BEIRUT’S GAY PRIDE STORY
The initiator of Beirut Pride, Hadi Damien, tells DNA how last year’s event was shut down by homophobes, but why he’s hopeful 2019’s Pride will go ahead.
DNA: Is it true Beirut Pride 2018 was shut down by the police, who would only release you from arrest if it was completely cancelled?
Hadi Damien: On the third day of Beirut Pride, on May 14, 2018, a sensational, fabricated program circulated on Whatsapp claiming Beirut Pride was organizing events encouraging drug abuse, facilitating sex work and other criminal behaviour in Lebanon. As a reaction to this, the police placed me in custody for interrogation and I had to sleep in the police station. The next day my interrogation proved the program was fabricated and incorrect. What happened next?
The General Prosecutor of Beirut ordered the suspension of the events planned until May 20. I was only to be released after I was informed of the decision of the General Prosecutor.
I was also asked to provide police with a residence certificate so I could be informed of prospective future prosecution. I did not sign the cancellation of the events. I was eventually charged with organizing events “that breach morality and public order” and am still awaiting my hearing.
So, Beirut Pride wasn’t really cancelled then? We retrieved all the suspended events, which took place in June. Furthermore, our initiatives and projects, some of which are in collaboration with (government) ministries, are still ongoing.
What’s the plan for Beirut Pride 2019?
It will take place on the last week of September. After my arrest and the global response to the crackdown on Beirut Pride, we accelerated our contacts with law enforcement agencies and officers. We also increased our communication with political figures and religious authorities. The aim is to favour constructive channels of communication that allow us to deconstruct myths, lies and prejudice that surround LGBTIQ+ individuals. It is only by destigmatizing LGBTIQ+ we can contain homophobic expressions, such as state-sponsored homophobia.
The homophobes tried to shut you down and you’re refusing to give up!
Beirut Pride is the most visible, largest, loudest and most media-ready LGBTIQ+ platform in the Arabic-speaking world. By trying to silence it, the message that homophobia is still rampant was strong and poignant. LGBTIQ+ rights in Lebanon have been moving forward for years now. Several courts have ruled homosexual (sex) is not “against nature” or “a criminal offense”. Despite a few setbacks here and there, things are moving in a positive, inclusive direction.
Are gay apps the main way gay people connect in Lebanon, or are they used as a form of entrapment?
So far there is no a gay hunting in Lebanon. To our knowledge, the police don’t engage in fake profiles to entrap people. Recently, however, the Ministry Of Telecommunication addressed a memo to the two mobile providers ordering them to block Grindr on the grounds it is an application used for gay hook-ups. Article 534 from the Lebanese penal code states “sexual intercourse against nature is punishable with up to one year in prison”, an article interpreted and used by many to criminalise same-sex intercourse. It is this same interpretation the Ministry used as the grounds for its memo to ban Grindr. Both companies who are affiliated to the Ministry had to abide by the memo. Where does that leave the matter legally now?
Gay sex is not against nature. Several courts have ruled this way, one of them being the appeal court in July last year. This ban can be reversed, though, with a new memo from the Ministry allowing the application back, or with a court ruling or repeal. What’s behind the banning of Grindr?
The ban tries, once again, to block channels of communication between authorities and the citizenship, a blatant breach of a healthy state. By banning the use of Grindr on the public network and confining it to wifi, authorities send a message that gay matters can only happen behind closed doors and that public debate on the matter will be challenged.
How safe is it for visitors to Lebanon planning to attend Beirut Pride 2019?
There is no ban for Westerners to come to Lebanon. Embassies are working with Beirut Pride on the security level and on a few other projects.
What is life like as a gay person living in Lebanon now?
I was born in 1989 and in the 1990s and the
2000s homosexuality was still a taboo. Most Lebanese people would confuse homosexuals with perverts, paedophiles, prostitutes, drug addicts, effeminate men and criminals. Christian and Muslim sacred texts do not mention same-sex intercourse, but it was deemed unnatural as it does not yield progeny and religious scriptures have been interpreted in a way to condemn same-sex practices. While being queer or identifying as an
LGBTIQ+ individual is one part of our identity, we are often conditioned by our family environment, our education, our economical status, our religious inclination, the people around us, and so on.
What are gay venues like in Lebanon?
Many are inclusive and LGBTIQ+ friendly. They range from medical centres, to a beauty salon, co-working spaces, cafés, bookstores, restaurants, malls, shops, clubs, bars, beaches and resorts. It is up to each management to define its rules and conditions regarding how out you are. LGBTIQ+ life in Beirut is far from ideal but it’s very fun, especially when you are in a good place with good company.