Country Advice Lebanon Lebanon – LBN36239 – Homosexuals – Akkar 16 March 2010

1 I have read Research Response LBN31497 which touches directly on these topics. It was written in 2007 – could I please have an update of the situation in Lebanon in 2010.

The following information provides an update on RRT Research Response LBN31497 dated 16 March 2007.1

Sources indicate that Lebanon tends to be more accepting of homosexuals than other Arab countries, the government funds some of the activities of Lebanese rights group Helem, and the co-founder of Helem has commented on a more accepting coverage of LGBTI [, Gay, Bisexual, , Intersex] issues in the Lebanese press. There was also reference to improved treatment of cases involving homosexuals by the police. There were reports, however, of discrimination against homosexuals persisting in Lebanon. One source indicates that Article 534 of the Lebanese penal code, which prohibits having sexual relations that ―contradict the laws of nature,‖ remains a threat, although there was also a report of a judge in the Batroun District in December 2009, giving the first decision determining that ―unnatural sexual intercourse‖ did not apply to homosexual activity. Other sources refer to reports of harassment and violence against homosexuals. While sources refer to improved treatment by the police, there were also reports of abuse of homosexuals by police. While social attitudes towards homosexuals were said to have improved, one source said this was mainly true for Beirut and not the country‘s rural areas, although there was improvement in some rural areas as well. Sources differed over whether the election of moderate political parties in Lebanon‘s June 2009 elections would benefit the gay community. Sources also referred to homosexuals fearing exclusion from their families if they came out, and to homosexuals being ostracised, evicted from the family home, denied inheritance, and threatened by their families. There were other reports of a homosexual in Lebanon being told by his family to marry and to discreetly lead a double life, and to a family supporting a gay family member who had contracted HIV.

An article in Now Lebanon dated 17 May 2009 refers to Georges Azzi, the co-founder of the Lebanese gay rights group Helem, saying that ―[c]ompared to other Arab countries, homosexuals tend to be more accepted in Lebanon even though homosexual conduct is technically illegal‖. Azzi also thought that Helem had ―come a long way‖ since it was set up in 2004, when ―no one wanted to be linked to a ‗gay organization.‘‖ The Ministry of Health in Lebanon, which initially refused to work with Helem, now ―provides Helem with the materials for its HIV testing center, and the facility has apparently become a [sic] popular for both gays and straight people.‖2 Another source dated 2 December 2009 notes that in relation

1 RRT Country Research 2007, Research Response LBN31497, 16 March – Attachment 1. 2 Sandels, A. 2009, ‗Talking to: Helem coordinator Georges Azzi‘, Now Lebanon, 17 May – Attachment 2.

1 to HIV/AIDS, the government was ―working together with groups like Helem, funding part of their activities and delegating outreach work undertaken by the organizations.‖3

Helem‘s Georges Azzi has also commented on changes in the manner in which the Lebanese press covered LGBTI issues, saying that:

―There is a huge difference in the Lebanese press coverage of LGBTI today compared to a few years ago. Then they used to talk about homosexuality as a mental illness from the perspective of psychologists and religious people. Now we‘re talking law and homophobia. Most of the media here is now using the word mithleyeen for gays instead of shaz [which is more insulting]. Only the gay-friendly reporters used that term before. Now it‘s used by many in Lebanese media.‖4

An Associated Press Newswires article dated 10 May 2009 indicates that the Helem ―gay rights organization, based in Lebanon, says it is slowly making progress in preventing discrimination and violence‖, and was ―preparing for a campaign to overturn the law that makes homosexuality illegal.‖ The article refers to Lebanon having ―a long tradition of liberalism. That allows some openness for gays and , particularly in the capital, Beirut, which is home to a number of clubs where gays mingle freely.‖5 In Lebanon, Helem publishes Barra Magazine and ―Meem, a community for non-heterosexual women‖, publishes Bekhoos, ―the Arab world‘s first publication for lesbian, bisexual and queer women.‖6

There were reports, however, of discrimination against homosexual activity persisting in Lebanon.7 An article dated 17 September 2009 on homosexuals in the Muslim world indicates that ―[e]ven in liberal Lebanon homosexuals run the risk of being sentenced to a year in prison.‖ The article also indicates that ―[o]n the other hand, Beirut has the only gay and lesbian organization in the Arab world (Helem, which means ‗dream‘ in Arabic)‖, but notes that ―[t]he existence of Helem is being tolerated for the time being but the Interior Ministry has yet to grant it an official permit. ‗And it‘s hard to imagine that we ever will be given one,‘ says Georges Azzi, the organization‘s managing director.‖8

