Syrian and Turkish Wildfires: An Environmental Catastrophe Deepening Social Vulnerability
Issued by: Guardians of Equality Movement (GEM), for Environmental and Social Justice for the LGBTQIA+ Community in SyriaDate: July 5, 2025 1. Introduction and Context While both Syria and Turkey are attempting to recover from successive disasters most notably the February 2023 earthquake that left thousands dead, injured, and displaced, and caused massive destruction to […]
Reduction of Operations and activities Due to Funding Cuts
With deep sadness, we announce that GEM is temporarily reducing operations and pausing some activities due to an unexpected and severe funding cut — at a time when urgent requests from our community are at an all-time high. This difficult decision affects the following: 🔸 Cash Assistance: All current urgent and non-urgent cases are paused […]
Urgent Statement on The Campaign of Violations of Torture and Arrest, Against Sexual and Gender Minorities in Syria
We strongly condemn the escalating violence, torture, and hate crimes targeting sexual and gender minorities in Syria. We are deeply alarmed by reports and images emerging from multiple regions in Syria, which reveal a surge in cases of assault, violence, harassment, discrimination, physical and sexual torture, and death threats against members of the LGBTQIA+ community. […]
Statement on the Fall of the Assad Regime and The Syrian LGBTQIA+ Post-Assad Regime
After half a century of authoritarian rule and 14 years of conflict, marked by violations, forced displacement, humanitarian crises, and widespread destruction—largely the result of the former criminal regime’s actions, the Syrian people have seen the fall of the Assad regime. As Syrians first and LGBTQIA+ second, the fall of the Assad regime represents a […]
Escalating crisis in northwest Syria: Urgent Humanitarian Aid
Northwest Syria is currently experiencing one of the most severe escalations and displacement crises in the past five years. Recent hostilities have caused significant civilian casualties and forced thousands to flee their homes. On October 14, airstrikes near a UN OCHA field visit to NWS underscored the volatile nature of the region. Between November 26 […]
Support Adonis Al-Khaled.. a Syrian journalist assaulted in Germany
We, at the Organization of the Guardians of Equality Movement (GEM), express our solidarity with the Syrian journalist Adonis Al-Khaled and condemn the physical and verbal assault he was subjected to by the personal security guards of the singer known as ‘Al-Shami’ in the city of Düsseldorf, Germany. Al-Khaled, who works as a correspondent for […]
In solidarity with lebanese civilians: Lebanon in a crisis
Lebanese people have been suffering from multiple crises for years,and they’re supposed to be recovering today, not facing another one. We are horrified by the devastating situation in Lebanon, and we are sending our solidarity not only through thoughts but also through actions. At the Guardians of Equality Movement (GEM), we are on high alert […]
Join Statement: Rise in Hate Crime against LGBTQ+ in Iraq
In recent times, a distressing surge of hate attacks has been witnessed in the Middle Eastern region, particularly in Lebanon, Iraq, and Jordan. Of grave concern is the intensifying wave of these attacks within Iraq, posing a dire threat to the tapestry of societies and the fundamental human rights within the region. In a deeply […]
Join statement: Forcibly deporting Syrian refugees is a crime
The forced deportation of Syrian refugees in Lebanon must cease. The signatory human rights organizations condemn the continued forced deportation of Syrian refugees from their host territory to Syria by Lebanese authorities. Such forcibly returned persons may be at immediate risk of arrest, torture, rape, sexual violence, enforced disappearances upon their arrival in Syria, and […]
Devastating earthquake affects GEM’S beneficiaries/ Team in Syria & Turkey
On 6 February, a 7.8-magnitude earthquake centered in Gaziantep, Turkey heavily impacted Southern Turkey and Northern Syria. This earthquake was followed by other large-scale earthquakes throughout the day, causing more than 6,000 buildings to crumble. With Guardians of Equality Movement (GEM) headquartered in Gaziantep, our staff and beneficiaries have been highly affected by this earthquake. […]
