What do you think?
This Queer Arab Family: An Anthology by LGBTQ+ Arab Writers
In Arab culture, tradition often dictates an individual's role in a family, with personal desires subsumed in favour of unity. So, what happens when Queer Arabs challenge and re-imagine these expectations?
This Queer Arab Family celebrates the beauty of chosen kin and the everyday acts of care and survival that bind Queer Arabs to each other. Here, ten LGBTQ+ writers from across the Arab world and diaspora redefine what family looks like. From raising children with mum and mum, to becoming an OnlyFans star and building a non-binary belly dancing robot, these writers illuminate, through their own lived experiences, how queer joy and community can be found in the most unexpected places.
Fierce, vibrant and unapologetic, This Queer Arab Family honours the spirit of those who, despite challenges, build community and family on their own terms.
This Queer Arab Family celebrates the beauty of chosen kin and the everyday acts of care and survival that bind Queer Arabs to each other. Here, ten LGBTQ+ writers from across the Arab world and diaspora redefine what family looks like. From raising children with mum and mum, to becoming an OnlyFans star and building a non-binary belly dancing robot, these writers illuminate, through their own lived experiences, how queer joy and community can be found in the most unexpected places.
Fierce, vibrant and unapologetic, This Queer Arab Family honours the spirit of those who, despite challenges, build community and family on their own terms.
256 pages, Paperback
First published September 18, 2025
About the author
Elias Jahshan
3 books59 followersElias Jahshan (he/him) is a Palestinian Lebanese journalist and writer. He is the editor of the anthologies THIS ARAB IS QUEER (Saqi, 2022) and THIS QUEER ARAB FAMILY (Saqi, 2025).
THIS ARAB IS QUEER was nominated for a 2023 Lambda Literary Award (LGBTQ Anthology category) in the US, shortlisted in the 2023 Bread & Roses Award in the UK, and described as "ground breaking" by TIME Magazine.
Elias's writing has been published in anthologies including Arab, Australian, Other: Stories on Race and Identity (ed. Randa Abdel-Fattah & Sara Saleh; Picador, 2019) and Ask the Night for a Dream: Palestinian Writing From the Diaspora (ed. Susan Muaddi Darraj; Palestine Writes Press, 2024).
Elias is also a former editor of Star Observer, Australia’s longest-running queer media outlet. He has written for The Guardian, Gay Times, Attitude, Shodo Mag, Raseef22, The New Arab and My Kali, among others. Born and raised in Sydney, he lives in London.
Follow him on Instagram: @elias_jahshan
THIS ARAB IS QUEER was nominated for a 2023 Lambda Literary Award (LGBTQ Anthology category) in the US, shortlisted in the 2023 Bread & Roses Award in the UK, and described as "ground breaking" by TIME Magazine.
Elias's writing has been published in anthologies including Arab, Australian, Other: Stories on Race and Identity (ed. Randa Abdel-Fattah & Sara Saleh; Picador, 2019) and Ask the Night for a Dream: Palestinian Writing From the Diaspora (ed. Susan Muaddi Darraj; Palestine Writes Press, 2024).
Elias is also a former editor of Star Observer, Australia’s longest-running queer media outlet. He has written for The Guardian, Gay Times, Attitude, Shodo Mag, Raseef22, The New Arab and My Kali, among others. Born and raised in Sydney, he lives in London.
Follow him on Instagram: @elias_jahshan
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
October 10, 2025
This is a beautiful collection of authentic and important stories from queer Arab writers across the world, powerfully written in their own words and exploring their unique perspectives. Devoured it and couldn’t recommend it enough.
October 12, 2025
I literally devoured this book in one single day? As someone who religiously does not read nonfiction, and least of all collections of essays?
That should tell you that this one was something else!
This book had been staring at me at work since it came out, mainly because as a queer Arab man who lived someplace he couldn't actually be his true and authentic self, stories from other queer Arabs have always made me curious because of course I wasn't the only one but that's not something you're aware of until you're properly away and have some distance to actually examine that.
I liked some stories more than others, naturally, but my favorite one was Zeid's.
I genuinely related to the first half of his story, at least lol, since there were multiple parallels between my life back home and the getting out and his.
