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 […]

Interview with GRLbint

Article Source: GRLبنت We are excited to share our recent interview with GRLbint, which focuses on gender issues in the MENA region. Read more about our organization and our upcoming goals! WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO START GEM & WHAT DOES GEM HOPE TO ACHIEVE? GEM was founded by Syrian LGBTQIA+ rights defenders, humanitarian workers, […]

Syrian LGBTQ group set up to protect its community

Article Source: Lesbian News A Syrian LGBTQ group has been set up last March called the Guardians of Equality Movement (GEM) to protect the rights of the LGBTQ community in Syria. Presently, LGBTQ people in Syria face daily discrimination and violations as policies and legal provisions incite hatred and violence against those that don’t meet […]

Statement on the Exclusion of Syrian LGBTQIA+ from the Brussels Conference

The crisis in Syria has affected millions of people both economically and politically, with losses affecting hundreds of thousands.  Such crises highly impact the most vulnerable groups, including minorities and LGBTQIA+ individuals. The LGBTQIA+ community has continually faced discrimination on a social and political level in Syria, and were one of the first communities to […]

Rare Syrian NGO formed to defend LGBT community

Article Source: Al-Monitor Syrian LGBT activists are carrying out various campaigns to demand their rights and stop the violations against them. Homophobia remains prevalent in the Middle East and North Africa regions. Most countries in these regions do not recognize the rights of the LGBT community, and homosexual acts are criminalized. LGBT people in Syria, in particular, […]

‘Locked’- LGBTQ Syrian’s Displacement to Turkey

Article Source: GRLبنت ‘Locked’ is an LGBTQ advocate & humanitarian worker originally from Northwest Syria but has resettled in Gaziantep, Turkey. He shared his experiences as a gay man in both Syria & Turkey and the struggles that LGBTQ refugees face upon displacement. “When LGBTQ people flee the war in Syria, they do not flee […]