’s opinions on so many different societal issues, including being homosexual (gay). In the past, homosexuality was seen as a sin or an illness, but now it is seen as something that should be accepted by society in […]
Commemorating Pride Month 2022
Every year in June, Pride Month is celebrated to recognise the impact that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning individuals have made in local, national, and international settings. This month, celebrations include pride parades, picnics, parties, workshops, symposia and concerts, and LGBTQIA+ Pride Month events attracting millions of participants worldwide. Memorials are held during this […]
This organization is helping Syria’s LGBTQI community. Here’s how.
Source: Atlantic Council Globally, the LGBTQI community faces stigma, discrimination, and acts of persecution. For those in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), these challenges aren’t just constructed from cultural and community factors but enforced and exacerbated by law. In the Syrian context, Articles such as 520 in the penal code criminalize homosexuality, condemning those found […]
FROM SYRIA TO TURKEY: A JOURNEY OF CONCEALED TRUTHS
Source: MY.KALI Words by Lara Bellone d’Altavilla1Illustrations by: Aude Nasr When most Syrian LGBTQ persons flee to Turkey, they don’t do so seeking safety for their sexual orientation. Rather, they flee seeking safety from the conflict and violence that has endured in Syria for over 10 years. The ongoing conflict has left 2.8 million internally displaced people (IDPs) […]
The Guardians of Equality Movement To Help LGBTQ+ People In Syria
Source: Lqioo In a country where homosexuality is punishable by death, a rare NGO is boldly defending the rights of LGBTQ people. The group, called the Guardians of Equality Movement, comprises activists who run various campaigns to demand equal rights and end the human rights violations they face. Despite the risks, these brave individuals continue to […]
Persecution and violence follow LGBTQIA+ people, even at pride parades.
Pride marches are an opportunity for LGBTQIA+ communities to confront legislation/laws that oppose their human rights. However, they are often met with discrimination and abuse, particularly by authorties in countries that actively work against the execution of these events. Bello lives in Istanbul and tells us about what he experienced during his last pride walk: […]
Joint statement on the second anniversary of the death of Sarah Hegazy
Background: Sarah Hegazy was an Egyptian lesbian and queer political activist. In 2017, Sarah was detained for three months and tortured in prison after her public appearance at Mashrou’ Leila concert in Cairo, a band in which the singer is openly gay, waving the pride flag that symbolizes the LGBTQI+ community around the world. As […]
