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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
