Remembering Pride 2022: A Call for a Fearless Future
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+, 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: Remembering LGBTQ+ Activist Sarah Hijazi
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 […]
our interview with GRLbint: over gender issues in the Middle East
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, […]
