Lebanon - GlobalGayz

Contents:

• GAY LIFE LEBANON: BOUNCE BACK BEIT
• NORTH LEBANON GAY TRAVEL
• 5 SAFT PLAC FOR GAY TRAVELERS IN 2019 (AND THE MOST DANGERO)
• EVERYTHG YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT BEG GAY MLIM UNTRI
• BEG LGBTQ BEITLIFE THE CREASGLY OPEN LGBTQ MUNY LEBANON’S SMOPOLAN PAL IS FAR OM PERFECT. BUT OFTEN ’S A LOT OF FUN.AIRBNB MAGAZE EDORS·FOLLOWPUBLISHED AIRBNB MAGAZE·13 M READ·AUG 16, 2018--1LISTENSHAREWORDS BY TIM MURPHYPHOTOGRAPHS BY WILLIAM LAKILLTRATNS BY STEVEN WILSONTHE GRAND FACTORY THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF BOURJ HAMMONDSTRINGS OF LIGHT BULBS GLOWED, RPETS WERE LAID DOWN, AND NDL WERE FLICKERG ON THE VAST ROOFTOP OF STATION, AN ALTERNATIVE ART SPACE RVED OUT OF AN OLD FACTORY THE HEART OF BEIT’S DTRIAL NEIGHBORHOOD, JISR EL WATI. THE AREA IS KNOWN FOR S RAGTAG WEEKEND SO AND — MORE RECENTLY — AS THE HOME OF THE BEIT ART CENTER, WHICH HAS PUT LEBANON’S MIDDLE EAST–MEETS-MIAMI-MEETS-DETRO PAL CY ON THE NTEMPORARY CULTURAL MAP.AS A DJ SPUN ELECTRONI AND THE SUN SET, YOU MIGHT HAVE THOUGHT YOU WERE AT SOME ARTY EVENT BROOKLYN’S BHWICK OR BERL’S NKöLLN — EXCEPT THAT THE 400 MOSTLY YOUNG BEITIS OF ALL GENRS AND SEXUAL INTI, NOT TO MENTN RELIGNS, WERE SPEAKG A MAD MISHMASH OF ENGLISH, FRENCH, AND ARABIC.SALAH LABAKI STREETONCE THE MIC QUIETED DOWN, BEITIS WHO INTIFY AS LGBTQ, OR QUEER, ROSE TO THE MIC ONE BY ONE AND TOLD THEIR STORI OF G OUT — FIRST TO THEMSELV, THEN TO IENDS, AND THEN, SOMETIM, TO WORKERS, FAY, AND THE PUBLIC — A CY WH A UNTRY WH A REGN WHERE THE VERY NOTN OF “G OUT,” THOUGH MORE MON THAN EVER BEFORE, REMAS PLITED. “I DON’T RELL ANY OTHER TIME RECENT LEBANE HISTORY WHEN THERE WAS SUCH A LARGE GATHERG OF LGBTQ PEOPLE SHARG THEIR STORI WHOUT FEAR,” SAYS DIMA MATTA, A BEIT UNIVERSY PROFSOR WHO ANIZED THE EVENT.THE STORI WEREN’T JT BRAVE BUT FUNNY. HAMED SNO, THE OPENLY GAY ONT MAN OF MASHROU’LEILA, WHOSE MIC HAS PTURED EE-THKG LENNIALS THROUGHOUT THE MIDDLE EAST AND THE ARAB DIASPORA, GOT UP AND READ A FIANT POEM ABOUT MISOGYNY AMONG GAY MEN. ONE YOUNG MAN RELATED HOW HIS MOTHER TOOK AWAY HIS SMARTPHONE AFTER REALIZG HE WAS GAY, SO HE SURREPTLY BOUGHT ANOTHER TO LL HIS BOYIEND UNR THE VERS AT 3 A.M. A WOMAN TALKED OF HOW SHE’D BEEN HARASSED BY POLICE FOR “LOOKG LIKE A BOY.” ANOTHER BROUGHT DOWN THE HOE WHILE RELLG HOW HER MOTHER, AFTER LEARNG THAT BOTH SHE AND HER SISTER WERE GAY, SHED TO THEIR BROTHER’S ROOM AND MAND, “TELL ME NOW: ARE YOU GAY TOO?” (TO WHICH HE RPOND, “UHHH . . . NO.”)HADI DAMIENTHE CROWD WAS NOT EXCLIVELY QUEER, EHER. “WE HAD STRAIGHT PARENTS BRG THEIR CHILDREN TO SHOW THEM THAT BEG OPENLY GAY OR TRANS WAS A REALY,” SAYS HADI DAMIEN, 28, AN EVENT SIGNER AND UNIVERSY PROFSOR WHO -ANIZED THE EVENT. THE NIGHT WAS PART OF BEIT PRI, THE CY’S FIRST OFFICIALLY BRAND LGBTQ PRI EVENT, WHICH FEATURED A WEEK’S WORTH OF ACTIVI CLUDG A DRAG QUEEN 101 SEMAR, AN EXHIB ON GENR-FLUID FASHN, AND — PERHAPS MOST BOLDLY — AN EVENG OUT WHICH NEARLY 20 OF THE RTRANTS AND BARS THAT LE THE MA STREET THE SHABBY-CHIC MAR MIKHAEL NEIGHBORHOOD AGREED TO FLY RABOW FLAGS.“I WAS THKG OF DOG THIS FOR A LONG TIME,” SAYS DAMIEN. “AND FALLY LAST AUGT, I SAID, ‘OKAY, LET’S MAKE THIS HAPPEN.’” THE WEEK WAS CHOSEN BEE ENPASSED MAY 17, THE INTERNATNAL DAY AGAST HOMOPHOBIA, TRANSPHOBIA & BIPHOBIA. “WE HAD LEGAL SEMARS AND MOVIE SCREENGS, BUT ALSO LOTS OF PARTI AND GET-TOGETHERS JT TO LET PEOPLE MGLE. IT CREATED A VERY BETIFUL SPACE. SOME PEOPLE SAID WASN’T POLIL ENOUGH. I THOUGHT THAT WAS VERY STUPID. TO ME, EVERYTHG QUEER WE DO LEBANON IS POLIL.”BEIT OFTEN SURPRIS WTERNERS, PECIALLY AMERINS. PEOPLE OF A CERTA AGE ASSOCIATE WH DANGER, REMEMBERG THE SECTARIAN CIVIL WAR THAT TORE APART BETWEEN 1975 AND 1990 AND MA S VERY NAME SHORTHAND FOR HELL. BUT WH THE EXCEPTN OF A FEW ROCKY MOMENTS THE 2000S, BEIT — THE ASTAL NERVE CENTER OF A UNTRY SMALLER THAN CONNECTICUT WHERE VIRTUALLY EVERYONE IS RELATED BY BLOOD, BS, OR SOCIAL TI — HAS BEEN NOT JT STABLE FOR 27 YEARS, ’S BEEN BOOMG. ITS BEGUILG MIX OF ARCH-WDOWED OTTOMAN-ERA HOM AND MIDCENTURY BTALIST TOWERS NOW B SHOULRS WH GLOSSY NEW RTRANTS AND RETAIL BUILDGS.MAR MIKHAELIN MANY WAYS, THE RECENT FLUX OF SYRIAN REFUGE THAT HAS CREASED LEBANON’S POPULATN BY A THIRD HAS ENRICHED WH AN EXPLOSN OF NEW BS AND WORKERS. AND THOUGH LEBANON’S PARLIAMENT HAS S PROBLEMS (A SANATN CRISIS FILLED BEIT WH NOX ODORS A FEW SUMMERS AGO, SPARKG AN ENRAGED CIVIL PROTT), DAILY LIFE THE CY HUMS ALONG.MOREOVER, THOSE WHO ASSUME THAT BEIT MT BE OPPRSIVE TOWARD WOMEN AND GAY PEOPLE BEE IS A MIDDLE EASTERN PAL ARE OFTEN SURPRISED TO FD A SMOPOLAN, RELIGLY MIXED CY OF BOTH VOUT AND SECULAR-LEANG CHRISTIANS, MLIMS, AND DZE. COLONIZED BY THE FRENCH THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY, THE UNTRY IS FLUENCED AS MUCH BY NORTH AMERI AND EUROPE AS IS BY S IMMEDIATE NEIGHBORS. BEFORE THE CIVIL WAR, THE