That should tell you that this one was something else!
This book had been staring at me at work since it came out, mainly because as a queer Arab man who lived someplace he couldn't actually be his true and authentic self, stories from other queer Arabs have always made me curious because of course I wasn't the only one but that's not something you're aware of until you're properly away and have some distance to actually examine that.
I liked some stories more than others, naturally, but my favorite one was Zeid's.
I genuinely related to the first half of his story, at least lol, since there were multiple parallels between my life back home and the getting out and his.
August 7, 2026
Overall it's really great but one of the texts just straight up pissed me off and tainted the book for me in a way.
January 3, 2026
“My life is made up of people I love who I never see, families constantly scattering. I am always heartbroken and I am always finding.”
a great great great read. standouts to me are “my mother’s pronouns” by abu leila and “who is it that you love?” by sinin nakhle.
a great great great read. standouts to me are “my mother’s pronouns” by abu leila and “who is it that you love?” by sinin nakhle.
June 30, 2026
A thought provoking essay collection! Some stories resonated with me more than others. It’s a worthwhile read!
October 10, 2025
A profoundly moving book filled with distinct voices. Every chapter was a revelation, but edited so well that you could really feel the author's style and voice. An incredibly important book.
August 26, 2026
The quality of the writing in these pieces varies but can be described as mediocre to poor. Some of the stories were boring but there were a few that are worth reading but I strongly advise against buying this collection because of one story in particular.
The adoption story by Dr Nahid Toubia (as she likes to refer to herself as) is horrible: this middle aged rich doctor living in the US suddenly starts to wish for a child, steals one from some Sudanese village (where she's from but hasn't lived in years) and tells us this story with pride. It's like listening to Donald Trump talk about some amazing conquest of his. These people get away with shit like this because of impunity and being a queer female Sudanese exile doesn't make it suddenly okay to behave this way. She's the worst kind of American. And then she completely brainwashed this child.
This doctor should have her license revoked and should be jailed for this. What the fuck???
What a privileged piece of shit. Even her glee over the airline she used closing down after the stewardesses were uncomfortable around her newborn baby.
And she's right that some readers may reduce her to one facet of her identity but she's wrong about which one: she's a criminal and nothing else matters.
I might have rated this book and its editor more kindly were it not for the fact that they PRAISE this story. He didn't include it to bring to light a horrible scandal, he calls the story warm.
The adoption story by Dr Nahid Toubia (as she likes to refer to herself as) is horrible: this middle aged rich doctor living in the US suddenly starts to wish for a child, steals one from some Sudanese village (where she's from but hasn't lived in years) and tells us this story with pride. It's like listening to Donald Trump talk about some amazing conquest of his. These people get away with shit like this because of impunity and being a queer female Sudanese exile doesn't make it suddenly okay to behave this way. She's the worst kind of American. And then she completely brainwashed this child.
This doctor should have her license revoked and should be jailed for this. What the fuck???
What a privileged piece of shit. Even her glee over the airline she used closing down after the stewardesses were uncomfortable around her newborn baby.
And she's right that some readers may reduce her to one facet of her identity but she's wrong about which one: she's a criminal and nothing else matters.
I might have rated this book and its editor more kindly were it not for the fact that they PRAISE this story. He didn't include it to bring to light a horrible scandal, he calls the story warm.
July 18, 2026
This Queer Arab Family gives us true stories of identity, culture, family, and belonging. What resonated with me most was the passage: “My premier identity is not my sexuality. It is, in order, my gender, ethnicity and skin colour and then my sexuality. Coming out was never a priority when I had so many other facets of my identity to tackle.”
This passage stayed with me because it challenged me to think about how layered identity truly is. It forced me to reflect on how people may identify me at first glance and how their perception of me can be completely different from what I consider my premier identity.
The book highlighted something I had not fully considered before, for many people, especially women and people of color, there are visible aspects of identity that society reacts to first, making assumptions before a person has the opportunity to define themselves.
This Queer Arab Family left me reflecting on the complexity of identity and the importance of allowing people the space to define themselves on their own terms. #thisqueerarabfamily #bookreview #books #bookish #antibrainrotreadingchallenge
This passage stayed with me because it challenged me to think about how layered identity truly is. It forced me to reflect on how people may identify me at first glance and how their perception of me can be completely different from what I consider my premier identity.
