Mideast Piece

Last Wednesday in Haifa, Israel Arab lesbians gathered in a rare public event. Arab women fear coming out as lesbians said Samira, a conference organizer, who came with her Jewish Israeli girlfriend. According to Samira, she had a hard time with her own family with she told them that she was a lesbian. Her fear is understandable because homosexuality is strictly forbidden by Islam, and a statement issued by a large Muslim group in Israel described it as a “cancer” in the Arab community.

Poetry readings, music and Arab women rappers entertained the conference, called “Home and Exile in Queer Experience,” organized by Aswat (check it out via our resources section!), an organization for Arab lesbians, with members in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

According to the Jerusalem Post,

Many of the attendees said they were sad that the only place safe enough to hold a conference for gay Arab women was in a Jewish area of Haifa, which has a mixed Arab-Jewish population.

“This conference is being held, somehow, in exile, even though it’s our country … but it’s not being held in Nazareth or Umm el-Fahm (two large Israeli Arab towns),” said Yussef Abu Warda, a playwright.

Outside the conference hall, 20 women protesters in headscarves and long, loose robes held up signs reading, “God, we ask you to guide these lesbians to the true path.” Khadijeh Daher, 35, described lesbianism as a “sickness.”

Security was tight. Attendance was by invitation only, and reporters were not allowed to take photographs, use tape recorders or identify people.

I am proud of these women and the important work they’re doing! It’s another example of how LGBTQ rights work in the Middle East brings people together - more PEACE in the Middle East!

Check out these other news reports about the event:
Ha’aretz
and GoGay (Hebrew only)

Did you know Lawrence of Arabia, the hero of Arab nationalism, was probably a big homo, not to mention a lover of Mideast pieces like me and John?

Lawrence rallied thousands of strapping young pieces to his side in the name of national liberation. It doesn’t surprise me that a British dude would want to leave that overly civil, tea-obsessed land and come to the Middle East where the hot men is at, honey. Or that he would want to train them intensely in the sand, put them in uniforms, and watch them fight.

Larry-cakes was never known to have chased girls around, much less dated or done the dirty deed with one. It is also know he had men administer annual beatings to him. He once made a nude carving of his live-in “friend” and displayed it proudly in his home for years to come.

As if all this evidence is not enough for you, check out this poem Sir Lawrence wrote to (allegedly) his Arab lover, Dahoum:

I loved you, so I drew these tides of men into my hands
and wrote my will across the sky in stars
To gain you Freedom, the seven-pillared worthy house,
that your eyes might be shining for me
When I came

Men prayed me to set my work, the inviolate house
in memory of you.
But for fit monument I shattered it, unfinished: and now
The little things creep out to patch themselves hovels
in the marred shadow
Of your gift.

How do you feel about male head-region piercings? Is an ear piercing the limit for you (as it is for me), or do you get into lips, eyebrow and nose? Check out these local pieces and their own facial pieces, and note I intentionally left below the neck for another day! ; )

I don’t approve of violence, but if it’s kinky and gets Jews and Arabs together. . . maybe.

We are pleased to present our latest Mideast Piece partner, “ENVY,” (aka, “nv”) a gay blogger based in the Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

ENVY (these are photos of him) is 27, works in advertising and his blog is a combo deal of raunchy stories and sweet thinking, like the entry we feature below. From time to time we will update you on ENVY through his blog. He is very into travel, working out and hot Arab men, so there should be plenty to share. ; )

We should note we first met ENVY when he posted a comment on Mideast Piece, proof that our blog is engaging gay guys throughout the region, even dudes based in countries officially at war with each other! (If only the UN could work this well…)

When everything goes well…

When everything goes as expected…The sky gets sunny even on the darkest days…when everything goes well…you smile back at the ones u’ve always hated…when everything oes well…you just say thank you…when everything goes well…You share your happiness with everyone around you…When everything goes well…even the slightest breath doesnt make you frown anymore…when everything goes well…You just wish to know everyone is okay…when everything goes well…u just wish all the world is safe…when everything goes well…you just listeb to a calm song…when everything goes well…you just work as hard as you can…when everything goes well…Everything goes well…

nv

Did you know that Arab Americans rank as some of American’s best athletes, not to mention the hottiest hotties on the field?

San Diego Chargers quarterback Doug Flutie, who threw the “miracle touchdown” pass for Boston College, won the Heisman Trophy in 1984. There’s also NFL player Jeff George, who quarterbacked several NFL teams, and former NFL coach Rich Kotite. Don’t forget former Chicago Bears linebacker and NFL Hall of Famer Bill George, or former Cleveland Brown Abe Gibran. Another NFL player is Drew Haddad of the Indianapolis Colts.

Major League baseball player Joe Lahoud (below) played with the Boston Red Sox and Sam Khalifa played for the Pittsburgh Pirates. In auto racing, Bobby Rahal won the Indy 500 in 1986, later becoming the all-time earnings champ among Indy car racers. In the ring, Petey Sarron won the world featherweight championship in 1936-1937. Zuhair “Steve” Mansour was weightlifting’s Grandmaster of the World in 1990. In track and field, the world record holder for the marathon is Arab American Khalid Khannouchi (pictured above).

Arab Americans have made a host of contributions to America in every field, including entertainment, activism, military, the arts and law. In researching this post, I learned that two of the country’s most prominent activists are Arab Americans: consumer advocate and Green party presidential candidate Ralph Nader and the founder of MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) Candy Lightner. Countless lives have been saved by the work of these two individuals.

Let’s hear it for America, where anyone and everyone has the chance to make their dreams come true!

(Do you know who first penned the words, “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country?” Arab American author Kahlil Gibran!)

If you’re like me, you did not know that the rainbow flag’s stripes actually symbolize different “aspects” of life.

The original rainbow flag, designed by Gilbert Baker and first featured in the San Francisco Pride parade in 1978, had eight stripes. The colors symbolized sex (hot pink), life (red), healing (orange), nature (green), sunlight (yellow), magic (art), harmony (blue) and spirit (violet).

Anyone know why they dropped the pink? Is sex really less important than sunlight?

For more random GLBT trivia, check this site out.

Take responsibility for your own love life - your whole life for that matter. Stop making excuses and blaming others. The truth is that not all the good ones are straight, married, or otherwise taken. Not all men are creeps. You are not the only decent, single gay guy left out there.

Sunglasses are big everywhere, but even more so in countries that have lots of sun every month of the year. (Note: sometimes I feel like a blonde writing these opening sentences. Another entry.)

Because Israel is one of these sunny countries, sunglasses are everywhere, every day of the year. Though they’re sexy, they sadly cover a guy’s eyes, which are even sexier. Still, with the right pair of glasses on the right kind of guy, sunglasses can add an extra layer of mystery to peel off (kind of like pants).

Check out these local dudes in their shades…

Here we are focused on gay rights and community-building in the Middle East, when in reality the battle needs a good deal of fighting in other allegedly more “enlightened” parts of the world. These regions include our own United States of America, Matt and John’s native homeland.

In recent weeks, US gays have come under attack by a prominent right-wing commentator and top army official. Of course we know there are bigots, homophobes and general hate-mongers even in the US of A. What’s really disturbing is the lack of outcry from American leaders, including those running for President.

Click here to read what gay activist Larry Kramer has to say about the state of gays in the States - the story you don’t see on “Queer Eye for Straight Guy.”