LONDON, Nov 14 (Openly) - Nationwide protests that have thrown Lebanon into political and economic turmoil could end up being an opportunity for the LGBT+ community, according to the head of the country's most prominent LGBT+ rights organisation.

Tarek Zeidan, executive director of Helem, said the anti-government demonstrations that prompted Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri to resign could usher in a new leadership "more willing to relax its iron grip ... on social and human rights issues".

Despite being seen as a bastion of relative freedom in the largely conservative Middle East, Lebanese society remains reluctant to extend rights to the LGBT+ community.

By law "sexual intercourse against nature" - often interpreted by authorities as gay sex - remains illegal with a possible jail term of one year, although there have been six recent cases in which judges have refused to enforce the law.

Zeidan, leader of Helem - which was the first LGBT rights organisation in the Arab world when it was founded in 2004 - said there had been headway in the courts but the recent protests could be a major driver for change.

"It is not the work of the revolution to change homophobic and transphobic attitudes for us," said Zeidan,35, ahead of speaking at the Thomson Reuters Foundation's annual Trust Conference on Thursday.

"(But) the hope is that it ushers in a level playing field for us to engage in this important work on these very difficult subjects of gender identity and sexuality." Read more via Openly