From Rights To Jobs – LBGTQ+ Liberation In The Arab World

Before the Beirut Port blast last August that killed hundreds and destroyed entire neighborhoods, Lebanon’s economy was already under enormous pressure due to long-standing political challenges and the Covid pandemic. Amid all of this, Lebanon’s LGBTQ+ community has been particularly hard hit. Social entrepreneurs like Tarek Zeidan are building a better economic future for Lebanon that elevates queer voices.

We are publishing this story on March 31, in honor of the International Transgender Day of Visibility.

Zeynep Meydanoglu: You head-up Helem, the first LGBTQ+ organization in the Arab World. Tell us about it.

Tarek Zeidan: We provide services and protection to the LGBT community in Lebanon and the region. Whether it…