Daniel Nasr and Sarah Atallah are organizing this fundraiser.
The UK’s LGBTQ+ community, their allies and the Lebanese Diaspora are coming together to raise funds to rebuild Lebanon's capital Beirut and support all impacted communities.
We are asking you to help us, by donating what you can to this crowdfund, and joining us on 22 August for an evening of pride, performance and love for Beirut, its people and its reconstruction. Rebuilding Beirut with Pride will be hosted at the Bell Pub in Whitechapel, and live-streamed all night for everyone to watch and take part in. From an art auction to a programme of performance, we want to celebrate Arab and queer art and talent and help rebuild our hometown in the process. Click here to buy your tickets for the event.
Where is the money going?
All proceeds will be equally split and donated to the Lebanese Red Cross, Beit El Baraka , Basmeh & Zeitooneh and Embrace Lebanon, as well as two grassroots LGBT+ crowdfunds, detailed below.
Beit El Baraka provide food banks for victims of the disaster, Basmeh & Zeitooneh are responding on the ground to those who have been made homeless, and Embrace Lebanon offers mental health support.
The NGOs were chosen after having direct discussions with several people within Lebanon itself who informed us of which organisations are trustworthy and are not affiliated with government authorities in any way, to ensure the money is directly going to support those in need first and foremost.
We have also identified two crowdfunds that have been strongly recommended to us by many members of Beirut's LGBTQ+ community, in that they are offering on-the-ground and direct support and are being led by trusted community members.
These crowdfunds are Disaster Relief for Lebanese Transgender Community , led by Lebanese trans pioneer Sasha Elijah, and Funds for LGBTQ Victims of Beirut Explosion , led by prominent community member Sandra Melhem.
The total sum raised will be split 6-way between these 6 beneficiaries, and receipts of these donations will be posted here for completely transparency.