GAY BERUIT POPULAR: Radio Beirut in the Mar Mikhael area of the city draws a mixed crowd SMALL STEPS TOWARDS QUEER RIGHTS ARE BEING TAKEN IN LEBANON BUT VIOLENCE AGAINST LGBT+ PEOPLE STILL GOES UNPUNISHED, WHILE RELIGIOUS LEADERS WITH POLITICAL POWER CONTINUE TO RAIL AGAINST HOMOSEXUALITY. CONFLICTING IDEOLOGIES WITHIN THE GAY COMMUNITY ARE NOT HELPING EITHER... WORDS: AGNISH RAY // PHOTOGRAPHS: ROLAND RAGI A ray of light hile at Amsterdam Pride would be a success but I never knew it but invariably it is Lebanon’s gay on insubstantial grounds, bullied, than trying to find and convict detained by police who claimed that, last year, Hadi Damien would be this successful.” community that suffers. humiliated and physically hurt in the attacker, the police mocked, as a trans woman, she was unlawfully knew it was time his One might wonder why Pride had Prosecutions made under Article 534 police custody. intimidated and sexually harassed concealing her true identity. home celebrated its never been celebrated in Lebanon are becoming less common and several the couple. “They didn’t even bother Sasha, 20, knows being trans is not inaugural Pride. But the city he had in before. After all, Beirut is often hailed courts have ruled recently that the FURNITURE DESIGNER NAJI RAJI tells looking for the car,” says Lea, “they a crime and after several hours at the mind isn’t in Europe, America or any as a liberal oasis in the Middle East, article should not apply to consensual me how he was held by the police were only interested in our sexuality.” police station, lawyers sent by Proud other part of the world known for its home to a vibrant gay scene, vocal same-sex activity. in 2008 when a gay pornographic Even more recently, just a month Lebanon and Helem secured her wide-ranging liberal attitudes. activists and LGBT+ organisations that However, the lack of defined legal movie was found on his laptop. It after Beirut Pride, Sasha Elijah was release. However, 10 months later, about function much more openly than in protection means LGBT+ people are took five years of legal battles and a She is encouraged by the fact that 4,000 people attended Beirut Pride’s many neighbouring countries. still vulnerable to discriminatory $4,000 (£3,000) fine for him to avoid the rights group and lawyers were able eight-day programme of poetry But at the centre of Lebanon’s interpretations of the law, while a prison sentence, with the help of a to help her. It’s a sign of progress, she readings, fashion workshops, drag queer struggle is Article 534 of the violence against its members — often gay rights group called Helem. The says. “But we still have a lot of work performances, film screenings and penal code, which prosecutes “sexual perpetrated by or on the behalf of the incident continues to leave a “stain” “I was astonioshed. I knew to do,” she adds. “We have to work on parties. Bars in the hip Mar Mikhael intercourse contrary to the order of authorities — goes unpunished. on 29-year-old Naji, affecting his changing the law because there is still neighbourhood raised the Beirut Pride nature.” A report recently published by the professional life. Beirut Pride would be a zero protection for LGBT+ people.” flag in support and by halfway through This ambiguous wording might civil rights group Proud Lebanon In another case, 25-year-old bar Sasha is now using her modelling the week all the event’s official suggest sexual activity for any purpose documents alarming levels of manager Léa Freiha and her girlfriend success but I never knew it career to help advance the movement. wristbands had gone. other than procreation (oral sex, mistreatment and abuse by police and were victims of an attempted rape would be this successful” By gaining visibility as a trans model “I was astonished to see people so masturbation, sex with contraceptives) other national authorities, with queer in November 2016. The assailant across Lebanon, the Middle East and supportive,” Hadi says. “I knew it could be considered a criminal offence, people repeatedly targeted, arrested escaped, stealing their car. But rather HADI Europe, she is proud to act as a positive › 68 SEPTEMBER 2017 SEPTEMBER 2017 69 GAY BERUIT DISCRIMINATION: Police claimed that as a trans woman, Sasha was trying to hide her true identity BATTLE: Naji fought the law for five years after gay porn was found on his laptop “We still have a lot of work to do on changing the law because there is still zero protection for the LGBT+ community” SASHA ambassador, reaching out to and Makso, tells me that the location of empowering others. this community centre is essential to But visibility is not without its risks. its mission because it allows easier “I’m very exposed,” she says. “There