CY WAS RENOWNED FOR S CULTURE, FASHN, FOOD, AND NIGHTLIFE. MUCH OF THAT HAS SURVIVED AND IS NOW BOLSTERED BY A GENERATN OF WARTIME BEITIS WHO GREW UP ABROAD, LIKE STATION FOUNR NABIL CANAAN, WHO TRANSFORMED THE SPACE OUT OF HIS GRANDFATHER’S FORMER FACTORY 2013 AFTER SPENDG YEARS SWZERLAND, NIGERIA, AND NEW YORK. MANY NEW ENTREPRENRS FLY AND OUT OF THE UNTRY TO VIS FAY, IENDS, AND BS PARTNERS LONDON, PARIS, NEW YORK, MONTREAL, AND THE GULF STAT.LUNA PARK FERRIS WHEEL THE MANARA NEIGHBORHOODNABIL CANAAN“YOU HAVE ALL TYP OF PEOPLE HERE, BOTH OPEN-MD AND WELL-TRAVELED AND SUPER-NSERVATIVE,” SAYS HAIG PAPAZIAN, ONE OF THE MEMBERS OF MASHROU’LEILA. “BEIT IS VERY LENIENT PARED TO THE RT OF LEBANON WHEN TO PEOPLE WHO DON’T F THE MOLD AND LIKE TO DRS CRAZY.”THE CY’S LGBTQ MUNY DID NOT SPRG UP OVERNIGHT. IT HAS S ROOTS ACID, THE LEGENDARY WEE-HOURS GAY DANCE CLUB THAT OPENED 1998 AND, UNTIL S CLOSURE 2010, PUT BEIT ON THE QUEER-TOURIST MAP ALONGSI THE STILL-NNG DANCE BUNKER BO18, SIGNED BY LEBANE ARCHECT BERNARD KHOURY. ACID GAVE GAY BEITIS, PARTICULARLY MEN, A PLACE TO NGREGATE AND BE EELY GAY TOGETHER. “I REMEMBER HOW EMPOWERG WAS TO DANCE AND KISS ANOTHER ARAB MAN ON THE DANCE FLOOR OF AN ARAB CY,” SAYS LONDON-BASED WRER SALEEM HADDAD, THOR OF GUAPA, A GAY G-OF-AGE NOVEL SET AN UNNAMED MIDDLE EASTERN CY MUCH LIKE BEIT, WHERE HIS FAY HAS LIVED ON AND OFF.AND THOUGH THIS YEAR WAS THE CY’S FIRST OFFICIAL PRI CELEBRATN, THE LGBTQ MUNY HAS BEEN ANIZG SCE AT LEAST 2004, THE FOUNDG YEAR OF HELEM ( MEANS DREAM ARABIC), THE UNTRY’S FIRST LGBTQ SEXUAL-HEALTH AND LEGAL SERVIC GROUP, WHICH GREW OUT OF AN UNRGROUND ONLE MUNY. “OUR FIRST TWO YEARS WE WERE OFTEN HARASSED BY THE POLICE,” REMEMBERS GE AZZI, THE GROUP’S FOUNR, WHO HAS GONE ON TO FOUND THE REGN-WI LGBTQ NONPROF ARAB FOUNDATN FOR FREEDOMS AND EQUALY. BUT THE GROUP PERSISTED, BOLDLY STAGG STREET MONSTRATNS AND BRGG A GENERATN OF STRAIGHT FAY MEMBERS AND IENDS TO THEIR MOVEMENT.CAFE YOUNAS A RULT, LEBANON IS BEG MORE TOLERANT OF THE LGBTQ MUNY. CREPAWAY, A POPULAR NATNAL RTRANT CHA, JT RELEASED A MERCIAL FEATURG A LBIAN UPLE. A PEW REARCH CENTER STUDY SHOWS THAT THOUGH 80 PERCENT OF THE UNTRY GENERALLY STILL REJECTS HOMOSEXUALY, LEBANON HAS THE REGN’S HIGHT PERCENTAGE OF YOUNG PEOPLE WHO ACCEPT , AFTER ISRAEL. AND THOUGH GAY SEX IS STILL TEGORIZED AS “NTRADICTG TO NATURE” THE UNTRY’S OFTEN ANTIQUATED PENAL AND PEOPLE ARE PERDILLY ARRTED, SEVERAL JUDG HAVE REFED TO PROSECUTE SUCH S. GETTG THAT SELDOM-ENFORCED LAW STRICKEN OM THE BOOKS ONCE AND FOR ALL REMAS A KEY PRRY FOR LGBTQ ACTIVISTS LEBANON.“MANY OF HAVE TO GO BACK TO HOM, WORKPLAC, AND MUNI WHERE WE’RE STILL CLOSETED, ARE AAID TO DISPLAY AFFECTN PUBLIC, AND HOLD OUR BREATH WHEN THE POLICE PASS,” SAYS PROFSOR MATTA. “SO THE FACT THAT OPEN LGBTQ EVENTS N EXIST WH SUCH OPPRSN IS A PERFECT SCRIPTN OF WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW. MUCH HAS BEEN DONE, BUT THERE’S STILL A LOT TO DO.”BARDOMEANWHILE, THERE IS THE SHEER BUOYANCY OF QUEER LIFE AND AROUND BEIT. THE MASTREAM SCENE REVOLV AROUND BARDO, A WARMLY L DAY-AND-NIGHT RTRANT AND BAR ON A QUIET TREE-LED STREET A SHORT WALK OM THE BTLG MERCIAL CENTER OF HAMRA, WHERE MCLE BOYS WORK OUT AT FNS ZONE THEN CHILL OVER ICED LATT AT THE NEARBY STARBUCKS OR THE MORE TRADNAL CAFé YOUN. BARDO, THE CY’S LONGT-STANDG GAY-ORIENTED BAR, IS QUIET DURG THE DAY, WH STYLISH PATRONS LUNCHG ON SPRG ROLLS, RAMEN, WASABI-LIME BEEF MEDALLNS, OR SANDWICH WH THE LIC IED CHEE LLED HALLOUMI. BUT BOUNC AT NIGHT, PECIALLY WEEKENDS, WH A MIX OF WTERN AND ARABIC DANCE MIC OM A ROLLG ROSTER OF DJS AND SCREENGS OF QUEER FILMS OLD (THE BOYS THE BAND) AND NEW (CAROL).MANY SAY THAT A MORE MIXED-CLASS GAY CROWD NVERG LATE SATURDAYS AT THE ENORMO CLUB POSH, NEAR THE WATER THE TRADNAL ARMENIAN NEIGHBORHOOD OF BOURJ HAMMOUD. IT PET FOR QUEER VISORS WH THE GäRTEN, LOTED PARTLY UNR A FUNKY GEOSIC DOME, OR THE FRIDAY-NIGHT EGO PARTY AT THE CLUB PROJEKT BEIT.SASHA ELIJAH JUS GARN, ACHRAFIEHDARK BOX ON RUE MONNOT (THE CY’S FIRST POSTWAR PARTY STRIP) IS A WELL-KNOWN TRANSGENR HANGOUT, BUT SASHA ELIJAH, A 20-YEAR-OLD TRANSGENR ASPIRG MOL, SAYS SHE MAK A POT OF HANGG OUT THE E-ONE-E-ALL BARS OF MAR MIKHAEL. “PEOPLE TELL ME THEY’VE NEVER SEEN TRANSGENR PEOPLE UP CLOSE, THAT THEY’RE SURPRISED TO LEARN NOT ALL TRANS WOMEN HAVE DOUBLE-SIZE LIPS, TS, AND ASS,” SHE SAYS. “THEN WE HAVE A FEW LGHS TOGETHER, AND THEY RPECT ME.”IN FACT, MANY QUEER BEITIS ARE QUICK TO SAY THAT THE CY’S BAR AND CLUB SCENE IS BLEND, WH NO SPECIAL NEED FOR GAY PEOPLE TO SEEK OUT HIDG PLAC. NOHELS, LBIANS LIKE TO MEET AT THE ROOFTOP BAR AND RTRANT COOP D’ETAT OVERLOOKG THE PORT. AND THE SUMMER MONTHS, QUEER AND NONQUEER SOCIAL SCEN TERMGLE BEIT AT THE SAT-GEE AND SPORTG BEACH CLUBS — AND EVEN AS FAR AWAY AS THE BULIC CLOUD 59 TYRE, ABOUT 90 MUT SOUTH OF BEIT, WH THE ASTLE OF ISRAEL DIMLY VISIBLE JT 12 AWAY. IN