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Home » Blogs » Jen Sabella's blog » Lebanon introduces first ever book for LGBT community

Lebanon introduces first ever book for LGBT community

by
Jen Sabella

While American politicians pretend to be “tolerant” of homosexuality while continuing to deny equality to gay citizens, some countries are even more up front with their homophobia. In Lebanon, homosexuality is not only socially unaccepted, but illegal — and punishable to jail time. Unlike many other Middle Eastern countries, however, a group of gay rights activists have been making quite a splash, and this week released the country’s first ever book about queer life in Lebanon.

Bareed Mista3jil: True Stories (which translates to Mail in a Hurry) is a collection of 41 stories from “lesbians, bisexuals, queer and questioning women, and transgender persons from all over Lebanon” and was released today in both English and Arabic. On Saturday, hundreds of supporters came out to the book’s release party in Beirut, marking a historical day for gay activists in the country.

The book was published by Meem, a group created in 2007 to support queer women in Lebanon.

The stories in the book aim to “reveal a glimpse of the lives existing invisibly and silently in different Lebanese communities,” according to the book’s website. “The stories are about love, pain, identity, suffering, overcoming, and the intricate complexities of the human heart. And above all, these stories are about hope.”

Some excerpts from the book are available on the site. The honest, touching and sometimes quite upsetting testimonials show how much work gay rights activists in Lebanon have to do. There are stories of rape and abuse, along with funny stories about trying to meet other lesbians (which I’m sure many of us can relate to.)

Here’s an except from a story called "My Quest to Find Lesbians":

The popular chatting program at the time was called ICQ, which I immediately downloaded, created some romantically morbid nickname, and set out to find other lesbians. There was some method of searching through lists of people and I spent hours looking till I found someone with a nickname like “sexy lesbian 4u.” Oh my God! I thought, a sexy lesbian for me! I messaged her instantly and said: “hiiiiiiiii! I am a lesbian too!” She said hi back but with far less enthusiasm and then asked me if I wanted her to bite my ear. I wondered why she was saying that, but was so excited about meeting another fellow lesbian that I just started babbling on with details about my life, the suffering I’ve been through, the identity crisis, the broken heart, and other teenage lesbian drama. You have to remember, it was over 10 years ago, and I was very slow at typing. Then the sexy lesbian 4 me made a very indecent proposition that involved touching her private parts. I was shocked! Mortified! No! I said. I want us to talk and share our life stories!”

We hope the book does well, and that queer women in Lebanon continue to make strides toward equal rights in the country.

The book is available at all major Lebanese bookstores at the moment, but for more information on purchasing it, you can email the book’s editors.

  • Jen Sabella's blog
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    • Submitted by
    Jen Sabella
    on June 1, 2009 - 3:00pm.
    TAGS :: 
    shortypants's picture

    I want this>>

    Submitted by
    shortypants (492 posts)
    on June 1, 2009 - 3:26pm.

     

    As a MAJOR book worm, I want this.

    Please purchase this if you can to support our Lebabese brothers and sisters!

    And spread the word about this book to any LGBT folks of Middle Eastern descent you may know!

    ice cream's picture

    yaaay

    Submitted by
    ice cream (not verified)
    on June 1, 2009 - 5:29pm.

     

    yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay love lebenon n i cant wait 2 read the book hopefully ill find it in my country i hope but good for them atleast theryre doin something ... luv lebanon besides they have the hotteset women in da world hehe 

     

     

     

    Could you fill in da blanks in my story

    dairyqueen's picture

    Thanks for reporting on this!

    Submitted by
    dairyqueen (43 posts)
    on June 1, 2009 - 5:58pm.
    Thanks for reporting on this! Somehow the link to the website is not working for me though.. I hope I can get a hold of this book! Meem is a very cool group btw.!
    ice cream's picture

    .

    Submitted by
    ice cream (not verified)
    on June 1, 2009 - 8:22pm.
    I'm half lebanese, this is a breath of fresh air; thank you for posting.
    My Name Is Tara's picture

    Thanks for the information.

    Submitted by
    My Name Is Tara (1272 posts)
    on June 1, 2009 - 8:34pm.

    Exciting! I would definitely like to read this, interesting. The excerpt made me giggle. Thanks for the information. :)

    *Question: would this book be in English as well?

    rainbowshy's picture

    they said english and

    Submitted by
    rainbowshy (93 posts)
    on June 2, 2009 - 12:38am.
    they said english and arabic, first paragraph.
    My Name Is Tara's picture

    re:

    Submitted by
    My Name Is Tara (1272 posts)
    on June 2, 2009 - 1:01am.
    I had scanned over that paragraph. Haha. Thanks.
    Forza Roma's picture

    Fantastic

    Submitted by
    Forza Roma (382 posts)
    on June 1, 2009 - 10:29pm.

