I n 1997, whenever Boy George shouted at their show in Beirut: „Lebanon needs a serving of camp!“ performed he know very well what he would bargained for? The homosexual world in Lebanon has truly changed during the last 13 ages, but the genuine issues will still be in advance.
Not too the camp wasn’t truth be told there already. In a tiny, unsophisticated Beirut bar, a group of cross-dressing men got arranged an event in Boy George’s honor. But the Lebanese performance promoter avoided him from heading indeed there, after the guy considered the place maybe not „excellent“ enough. At that time, it had been a brave move among these cross-dressing males, as a result functions were still truly underground.
Decades of spiritual hypocrisy and political moralism have taken their own toll. Authorities harassment and blackmail are repeated, thank you generally to a law passed down from French rule. Lots of gay boys looked for political asylum from inside the west. But precisely the poor and „unconnected“ experienced these problems. The rich and effective homosexual population had nothing to worry, whilst threw the activities in „classier“ venues.
Recently, Lebanese homosexual gents and ladies are becoming most noticeable in public areas therefore the news. And there’s less concern with harassment considering that the anti-homosexuality legislation is no longer truly applied.
But exactly how much need factors certainly altered? a material’s discard from a notorious police facility where gay people comprise humiliated and interrogated (for things like wearing cosmetics) several years back, a gay „bear“ nightclub features exposed, which declines admission to the „effeminate-looking“ people.
Lebanese culture is quite macho. „In Lebanon they prefer to humiliate you,“ my buddy Chadi explained, after the guy went along to reside in Bahrain, in which the guy seems much more respected. „Gay“ in Lebanon is usually applied to feminine-looking guys, and their resides are an extended path of taunting, harassment and misuse.
Although same-sex connections are extremely frequent among Lebanese men, most of their effort enter into attempting to refute them. And a „gay-looking“ man automatically becomes a pariah, or at the best a sex object, with very restricted personal rights. This is especially true in Christian communities (where I happened to be elevated).
But this „manly admiration“ is not always hidden. Sometimes it conveys alone in a really demonstrative method, at the least in reduced „educated“ milieux. Most Mediterranean boys, despite their unique spiritual upbringing, will gladly revert on their pagan roots, to your Dionysian joys of yore.
The truth remains that contours between „gay“ and „straight“ have become undefined in Lebanon. That doesn’t mean freely homosexual the male is always respected however it does indicate that there is no organized homophobia as one find in some american nations. When it comes to pariahs, a lot of them flourish in transforming their unique condition into roles of energy: they being adulated drag queens, musicians and artists … or priests. In fact, they are at once despised and respected, feared and covertly respected. They be „glorious pariahs“ of sorts.
Contained in this setting, what you can do to improve the specific situation with the gay Lebanese? Prepare a gay satisfaction event?
Why-not eliminate the homosexual pity rather? Phoenicians and Romans had no dependence on gay pleasure because they had no gay embarrassment to start with. Whenever the rich and „westernised“ Lebanese dared head to even more working-class roadways, they will see real gay satisfaction for action, not only rainbow flags 
are waved once a year. Actually, a gay pride day would appear like the icing regarding McDonaldisation dessert, now that Lebanon has its stores, Big Brother-style TV program and … the security digital cameras. On every road place. Plus and around homosexual hangouts. Issue isn’t: so what does the gay crowd need keep hidden? But alternatively: why should it is made to reveal every thing? And who’s behind the cams? Would it be alike policemen who „interrogated“ gay males a short while ago, subjecting these to „anal exams“?
Recommend for gay rights? Some teams have taken a confident step-in this course. But the code and concepts they normally use seem to be duplicated from the „little pink guide“ of american advocacy communities and tend to be occasionally unadjusted to local gay realities. For instance, a number of them require extra „public shows of affection“ in a society that will be currently most homoerotic.
That rainbow flag is starting to become just one more international brand isn’t a trick anymore. A lot of wear it the way they has on a Prada logo design, or as a sign of owned by a westernised „enlightened“ elite (whenever many Lebanese don’t know exactly what this flag shows).
What Lebanon needs being genuinely advance gay rights try a leap into modernity. Maybe not an imported, ready-made concept of modernity. But, rather, one that reclaims the last and reinterprets neighborhood traditions.
As an instance, have you thought to present in education the wealthy and abundant same-sex books of Rumi or Omar Khayyam? This might clearly silence those who declare that „homosexuality are a western pattern directed at corrupting the youth“.
What Lebanese society furthermore requires is arrived at terminology forever using its innate problem: the need to adapt to personal and spiritual dictates versus the natural „pagan“ inclinations. For motivation, it willn’t exclusively check out the west, but alternatively with the eastern, in which religions amuse a very relaxed partnership with sex.
Until this occurs, would Boy George nice giving another concert in Lebanon and informing all of us whether camp there’s attained a satisfying level however?