Article 534 of the Lebanese penal code

The US Department of State‘s report on human rights practices in Lebanon for 2009 indicates that:

Discrimination against homosexual activity persisted during the year. The law prohibits ―unnatural sexual intercourse,‖ an offense punishable by up to one year in prison. The law was sometimes applied to men engaging in homosexual activity; it was rarely applied to women, although the domestic NGO Helem (from the Arabic acronym for Lebanese Protection for Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals, and ) reported police used the law to blackmail women.

3 Duncan, D. 2009, ‗Lebanon‘s sexual revolution drives up HIV infections‘, Deutsche Welle, 2 December – Attachment 3. 4 Sandels, A. 2009, ‗Talking to: Helem coordinator Georges Azzi‘, Now Lebanon, 17 May – Attachment 2. 5 Mroue, B. 2009, ‗Lebanese gays make rare public move in Arab world to annul a law that imprisons them‘, Associated Press Newswires, 10 May – Attachment 4. 6 Sandels, A. 2009, ‗Out in force‘, Now Lebanon, 23 February http://www.nowlebanon.com/NewsArchiveDetails.aspx?ID=81261 – Accessed 25 November 2009 – Attachment 5. 7 US Department of State 2010, Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2009 – Lebanon, March, Section 6 http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2009/nea/136073.htm - Accessed 16 March 2010 – Attachment 6. 8 von Mittelstaedt, J. & Steinvorth, D. 2009, ‗The Gay Sons of Allah - Wave of Homophobia Sweeps the Muslim World‘, Spiegel Online International, 17 September – Attachment 7.

2 At year‘s end Helem reported on December 3, a judge in the Batroun District rendered the first decision determining ―unnatural sexual intercourse‖ does not apply to homosexual activity, which he ruled a part of nature.9

As previously mentioned, the Associated Press Newswires article dated 10 May 2009 indicates that Helem was ―preparing for a campaign to overturn the law that makes homosexuality illegal.‖ It had ―been several years since a man was thrown in prison for being gay, said Helem activist Charbel Maydaa. But Lebanon‘s Article 534, which prohibits having sexual relations that ‗contradict the laws of nature,‘ remains a threat.‖ The article also notes that ―Helem is treading carefully. The group, founded in 2004, is talking with legal experts on how to approach lawmakers and lobby to have Article 534 abolished.‖ It was ―a delicate process, given the deep-seated taboo in Arab countries against even discussing homosexuality.‖ A Lebanese lawmaker, Ghassan Mokheiber, who was active on human rights issues, said ―it could take years to annul Article 534‖ and that there were ―‗traditions that we have not been able to get beyond.‘‖ The article refers to Lebanon also having ―a long tradition of liberalism.‖10

The article in Now Lebanon dated 23 February 2009 indicates that Helem‘s Georges Azzi had said ―that while there is a ‗bit of freedom‘ for homosexuals in Lebanon, he emphasized that it remains ‗fragile.‘‖ He said that there were many things that needed to be done on the issue, ―mentioning the need to reform the laws that criminalize homosexual conduct in Lebanon.‖11

Violence

Sources also refer to reports of violence against homosexuals in Lebanon. Helem‘s Georges Azzi ―noted that there are still three different types of harassment he believes Lebanese homosexuals face‖, being harassment from the street, from the government and from the family. ―In terms of street violence, gay men are more of a target. Feminine men are more visible and attract more attention [than masculine women].‖12

The Associated Press Newswires article dated 10 May 2009 indicates that:

Still, harassment occurs. Alexander, a gay man at the February protest, said he was recently beaten up by two men on a motorcycle as he walked in a Beirut suburb. The two attacked the 27-year-old after he ignored them.

