More to activism than just Pride in Lebanon!
HADI Damien, the organiser of this year’s Beirut Pride, was arrested last month by Lebanese authorities and forced to sign a document cancelling all remaining Pride events in the country or face criminal and misdemeanour charges for encouraging debauchery and offending public morality.
Activities for the second Beirut Pride started on May 12 and were planned to run until May 20.
While the cancellation of Pride activities was a clear breach of article 13 of the Lebanese Constitution, which safeguards freedom of expression and assembly, other LGBT+ related activities commemorating the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia (IDAHOBIT) were allowed to continue.
Reacting to the cancellation of Beirut Pride events Georges Azzi, prominent Lebanese, Middle East and North Africa regional activist and Executive Director of the Arab Foundation for Freedoms and Equality (AFE) said: “Beirut Pride is a Pride, it is not a movement, there is a bigger movement happening in the country. There are several organisations working and are still having LGBT+ related events this week and throughout the year.”
Over the last number of years, Lebanese activists have advanced the human rights of LGBT+ people and there has been positive social attitudinal shifts on homosexuality and transgender identity.
In an interview with OutRight Action International, Azzi noted the many advances in Lebanon, including:
♦ Events associated with IDAHOBIT have successfully taken place since 2005.
♦ LGBT organisations have won many court cases regarding Article 534, which contends unnatural intercourse, with judges having said that the article cannot be used against the LGBT+ communities.
♦ A recent survey conducted in Lebanon revealed that 65% of the population favoured decriminalisation of same-sex sexual acts.
♦ 90% of the population in Lebanon is opposed to physical violence against the LGBT+ communities.
♦ And just last week, Azzi’s regional organization, the Arab Foundation for Freedoms and Equality (AFE), conducted a series of interviews with candidates running for elections and found that more than one hundred of them wanted to decriminalise homosexuality.
Georges Azzi told the New York based human rights organisation, OutRight Action International: “The public discourse is very welcoming now and this is why what happened with the Pride events this year came as a surprise for us, and we want to understand where it came from, but at the same time we don’t want people to think there is a crisis in Lebanon. There is no crisis. This incident happened, but the country is not in a crisis. There are organisations that are working and are moving forward and I am really hoping we can work on decriminalising homosexuality really soon.”
Jessica Stern, Executive Director of OutRight Action International, has called on Lebanese authorities to respect the rights of all LGBT+ activists and recognise the accomplishments of the movement.
She said: “Lebanon is a leader when it comes to LGBT+ organising and visibility in the Middle East and North Africa region. Authorities should respect the right of the LGBT+ community’s freedom of speech and assembly and ensure that the activities for IDAHOBIT go on without interference. Through their perseverance, activists in Lebanon have achieved incredible and inspiring progress.”
Ariz is in New York to accept OutRight Action International’s Felipa de Souza award on behalf of AFE.
The award recognises the courage and activism of grassroots groups and individuals working for the fundamental human rights of all people. Since 1994, OutRight Action International has presented the award to courageous advocates working to advance the human rights of all LGBT+ people all over the world.