Tarek Zeidan
We are trying to build an organization that is part society, part watchdog, and part think tank.
Helem is the first NGO in Lebanon and in the Arab region to defend LGBT. Recently, the Ministry of Interior filed a defamation case against the group. Although Lebanon is relatively liberal, LGBTQs face constant prejudice and discrimination perpetrated by state institutions, religious institutions, the media, society, and their families. Activists in this field are also explicitly targeted and are prone to ostracization from other civil society groups and movements as well as internal fragmentation due to priorities as well as political and ideological divisions.
A substantial number of human rights organizations operate within lebanon, but the government has been selective in deciding which human rights organizations to officially recognize. HRDs working on LGBTI rights are particularly vulnerable to attacks, arrest, and defamation.