THE HEART OF SHIE HEZBOLLAH UNTRY AND BOASTG SOME OF THE MOST STUNNG ROMAN S THE WORLD, TYRE FEATUR AN OLD PORT AND TOWN CENTER OF ASTOUNDG BETY, POPULAR WH REGNAL AND EUROPEAN VISORS. ON THE BEACH, LARGE MLIM FAI WH VEILED MOMS PIIC EASILY ALONGSI JET-SETTERS BIKIS AND SPEEDOS SMOKG CIGARETT AND DRKG ALMAZA, THE MA BEER OF LEBANON, OR ARAK, THE LIRICE-Y SPIR OF THE REGN.TYREWH IMAG LIKE THE, N BE TEMPTG TO PAT LEBANON, BEIT PECIALLY, AS A KD OF LIBERTE, SEXUALLY PERMISSIVE UTOPIA THE MIDST OF A REPRSIVE REGN. THAT’S NOT QUE ACCURATE. FOR ALL S CHARMS, THE CY, LIKE MANY AROUND THE GLOBE, IS RIFE WH EQUALY AND ENOMIC HARDSHIP FOR MANY, AND IS A LONG WAY OM UNIVERSALLY SANCTNED ACCEPTANCE OF LGBTQ PEOPLE. THE VERY FACT THAT THE CY’S CROWNE PLAZA HOTEL NCELED HOSTG A BEIT PRI EVENT AFTER RECEIVG THREATS OM AN ISLAMIC GROUP ATTTS TO THAT.THEN AGA, AFTER THE QUEER MUNY PROTTED, SEVERAL MORE HOTELS OFFERED TO HOST THE EVENT. AND THERE YOU HAVE THE STATE OF LGBTQ LIFE THIS BATTERED YET BEGUILG CY CIR 2017. “SOCIAL CHANGE IS POSSIBLE, BUT ’S HAPPENG SLOWLY,” SAYS DAMIEN. “BUT IF BEIT WERE A GLASS RIGHT NOW, I’D SAY ’S HALF FULL, NOT HALF EMPTY.”HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF BEIRUTLOCAL AIRBNB HOSTS SHARE THEIR TIPSWAKE UP FOR A STROLL, A N, OR A BIKE RI ALONG THE CORNICHE, BEIT’S RENOWNED SEASI PROMENA, REMENDS JAY NEHME, WHOSE AIRBNB IS ON MAR NILAS, THE HEART OF ACHRAFIEH. “IN BEIT, YOU’LL FD PEOPLE OF ALL RAC, ALL RELIGNS, HANGG OUT,” SAYS NEHME. “IT’S A BETIFUL BATN!”INDULGE A TYPIL LEBANE LUNCH, SUGGTS ASDGHIK MELKONIAN, WHO HOSTS HIP GEMMAYZEH. ON WEEKENDS, N BE AN ALL-DAY AFFAIR, WH 20 OR 30 APPETIZERS. “JT WHEN YOU THK YOU’RE FULL, YOU GET MA URS — BARBECUED MEAT, CHICKEN, AND SEAFOOD. WASH DOWN WH LEBANE WE AND ARAK. THEN ’S TIME FOR SSERT. IT’S A WAY FOR FAI AND IENDS TO GET TOGETHER.”SHE SENDS GUTS TO THE CLASSIC MHANNA SUR MER, AAMCH.HEAD TO A ROOFTOP BAR SUCH AS CAPOLE, IRIS, WHE, OR MYU AND WATCH THE SUNSET WHILE RELAXG WH AN ICE-LD ALMAZA BEER, OFFERS AUDREY ISSA, WHO HOSTS THE TABARIS SECTN.MAR MIKHAELEXPERIENCE AN TERACTIVE EXPERIMENTAL DANCE PERFORMANCE AND EXPLORE UNRGROUND THEATERS WH BARET ACTS OM THE GOLN AGE AT METRO AL MADA, SAYS TO K., A HOST OM THE BUZZG MAR MIKHAEL AREA, KNOWN FOR S BAR AND RTRANT SCENE. “MAR MIKHAEL IS OLD DURG THE DAY AND YOUNG DURG THE NIGHT,” SAYS TO.ENJOY THE ECLECTIC RANGE OF MIC — OM GYPSY JAZZ TO BLU — AT ONOMATOPOEIA, A NCEPT SPACE AND MIC HUB SUFI, SAYS ABRAHAM SROUR OM ACHRAFIEH, WHO LIK TO POT HIS GUTS TOWARD HYPER-LOL, UNRGROUND EXPERIENC THAT YOU’D BE HARD-PRSED TO FD GUIBOOKS.IT’S BETTER IN BEIRUTWHAT NOT TO MISS — BOTH IN AND OUT OF TOWNEATTAWLET: LOL FOODIE KG KAMAL MOUZAWAK’S IMMACULATELY STIC LUNCHTIME BUFFET (ROUGHLY $40) IS A TEMPLE TO TRADNAL LEBANE CUISE, OKED DAILY BY SWEET NTI OM SURROUNDG VILLAG. ARTY TERNATNAL CROWD. (12 RUE NAHER OFF ARMENIA ST., +961–1–448–129)BARBAR: LEGENDARY, LONGSTANDG LATE- NIGHT KEBAB HOE THE HEART OF HUMMG HAMRA. (OMAR BEN ABL AZIZ ST., +961–1–753–330) NOTE: MOST BEIT VENU LACK NUMBERED ADDRS.LUX: THE TRENDY PLACE RIGHT NOW. PRICEY GRILLED MEATS, FISH, AND VEGETABL OM S OWN ANIC FARM AN AIRY, MIMAL-CHIC SETTG. BNCH AND REGULAR DJS TOO. (RUE AL JAMAREK, +961–1–444–311)KABABJI: CHEERFUL, NO-ILLS LEBANE CHA OFFERG GREAT LOL STAPL (PERFECT SHAWARMA, MEZE, FATTEH, FATTOH AND MUCH MORE) AT GENTLE PRIC. THROUGHOUT THE CY.DRINK AND DANCEDRAGONFLY: BETIFUL AMBER-L JEWEL OF A BAR THAT CEMENTED GEMMAYZEH AS A GO-TO STREET THE 2000S. TRY NIGHTLY NCTNS LIKE THE AROMATIC SMASH. (+961–71–127–773)BARDO MEXICO ST., HAMRA: THE ONLY FULL-TIME LONG-NNG (MOSTLY) GAY BAR BEIT IS ALSO A STYLISH SPOT FOR BREAKFAST, LUNCH, AND DNER. (+961–1–340–060)BO18 KARANTINA: THE (LERALLY) UNRGROUND CLUB THAT PUT BEIT NIGHTLIFE ON THE MAP IS STILL A MT-SEE FOR S WARTIME-BUNKER VIBE AND A ROOF THAT FAMOLY RETRACTS TO REFLECT PASSG TRAFFIC ON THE HIGHWAY. (+961–1–580–018)TRAVELEAST OF BEIRUT: FRIENDLY ENGLISH-SPEAKG DRIVERS FOR CY CAR (+961–1–780–000) WILL TAKE YOU TO THE ROMAN S OF BAALBEK, THE KSARA AND MASSAYA VEYARDS FOR WE TASTGS, AND UP TO THE BREATHTAKG QADISHA VALLEY TO EXPLORE S STONE MONASTERI.NORTH OF BEIRUT: A DAY TREK TO TRIPOLI, WH S ANCIENT MOSQU, SO, AND SOAPMAKERS, WILL SHOW YOU A LEBANE CY LS WTERNIZED THAN BEIT. MIRA’S GUID TOURS (+961–70–126–764) WILL TAKE YOU A MIB WH THE SCY AND BOHEMIAN YOUNG MIRA AS YOUR HOST. SUMMERTIME? GO TO THE LAID-BACK ASTAL VILLAGE OF BATROUN AND THE NEARBY BEACH CLUB PIERRE AND FRIENDS.SOUTH OF BEIRUT: ANOTHER DAY TRIP WILL SUFFICE TO SHOW YOU THE ANCIENT ASTAL CY OF SIDON WH S MEDIEVAL STLE JUTTG OUT TO THE SEA. HEAD TO TYRE TO WALK THE SEASI ROMAN S — OR STAY THERE A FEW NIGHTS IF ’S BEACH WEATHER.TAWLETGOOD TO KNOW
• SDI GAY SCENE: 'FORBIDN, BUT I N'T HELP IT'
• GAY LIFE BEIT? - BEIT FOM
• GAY COMMUNY THRIV LEBANON
• FOR BEIT'S GAY MUNY, CHEMIL BLAST SHATTERED A SAFE SPACE

