Why can’t queer activists raise their flag in Lebanon?

In her research paper titled "Why Can’t the Queer Activists Raise Their Flag in Lebanon?" published by the Arab Reform Initiative (ARI), Lebanese researcher Kristin Azar explores the increasing repression faced by LGBTQIA+ activists in Lebanon. While the country once saw progress – such as court rulings undermining Article 534 of the Penal Code, which criminalizes "unnatural" sex – recent years have marked a sharp backlash.

In 2023, a proposed bill to repeal Article 534 sparked aggressive reactions from conservative politicians and religious leaders. This was followed by counter-legislation that sought to criminalize not only same-sex relations but also the promotion of LGBTQ+ rights. Simultaneously, government authorities, particularly the Interior Ministry, issued bans on LGBTQ+ gatherings, citing "public morality" and religious norms, despite court pushback.

Azar argues that these developments have forced LGBTQIA+ communities into silence and invisibility. The state's use of legal and social tools to suppress queer expression has created a hostile environment where visibility is dangerous for these individuals. 

In a country where all political parties raise their flags proudly over their territories, why shouldn’t members of the queer community have the right to do the same? Kristin Azar poses this question in her new paper published through the Arab Reform Initiative (ARI)

Meanwhile, Azar’s paper emphasizes the resilience of queer activists but highlights the urgent need for structural and societal reform to allow them to safely raise their voices – and their flag.

In concluding her paper, Azar notes that although Lebanon, and particularly Beirut, has been viewed as a refuge for queers in the Arab World, homophobia remains deeply entrenched in the country and cuts across all communities. Nevertheless, trends can be witnessed that help break down the instrumentalization of this homophobia to suit vested interests.

While members – especially the activists – have always been targeted, attacks tended to be focused on particular queer spaces up until 2019 that were open to the public and thus attracted members of other vulnerable groups. This could be seen in the open spaces raided by the Internal Security Forces (ISF) before the revolution and the exclusive and open spaces raided or threatened to be raided post-revolution. 

Moreover, the researcher notes that stark fluctuations could be witnessed in the tolerance levels of state and non-state actors, depending on the perceived political benefits, as evidenced by the actions taken by Soldiers of God, the Kataeb, Hezbollah, Amal, and others, While queer activists have made significant advancements in Lebanon, these advancements remain blocked by deep-rooted homophobia and its instrumentalization to serve the interests of the sectarian groups. 

Azar also stresses that the recent war with Israel and the readjustments in the government leave the queer question and how it is yet to be instrumentalized open and unknown. She ends her paper with one question that remains essential to address: in a country where all political parties raise their flags proudly over their territories, why shouldn’t members of the queer community have the right to do the same?

* This research paper was prepared by Kristin Azar and is available in full on the Arab Reform Initiative (ARI) website.