To mark Pride Month, we’re sharing a list of resources for anyone who’d like to learn more about LGBTQIA+ issues across the Middle East and North Africa, and in diaspora communities around the world.
If there’s anything we’ve missed that you think belongs on this list please leave a comment below and let us know – we’re always on the lookout for new resources!
To get started, we absolutely recommend this quick video from Human Rights Watch, sharing some incredible voices from across the region.
BOOKS
Whether you prefer to sink into a novel or immerse yourself in factual accounts, these books are a great place to start if you’d like to learn more about the experiences of LGBTQIA+ individuals in the Middle East and North Africa.
Sex and the Citadel, Chapter 6, ‘Dare to be Different’ – Shereen El Feki (Non-fiction)
Chapter Six of this seminal work on all things sex and sexuality in the Middle East is dedicated to LGBT issues, laid bare in El Feki’s signature fearless approach to intimate rights.
Guapa – Saleem Haddad (Fiction)
Saleem Haddad’s prize-winning debut novel sets the story of Rasa, a gay man caught between his lover and his family, against the backdrop of the Arab Spring.
An Arab Melancholia – Abdellah Taïa (Autobiography)
Originally written in French, An Arab Melancholia tells the story of openly gay Moroccan writer and filmmaker Abdellah Taïa, from his childhood in Morocco to his life in Cairo and Paris.
Koolaids – Rabih Alameddine (Fiction)
Rabih Alameddine shies away from nothing in this stunning book which weaves the horrors of the AIDS epidemic and the Lebanese civil war into an unforgettable story.
Unspeakable Love: Gay and Lesbian Life in the Middle East – Brian Whitaker (Non-fiction)
Shortlisted for the Lambda Literary Award, this well-researched account of LGBT issues across the Middle East was written by Guardian journalist Brian Whitaker. Unspeakable Love highlights not only persecution and prejudice but also a growing current of tolerance and an increasing appetite for change.
You Exist Too Much – Zeina Arafat (Fiction)
Zaina Arafat’s fearless novel tells the story of a Palestinian-American girl navigating love, addiction and queerness. The narrative flashes between the US and the Middle East as the protagonist grapples with the complexities of her cultural, religious and sexual identity.
PODCASTS
This Pride Month, add one of these podcasts to your line-up for an insight into life as an LGBTQIA+ person in the Middle East.
The Owen Jones Podcast – 89. Israel’s Weaponisation of LGBTQ Rights Exposed
In this episode of his podcast, Owen Jones interviews Bashar Murad, an openly gay Palestinian singer and self-declared political artist. Focusing on pinkwashing, the misappropriation of LGBTQIA+ rights by a state or corporation to further political aims and distract from abuses, this episode is essential listening in the context of what is currently happening in Palestine.
Learn more about pinkwashing in this article.
The Queer Arabs
This podcast is dedicated to showcasing LGBTQIA+ voices from across the Middle East and North Africa as well as diaspora communities. With different guests featured each week, episodes have focused on everything from literature to catfishing scandals in the queer community to COVID-19.
Afroqueer Podcast – Season Three : Episode 01 – One Night in Marrakech
Afroqueer celebrates queer love and discusses the intersection of LGBTQIA+ and African identity. In this particular episode, the focus is on Marrakech, through the story of two Moroccan trans women.
Eib
If you like to listen to podcasts in Arabic, don’t miss Eib, a hard-hitting podcast by Sowt focusing on social issues often considered taboo. Eib’s catalogue includes episodes shining a light on LGBTQIA+ stories, from the drag scene in Beirut to guests discussing their personal journey towards discovering their sexuality.
PLATFORMS
My.Kali
My.Kali is a Jordanian online magazine, published in both Arabic and English, which focuses on social justice and amplifying minority voices.
You can also follow MyKali on Twitter (@mykali_mag) and Instagram (@mykali_magazine)
Ahwaa
Ahwaa is an online forum in both Arabic and English where thousands of topics can be freely discussed by members. Ahwaa is a project by Majal, “a digital platform to amplify under-represented voices”.
Read more about Ahwaa in this article by Esra’a El Shafei, founder of Majal.
INSTAGRAM ACCOUNTS
Takweer تكوير | @takweer_
A stunning Instagram account which explores queer narratives in Arab culture and history through art, film, music and photography.
Hasan Kilani | @hasanofamman
Hasan Kilani is a writer, scholar and LGBT activist who has written for Reuters, Openly News and MyKali magazine.