―They broke my glasses, bruised my face and caused several injuries in my body,‖ said Alexander, who spoke on condition he be identified by his first name only for fear of further harassment. ―People in the street watched without coming to defend me.‖13

In February 2009, ―Helem organized what may have been the only gay rights protest in the Arab world. In February, nearly two dozen gays and lesbians waved rainbow flags in a downtown Beirut square, carrying banners demanding homosexual rights. They protested

9 US Department of State 2010, Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2009 – Lebanon, March, Section 6 http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2009/nea/136073.htm - Accessed 16 March 2010 – Attachment 6. 10 Mroue, B. 2009, ‗Lebanese gays make rare public move in Arab world to annul a law that imprisons them‘, Associated Press Newswires, 10 May – Attachment 4. 11 Sandels, A. 2009, ‗Out in force‘, Now Lebanon, 23 February http://www.nowlebanon.com/NewsArchiveDetails.aspx?ID=81261 – Accessed 25 November 2009 – Attachment 5. 12 Sandels, A. 2009, ‗Talking to: Helem coordinator Georges Azzi‘, Now Lebanon, 17 May – Attachment 2. 13 Mroue, B. 2009, ‗Lebanese gays make rare public move in Arab world to annul a law that imprisons them‘, Associated Press Newswires, 10 May – Attachment 4.

3 what they said was the beating of two gay men by police.‖14 According to the previously mentioned article in Now Lebanon dated 23 February 2009, ―[t]he demonstration was a direct response to a recent incident of anti-gay violence in Achrafieh, in which two men allegedly engaging in sexual conduct in the entrance of a building were dragged out onto nearby Sassine Square and severely beaten.‖ There were conflicting reports on whether the men were beaten by security personnel or civilians, with the article indicating that Helem had said they were assaulted by civilians.15 Another article in The Daily Star dated 30 March 2009 refers to Helem criticising ―the violent assault of two gay men by members of the Lebanese Armed Forces in Beirut‘s Sassine Square area‖ in January 2009. ―According to the group, the men were detained at a military barracks and were handed over to the civil authorities, who continue to detain them.‖16 The US Department of State‘s 2009 report on human rights practices in Lebanon indicates that ―LAF [Lebanese Armed Forces] soldiers‖ who ―allegedly discovered two men engaged in homosexual activity‖ in Beirut on 22 January 2009, beat and then ―detained the men at police barracks on the attorney general‘s order until their release a few days later.‖ The report also indicates that the government permitted the demonstration organised by Helem and held in Beirut on 25 February 2009 to protest the ―attack by security forces against two gay men… and against the homophobic provisions of the law… and there was no violence from any source reported against the demonstrators.‖17

An article in Bekhsoos magazine dated June 2008 indicates that ―[s]everal incidents of violence against LGBT have been reported inside the community.‖ According to the article:

Violence against homosexuals is normally manifested in the form of: physical abuse, rape, blackmail, verbal abuse, job loss, eviction, and other forms. This happens on the street, in restaurants or coffee shops, at work, in schools and colleges, and other public places. Several incidents of violence against LGBT have been reported inside the community. Lesbians commonly face verbal abuse and sexual harassment on the street based on their attire, mannerisms, and in case of any minimal public display of affection…

Men, however, especially effeminate men and trans women, face much harsher abuse. On the street, they will very probably have ―louti‖ or ―foufou‖ (tr. faggot) yelled at them. Or they will be profanely propositioned for sexual acts. In a few incidents, effeminate men have been beaten up or slapped on the street. They also get fired from their jobs or not hired at all. In schools and colleges, they face strong bullying from others. Such forms of violence are considered macho behavior by Arab men.18

Treatment by the Authorities

The article in Now Lebanon dated 17 May 2009 refers to Article 534 of the Lebanese penal code as ―the part of the Penal Code that criminalizes ‗unnatural sex‘ that is used by authorities to intimidate homosexuals.‖ The article also indicates that Helem‘s Georges Azzi believed that harassment from the government was one of ―three different types of harassment‖ Lebanese homosexuals faced. Georges Azzi has said that:

14 Mroue, B. 2009, ‗Lebanese gays make rare public move in Arab world to annul a law that imprisons them‘, Associated Press Newswires, 10 May – Attachment 4. 15 Sandels, A. 2009, ‗Out in force‘, Now Lebanon, 23 February http://www.nowlebanon.com/NewsArchiveDetails.aspx?ID=81261 – Accessed 25 November 2009 – Attachment 5. 16 Mahdawi, D. 2009, ‗Local gay rights organization to receive award in US‘, The Daily Star, 30 March – Attachment 8. 17 US Department of State 2010, Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2009 – Lebanon, March, Sections 1(c) & 6 http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2009/nea/136073.htm - Accessed 16 March 2010 – Attachment 6. 18 Nadz 2008, ‗LGBTQ-phobia in Lebanon‘, Bekhsoos, June – Attachment 9.