GAY LIFE LEBANON: BOUNCE BACK BEIT

On a stroll across the universy grounds he explaed that the ‘gay’ song our mutual iend referred to, Shem el Yasme (Smell the Jasme), plays wh a tradnal property of Arabic poetry and lyrics: love is always directed to a man.

NORTH LEBANON GAY TRAVEL

This was nsistent wh stori of a large flux of gay men om Dahiyeh the cy’s gay bars and clubs, and the experience of a woman who told me she got ls flack for wearg a miskirt Dahiyeh than the smopolan shoppg street of Hamra, where the men would ‘accintally’ bump to her and stare at her cht.

5 SAFT PLAC FOR GAY TRAVELERS IN 2019 (AND THE MOST DANGERO)

What was even more remarkable to me – g om a part of the world where Mlims are generally perceived as the most nservative and homophobic group society – was that a lot of people seemed to agree that Mlims Lebanon were more open to discsg homosexualy on the street (albe never the media) than Christians. Whoever was I talked to, before he signed off he told me that the past few years thgs had changed a lot Dahiyeh and that there had been an enormo crease visible homosexualy the neighbourhood – he claimed that some 30% of the men were now gay. The same people anise very popular Bear Arabia-events twice a year: check They’re very knowledgeable and fun and have big plans for Beit: the owner Bertho Makso exprsed his visn to anise a (gay) love pri para the near future.

The Gefor Rotana is one of the most nveniently loted hotels Beit, wh walkg distance om the Corniche (the seasi promena) and s beach clubs, the shops and rtrants of Rue Hamra and Downtown Beit, and some of the most popular gay-iendly plac town. Other plac to check out: Behd the Green Door (porn spired bar Gemmayzeh); Barometre (very atmospheric, very tellectual leftist Arab bar near the Amerin universy Hamra – great cheap food, too, and Acid (somewhat tacky, but still… you n’t miss the biggt gay club the Middle East). The fact that one n anonymoly e gay social works such as Grdr or Manjam to meet clients a matter of mut – or look for potential on Beit’s gay bars, clubs or hammams – mak easier for the male prostut to stay safe and to keep their job a secret.

EVERYTHG YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT BEG GAY MLIM UNTRI

Before the vlence and stabily Lebanon turned them away, wealthy gay men om the Gulf untri were pecially proment, ready to pay up to a few thoand dollars – sh, jewellery or signer cloth – for a night wh an rt. If you n five the state-approved homophobia and are willg to act wh discretn while out and about, the Arab untri n reem themselv a thoand and one different ways, om the ancient centre of Petra to the glterg ephets of Bahra and to the serts beyond. While by and large closeted kgdoms, the handful of gay clubs the progrsive cy of Beit n allow you to be your te self, while the luxury ternatnal hotels across the regn n ensure your privacy is rpected.

