In a country already living under the influence of social, political and sectarian divisions, the recent war came to open new wounds for groups that had remained out of the spotlight for years. Among the thousands of displaced people who fled the south and the Bekaa to escape the Israeli raids, a different suffering emerged for a group that already faces difficulty in finding a safe place within Lebanese society: members of the LGBT community. For these people, war was not only the loss of a home or forced displacement, but it also turned into a double confrontation with social rejection, lack of protection, and the fear of remaining on the street or inside shelter centers that do not even acknowledge their presence.
According to a report by journalists Catherine Cartier and Emily Madi at Reuters, Muhammad, a gay young man from southern Lebanon, was forced to flee his town after the Israeli raids that targeted the area in March, to move to a rare shelter in Beirut dedicated to hosting members of the LGBT community.
The report noted that Muhammad’s life in conservative southern Lebanon was already full of challenges, but the Israeli raids on his town represented “the straw that broke the camel’s back.” Just two weeks after the outbreak of war on March 2, an Israeli raid targeted the building in which he lived with his brother near the city of Sidon.
Muhammad, who spoke to Reuters on the condition that his family name not be revealed, said that his relatives had never accepted his sexual orientation, and they would even prevent him from receiving visitors at home. After the bombing of the house, he moved to Beirut, where he lives today in a shelter run by the “Helem” and “Mosaic” organizations, which defend the rights of the LGBT community.
He added: “The place was like a safe space. I felt psychological comfort immediately upon my arrival,” continuing: “I am only Muhammad, as I want to be, not as others want me to be.”
The report pointed out that more than a million people were displaced due to the war between Israel and Hezbollah, with most of them taking refuge with their relatives or renting homes, while about 124,000 people went to government shelter centers, while the most vulnerable live on the streets.
However, according to the report, these options are rarely available to members of the LGBT community, who often face family rejection and discrimination from official authorities, in addition to difficult financial situations.
Although Lebanon was previously viewed as a relatively safer haven for the LGBT community compared to the rest of the conservative Middle Eastern countries, several incidents in recent years, including the storming of the “Drag Show” show in 2023 by an angry crowd, have strengthened the sense of fragility and fear among members of this community, according to activists.
Reuters quoted Domit Ezzi, media coordinator at the Helem organization, as saying that government shelter centers are primarily designed to receive families, and often exclude those who are not considered part of a “traditional family unit,” making the shelter opened by Helem and Mosaic the only option sometimes available to members of the LGBT community in Lebanon.
The report explained that the shelter rooms were equipped with supplies and beds donated by activists in order to accommodate the largest possible number of people, while a community member residing outside the shelter was responsible for providing hot meals for the inmates. Those responsible for it also keep its location secret to avoid any reactions from the conservative environment in Lebanon.
Workers at the shelter confirmed that the war had doubled the risks facing the LGBT community, as the continuation of tensions despite the announcement of a ceasefire on April 16 prevented many people from returning to their areas.
The report also indicated that the hotline run by the “Mosaic” organization receives about 100 calls daily from people asking for help, as confirmed by the social worker “Samar,” who also preferred not to reveal her full name.
She said: “Even in normal times and without war, there are many risks to members of the LGBT community, especially with regard to protection. So what if there is a war?”, considering that the successive crises in Lebanon deepen the gaps in the social protection system and increase discrimination against this group.
The report also highlighted the situation of transgender people, who face additional difficulties due to not having identification papers that reflect their gender identity.
Among the shelter’s residents is an Egyptian named “Mina,” who arrived in Lebanon in January after fleeing Egypt due to being persecuted for being a transgender man. However, he faced discrimination even in Beirut, after he was asked for his identification papers at a checkpoint, while his official ID still indicated that he was a “woman.”
“I’m a trans man, they were looking at the document and then at me, and things were said that shouldn’t have been said because of how offensive it was,” he said.
In a country where the repercussions of war are expanding day after day, it seems that some displaced people are not only looking for a roof to protect them from bombing, but rather for a space that truly recognizes their right to safety.