4 In terms of the government, it‘s the same for everyone in the LGBTI community. As long as the law [534] exists, there will be no protection for them. Incidents like the one in Sassine are a result of 534. The assailants have still not been punished. They think it‘s ok to beat up gay men,‖ he said.19

The Associated Press Newswires article dated 10 May 2009, however, refers to Georges Azzi saying that ―treatment by police has improved in recent years‖, although he also refers to the police, in 2008, forcing the friends of a murdered gay man ―to undergo rectal exams‖ and verbally and physically abusing them. It is stated in the article that:

Most of Helem‘s work has been behind the scenes, contacting police, religious leaders, employers, even parents to resolve specific cases of discrimination.

Helem‘s president, Georges Azzi, said treatment by police has improved in recent years.

But last year, a murdered man was discovered to have been gay, and police rounded up several of his friends for questioning, Azzi said. The men were forced to undergo rectal exams meant to determine if they were gay, then were ―verbally and physically abused,‖ he said.

―It is a very humiliating test,‖ Azzi said. ―We intervened and got them out, but they were traumatized.‖20

As previously mentioned, there were conflicting reports on whether two men allegedly discovered engaging in sexual conduct in Beirut in January 2009 were beaten by security personnel or civilians. There are sources that refer to the men being beaten by the police and other sources that indicate they were beaten by members of the Lebanese Armed Forces. The US Department of State‘s 2009 report on human rights practices in Lebanon indicates that the government had permitted the previously mentioned demonstration organised by Helem and held in Beirut on 25 February 2009 ―to protest an attack by security forces against two gay men… and against the homophobic provisions of the law‖, and also gay rights demonstrations held on 10 and 17 May 2009 for the International Day Against Homophobia, ―and there was no violence from any source reported against the demonstrators.‖21

Another article submitted on 16 January 2009 on the Helem website refers to ―State agents‘ behavior with LGBT individuals in Lebanon‖ being ―marred by a string of human rights violations as well as by frequent violations of Lebanese law.‖ According to the article, the vice squad headquarters commander in Hbeich kept records of LGBT persons and put them under surveillance. The ―authorities frequently interfered with the privacy of suspected LGBT persons‖, and there had been reports of private homes ―reportedly raided upon tips coming from disapproving neighbors or vindictive acquaintances.‖ In relation to state protection for LGBT persons in Lebanon, the article indicates that ―[e]ven LGBT individuals who have sought police protection after having been abused by third parties have been reportedly subjected to the same kind of treatment by the police or the military police‖, and ―[a]s a result of this lack of protection, LGBT individuals are more prone to be targeted by criminals who know that these vulnerable victims won‘t venture to the police and report a robbery without forced entry, or a mugging in a renowned gay cruising area, or rape during a date that turned

19 Sandels, A. 2009, ‗Talking to: Helem coordinator Georges Azzi‘, Now Lebanon, 17 May – Attachment 2. 20 Mroue, B. 2009, ‗Lebanese gays make rare public move in Arab world to annul a law that imprisons them‘, Associated Press Newswires, 10 May – Attachment 4. 21 US Department of State 2010, Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2009 – Lebanon, March, Section 6 http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2009/nea/136073.htm - Accessed 16 March 2010 – Attachment 6.

5 ugly. If these LGBT victims do report what happened to them, they would end up being themselves prosecuted.‖22

The article in Bekhsoos magazine dated June 2008, however, indicates that ―[t]he police have made vast improvements in terms of dealing with cases of homosexuality. In the near past, it was very common for policemen to similarly abuse or blackmail gay men who report cases of robbery or abuse and dismiss them as perversions. In recent years, largely thanks to the work of Helem, the morality police department, known as Hobeich Police Station, has become more aware of violence facing gay men, although much of the malpractice still happens today.‖ But, the article also mentions that ―[i]n popular gay cruising locations such as Ramlet El Bayda, a stretch of beach in Beirut, gay men are more often than not picked up by other men who then steal their money by threatening (with or without weapons) to report them to the police.‖23