access for people from other parts of aren’t many trans people in the Middle Lebanon and those who don’t spend East doing what I’m doing. I never time in central Beirut. know when I might come across some This helps ensure that gay freedom transphobic people.” and solidarity aren’t afforded only to certain classes of people: either SASHA FELT THIS ACUTELY on tourists on holiday, or the affluent International Day Against Homophobia middle class of the capital. and Transphobia this year, when a Hadi too, as he now prepares for conference at which she was speaking, Beirut Pride 2018, reflects that cutting organised by Proud Lebanon and across social divisions was one of his falling at the start of Beirut Pride proudest achievements at this year’s week, was cancelled by its host venue event. Some of the teenagers from following pressure from religious poorer backgrounds were there even groups and a lack of protection against Indeed, a Gay Pride event is not of Pride — revolving around drinking, if it meant their families kicking them protestors. itself necessarily a signal of progress. dancing, drugs and nudity — not to out of the house,” he explains. This incident turned out to be one Activists in Uganda have managed to mention so-called pink-washing by “These people don’t have money but of the pivotal controversies to emerge hold similar events for many years, some corporations and governments in they have nerves. These people change ATTACKED: The from Beirut Pride — organiser Hadi in spite of a poor human rights cities around the world. police were less the world. They are the fuel of Beirut was criticised for failing to speak out environment for LGBT+ people. India But parties and sex are largely what interested in finding Pride.” the man who tried to against the security forces that refused also sees significant Pride marches, drive the reputation of Beirut as the rape Léa Freiha than These concerns about socio- to protect Proud Lebanon’s conference. despite same-sex relations being illegal. gay paradise of the Middle East. This her sexuality economic inequality indicate that the The criticisms are part of a wider And, on the flip side, even though glamorisation of ‘Gay-rut’ in the eyes freedoms which the LGBT+ movement concern from the LGBT+ community Turkey does not actually criminalise of Western tourists is ultimately driven is fighting for are intertwined with the that Beirut Pride did not send a homosexuality, Istanbul’s Gay Pride in by consumption and associated with Growing up, Hamed didn’t listen to want to make music that would just region’s broader political questions — strong enough political message to June was violently shut down by police. privilege, failing to recognise the much Arabic music. “A lot of it was be listened to by the bourgeoisie of class, security and gender — and their the country’s decision makers about So, it’s normal to want to ensure persisting social and legal vulnerability hard for me to access or relate to. It Beirut,” he explains. associated civil rights. It cannot be how dissatisfied and impatient queer the political effectiveness of Beirut of many queer people, particularly the was at college that I realised this was a ignored, for example, that the gradual people are for change. Pride. Moreover, many in Beirut want less economically fortunate. bit of a class marker.” UNDERSTANDING THESE SOCIAL decline of gay bars in Beirut has The initial wording of Hadi’s mission to avoid mimicking a certain model It’s a view shared by Hamed Sinno, Lebanon’s division between French DELINEATIONS is crucial to the LGBT+ correlated with the escalation of the statements used the word “apolitical” the gay lead singer of Lebanese indie and Arabic speakers is intrinsically rights movement. They are among the war in Syria, or that, as Human Rights in outlining the intentions of the band Mashrou’ Leila, who believes linked to socio-economic class. Hamed key concerns of Proud Lebanon and Watch (HRW) confirms, gay Syrian event, which sat uncomfortably with that “once you start defining queer (the son of a Jordanian mother, raised groups such as Helem and the Arab refugees are most at risk of persecution many. liberation as your ability to consume, in Italy and Germany, and a Lebanese Foundation for Freedoms and Equality. by Lebanese authorities. But Hadi insists you don’t have to “You can’t really organise you’re limiting the thing.” father, who spent a large part of his life Getting ready for Proud Lebanon’s Kicking off the Proud Lebanon describe something as political for it to a protest. A protest has to Hamed has quickly become one of in America) attended a school where weekly community meeting, about meeting, Bertho says: “Remember be political.