BEG LGBTQ BEITLIFE THE CREASGLY OPEN LGBTQ MUNY LEBANON’S SMOPOLAN PAL IS FAR OM PERFECT. BUT OFTEN ’S A LOT OF FUN.AIRBNB MAGAZE EDORS·FOLLOWPUBLISHED AIRBNB MAGAZE·13 M READ·AUG 16, 2018--1LISTENSHAREWORDS BY TIM MURPHYPHOTOGRAPHS BY WILLIAM LAKILLTRATNS BY STEVEN WILSONTHE GRAND FACTORY THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF BOURJ HAMMONDSTRINGS OF LIGHT BULBS GLOWED, RPETS WERE LAID DOWN, AND NDL WERE FLICKERG ON THE VAST ROOFTOP OF STATION, AN ALTERNATIVE ART SPACE RVED OUT OF AN OLD FACTORY THE HEART OF BEIT’S DTRIAL NEIGHBORHOOD, JISR EL WATI. THE AREA IS KNOWN FOR S RAGTAG WEEKEND SO AND — MORE RECENTLY — AS THE HOME OF THE BEIT ART CENTER, WHICH HAS PUT LEBANON’S MIDDLE EAST–MEETS-MIAMI-MEETS-DETRO PAL CY ON THE NTEMPORARY CULTURAL MAP.AS A DJ SPUN ELECTRONI AND THE SUN SET, YOU MIGHT HAVE THOUGHT YOU WERE AT SOME ARTY EVENT BROOKLYN’S BHWICK OR BERL’S NKöLLN — EXCEPT THAT THE 400 MOSTLY YOUNG BEITIS OF ALL GENRS AND SEXUAL INTI, NOT TO MENTN RELIGNS, WERE SPEAKG A MAD MISHMASH OF ENGLISH, FRENCH, AND ARABIC.SALAH LABAKI STREETONCE THE MIC QUIETED DOWN, BEITIS WHO INTIFY AS LGBTQ, OR QUEER, ROSE TO THE MIC ONE BY ONE AND TOLD THEIR STORI OF G OUT — FIRST TO THEMSELV, THEN TO IENDS, AND THEN, SOMETIM, TO WORKERS, FAY, AND THE PUBLIC — A CY WH A UNTRY WH A REGN WHERE THE VERY NOTN OF “G OUT,” THOUGH MORE MON THAN EVER BEFORE, REMAS PLITED. “I DON’T RELL ANY OTHER TIME RECENT LEBANE HISTORY WHEN THERE WAS SUCH A LARGE GATHERG OF LGBTQ PEOPLE SHARG THEIR STORI WHOUT FEAR,” SAYS DIMA MATTA, A BEIT UNIVERSY PROFSOR WHO ANIZED THE EVENT.THE STORI WEREN’T JT BRAVE BUT FUNNY. HAMED SNO, THE OPENLY GAY ONT MAN OF MASHROU’LEILA, WHOSE MIC HAS PTURED EE-THKG LENNIALS THROUGHOUT THE MIDDLE EAST AND THE ARAB DIASPORA, GOT UP AND READ A FIANT POEM ABOUT MISOGYNY AMONG GAY MEN. ONE YOUNG MAN RELATED HOW HIS MOTHER TOOK AWAY HIS SMARTPHONE AFTER REALIZG HE WAS GAY, SO HE SURREPTLY BOUGHT ANOTHER TO LL HIS BOYIEND UNR THE VERS AT 3 A.M. A WOMAN TALKED OF HOW SHE’D BEEN HARASSED BY POLICE FOR “LOOKG LIKE A BOY.” ANOTHER BROUGHT DOWN THE HOE WHILE RELLG HOW HER MOTHER, AFTER LEARNG THAT BOTH SHE AND HER SISTER WERE GAY, SHED TO THEIR BROTHER’S ROOM AND MAND, “TELL ME NOW: ARE YOU GAY TOO?” (TO WHICH HE RPOND, “UHHH . . . NO.”)HADI DAMIENTHE CROWD WAS NOT EXCLIVELY QUEER, EHER. “WE HAD STRAIGHT PARENTS BRG THEIR CHILDREN TO SHOW THEM THAT BEG OPENLY GAY OR TRANS WAS A REALY,” SAYS HADI DAMIEN, 28, AN EVENT SIGNER AND UNIVERSY PROFSOR WHO -ANIZED THE EVENT. THE NIGHT WAS PART OF BEIT PRI, THE CY’S FIRST OFFICIALLY BRAND LGBTQ PRI EVENT, WHICH FEATURED A WEEK’S WORTH OF ACTIVI CLUDG A DRAG QUEEN 101 SEMAR, AN EXHIB ON GENR-FLUID FASHN, AND — PERHAPS MOST BOLDLY — AN EVENG OUT WHICH NEARLY 20 OF THE RTRANTS AND BARS THAT LE THE MA STREET THE SHABBY-CHIC MAR MIKHAEL NEIGHBORHOOD AGREED TO FLY RABOW FLAGS.“I WAS THKG OF DOG THIS FOR A LONG TIME,” SAYS DAMIEN. “AND FALLY LAST AUGT, I SAID, ‘OKAY, LET’S MAKE THIS HAPPEN.’” THE WEEK WAS CHOSEN BEE ENPASSED MAY 17, THE INTERNATNAL DAY AGAST HOMOPHOBIA, TRANSPHOBIA & BIPHOBIA. “WE HAD LEGAL SEMARS AND MOVIE SCREENGS, BUT ALSO LOTS OF PARTI AND GET-TOGETHERS JT TO LET PEOPLE MGLE. IT CREATED A VERY BETIFUL SPACE. SOME PEOPLE SAID WASN’T POLIL ENOUGH. I THOUGHT THAT WAS VERY STUPID. TO ME, EVERYTHG QUEER WE DO LEBANON IS POLIL.”BEIT OFTEN SURPRIS WTERNERS, PECIALLY AMERINS. PEOPLE OF A CERTA AGE ASSOCIATE WH DANGER, REMEMBERG THE SECTARIAN CIVIL WAR THAT TORE APART BETWEEN 1975 AND 1990 AND MA S VERY NAME SHORTHAND FOR HELL. BUT WH THE EXCEPTN OF A FEW ROCKY MOMENTS THE 2000S, BEIT — THE ASTAL NERVE CENTER OF A UNTRY SMALLER THAN CONNECTICUT WHERE VIRTUALLY EVERYONE IS RELATED BY BLOOD, BS, OR SOCIAL TI — HAS BEEN NOT JT STABLE FOR 27 YEARS, ’S BEEN BOOMG. ITS BEGUILG MIX OF ARCH-WDOWED OTTOMAN-ERA HOM AND MIDCENTURY BTALIST TOWERS NOW B SHOULRS WH GLOSSY NEW RTRANTS AND RETAIL BUILDGS.MAR MIKHAELIN MANY WAYS, THE RECENT FLUX OF SYRIAN REFUGE THAT HAS CREASED LEBANON’S POPULATN BY A THIRD HAS ENRICHED WH AN EXPLOSN OF NEW BS AND WORKERS. AND THOUGH LEBANON’S PARLIAMENT HAS S PROBLEMS (A SANATN CRISIS FILLED BEIT WH NOX ODORS A FEW SUMMERS AGO, SPARKG AN ENRAGED CIVIL PROTT), DAILY LIFE THE CY HUMS ALONG.MOREOVER, THOSE WHO ASSUME THAT BEIT MT BE OPPRSIVE TOWARD WOMEN AND GAY PEOPLE BEE IS A MIDDLE EASTERN PAL ARE OFTEN SURPRISED TO FD A SMOPOLAN, RELIGLY MIXED CY OF BOTH VOUT AND SECULAR-LEANG CHRISTIANS, MLIMS, AND DZE. COLONIZED BY THE FRENCH THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY, THE UNTRY IS FLUENCED AS MUCH BY NORTH AMERI AND EUROPE AS IS BY S IMMEDIATE NEIGHBORS. BEFORE THE CIVIL WAR, THE CY WAS RENOWNED FOR S CULTURE, FASHN, FOOD, AND NIGHTLIFE. MUCH OF THAT HAS SURVIVED AND IS NOW BOLSTERED BY