Other more recent reports include an article dated 17 September 2009 which indicates that the Lebanese authorities in Beirut ―had arrested the owners of several movie theaters… for screening pornography, in addition to ‗facilitating homosexual encounters‘ inside those theaters, a statement said‖,24 while an article in The Daily Star dated 10 August 2009 refers to the effects of Article 534 of the Lebanese penal code and indicates that homosexuals ―in ‗gay‘ cruising areas are often afraid to carry condoms with them because, if caught, police can use this as evidence of their sexual behaviour.‖ Helem ―has also found it difficult to even pass out condoms in gay clubs, as many establishments don‘t want to attract the attention of the police.‖25 Another article in The New York Times dated 2 August 2009 refers to the comments of ―Raed, a young gay man who works in Beirut,‖ who ―pointed out that a police booth is located close to Bardo, one of the most popular gay gathering spots on most nights of the week.‖ The police ―‗know that Bardo is a gay place, but they have never really blinked an eye about that,‘ Raed said. ‗When I go out from Bardo I always feel at ease hugging my friends - of course in a decent way - in front of the police. This is the kind of change I am talking about. Although the laws still incriminate homosexual acts, we as gays here don‘t feel that much threatened by it anymore.‘‖26

Societal Attitudes

In relation to societal attitudes towards homosexuals, the article in Now Lebanon dated 17 May 2009 refers to Helem‘s Georges Azzi saying that ―[t]he gay community is much more visible than before‖ and the public, especially the younger generation, was getting used to it. Azzi also said that ―the first priority is the abolishment of Article 534 and to try and create a better awareness of human rights in Lebanese society.‖ The article quotes Azzi as saying:

―534 must be scrapped. The gay community must have a voice to defend itself here. Beirut is much more advanced than the law itself. The gay community is much more visible than before. The public is getting used to it, I think. Especially the young generation. People tend to be less aggressive about the subject when I speak about in universities. What we need to ask people is whether they think homosexuals should go to prison. This is the question we should ask, because that‘s what 534 can result in for homosexuals. Several of those who are not supporting

22 ‗Human Rights in Lebanon‘ 2009, Helem website, 16 January http://helem.net/node/126 - Accessed 24 November 2009 – Attachment 10. 23 Nadz 2008, ‗LGBTQ-phobia in Lebanon‘, Bekhsoos, June – Attachment 9. 24 ‗Authorities arrest adult-movie-theater owners‘ 2009, The Star, 17 September – Attachment 11. 25 Beydoun, A. 2009, ‗Lebanese rights group fighting gay stigma surrounding AIDS‘, The Daily Star, 10 August – Attachment 12. 26 Healy, P. 2009, ‗Beirut, the Provincetown of the Middle East‘, The New York Times, 2 August – Attachment 13.

6 the gay community were actually against the law when I asked them. Human rights are universal. People confuse their personal opinion of gays and the universal notion of human rights. If you think homosexuality is wrong for religious and personal reasons, fine, but let them [gays] have their human rights.‖27

An earlier Deutsche Presse Agentur article dated 8 July 2008 also refers to comments by Georges Azzi of Helem, who said that ―[s]ince Helem was established a relative improvement was registered in the way Lebanese society views homosexuality‖. Azzi also, however, ―stressed this is mainly true for the capital Beirut and not the country‘s rural areas. The hardships of being homosexual in rural Lebanon still includes [sic] threats of expulsion from the family home or death.‖ Azzi also said ―that even in some rural areas things are improving nowadays‖.28

The more recent Deutsche Welle article dated 2 December 2009 indicates that ―[c]hanging sexual behavior puts young Lebanese at greater risk of getting infected with HIV/AIDS -- especially gay men. Yet social taboos hinder measures aimed at helping those in new risk groups cope with the disease.‖ The article refers to the government ―working together with groups like Helem, funding part of their activities and delegating outreach work undertaken by the organizations. At the same time, Lebanon‘s National AIDS Program (NAP) is putting together a new plan aimed at emerging risk groups‖, although ―the NAP has its hands tied in many respects.‖ None of the government advertising campaigns against HIV/AIDS ―yet acknowledges or targets homosexuals.‖ The article also indicates that:

A law prohibiting homosexual acts in Lebanon is proving to be a major stumbling block as the country tries to adapt its health policy to the evolving shape of its HIV/AIDS epidemic.

Statistics show that the work of the government and Helem is stemming a growing tide. Like [Dr. Jacques] Mokhbat from the Lebanese AIDS Society, many experts think that now is the time for a fundamental overhaul in public health policy and legislation regarding homosexuality in Lebanon.