The book highlighted something I had not fully considered before, for many people, especially women and people of color, there are visible aspects of identity that society reacts to first, making assumptions before a person has the opportunity to define themselves.
This Queer Arab Family left me reflecting on the complexity of identity and the importance of allowing people the space to define themselves on their own terms. #thisqueerarabfamily #bookreview #books #bookish #antibrainrotreadingchallenge
July 19, 2026
A poignant and defiant collection of vibrant lived experiences from a series of queer Arab writers. A book like this is so important at a time when it feels like people are losing empathy and forgetting their humanity.
Each chapter* was deeply moving.
“Not since the Home Office tore my family away… Not since I began sleeping with shoes on, just in case.”
“War parents think your house can be taken away from you at any moment. Your husband can die. Your career field could stop existing. Your beautiful body could be mutilated. Just have a good day.”
As the voices of bigots get louder, we must read and hear stories like these to remember our humanity and privilege.
* except for one about a surgeons’ international adoption that made me uncomfortable at times. But we can’t win them all. I guess it moved me in its own way?
Each chapter* was deeply moving.
“Not since the Home Office tore my family away… Not since I began sleeping with shoes on, just in case.”
“War parents think your house can be taken away from you at any moment. Your husband can die. Your career field could stop existing. Your beautiful body could be mutilated. Just have a good day.”
As the voices of bigots get louder, we must read and hear stories like these to remember our humanity and privilege.
* except for one about a surgeons’ international adoption that made me uncomfortable at times. But we can’t win them all. I guess it moved me in its own way?
August 18, 2026
I thought this book would be an anthology of short stories, but I was pleasantly surprised to find out these were testimonies from all over the world. It always warms the heart to read that even in the face of terrible situations, the places of love that we were born into or that we've created are there to serve as shelters. It was really interesting to read the take from the SWANA community's views on western queer theory and how sometimes it doesn't apply to them. Like the very established belief that one is forced to come out to their families no matter what, even if that means severing ties.
May 2, 2026
El libro aborda la realidad LGTBIQ+ en el mundo árabe, tantas veces desconocida o leída desde Occidente con una mirada colonial, orientalista y algo paternalista. Un ensayo imprescindible porque escucha voces árabes, recoge testimonios de gays, lesbianas y personas trans, y muestra una realidad material compleja, llena de dificultades, pero también por experiencias, resistencias y matices. Conviene recordar algo elemental: no todos los árabes son musulmanes ni todos los musulmanes son árabes.
October 28, 2025
Jahshan has done it again. A must read.
November 23, 2025
4,5
i was tearing up, this anthology mad me so happy and sad at the same time
i was tearing up, this anthology mad me so happy and sad at the same time
June 14, 2026
i have no words!!!! 💛💛💛 ft. sinin nakhle breaking my heart ❤️🩹❤️🩹
January 7, 2026
I literally got This Queer Arab Family yesterday and instantly started reading. To say that I loved the book is an understatement.
I fell in love with this anthology, not a single essay wasn't so powerful, soul-enriching, and impactful. It allowed me to deconstruct the society I live in, showed me that no boundary could ever stand between a Queer Arab and their family when it comes to many Queer Arabs out there. This book is a protest letter and an affirmation of the resilience of the Queer Arabs and their refusal to erasure.
My favorite essays varied from Zeid Al-Nasr's piece on joining Only-Fans; Melhem Hasan's beautiful experience in Mecca to become a Hajj and him grieving his father; and other pieces about the journey of some authors to become parents in a same-sex family.
I fell in love with this anthology, not a single essay wasn't so powerful, soul-enriching, and impactful. It allowed me to deconstruct the society I live in, showed me that no boundary could ever stand between a Queer Arab and their family when it comes to many Queer Arabs out there. This book is a protest letter and an affirmation of the resilience of the Queer Arabs and their refusal to erasure.
My favorite essays varied from Zeid Al-Nasr's piece on joining Only-Fans; Melhem Hasan's beautiful experience in Mecca to become a Hajj and him grieving his father; and other pieces about the journey of some authors to become parents in a same-sex family.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews