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Lebanon's Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Women Speak Out
A team of lesbian, bisexual, and transgender women face law and social taboo in Lebanon with a little pink-and-white book.
"Bareed Mista3jil," Arabic for "Mail in a Hurry," is a collection of 41 true stories of women grappling with coming out, religion, family and emigration.
One story is by a woman struggling to reconcile her religion and sexual orientation. Another speaks about the hardships of coming out in Lebanese society and a third deals with rape.
The book, the first such initiative in the largely conservative Arab world, is published by Meem, a support group for lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and questioning women in Lebanon.
Often silenced and marginalised by society and overshadowed by their straight, siliconed counterparts promoted in the media, the stories of Lebanon's other women have resonated with local and international audiences, and the book has been reprinted after the first batch of hundreds sold out.
"The original idea of publishing a book like this came on a spring night in 2006, while driving down Hamra Street in Beirut," said Shant, the coordinator of Meem.
Three years later, the 223-page book available in English and Arabic hit bookstores across the capital, selling at 18 dollars for the paperback version.
The stories, referred to as "letters written, sealed, and sent out to the world," are personal, compelling and often painful, tackling religion, citizenship, gender identity and emigration.
But Meem, which started as a support group of four and now counts over 300 members, is still very careful about who it lets in and about going public.
"Bareed Mista3jil," Arabic for "Mail in a Hurry," is a collection of 41 true stories of women grappling with coming out, religion, family and emigration.
One story is by a woman struggling to reconcile her religion and sexual orientation. Another speaks about the hardships of coming out in Lebanese society and a third deals with rape.
The book, the first such initiative in the largely conservative Arab world, is published by Meem, a support group for lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and questioning women in Lebanon.
Often silenced and marginalised by society and overshadowed by their straight, siliconed counterparts promoted in the media, the stories of Lebanon's other women have resonated with local and international audiences, and the book has been reprinted after the first batch of hundreds sold out.
"The original idea of publishing a book like this came on a spring night in 2006, while driving down Hamra Street in Beirut," said Shant, the coordinator of Meem.
Three years later, the 223-page book available in English and Arabic hit bookstores across the capital, selling at 18 dollars for the paperback version.
The stories, referred to as "letters written, sealed, and sent out to the world," are personal, compelling and often painful, tackling religion, citizenship, gender identity and emigration.
But Meem, which started as a support group of four and now counts over 300 members, is still very careful about who it lets in and about going public.
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