A GENERATN OF WARTIME BEITIS WHO GREW UP ABROAD, LIKE STATION FOUNR NABIL CANAAN, WHO TRANSFORMED THE SPACE OUT OF HIS GRANDFATHER’S FORMER FACTORY 2013 AFTER SPENDG YEARS SWZERLAND, NIGERIA, AND NEW YORK. MANY NEW ENTREPRENRS FLY AND OUT OF THE UNTRY TO VIS FAY, IENDS, AND BS PARTNERS LONDON, PARIS, NEW YORK, MONTREAL, AND THE GULF STAT.LUNA PARK FERRIS WHEEL THE MANARA NEIGHBORHOODNABIL CANAAN“YOU HAVE ALL TYP OF PEOPLE HERE, BOTH OPEN-MD AND WELL-TRAVELED AND SUPER-NSERVATIVE,” SAYS HAIG PAPAZIAN, ONE OF THE MEMBERS OF MASHROU’LEILA. “BEIT IS VERY LENIENT PARED TO THE RT OF LEBANON WHEN TO PEOPLE WHO DON’T F THE MOLD AND LIKE TO DRS CRAZY.”THE CY’S LGBTQ MUNY DID NOT SPRG UP OVERNIGHT. IT HAS S ROOTS ACID, THE LEGENDARY WEE-HOURS GAY DANCE CLUB THAT OPENED 1998 AND, UNTIL S CLOSURE 2010, PUT BEIT ON THE QUEER-TOURIST MAP ALONGSI THE STILL-NNG DANCE BUNKER BO18, SIGNED BY LEBANE ARCHECT BERNARD KHOURY. ACID GAVE GAY BEITIS, PARTICULARLY MEN, A PLACE TO NGREGATE AND BE EELY GAY TOGETHER. “I REMEMBER HOW EMPOWERG WAS TO DANCE AND KISS ANOTHER ARAB MAN ON THE DANCE FLOOR OF AN ARAB CY,” SAYS LONDON-BASED WRER SALEEM HADDAD, THOR OF GUAPA, A GAY G-OF-AGE NOVEL SET AN UNNAMED MIDDLE EASTERN CY MUCH LIKE BEIT, WHERE HIS FAY HAS LIVED ON AND OFF.AND THOUGH THIS YEAR WAS THE CY’S FIRST OFFICIAL PRI CELEBRATN, THE LGBTQ MUNY HAS BEEN ANIZG SCE AT LEAST 2004, THE FOUNDG YEAR OF HELEM ( MEANS DREAM ARABIC), THE UNTRY’S FIRST LGBTQ SEXUAL-HEALTH AND LEGAL SERVIC GROUP, WHICH GREW OUT OF AN UNRGROUND ONLE MUNY. “OUR FIRST TWO YEARS WE WERE OFTEN HARASSED BY THE POLICE,” REMEMBERS GE AZZI, THE GROUP’S FOUNR, WHO HAS GONE ON TO FOUND THE REGN-WI LGBTQ NONPROF ARAB FOUNDATN FOR FREEDOMS AND EQUALY. BUT THE GROUP PERSISTED, BOLDLY STAGG STREET MONSTRATNS AND BRGG A GENERATN OF STRAIGHT FAY MEMBERS AND IENDS TO THEIR MOVEMENT.CAFE YOUNAS A RULT, LEBANON IS BEG MORE TOLERANT OF THE LGBTQ MUNY. CREPAWAY, A POPULAR NATNAL RTRANT CHA, JT RELEASED A MERCIAL FEATURG A LBIAN UPLE. A PEW REARCH CENTER STUDY SHOWS THAT THOUGH 80 PERCENT OF THE UNTRY GENERALLY STILL REJECTS HOMOSEXUALY, LEBANON HAS THE REGN’S HIGHT PERCENTAGE OF YOUNG PEOPLE WHO ACCEPT , AFTER ISRAEL. AND THOUGH GAY SEX IS STILL TEGORIZED AS “NTRADICTG TO NATURE” THE UNTRY’S OFTEN ANTIQUATED PENAL AND PEOPLE ARE PERDILLY ARRTED, SEVERAL JUDG HAVE REFED TO PROSECUTE SUCH S. GETTG THAT SELDOM-ENFORCED LAW STRICKEN OM THE BOOKS ONCE AND FOR ALL REMAS A KEY PRRY FOR LGBTQ ACTIVISTS LEBANON.“MANY OF HAVE TO GO BACK TO HOM, WORKPLAC, AND MUNI WHERE WE’RE STILL CLOSETED, ARE AAID TO DISPLAY AFFECTN PUBLIC, AND HOLD OUR BREATH WHEN THE POLICE PASS,” SAYS PROFSOR MATTA. “SO THE FACT THAT OPEN LGBTQ EVENTS N EXIST WH SUCH OPPRSN IS A PERFECT SCRIPTN OF WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW. MUCH HAS BEEN DONE, BUT THERE’S STILL A LOT TO DO.”BARDOMEANWHILE, THERE IS THE SHEER BUOYANCY OF QUEER LIFE AND AROUND BEIT. THE MASTREAM SCENE REVOLV AROUND BARDO, A WARMLY L DAY-AND-NIGHT RTRANT AND BAR ON A QUIET TREE-LED STREET A SHORT WALK OM THE BTLG MERCIAL CENTER OF HAMRA, WHERE MCLE BOYS WORK OUT AT FNS ZONE THEN CHILL OVER ICED LATT AT THE NEARBY STARBUCKS OR THE MORE TRADNAL CAFé YOUN. BARDO, THE CY’S LONGT-STANDG GAY-ORIENTED BAR, IS QUIET DURG THE DAY, WH STYLISH PATRONS LUNCHG ON SPRG ROLLS, RAMEN, WASABI-LIME BEEF MEDALLNS, OR SANDWICH WH THE LIC IED CHEE LLED HALLOUMI. BUT BOUNC AT NIGHT, PECIALLY WEEKENDS, WH A MIX OF WTERN AND ARABIC DANCE MIC OM A ROLLG ROSTER OF DJS AND SCREENGS OF QUEER FILMS OLD (THE BOYS THE BAND) AND NEW (CAROL).MANY SAY THAT A MORE MIXED-CLASS GAY CROWD NVERG LATE SATURDAYS AT THE ENORMO CLUB POSH, NEAR THE WATER THE TRADNAL ARMENIAN NEIGHBORHOOD OF BOURJ HAMMOUD. IT PET FOR QUEER VISORS WH THE GäRTEN, LOTED PARTLY UNR A FUNKY GEOSIC DOME, OR THE FRIDAY-NIGHT EGO PARTY AT THE CLUB PROJEKT BEIT.SASHA ELIJAH JUS GARN, ACHRAFIEHDARK BOX ON RUE MONNOT (THE CY’S FIRST POSTWAR PARTY STRIP) IS A WELL-KNOWN TRANSGENR HANGOUT, BUT SASHA ELIJAH, A 20-YEAR-OLD TRANSGENR ASPIRG MOL, SAYS SHE MAK A POT OF HANGG OUT THE E-ONE-E-ALL BARS OF MAR MIKHAEL. “PEOPLE TELL ME THEY’VE NEVER SEEN TRANSGENR PEOPLE UP CLOSE, THAT THEY’RE SURPRISED TO LEARN NOT ALL TRANS WOMEN HAVE DOUBLE-SIZE LIPS, TS, AND ASS,” SHE SAYS. “THEN WE HAVE A FEW LGHS TOGETHER, AND THEY RPECT ME.”IN FACT, MANY QUEER BEITIS ARE QUICK TO SAY THAT THE CY’S BAR AND CLUB SCENE IS BLEND, WH NO SPECIAL NEED FOR GAY PEOPLE TO SEEK OUT HIDG PLAC. NOHELS, LBIANS LIKE TO MEET AT THE ROOFTOP BAR AND RTRANT COOP D’ETAT OVERLOOKG THE PORT. AND THE SUMMER MONTHS, QUEER AND NONQUEER SOCIAL SCEN TERMGLE BEIT AT THE SAT-GEE AND SPORTG BEACH CLUBS — AND EVEN AS FAR AWAY AS THE BULIC CLOUD 59 TYRE, ABOUT 90 MUT SOUTH OF BEIT, WH THE ASTLE OF ISRAEL DIMLY