Gay in Saudi Arabia, Middle East, HELEM

Check out this article by Lara Setrakian that summarizes the varying conditions gay people face in Saudi Arabia and in the rest of the Middle East. For the most part, and with the exception of Israel, Islamic religious credibility in the region continues to be strengthened by attacks on people who love people of the same sex and who, for many, represent an evil cultural influence from the West.

An excerpt:

"The mix of tolerance and discrimination across the Middle East creates little opportunity for a cohesive gay rights movement. Moreover, the local take on homosexuality is out of line with the Western norm, a notion of being gay as a recognized minority group...In other words, being gay is an act, not an identity. When gay pride does emerge, it is associated with the West, and an invading cultural colonialism. The pushback on any budding gay rights movements will likely continue, part of ongoing discrimination against homosexuals in the Middle East. There, gays will continue their negotiated lifestyle, knowing that they live and love under scrutiny."

But, there is hope for gay Arabs in the region. HELEM (the Arabic acronym of "Lebanese Protection for Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Transgenders") is a non-governmental non-profit organization (registered in Quebec, Canada, on 11 February 2004) whose primary goal is the annulment of article 534 of the Lebanese Penal Code, which punishes "unnatural sexual intercourse." With branches in Lebanon, Canada, France, Australia, and the United States, HELEM maintains a peaceful struggle for the liberation of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community in Lebanon from legal, social, and cultural discrimination.

Learn more.