It will be important to change the law, Mokhbat said, but that, is not enough: ―The important thing is to also change the social attitude.‖29

The article in The New York Times dated 2 August 2009 refers to Beirut as representing ―a different Middle East for some gay and lesbian Arabs: the only place in the region where they can openly enjoy a social life denied them at home.‖ The article indicates that ―[g]ay life in this city is still inching out of the shadows, to be sure, but it seems to have developed a steady forward momentum since the end of Lebanon‘s 15-year civil war in 1990 - and especially in the calm that has followed the brief 2006 war between Hezbollah forces and Israel.‖ The article also refers to the rally held by Helem in February 2009 following ―a widely publicized beating of two gay men by police officers‖ in Beirut and indicates that the ―rally - as well as Lebanon‘s elections in June, won by moderate political parties - has buoyed the spirits of gay men and lesbians in Beirut, yet still they have hardly turned cavalier about their public behavior.‖30

27 Sandels, A. 2009, ‗Talking to: Helem coordinator Georges Azzi‘, Now Lebanon, 17 May – Attachment 2. 28 ‗Homosexuality is becoming less of a taboo in Lebanon‘ 2008, Deutsche Presse Agentur, 8 July – Attachment 14. 29 Duncan, D. 2009, ‗Lebanon‘s sexual revolution drives up HIV infections‘, Deutsche Welle, 2 December – Attachment 3. 30 Healy, P. 2009, ‗Beirut, the Provincetown of the Middle East‘, The New York Times, 2 August – Attachment 13.

7 The previous article was criticised in a further article in Menassat dated 19 August 2009, which indicates that ―[i]n a nutshell, the article is the story of one person‘s night-out on the town. Patrick [Healy] hung out with some, as his writing betrays, seriously well-off, upper- middle class Lebanese and foreign gay men partying in Beirut, on the occasion of a fun event held at a seriously expensive beach resort to which most gay people I know could never afford the entrance fee.‖ According to the article:

Reacting to Healy‘s New York Times piece… with an excellent critique published on Globalgayz, Richard Ammon writes, ―‘Inching out‘‖ is far more an apt description for Beirut than ‗Provincetown.‘ The majority of gays here only show themselves at night and are not out to their families. There certainly is nothing that resembles a ‗gay neighborhood.‘‖

…Ghassan Makarem is one of those who has been fighting for gay rights in Lebanon for quite some time now, and he is one of the founders of Helem. Talking to MENASSAT, Makarem said there‘s more than one problem with this article. First, it presents itself as a tourism/travel article, but in fact does something more than that––wittingly or unwittingly. Talking about a rally for gay rights in Beirut back in February, Healy inserts: ―That rally — as well as Lebanon‘s elections in June, won by moderate political parties — has buoyed the spirits of gay men and lesbians in Beirut.‖ Makarem argues that this is not the first time the election results have been portrayed as a victory for modern moderates that will undoubtedly reflect on gays rights, among other issues. The fact is that no one in the last elections supported gay and lesbian rights in the country, and the so-called pro-western alliance, if anything, is hostile towards the gay community in the country. Makarem does not rule out a few sympathizers in parliament, but from a legislative point of view, there are no allies in the ―pro-western‖ alliance. This is a deceptive image-- as if any real change on this issue, or other issues that concern ordinary Lebanese, may result from the electoral victory of the March 14th pro- western coalition.31

Family Attitudes

In relation to family attitudes to homosexuals, Helem‘s Georges Azzi indicates that harassment from the family is one of ―three different types of harassment he believes Lebanese homosexuals face.‖ Azzi said that ―[f]amily harassment is the main problem for lesbians. They are often financially dependent on their families, and it‘s harder for them to move out.‖32 The article in Menassat dated 19 August 2009 refers to Richard Ammon writing that ―[t]he majority of gays‖ in Beirut ―are not out to their families.‖33

The article in The Daily Star dated 10 August 2009 indicates that the head of the HIV outreach program at Helem, Rabih Maher, ―said most people with HIV don‘t tell their families that they have the virus due to the stigma involved.‖ Activists, however, had also noticed ―some less negative experiences‖. According to the article:

A representative from HELEM‘s outreach program cited the example of an HIV patient who informed family members and also mentioned that they contracted the disease from same-sex intercourse. While the family was shocked at first, rather than reacting negatively, if they showed great support, and now even attends doctor‘s visits with them.

But in general, the situation is difficult for those who contract HIV from a same-sex experience, as they have to ―come out‖ about not one, but two taboos.

31 Kawzally, S. 2009, ‗Oh, the fun we'll have! Selling (out) gay Beirut‘, Menassat, 19 August – Attachment 15. 32 Sandels, A. 2009, ‗Talking to: Helem coordinator Georges Azzi‘, Now Lebanon, 17 May – Attachment 2. 33 Kawzally, S. 2009, ‗Oh, the fun we'll have! Selling (out) gay Beirut‘, Menassat, 19 August – Attachment 15.

8 The HELEM representative believes that in the positive situation he cited, the contraction of the virus helped the family accept the fact that their child had a same-sex experience, because of the ―crisis situation‖ he or she was in.

―Being sick is a priority over being gay,‖ the representative added, explaining that this family was willing to set aside the backlash against their child‘s sexual orientation for the more crucial matter of their health.34

The Associated Press Newswires article dated 10 May 2009 refers to a ―deep-seated taboo in Arab countries against even discussing homosexuality. Everyone from religious leaders to family members condemn homosexuality.‖ The article also refers to Charbel Maydaa from Helem saying that ―[o]ne of the major problems we face is that some parents threaten their gay children with article 534‖ of the Lebanese penal code, ―which prohibits having sexual relations that ‗contradict the laws of nature‘‖. Helem did most of its work ―behind the scenes, contacting police, religious leaders, employers, even parents to resolve specific cases of discrimination.‖35

The article in Bekhsoos magazine dated June 2008 indicates that ―[f]amily pressure and threat of being ostracized remains the single biggest fear facing the LGBT community in Lebanon.‖ The article continues:

Hundreds of cases of LGBT being ostracized from their families have been reported in the last 10 years. This form of homophobia is manifested in different ways: gay men commonly get kicked out of their homes, denied inheritance, or in rarer cases sent out of the country by their parents. Lesbians face different problems with their family and are more likely to get put under house arrest, forced into a marriage with a man, but in rarer cases do get kicked out of their homes as well.

...Families who learn about their children‘s homosexuality also prefer to hide the shame of this news in their communities and villages, so in many cases they refrain from actively expelling their children, and tighten their restrictions on them instead.36

A thesis dated May 2008 by Erica Li Lundqvist of Lund University in Sweden includes information gained from interviews with members of the LGBT community in Beirut carried out between October and December 2007. The thesis refers to interviewees fearing ―exclusion from family‖ if they chose to come out and to ―a large part of the target group‖ choosing ―to keep their sexuality as a secret, to avoid being stigmatized and labeled as a sick person.‖ It is stated in the thesis that:

Most of the interviewees felt that their family would not understand, thinking of it as a disease or as ―wrong behavior‖. For those whose choice was to ―come-out‖ to their family and friends, examples were given where family members send their homosexual son or daughter to a psychiatrist for ―correction‖. This however did not work in any of the interviewee‘s cases.

34 Beydoun, A. 2009, ‗Lebanese rights group fighting gay stigma surrounding AIDS‘, The Daily Star, 10 August – Attachment 12. 35 Mroue, B. 2009, ‗Lebanese gays make rare public move in Arab world to annul a law that imprisons them‘, Associated Press Newswires, 10 May – Attachment 4. 36 Nadz 2008, ‗LGBTQ-phobia in Lebanon‘, Bekhsoos, June – Attachment 9.

9 The thesis also indicates that ―[a]ccording to both Helem and Meem, violence against are [sic] mostly common within the family, although violence in the cruising areas happens even if it is more common with robbery (George, Helem).‖37

An earlier Agence -Presse article dated 5 November 2007 refers to the comments of Linda Shartouni Zahm, a researcher in social psychology at the Lebanese University, who said that although ―[s]een from the outside, Lebanon is a liberal country which respects personal freedoms,‖, there were ―homosexuals who receive death threats from members of their own families, others who are expelled from school or some who have to leave Lebanon‖. The article also refers to some homosexuals in Lebanon leading double lives, including a man who, when he told his father he was homosexual, was told to ―get married, have children and live your sexual life in parallel – discreetly‖.38

An Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada response to information request dated 9 November 2007 includes information on the legal status of homosexuals in Lebanon and their treatment by the authorities and society in general.39

2 Is there any specific information about the treatment of homosexuals from Akkar?

A search of the sources consulted did not locate specific information on the treatment of homosexuals in Akkar. Although not in relation to homosexuals, an RRT research response dated 16 December 2009 provides information on whether Akkar in northern Lebanon was becoming a more fundamentalist Islamic region. The research response refers to sources that indicate the Akkar region is predominantly Sunni and that northern Lebanon has been characterised as ―the heart of conservative Sunni Islam‖.40

Attachments

1. RRT Country Research 2007, Research Response LBN31497, 16 March.

2. Sandels, A. 2009, ‗Talking to: Helem coordinator Georges Azzi‘, Now Lebanon, 17 May. (CISNET Lebanon CX226698)

3. Duncan, D. 2009, ‗Lebanon‘s sexual revolution drives up HIV infections‘, Deutsche Welle, 2 December. (FACTIVA)

4. Mroue, B. 2009, ‗Lebanese gays make rare public move in Arab world to annul a law that imprisons them‘, Associated Press Newswires, 10 May. (FACTIVA)

5. Sandels, A. 2009, ‗Out in force‘, Now Lebanon, 23 February http://www.nowlebanon.com/NewsArchiveDetails.aspx?ID=81261 – Accessed 25 November 2009.

37 Lundqvist, E.L. 2008, “Straight” from the heart? Adaptations to social stigma among gays and lesbians in Lebanon, Master of International Development and Management thesis, Lund University, Sweden, May, pp. 32, 33 & 42 – Attachment 16. 38 ‗Lebanese gays come out of closet, but quietly‘ 2007, Agence France-Presse, 5 November – Attachment 17. 39 Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada 2007, LBN102624.FE – Lebanon: Legal status of homosexuals; treatment of homosexuals by the authorities and the population (2005 - October 2007), 9 November – Attachment 18. 40 RRT Research & Information 2009, Research Response LBN35803, 16 December, (Question 2) – Attachment 19.

10 6. US Department of State 2010, Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2009 – Lebanon, March http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2009/nea/136073.htm - Accessed 16 March 2010.

7. von Mittelstaedt, J. & Steinvorth, D. 2009, ‗The Gay Sons of Allah - Wave of Homophobia Sweeps the Muslim World‘, Spiegel Online International, 17 September. (FACTIVA)

8. Mahdawi, D. 2009, ‗Local gay rights organization to receive award in US‘, The Daily Star, 30 March. (CISNET Lebanon CX223491)

9. Nadz 2008, ‗LGBTQ-phobia in Lebanon‘, Bekhsoos, June. (CISNET Lebanon CX212656)

10. ‗Human Rights in Lebanon‘ 2009, Helem website, 16 January http://helem.net/node/126 - Accessed 24 November 2009.

11. ‗Authorities arrest adult-movie-theater owners‘ 2009, The Star, 17 September. (FACTIVA)

12. Beydoun, A. 2009, ‗Lebanese rights group fighting gay stigma surrounding AIDS‘, The Daily Star, 10 August. (CISNET Lebanon CX231502)

13. Healy, P. 2009, ‗Beirut, the Provincetown of the Middle East‘, The New York Times, 2 August. (CISNET Lebanon CX231480)

14. ‗Homosexuality is becoming less of a taboo in Lebanon‘ 2008, Deutsche Presse Agentur, 8 July. (CISNET Lebanon CX204694)

15. Kawzally, S. 2009, ‗Oh, the fun we'll have! Selling (out) gay Beirut‘, Menassat, 19 August. (CISNET Lebanon CX231972)

16. Lundqvist, E.L. 2008, “Straight” from the heart? Adaptations to social stigma among gays and lesbians in Lebanon, Master of International Development and Management thesis, Lund University, Sweden, May. (CISLIB17648)

17. ‗Lebanese gays come out of closet, but quietly‘ 2007, Agence France-Presse, 5 November. (CISNET Lebanon CX187946)

18. Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada 2007, LBN102624.FE – Lebanon: Legal status of homosexuals; treatment of homosexuals by the authorities and the population (2005 - October 2007), 9 November (CISNET Lebanon CX221692)

19. RRT Research & Information 2009, Research Response LBN35803, 16 December.

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