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Resisting Sectarianism: Queer Activism in Postwar Lebanon
The Middle East is often portrayed as oppressively patriarchal and homophobic. Yet, in recent years the region has become a vibrant and important arena for feminist and LGBTQ activism. This book provides an insight into this emerging politics through a unique analysis of feminist and LGBTQ social movements in the context of Lebanon's postwar sectarian system. Resisting Sectarianism argues that LGBTQ and feminists social movements are powerful agents of political and social transformation in Lebanon.
Drawing on extensive ethnographic fieldwork, the book takes the reader inside these movements to see how they attract members and construct campaigns, forge alliances, and the multiple ways in which they generate important forms of resistance to, and change within, the sectarian system. The book also traces the strong obstacles that sectarian parties and religious authorities employ to weaken LGBTQ and feminist activism.
Drawing on extensive ethnographic fieldwork, the book takes the reader inside these movements to see how they attract members and construct campaigns, forge alliances, and the multiple ways in which they generate important forms of resistance to, and change within, the sectarian system. The book also traces the strong obstacles that sectarian parties and religious authorities employ to weaken LGBTQ and feminist activism.
208 pages, Hardcover
Published September 23, 2021
8 people want to read
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September 4, 2023
Resisting Sectarianism is a much needed book... It gives comprehensive insight into queer and feminist activism in Lebanon and the Middle East while also drawing a blueprint into how to approach activism and its resistance against sectarianism based on past events. It is by learning from past mistakes that activists can forge their own imaginaries upon public reality.
Activism in post war Lebanon is a struggle in itself, for all political and religious authorities who control public affairs are deeply homophobic.
Religious and political figures are very aware of such a fact and they will fight with everything they have to stop the emancipation of LGBT members for fear that the status quo might be affected.
Just like that, LGBTQ members will also fight with everything they have to be recognized whether it is with visibility or invisibility modes of action. All roads lead to Rome, and activists are finding themselves using a hybrid form of activism and a variety of tactical strategies such as art, theatre, culture and knowledge production in their quest.
We are currently moving to a new era, where queer rights and demands are on the forefront of socio political issues. While many Lebanese have allied themselves with the LGBT movement, we have seen a backlash on all levels exercised by different traditional Lebanese sectarian factions. All LGBT members can do now is not lose hope, and that is exactly what this book intends to do.
It is a one of a kind book. It must be on every Lebanese queer shelf for they must learn how to navigate in the homophobic sectarian system that they found themselves to be born into.
Activism in post war Lebanon is a struggle in itself, for all political and religious authorities who control public affairs are deeply homophobic.
'Homosexuality is a symbolic challenge to the religious mores and patriarchal kin structures that support the sectarian system.'
Religious and political figures are very aware of such a fact and they will fight with everything they have to stop the emancipation of LGBT members for fear that the status quo might be affected.
The rise of LGBTQ rights activism was to overturn the framing of homosexuality as a medical pathology by instead celebrating and demanding the recognition of sexual diversity as a key cornerstone of a liberal state.
Just like that, LGBTQ members will also fight with everything they have to be recognized whether it is with visibility or invisibility modes of action. All roads lead to Rome, and activists are finding themselves using a hybrid form of activism and a variety of tactical strategies such as art, theatre, culture and knowledge production in their quest.
This history has no linear path. It alternates between periods of dormancy as well as tidal waves of contention that defy regularities, sequences and patterns.
We are currently moving to a new era, where queer rights and demands are on the forefront of socio political issues. While many Lebanese have allied themselves with the LGBT movement, we have seen a backlash on all levels exercised by different traditional Lebanese sectarian factions. All LGBT members can do now is not lose hope, and that is exactly what this book intends to do.
It is a one of a kind book. It must be on every Lebanese queer shelf for they must learn how to navigate in the homophobic sectarian system that they found themselves to be born into.
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