Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people and their rights in Lebanon are part and parcel of the nationwide protests that began on October 17, 2019, Human Rights Watch said today in a web feature.
The web feature, “‘If Not Now, When?’ Queer and Trans People Reclaim Their Power in Lebanon’s Revolution,” shares stories of hope and solidarity told by queer women and transgender people who are active in the protests. By taking their struggle to the streets, through chants, graffiti, and public discussions, LGBT people have moved demands of their rights from the margins to mainstream discourse in a country where same-sex relations are punishable by up to one year in prison and transgender people face systemic discrimination.
“LGBT people are using the power of voice and presence in protests to demand their rights,” said Rasha Younes, LGBT rights researcher at Human Rights Watch. “Their visible contribution has sparked new possibilities for the recognition of their rights and identities in Lebanon.”
Maya, 38, a trans woman refugee in Lebanon, described how her relationship with Beirut changed for her after the protests began: “Before the revolution, I would never stay out later than 9 p.m. Beirut for me was a city of caution and fear. When the revolution began, I went to the street, I saw the diversity, and I felt that this place is going to be safe for me because regardless of what happens, I would be protected by the people’s presence.”
For queer and trans people, walking through Lebanon’s streets is an exercise in self-censorship, forced to hide who they are to navigate their daily lives. Less than one month before the protests started, a gender and sexuality conference, held annually in Lebanon since 2013, had to be moved outside Lebanon for the first time, following General Security’s attempt to shut down the 2018 edition. General Security also indefinitely denied non-Lebanese LGBT activists who attended the 2018 conference permission to re-enter the country. Read more via HRW