    I am so PROUD everytime I read about the remarkable things people are doing around the globe like this. It is of course painful and upsetting everytime there's a Prop 8, everytime you read about worse. But I have no doubt about the progress that can be made by brave, passionate individuals and every story like this is a reminder that justice and equality will come.

    This also makes me all the more determined to do something with my own life and abilities to make change, just gotta figure out exactly where that needs to be. :D

     

    Thanks so much for sharing!

    helen stewart is my governor's picture

    i'll definately be...

    Submitted by
    helen stewart i... (56 posts)
    on June 1, 2009 - 10:54pm.
    looking out for this book too. although i live in australia my mother is lebanese and i often think of how life might have been for me if i had grown up in lebanon. how inspiring that these folk are speaking out...very courageous! good on them and i can't wait to read their stories!
    Jenna.Lyn's picture

    saudi arabia

    Submitted by
    Jenna.Lyn (16 posts)
    on June 2, 2009 - 12:13am.

    my gf grew up in saudi arabia.  when she was a little girl, she witnessed a woman's beheading for allegedly "having relations" with another woman.

    while we are still a long way from justice here, it is easy to take for granted some of the basic human rights we do enjoy as homosexuals in this country, while people even suspected to be homosexuals are killed in many places, all over the world.

    i'm glad that this book helps to lend a voice to some of these dark places.

    "you're an uptown, falling down, west end girl, trying to see yourself, running in a, number one, shoot em up, race to the edge of the world, to the edge of the world, knocking down, waking up, you're a breaking girl."

    honey's picture

    How can I get a copy of

    Submitted by
    honey (424 posts)
    on June 2, 2009 - 1:33am.

    How can I get a copy of this book?

    tima,sy's picture

    thats so great

    Submitted by
    tima,sy (19 posts)
    on June 2, 2009 - 3:18am.
    i`m so glad to hear about this book..i am from Syria ,(half Ukrainian), and to hear about a book like this in this area is soooo inspiring and exciting.. i hope that someday,(b4 i go abroad 2 study & escape from here), our community here or me ;) will do something inspiring as well....keep up the good work Lebanon!  i`m so proud!!
    sapphiremartini's picture

    yeeeeeeeey!

    Submitted by
    sapphiremartini (5 posts)
    on June 2, 2009 - 5:56am.
    I am from Lebanon and u cant possibly imagine how refreshing and uplifting it is to see that there are people trying to influence change here!
    ice cream's picture

    the website

    Submitted by
    ice cream (not verified)
    on June 2, 2009 - 8:08am.

    http://www.bareedmista3jil.com/

    i couldn't access it above so i found it for y'all, too....

    My Name Is Tara's picture

    Thanks.

    Submitted by
    My Name Is Tara (1272 posts)
    on June 2, 2009 - 8:45am.
    Thanks.
    Steph's picture

    zomg!

    Submitted by
    Steph (205 posts)
    on June 2, 2009 - 9:49am.

    I HAVE TO GET THIS! And Malaysia should come up with something like it! Like, now.

    Ash's picture

    This is awesome!

    Submitted by
    Ash (2840 posts)
    on June 2, 2009 - 10:05am.

    So going to have to read it. One small step forward for the world!

    Umm... The excerpt made me think randomly of the quote in I Can't Think Straight:

    Woman at end of movie:
    [after being told Leyla is lesbian] She's what? But some of my best friends are Lebanese!

     

    Sahar's picture

    Lebanese Lesbian :)

    Submitted by
    Sahar (1 post)
    on June 2, 2009 - 11:03am.

    i am a proud lebanese lesbian meem group member,it is such an honor to know the writers of this book...its THE biggest thing that ever happened on the gay lebanese scene so far...we are extremly proud...

    i have the book in my hands right now...treating it like a baby...its a treasure...i am very thrilled that i got to liv the awesome launching ceremony,talk to the awesome people who made all that happen...

    this book like other activities of our lovely activists in Meem group Lebanon makes the world hear those whos voices were taken from them...

    check this website to know more about us and about our activities :

    http://www.meemgroup.org/

     

    bareed mesta3jil wossil....(the mail in a hurry arrived) :)

    Brutal_Romance's picture

    it must be amazing to know

    Submitted by
    Brutal_Romance (381 posts)
    on June 2, 2009 - 12:02pm.

    it must be amazing to know these people personally hun, im proud for you and all the beautiful queer women who took a part in this.

     btw, i tried to acess your meem group website but its blocked in my home town (im from dxb if you were wondering :P). yes, its oppressive here sometimes, but we cant really complain.

    i wish i can have a look at your website, ill try to ask freinds if they know away around the blocking system on the internet,

    again, congrats to all the lebanese for this.

    seriouslyconfused's picture

    solution

    Submitted by
    seriouslyconfused (5 posts)
    on June 11, 2009 - 3:51am.

