Lebanon’s oldest queer advocacy group is already back to work helping the community in the wake of the deadly Beirut blast

 | 
08/16/2020

The offices of Lebanon’s oldest LGBT+ advocacy group were almost destroyed in the devastating Beirut blast, but staff are already back providing vital support to the queer community. Founded in 2001, Helem is a non-governmental organisation based in Beirut, and is the oldest group in Lebanon fighting for justice and equality for LGBT+ people. The group promotes awareness of LGBT+ issues in Lebanon and tackles public misinformation and misconceptions, especially in Arabic. It provides legal advocacy, campaigning against law 534 of the Lebanese penal code, which states that “unnatural sexual intercourse” is punishable by up to one year imprisonment, and runs health initiatives, raising awareness of HIV/AIDS, STIs and trying to get LGBT+ sexual health on the Lebanese political agenda.

Regions: ,

Share this:

Latest Global News

Added on: 04/22/2024
04/21/2024
Sydney, Australia– Sall Grover says she did not think twice when she blocked Roxanne Tickle, a transgender woman, from her Australian-based women-only app Giggle …
Added on: 04/22/2024
04/21/2024
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott suggested that he wants to end transgender and gender nonconforming individuals from expressing their gender while teaching in the state. At a …
Added on: 04/22/2024
04/21/2024
Outsider, queer and Indigenous artists are getting an overdue platform at the 60th Venice Biennale contemporary art exhibition that opened Saturday, curated for the …

Explore LGBTQ+ Issues

Other News from ,

Added on: 04/22/2024
A decision by a conservative-leaning newspaper in Japan to defy threats and push ahead with the translated publication of a book critical of gender-altering procedures …
Added on: 04/21/2024
The first International Rainbow Tourism Conference opened here on Saturday, with Nepal offering itself as a safe and respectful destination in South Asia for …
Added on: 04/18/2024
Georgia’s ruling party plans to reintroduce highly controversial Russia-style “foreign agent” legislation aimed at incapacitating civil society and independent media. If adopted, the laws, which …