Bekhsoos is Back

Lebanon’s only lesbian magazine has returned to cyberspace:

Lebanon’s online lesbian magazine Bekhsoos is back after a nearly one-year hiatus for almost one year.

The publication, whose Arabic name loosely translates as “Concerning,” was launched as a quarterly magazine in early 2008 by members of the Lebanese lesbian group Meem and was billed as the Arab world’s first publication for lesbian and bisexual women.

Back then, Bekhsoos published a mixture of news about sexual identity in the Arab world.

Now it plans to feature more investigative reports with the objective of filling “the gap of lesbian- and transgender-produced writing in the Arab world.”

Slowly, it seems, gay rights is advancing – could this parliament be the one that finally ends the discrimination and nullifies Article 534? That would be absolutely amazing, though I’m not holding my breath.

Note: I’m unable to visit the e-mag thanks to The Powers That Be in the UAE (hey that rhymes) who “nanny” my Internet access. So I leave you with this  – try not to laugh too hard:

The UAE's Internet Nanny

Check out these great posts:

• Iraqi Gays Escape to Beirut
• Gay Prize
• Abolishing 534

Iraqi Gays Escape to Beirut

Beirut seems to be the destination of choice for Gay Iraqis escaping the violence back home, and there’s help on the way:

A group of San Francisco philanthropists have raised $7,500 to aid gay Iraqi refugees in Beirut, reports blogger and activist Michael Petrelis.

In related news, with the new parliament selected, the Gay-Straight Alliance is pushing forth with their petition to have Article 534 overturned:

Our new parliament has arrived. And now we will get ready to mail them all – all 128 of them – our petition with the signatures which are now at 2250. That is really cool. I honestly didn’t expect us to cross 2000, I just put 10,000 min rassi [from the top of my head], but we have enough to make an impact! Yes, we do.

So we have one more week to go as we allow the MPs to settle into their new offices. Let’s rally everyone we know who still hasn’t signed to get the sigs up to 2500. I’m guessing every pack will be around 50-70 pages long.

Voila, le link one last time, and thank you all for your amazing work. It shall not stop here. We shall together come up with creative new ways of battling the infamous 534: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/abolish-article-534-of-the-lebanese-penal-code

Best,
Nadz

If you haven’t signed the petition, there isn’t much time left. Make you voice heard and support equal rights for all.

Check out these great posts:

• Gay Prize
• Bekhsoos is Back
• You’ll Have a Gay Old Time

Abolishing 534

Helem is pushing forward to abolish Article 534 which bans “unnatural sex”, used by the police and judicial department to arrest gays in Lebanon.

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. Helem members would not comment on how they intend to carry out the campaign.

A Gay-Straight Alliance has also emerged with the same goal. You can petition online for the removal of the article and make donations towards the campaign. Also, if you come across a Crepaway in Lebanon, you can pick up their in-store magazine, HangOut, which will contain an awareness advert:

Article 534 Public Awareness Ad

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Gay Prize

Helem, Arabic acronym for “Lebanese Protection for Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Transgenders, has been awarded the 2009 Felipa de Souza Award:

The Award recognizes the courage and effectiveness of groups or leaders dedicated to improving the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgenders, intersex (LGBTI) and other individuals stigmatized and abused because of their sexuality or HIV status.

However, the announcement was overshadowed by a gay bashing incident in Beirut:

Two gay men were having sex in the lobby of an uninhabited building in Ashrafieh, a suburb of Beirut, when they were discovered by Lebanese Army soldiers, dragged out into the street and severely beaten.

I am all for gay rights and the freedom for people to do as they please in the privacy of their own homes, but I really don’t believe the actions taken by these men was appropriate. Even if it was a heterosexual act, this would still be disgraceful. However, the beating was unnecessary and the Army (in its truest form) should not be responsible for policing the state. These men will most likely be charged under Lebanon’s Article 534 which bans “sexual acts of an unnatural nature”, whatever that means.

From Wikipedia:

Article 534 of the Lebanese Penal Code prohibits having sexual relations that are “contradicting the laws of nature,” which is punishable by up to a year in prison. This prohibits male homosexuality, along with adultery, sodomy and fornication, while for females, lesbian sexual activities are not illegal, because they do not involve penetration.

As a practical matter, enforcement of the law is varied and often occurs through occasional police harassment and arrests. In 2002, the police broke into a woman’s house after her mother claimed that her daughter had stolen some money and jewelery. Upon entering the house, the police found the woman having sexual relations with another woman and charged them both with the crime of sodomy. Other arrests of gay couples, or police raids of nightclubs where gay men patronize, are frequently reported in local newspapers.

Helem is working through the political system to amend the article and they’ve mentioned that they have the support of a number of political parties, however, no party is willing to stand up and publicly admit it. Hopefully this issue will be tackled once the elections are over (kind of a long shot though).

Check out these great posts:

• Abolishing 534
• Iraqi Gays Escape to Beirut
• Bekhsoos is Back