VISIBLE JT 12 AWAY. IN THE HEART OF SHIE HEZBOLLAH UNTRY AND BOASTG SOME OF THE MOST STUNNG ROMAN S THE WORLD, TYRE FEATUR AN OLD PORT AND TOWN CENTER OF ASTOUNDG BETY, POPULAR WH REGNAL AND EUROPEAN VISORS. ON THE BEACH, LARGE MLIM FAI WH VEILED MOMS PIIC EASILY ALONGSI JET-SETTERS BIKIS AND SPEEDOS SMOKG CIGARETT AND DRKG ALMAZA, THE MA BEER OF LEBANON, OR ARAK, THE LIRICE-Y SPIR OF THE REGN.TYREWH IMAG LIKE THE, N BE TEMPTG TO PAT LEBANON, BEIT PECIALLY, AS A KD OF LIBERTE, SEXUALLY PERMISSIVE UTOPIA THE MIDST OF A REPRSIVE REGN. THAT’S NOT QUE ACCURATE. FOR ALL S CHARMS, THE CY, LIKE MANY AROUND THE GLOBE, IS RIFE WH EQUALY AND ENOMIC HARDSHIP FOR MANY, AND IS A LONG WAY OM UNIVERSALLY SANCTNED ACCEPTANCE OF LGBTQ PEOPLE. THE VERY FACT THAT THE CY’S CROWNE PLAZA HOTEL NCELED HOSTG A BEIT PRI EVENT AFTER RECEIVG THREATS OM AN ISLAMIC GROUP ATTTS TO THAT.THEN AGA, AFTER THE QUEER MUNY PROTTED, SEVERAL MORE HOTELS OFFERED TO HOST THE EVENT. AND THERE YOU HAVE THE STATE OF LGBTQ LIFE THIS BATTERED YET BEGUILG CY CIR 2017. “SOCIAL CHANGE IS POSSIBLE, BUT ’S HAPPENG SLOWLY,” SAYS DAMIEN. “BUT IF BEIT WERE A GLASS RIGHT NOW, I’D SAY ’S HALF FULL, NOT HALF EMPTY.”HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF BEIRUTLOCAL AIRBNB HOSTS SHARE THEIR TIPSWAKE UP FOR A STROLL, A N, OR A BIKE RI ALONG THE CORNICHE, BEIT’S RENOWNED SEASI PROMENA, REMENDS JAY NEHME, WHOSE AIRBNB IS ON MAR NILAS, THE HEART OF ACHRAFIEH. “IN BEIT, YOU’LL FD PEOPLE OF ALL RAC, ALL RELIGNS, HANGG OUT,” SAYS NEHME. “IT’S A BETIFUL BATN!”INDULGE A TYPIL LEBANE LUNCH, SUGGTS ASDGHIK MELKONIAN, WHO HOSTS HIP GEMMAYZEH. ON WEEKENDS, N BE AN ALL-DAY AFFAIR, WH 20 OR 30 APPETIZERS. “JT WHEN YOU THK YOU’RE FULL, YOU GET MA URS — BARBECUED MEAT, CHICKEN, AND SEAFOOD. WASH DOWN WH LEBANE WE AND ARAK. THEN ’S TIME FOR SSERT. IT’S A WAY FOR FAI AND IENDS TO GET TOGETHER.”SHE SENDS GUTS TO THE CLASSIC MHANNA SUR MER, AAMCH.HEAD TO A ROOFTOP BAR SUCH AS CAPOLE, IRIS, WHE, OR MYU AND WATCH THE SUNSET WHILE RELAXG WH AN ICE-LD ALMAZA BEER, OFFERS AUDREY ISSA, WHO HOSTS THE TABARIS SECTN.MAR MIKHAELEXPERIENCE AN TERACTIVE EXPERIMENTAL DANCE PERFORMANCE AND EXPLORE UNRGROUND THEATERS WH BARET ACTS OM THE GOLN AGE AT METRO AL MADA, SAYS TO K., A HOST OM THE BUZZG MAR MIKHAEL AREA, KNOWN FOR S BAR AND RTRANT SCENE. “MAR MIKHAEL IS OLD DURG THE DAY AND YOUNG DURG THE NIGHT,” SAYS TO.ENJOY THE ECLECTIC RANGE OF MIC — OM GYPSY JAZZ TO BLU — AT ONOMATOPOEIA, A NCEPT SPACE AND MIC HUB SUFI, SAYS ABRAHAM SROUR OM ACHRAFIEH, WHO LIK TO POT HIS GUTS TOWARD HYPER-LOL, UNRGROUND EXPERIENC THAT YOU’D BE HARD-PRSED TO FD GUIBOOKS.IT’S BETTER IN BEIRUTWHAT NOT TO MISS — BOTH IN AND OUT OF TOWNEATTAWLET: LOL FOODIE KG KAMAL MOUZAWAK’S IMMACULATELY STIC LUNCHTIME BUFFET (ROUGHLY $40) IS A TEMPLE TO TRADNAL LEBANE CUISE, OKED DAILY BY SWEET NTI OM SURROUNDG VILLAG. ARTY TERNATNAL CROWD. (12 RUE NAHER OFF ARMENIA ST., +961–1–448–129)BARBAR: LEGENDARY, LONGSTANDG LATE- NIGHT KEBAB HOE THE HEART OF HUMMG HAMRA. (OMAR BEN ABL AZIZ ST., +961–1–753–330) NOTE: MOST BEIT VENU LACK NUMBERED ADDRS.LUX: THE TRENDY PLACE RIGHT NOW. PRICEY GRILLED MEATS, FISH, AND VEGETABL OM S OWN ANIC FARM AN AIRY, MIMAL-CHIC SETTG. BNCH AND REGULAR DJS TOO. (RUE AL JAMAREK, +961–1–444–311)KABABJI: CHEERFUL, NO-ILLS LEBANE CHA OFFERG GREAT LOL STAPL (PERFECT SHAWARMA, MEZE, FATTEH, FATTOH AND MUCH MORE) AT GENTLE PRIC. THROUGHOUT THE CY.DRINK AND DANCEDRAGONFLY: BETIFUL AMBER-L JEWEL OF A BAR THAT CEMENTED GEMMAYZEH AS A GO-TO STREET THE 2000S. TRY NIGHTLY NCTNS LIKE THE AROMATIC SMASH. (+961–71–127–773)BARDO MEXICO ST., HAMRA: THE ONLY FULL-TIME LONG-NNG (MOSTLY) GAY BAR BEIT IS ALSO A STYLISH SPOT FOR BREAKFAST, LUNCH, AND DNER. (+961–1–340–060)BO18 KARANTINA: THE (LERALLY) UNRGROUND CLUB THAT PUT BEIT NIGHTLIFE ON THE MAP IS STILL A MT-SEE FOR S WARTIME-BUNKER VIBE AND A ROOF THAT FAMOLY RETRACTS TO REFLECT PASSG TRAFFIC ON THE HIGHWAY. (+961–1–580–018)TRAVELEAST OF BEIRUT: FRIENDLY ENGLISH-SPEAKG DRIVERS FOR CY CAR (+961–1–780–000) WILL TAKE YOU TO THE ROMAN S OF BAALBEK, THE KSARA AND MASSAYA VEYARDS FOR WE TASTGS, AND UP TO THE BREATHTAKG QADISHA VALLEY TO EXPLORE S STONE MONASTERI.NORTH OF BEIRUT: A DAY TREK TO TRIPOLI, WH S ANCIENT MOSQU, SO, AND SOAPMAKERS, WILL SHOW YOU A LEBANE CY LS WTERNIZED THAN BEIT. MIRA’S GUID TOURS (+961–70–126–764) WILL TAKE YOU A MIB WH THE SCY AND BOHEMIAN YOUNG MIRA AS YOUR HOST. SUMMERTIME? GO TO THE LAID-BACK ASTAL VILLAGE OF BATROUN AND THE NEARBY BEACH CLUB PIERRE AND FRIENDS.SOUTH OF BEIRUT: ANOTHER DAY TRIP WILL SUFFICE TO SHOW YOU THE ANCIENT ASTAL CY OF SIDON WH S MEDIEVAL STLE JUTTG OUT TO THE SEA. HEAD TO TYRE TO WALK THE SEASI ROMAN S — OR STAY THERE A FEW NIGHTS IF ’S BEACH WEATHER.TAWLETGOOD TO KNOW

