Helem

On #IDAHOBIT, we reaffirm that LGBTQIA+ individuals in Lebanon continue to face violence, discrimination, and exclusion. In the face of wars and hatred, we remain together. Read Helem’s full statement below. 2/2

The Literary Club in Helem is pleased to announce its first writing competition, titled "The Missing Sound of Your Voice." Scan the displayed code to access the competition details and submit your entry before January 31, or use the following link: shorturl.at/pPvYi 2/2

We’re grateful for all the donations we’ve received so far, but we still need your support! Helem is collecting essential winter items and financial contributions to cover the remaining needs for our community. Donations are welcomed until Wednesday, December 3.

اعتمادنا على تبرّعاتكن! نحتاج إلى سترات، قمصان، أوشحة، قبّعات، قفازات، ملابس داخلية، أحذية، بطانيات وسخانات صغيرة. كل قطعة بتفرق، وكل مشاركة بتدفّي حدا. 2/7

How does politics intersect with gender, sexuality, and identity? 📚 Visit QueerLink on Helem’s website to explore 100+ Q&As on how systems, policies, and discourse shape LGBTQ+ lives—and how politics can be a tool for change. 🔍 queerlink.helem.net

Do you have questions about SOGIESC or how parents can understand and support their LGBTQ+ children? 📚 Visit QueerLink on Helem’s website and explore over 400 questions and answers about gender and sexuality! 🔍 We search, explore, and go deeper. queerlink.helem.net 2/2

LGBTQ+ individuals in Lebanon and around the world face compounded psychological challenges due to anxiety, depression, violence, and stigma. But support, acceptance, and access to mental health services can make a difference, and save lives. 2/2

On this day, we honor all those who continue to struggle for their basic right to live with dignity. This day is not just an occasion for celebration, but a reminder of our collective responsibility to support the rights of all people, without exception. Today in Syria, we witness the liberation of the people from a criminal regime that has ruled the country for more than five decades, shedding the blood of its own people and violating the rights of millions. Syrians have fought for freedom, justice, and dignity for over thirteen years, refusing to allow their rights and bodies to be violated by the regime. Despite the challenges and devastation, many of them continue to resist for their fundamental rights to live in peace and dignity. On this day, we also remember the thousands of detainees, both men and women, in Sednaya prison and other detention centers, who have suffered injustice and been deprived of their most basic human rights. Their cause is an open wound in the conscience of humanity, and no struggle can be complete without holding those responsible for their suffering to account. In the midst of the Syrian conflict, which has lasted for decades, the most marginalized groups, including members of the LGBTQ+ community, have not been spared from the horrors of war and tyranny. Many of these individuals were arbitrarily detained in regime prisons, where they faced multiple forms of violence, whether due to their participation in the struggle for freedom or because of their gender identity and sexual orientation. Some lost their lives under brutal torture, while others became victims of indiscriminate shelling targeting civilians in Syrian cities and towns. Despite these immense losses, their voices and sacrifices remain a testament to a long struggle against a regime that spared no one from its cruelty, and to the double suffering faced by LGBTQ+ individuals in the contexts of repression and war. On this day, we must also pay tribute to all the fighters from the groups that still face significant challenges in achieving justice and equality in Lebanon, Palestine, the region, and the world at large. Among these groups are those who suffer from marginalization based on their gender identity and sexual orientation, facing discrimination, violence, and murder in many communities. Supporting the freedom of women, LGBTQ+ individuals, and other marginalized groups is not merely a matter of individual rights, but part of a broader struggle for full equality in society. We must celebrate diversity and ensure that everyone has the right to live freely and safely, away from fear or persecution. #HumanRightsDay #Syria #Lebanon #Palestine #lgbtqia