City University of New York (CUNY) CUNY Academic Works Center for LGBTQ Studies (CLAGS) Centers & Institutes 2011 Palestinian Queer Activists Talk Politics Sarah Schulman CUNY College of Staten Island How does access to this work benefit ou?y Let us know! More information about this work at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu/clags_pubs/107 Discover additional works at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu This work is made publicly available by the City University of New York (CUNY). Contact: [email protected] Information Technology Web Services alestinian queer activists WHAT WE DO Manager, Ko-Chin Ong, the Graduate Haneen Maikey and Abeer We promote Arab gay women, support Center is looking to centralize the web Mansour will be touring 6 them on all personal and social levels, presence and the Graduate Center US cities for a series of open thus creating dialogue and change calendar "but with the ability to filter Pconversations hosted by locally andwithin na­ our Arab Palestinian society to a very detailed degree which would tionally known US activists. Their New towards homosexuality. In addition allow all departments to utilize the York host is CLAGS—please join us for to the provision of moral support, we calendar in ways specific to them while this exciting expansion of the Global also conduct monthly meetings, offer also allowing the GC to present a single LGBT. support groups, provide a support and calendar to any user for whatever consultation line, implement empower­ purpose they can get out of it. A similar What does the Palestinian queer move­ ment sessions and awareness raising project is in the works for video and ment have in common with other LGBTQ workshops, provide informational pub­ audio streaming and many others." As movements worldwide? How can we un­ lications in Arabic and English, as well derstand and work with issues of visibil­ a result, the template offered by the as an effective website and discussion Information Technology department ity and the notion of "coming out" within forums. the Palestinian context? What are the was generously designed by Web extraordinaire, Jesse Merandy of questions, goals, beliefs and dreams of ALQAWS (Rainbow) the Palestinian queer movement? Information Technology. WHO ARE WE? Over the last few years, we have grown Come, listen, learn, ask, connect. Jesse was generous enough to in strength and numbers, evolving from In the last ten years, new Palestinian provide a tutorial to the CLAGS web a local and service-oriented organiza­ LGBT organizations have been created tion into a national, community-based administrator, and collaborate on an and are flourishing. Representatives of information architecture that would and grassroots organization that works two of these groups: ASWAT; Palestin­ serve CLAGS's current programs. with LGBTQ Palestinians throughout ian Gay Women and alQaws: For Sexual His goal for the CLAGS-specific design Israel and the Palestinian occupied ter­ and Gender Diversity in Palestinian So­ of the new GC template was to make ritories. ciety are coming to America to talk to a additions to current events, images, wide range of LGBT groups about their Today more than ever, a growing num­ and text updates easy to manage for lives, goals, dreams, joys and visions. ber of Palestinians claim their sexual the staff person performing the web orientation and gender identity and administration. ASWAT (Voice): identify themselves as LGBTQ persons. WHO WE ARE? Although it is growing fast, the LGBTQ The process for creating the redesign We are a group of Arab gay women and Palestinian community is still in its was a dual year-long process. Included home to all lesbians, inter-sex, queers, early stages. Our understanding of this in the decision-making of final transsexual, transgender, questioning crucial stage in the development of our templates were CLAGS Board members and bisexual women. community shapes our daily work, our and staff, all who weighed in on creating long-term planning and our overall a site that was functional, and still, WHY US? vision. aesthetically pleasing. All in all, we are Together we unearthed the common one step closer to a user-friendly site grounds between us and were deter­ Our constituency includes people of all that serves the members of the CLAGS mined to provide an opportunity for all ages, with regular participants rang­ community. Arab gay women to promote self-em­ ing from 16 to 50 years old. Palestin­ powerment, provide support, influence ians of all religions (Muslim, Christian The new site, like the old, still allows for social upbringing and change public and Druze), classes, educational and the option to become a member through opinion about the concepts of sexuality, social backgrounds and from different groundspring.org. Please stay tuned for sexual orientation, gender and homo­ geographical areas attend our activi­ added features such as a link to add us sexuality and our sociopolitical rights as ties and meetings and are active in our on facebook, an interactive CLAGSNews a minority group. organization. Al-Qaws works with—not link, and images that cover past and for—the LQBTQ community and pro­ OUR MISSION upcoming events. motes an open structured dialogue in Is to raise our voices to echo in the cor­ the community, providing a forum for all ridors of our society, promote our ex­ CLAGS would like to thank very much our members to express their ideas and istence to raise public awareness, and the efforts of the Graduate Center IT concerns, have their voices heard, and Department, specifically Jesse Merandy create a safe environment for gay Arab most importantly, have their needs met. and Ko-Chin Ong who saw our vision women within our Arab and Palestinian and made it a reality. society. This event will be moderated by Katherin Acey, founding Executive WHAT WE WANT Please direct any future questions or Director of The Astraea Lesbian Fund comments about the CLAGS website to Our vision is to reach and build a net­ for Justice. the CLAGS Web Admin, Shawnta Smith, work for all Arab gay women, and spread shawntasmithOgmail.com. awareness within society to create a Join us. culture of acceptance and tolerance towards the issue of homosexuality. CLAGSnews I Spring 2011 5.