    Override the proxy...

    visit this site http://bypassway.net (there are hundreds of similar sites) and just type the meem group address there, and surf anonymously. It's just strange that they would block meem! it's not oppressive as much as it's ignorant if you ask me!

    let's see for how much longer they can deny that we really exist! :)

    good luck!

    seriouslyconfused's picture

    Jordan

    Submitted by
    seriouslyconfused (5 posts)
    on June 7, 2009 - 9:11am.

    hello,

    do you think it will be available in Jordan soon?

     thanks!

    Brutal_Romance's picture

    im not an emotional person

    Submitted by
    Brutal_Romance (381 posts)
    on June 2, 2009 - 11:52am.

    but reading this makes me want to cry, there is hope for us middle eastern people.

    there are some LGBT books out there in arabic, but most of these stories were depicted in a negative light, revealing the queer protagonists or characters in the story as emotionaly inbalanced individuals. homosexuality was portrayed and associated with drug-abuse, sexual perversion, mental disorders, a reaction to a violent incidence in ones lifetime, etc..

     there was never a good representation. i am so happy to hear about this, lebanon is doing a magnificent job to portray us. i want to hug all these brave women for stepping out, taking the hate, and paving the way for people like me.

    i dont know how ill get this book, but ill manage somehow. thank you afterellen for reporting this.

    Hasan's picture

    First EVER???

    Submitted by
    Hasan (1 post)
    on June 3, 2009 - 3:33pm.

    I am Lebanese living abroad. I am so proud of Meem and The Feminist Collective for doing such a great job and for being overacheivers.

    I am however disappointed with the propagation of inaccurate information.

    Rihab AL Mithliya (Arabic for Homophobia) book was published by Helem couple of years ago and is the "first ever book for LGBT community" in Lebanon.

    It will be more accurate to say that Barid Mista3jilis the first Lebanese book about Lesbian women in Lebanon.

    Check out this link for a List of Books on LGBT issues in the Middle East

     

    Helem is a Lebanese NGO that fights for the rights of LGBTIQ in Lebanon.

    Check out Helem's website: www.helem.net 

    ice cream's picture

    Email from the publishers

    Submitted by
    ice cream (not verified)
    on June 4, 2009 - 1:12pm.

    This is a copy of what I recieved when I emailed them about availability:  Hello,

    Thank you for your email. The book will be made available for sale online over the next few days. You'll be able to order to the States. I will email you to let you know when it is up. We have both English and Arabic copies.

    Thanks for your support!

    Regards,
    Nadine

    So I'll let y'all know when she says that it can be ordered...!

    Forza Roma's picture

    Thanks for the info!

    Submitted by
    Forza Roma (382 posts)
    on June 4, 2009 - 6:25pm.
    I'd love a copy.
    Dizzy's picture

    Finally :)

    Submitted by
    Dizzy (5 posts)
    on June 5, 2009 - 12:00pm.

    I can't tell u how proud i am of these brave womyn :D... we r lucky to have them to make the change we want to see. Congrats to all of us. We have waited a long time for this and the book is definitly worth the wait.. Buy it. Read it. Support it.

    Always remember you're unique. Just like everyone else.

    ice cream's picture

    It's available in the States now!

    Submitted by
    ice cream (not verified)
    on June 9, 2009 - 7:05am.

    Nadine sent me this email yesterday:

    Hello Brynn,

    Thank for your interest in Bareed Mista3jil :)

    It is now available for sale online here:
    https://www.2checkout.com/2co/buyer/purchase?sid=1370814&quantity=1&product_id=1

    We will ship the next day after your purchase. For any queries, please do not hesitate to email me.

    All the best,
    Nadine

    femme.'s picture

    I want this book.

    Submitted by
    femme. (10 posts)
    on June 21, 2009 - 6:59pm.
    That is so refreshing to see such courageous, beautiful GLBT people fighting for human rights, respect, and dignity. We have some serious problems in the States, but I can't imagine facing such pervasive hate, violence, and fear. It is kinda bittersweet though, because this book is a testament to the humanity, courage, and resilence of the GLBT community, but it does show how far we have to go on an international scale.
    hihi's picture

    lebanon

    Submitted by
    hihi (362 posts)
    on September 6, 2009 - 3:23pm.

    hey

    thank u meem for everything, but as well there are otehr gay organisations in lebanon, as rihab and helem, i was a part of helem

    we also have lebanese gay night clubs, and they are legal... gays in lebanon are not put in jail unless they make out in public... the gevernment has no right to enter a house and arrest someone just coz they are gay.

     

    things will change soon, whe all the countries stop sticking their nose in our policy.

    enno, ya3ne, ca va, machouna


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