LANGUAGE
Just as is the case in English, the language used to discuss LGBTQIA+ issues in Arabic is incredibly important. Anyone writing or translating in Arabic should be aware that many commonly used English-Arabic dictionaries give a derogatory term as the only translation for the words gay and lesbian, relying on the root for ‘deviancy’. Read more about this issue in these articles in Slate, The Atlantic and Pink News:
How Do You Say Gay in Arabic? – Slate
Arabic Words for ‘Gay’ Need to Be Better than ‘Pervert’ or ‘Deviant’ – the Atlantic
Google vows to change derogatory gay translation – Pink News
For a glossary of Arabic LGBTQIA+ terms, take a look at these Gay and Lesbian dictionaries provided by Moscas de Colores as part of their incredible LGBT Encyclopaedia project. Please be aware, these glossaries include the translations for extremely derogatory terms as well as positive terms, neologisms and acronyms.
Moscas de Colores: Lesbian dictionary – English to Arabic
Moscas de Colores: Gay dictionary – English to Arabic
MUSIC
Mashrou’ Leila
World famous Lebanese indie-rock band Mashrou’ Leila have never been far from the headlines – their trailblazing stance on LGBTQIA+ rights in the Middle East has earnt them countless bans, cancelled concerts and condemnation from the conservative media.
Wafia
Aussie singer-songwriter Wafia pours her Iraqi-Syrian heritage and her identity as a queer Muslim artist into her feel good tracks, producing music which she calls ‘purposeful pop’.
Bashar Murad
Long before his collaboration with Icelandic band Hatari at the 2019 Eurovision Final in Tel Aviv made headlines, Bashar Murad’s identity as a queer Palestinian artist made his work inescapably political. With songs discussing everything from Israeli occupation to gender equality, his new album is due to be released this month and is bound to be a must-listen.
ORGANISATIONS
Although many LGBT organisations in the Middle East face considerable opposition, more and more charities, non-profits and awareness groups are springing up across the region, from Morocco to Iraq. Here are just a few organisations doing incredible work:
Kif-Kif – Morocco | @kifkif.iguales
Kif-Kif, also known as The Association of Lesbians, Gays, Transsexuals and Bisexuals of Morocco, supports LGBT rights in Morocco and Spain. The name Kif-Kif comes from the Amazigh term for ‘same’. For legal reasons, the organisation is registered and run from Spain.
AlQaws – Palestine | @alQaws
AlQaws is a Palestinian organisation working for sexual and gender diversity in Palestinian society. AlQaws have community centres across Palestine and work towards social change through media campaigns. They also run a national support hotline, sexual health campaigns and a music-based youth outreach program.
Helem – Lebanon | @HelemLebanon
Helem is a Beirut-based NGO who focus on legal advocacy, policy change and sexual health in the LGBTQIA+ community in Lebanon. Helem’s headquarters is in Mar Mikhael, and was heavily damaged in the Beirut explosion last year.
Proud Lebanon | @ProudLebanon
A Lebanese non-profit organisation working to support marginalised communities through three key strategies: they provide psycho-social support, campaign for policy change and give legal assistance, and provide medical care and support for those affected by HIV across Lebanon.
IraQueer – Iraq | @IraQueer
Iraqueer is an organisation promoting LGBT+ rights in Iraq. Founded in 2015, Iraqueer works to support and empower LGBT+ communities across Iraq regardless of their political or religious affiliations.
ACADEMIA
If you’d like to learn more about LGBTQIA+ experiences across the Middle East and North Africa, dive deeper with these academic articles and reports:
- Human Rights Watch Report, 2018, ‘Audacity in Adversity: LGBT Activism in the Middle East and North Africa‘ (April). Available in Arabic, English and French.
- Puar, Jasbir, 2013, ‘Rethinking Homonationalism‘, Queer Affects, Vol. 45, No. 2 (May), pp336-339.
- Alqaisiya, Walaa, 2018, ‘Decolonial Queering: The Politics of Being Queer in Palestine‘, Journal of Palestine Studies, Vol. 47, No. 3, pp. 29–44.
We hope you’ve found these resources useful and insightful. This is far from an exhaustive list, and like many people, we have so much more to learn about this hugely important topic. So please do let us know in the comments if there are any resources, organisations, artists or musicians you would recommend. Happy Pride Month everyone!
Header image: Istanbul Pride, 2014 (Harvard)