Out Spotlight XCVIII

Today's Out Spotlight is the organization Helem. Helem, was created for the liberation and protection of the LGBT community in Lebanon. It is the first organization in the Arab world to set up a gay and lesbian community center, and their work has consistently broken new ground in a country that criminalizes homosexuality and where violence and abuse are persistent problems. Helem (the Arabic acronym of "Lebanese Protection for Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Transgenders"), is a non-governmental non-profit organization who presented its notification of association to the Lebanese Ministry of Interior on 4 September 2004, while homosexuality is still illegal in Lebanon.

While homosexuality remains a crime in Lebanon, the country is unusual among Arab-majority nations in that it has a small internal gay rights movement and an organization like Helem. The enforcement of the law in Lebanon is varied and often occurs through occasional police harassment and arrests. Aside from the criminal law, gay Lebanese civilians have been charged with violating censorship laws regulating free speech and free press. In 2000, the webmaster of gaylebanon.com faced military charges for maintaining a website for gay and lesbian Lebanese. To have Helem out in the public and fighting to all sorts of legal, social and cultural discrimination that occur against the Lebanese LGTB community amongst this shows the commitment and dedication of the group and its mission .

While it's major focus is on gay and lesbian issues, Helem is open to anyone who shares our values based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It is also strongly opposed to any kind of segregation, both in the services it offers or in the struggle it leads.

Helem's primary goal is "the annulment of article 534 of the Lebanese Penal Code which punishes 'unnatural sexual intercourse'". The law is primarily used to target the LGBT community by violating the privacy of its members and by denying them basic human rights. "The abolishment of this law will help reduce state and societal persecution and pave the way to achieving equality for the LGBT community in Lebanon." Helem's other main objective is "to counter the AIDS epidemic and other sexually transmitted diseases while advocating for the rights of patients."

You can break the major goals break down this way : Health, Awareness, Advocacy

In Helem's health initiatives, we adopt a rights-based approach that recognizes the particularities of HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and sexual health relative to the LGBT community.

In order to break the silence surrounding sexuality in general and homosexuality in particular, Helem has consistently promoted the idea that knowledge is the key to openness, tolerance and acceptance. They aim to counter the lack of information (particularly in Arabic) and the pervasive misinformation about homosexuality by providing objective, factual information, initiating dialogue, and refuting common misconceptions about homosexuality.

One of Helem’s main long-term goals is the annulment of the outdated and unjust law, that call homosexuality an "unatural sexual intercourse" and that it is punishable by law. To this end, Helem lobbies with other human rights organizations on the national, regional, and international levels for the decriminalization of homosexuality and the advancement of human rights and personal freedoms in Lebanon.

This past week to raise awareness, Helem and SIDC, (Lebanese AIDS awareness organization) in collaboration with International Alliance Against AIDS, launched the guide "Ohibbohom Walaken" ("I love them, but…"). The guide addresses the parents of gay and lesbian individuals and provides information and facts about sexuality and homosexuality, in addition to signifying better practices to deal with their sons/daughters' sexuality.

The launch was attended by a number of associations and organizations working in the social, health, youth fields as well as psychology and social work experts, with the presence of parents of gay and lesbian people who showed interest and support, in addition to UN representatives and Lebanese ministries. It included discussions about homosexuality in terms of reality and challenges, as well as the information about the guide’s production, content and how to use it, along with the planning of a future strategy for LGBT dialogs and discussions.

In January of this year, the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) awarded its 2009 Felipa de Souza Award to Helem. The Felipa Award recognizes the courage and effectiveness of groups or leaders dedicated to improving the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex (LGBTI) and other individuals stigmatized and abused because of their sexuality or HIV status.

Helem also done outside of it geographical borders, with international branches branches in Montreal and Paris.

Helem official site