Wh so much do see and do, Mt is bt seen by tour b, allowg you to hop off at untls mms, the Sultan’s Palace and the Mutrah Corniche wateront, before venturg further afield on day trips to the beach and turtle-filled lagoons for divg and leisure.One of the slightly more tolerant untri the regn, Oman is said to have once had s own gay sultan – Sultan Qaboos b Said al Said – although the state prs is quick to ny this as a pric mour! In realy, the laws are rarely upheld except high-profile s, however, and gay Oman remas a perfectly safe place to vis.Oman | Photo: Katera KerdiPetra, particular, is the crowng glory of Jordan, protected wh sandstone cliffs and offerg an unrivalled llectn of monuments, cludg the fg Siq to the Treasury on an ethereal sert se of red rock and dun known as Wadi Rum2.

SDI GAY SCENE: 'FORBIDN, BUT I N'T HELP IT'

Jordan crimalised homophobia as early as 1951 and while there remas social stigma and ‘public moraly’ laws that hr LGBTQ+ eedoms, gay Jordan gas tractn thanks to s unrground gay muny (most active on Grdr!) and annual events such as the Internatnal Day Agast Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia.

Explore the natn’s extreme landsp, om sert plates to offshore archipelagos, stoppg at top spots such as Tabarka’s red ral shor, the UNESCO-regnised beach and valleys of Bizerte and Dougga and the cultural centre of Tunis.Tunisian society is viewed posively among the Arab gay muny for s LGBT progrs, as the base for anisatns such as ‘Mawjoud’ which mpaigns for LGBTQ mory rights.

GAY LIFE BEIT? - BEIT FOM

Avoid the occurrenc and Lebanon will she, thanks to s fantastic beach rorts not far om the pal as well as s mounta vistas, ancient s and more, all urteoly attend by kdly Lebane lols.Though social stigma rgs te and the ft array of Arabian gays is likely to be found onle (hello Grdr, my old iend) gay Lebanon is perhaps one of the few Arab natns where a tentative gay scene tak shape real life. As well as hostg the regn’s largt gay club, POSH, where gay Arabs and ternatnals n fally dance together whout fear of persecutn, gay Beit also hosts annual queer events such as the Internatnal Day Agast Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia and Beit Pri. The journalists looked at the top 150 most-vised untri the world by the number of g tourists, then ranked them g eight factors, cludg laws agast gay relatnships, legal protectn agast discrimatn and more.

“In 2018, India managed to annul Sectn 377, a Brish lonial-era law prohibg ‘unnatural acts, ’ orr to legalize nsensual gay sex, ” says Fergson, who pots out that ancient Indian lerature such as the Mahabharata and Ramayana have many referenc to LGBTQ+ hero cludg transgenr warrrs and two queens who ma love orr for one queen to get pregnant wh an heir for their kgdom.

Unfortunately, thgs may soon be gettg even worse for the LGBTQ+ muny, as the Ugandan ernment has recently lled to retroduce an anti-homosexualy bill, which would clu the ath penalty for same-sex acts, the midst of the recent murr of a gay Ugandan activist. Acrdg to the kgdom’s relig police, the school was fed 100, 000 riyals ($26, 650) for displayg “the emblem of the homosexuals” on s buildg, one of s admistrators was jailed and the offendg parapet was swiftly repated to match a blue rabow-ee se of the gaily pated school shows how progrs one part of the world n have adverse effects elsewhere and serv as a remr that there are plac where the nnectn between rabows and LGBT rights is eher new or yet to be Afghanistan, only a few years ago, there was a craze for ratg rs wh rabow stickers – which Che factori were only too happy to supply.

GAY COMMUNY THRIV LEBANON

It wasn’t until the Afghan Pajhwok news agency explaed how they might be misterpreted that the craze me to a sudn on the ter and you will also fd pi of the “Rabow Qur’an” for sale – an unnscly gay edn of the holy book wh tted pag of every hue and remend on one webse as “an ial gift for Mlims” there are two sis to this cross-cultural misunrstandg.

Genr segregatn, which go to extreme lengths the more nservative Mlim untri, enurag homosocial behavur, creatg a suatn where men are often more fortable the prence of other men and where placg a hand on another man’s knee is a sign of iendship, not an vatn to sex. Historilly, Mlim societi have often acknowledged this – toleratg to some extent even if they the 19th and early 20th centuri, men who had been persecuted for their sexualy Europe often sought refuge Moroc and, long before same-sex marriage was dreamed of the wt, male-on-male partnerships were regnised – and marked wh a ceremony – the remote Egyptian oasis of some Mlim untri, whole towns have bee the butt of jok about the supposed homosexualy of their habants. In Egypt, for example, an old law agast “bchery” is often laws have a tastrophic effect on the liv of people who are unlucky enough to get ught but, spe ocsnal crackdowns, the thori don’t, on the whole, actively seek out gay people to arrt them.

In England 1952, there were 670 prosecutns for sodomy, 3, 087 for attempted sodomy or cent asslt, and 1, 686 for gross problem wh such laws, even if not vigoroly enforced, is that they signal official disapproval of homosexualy and, upled wh the fulmatns of relig scholars, legimise discrimatn by dividuals at an everyday level and may also provi an exce for actn by vigilant. Years before Isis began throwg allegedly gay men off the top of buildgs, other groups Iraq were attackg “un-manly” men – sometim killg them slowly by jectg glue to the reason for the paratively small number of prosecutns is the official fictn that gay people don’t exist to any great extent Mlim untri; homosexualy is regard primarily as a wtern phenomenon and large numbers of arrts would ll that to qutn. Some of the most btal Arab regim (Iraq unr Saddam Hse and Syria unr the Assads, for example) also showed ltle tert attackg gay people – probably bee they had other thgs to worry Syrian refugee Subhi Nahas wh the US ambassador to the UN, Samantha Power, durg an rmal meetg on the persecutn of LGBT people by Isis.

FOR BEIT'S GAY MUNY, CHEMIL BLAST SHATTERED A SAFE SPACE

For those ught, the effect on their liv is tastrophic but the law is not much of a terrent and for those who are discreet about their sexualy the risk of arrt is the vast majory who intify as gay, lbian or transgenr the attus of fay and society are a much bigger one issue that affects all gay people – everywhere – at some pot their liv is g out. Also, ’s clear that the prophet Muhammad never specified a punishment for homosexualy; wasn’t until some years after his ath that Mlims began discsg what a suable punishment might nmnatns of homosexualy, like those Christiany, are based maly on the story about God’s punishment of Sodom and Gomorrah which is reunted the Qur’an as well as the Old Ttament.

Although Mlim societi today n be scribed as generally homophobic, ’s a mistake to view homophobia as a self-ntaed problem: ’s part of a syndrome which the rights of dividuals are subsumed the perceived terts of the muny and – often – matag an “Islamic” ethos. “Transgenr” is a broad term which clus tersex people (whose blogil sex is unclear or was wrongly assigned at birth), those wh genr dysphoria (who feel like “a man trapped a woman’s body”, or vice versa) and may also clu others who simply get pleasure or satisfactn om police e a water nnon to disperse LGBT rights activists before a Gay Pri para central Istanbul, Turkey. There were also many who found the ncept of genr dysphoria difficult to grasp and some characterised her as a gay man who was tryg to game the affair rulted a fatwa om Muhammad Tantawi, Egypt’s grand mufti, which is still ced s across the regn today.